Agreed, and came in to post this. Your money though, you do you. Just realize that a high end premium factory build is always a better idea when down the road you might want to get some of that cash back.

You could have bought a Colt, an FN, an optic and ammo, EDIT!

CoC Violation - “6) Attacking or insulting a member in an effort to elicit a negative response. You have the right to disagree, but please do so in a respectful manner. This rule also includes posting disparaging remarks about a member's family.”

Thank you for the nice comment. I wanted something I built from ground up that no one else has. They seem to think I just blindly spent the money, I know a factory gun could've been cheaper, again I wanted something I made.

I completely understand. As long as resale value isn't an issue, there are nice parts in your gun. Like I said before, Faxon, Sharps, AR Gold, etc... Are not junk by any means! And btw, even everyone's beloved Colt, FN, etc... drop in price once used. Granted, they may be easier to sell but people are trying to compare your custom build with higher end parts to what we think of as standard Mil Spec stuff. Not really a fair comparison as those builds also work well but of course are much cheaper.if the gun came out the way YOU wanted it to and runs well then its a success in my book :)

Rudy

OP, I have bought plenty of parts I originally thought I would like that I regretted later.  I agree with building.  There is no better way to learn how the AR platform functions.  I have built more than I have bought.  Your tastes will evolve over time.  There are plenty of people on this forum that will bash anything over $700-1000.  I am an adult, make plenty of money to have many nice builds/ rifles, plenty of ammo, and training.  You should never spend more than you earn on anything, let alone a gun.  But if you have the means, go for it.  There are alos plenty of people on this forum that have build that put your price tag to shame...

That being said, I do agree with some of the comments on parts selection. There are so many companies that make parts here in America, that I refuse to buy AR parts that are not manufactured in the US.  Strike and one of the other listed manufacturers import parts.   Other guns I am not so subjective if It is a proven part.  I also agree with the light profile of your barrel and a suppressor.  Heat and accuracy do not mix well...  Use it for a while, then replace it with something more fitting. And do another build around the faxon...  Thats how some of us get dozens of ars... "I found this spare pistol grip, Time to build another..."

Also, keep an eye on the EE here.  I have had very good luck with barely used (sometimes never used) parts that folks changed their minds...

Buy your optic on the EE for sure...  I probably wont ever buy a "new" optic again...

It looks good.  Im looking forward to the pics of the completed rifles.

Looks really good.  It’s an expensive first build to be sure, but at least you have good taste.  If a lot of guys here were honest, they have totally spent that kind of money incrementally on builds.  Finding parts that work for you is always a work in progress, and it isn’t always cheap.

Honestly, I think you did pretty decent with consideration of your end state.  The thing about the barrel has been mentioned ad nauseam, I would just replace it with something better after shooting it out.  That being said, I have always heard really good things about those barrels, so you may be totally happy with it.

Post more pics when it’s all set up

Exactly. If I were building a $3K AR, I would start with a noveske barrel, and build around that.

I have built all my rifles uppers and lowers. I have never bought an all ready built upper or lower. I have spent alot on parts and never looked back. I want rifles of my own with the best parts. I always started with the barrel and went from there. Noveske is my go to for barrels.

I wish they made a 6.5 grendel SBR barrel.

As for billet reciever sets. I love them. I have two of them SBRed and they are my primary guns.

I have managed to sell some expensive uppers from my past builds with minimal lose due to the quality parts that were used. I have went from 5.56 18 inch to 16 to 14.5 pinned to 11.5 inch SBR. And now a 10.2 inch 300 blk out. New build on the horizon is 6.5 grendel short barrel rifle.

My advice is to ALWAYS research your parts. And post on here if you have questions or need suggestions on what to look for.

Just don’t put a crappy optic on it...

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Vortex strike eagle as a place holder for now. Need to figure out the SA adjustable gas block. I got it to cycle and eject properly in a normal setting, but I want to figure out the "bleed off" setting for when a can is on

That definitely looks nice...  I like the greys... Nice build.

I'd be happy to get behind that gun, she's pretty for sure.

dude, seriously-to hell with these guys!  while i agree that a 'no budget' build should have had a high grade DD chf/Noveske/Larue barrel, these "i built my gun for $0.03!" guys kill me. but not as much as the "my rifle is too heavy at 2lbs" j**offs... hope your build turns out as well as you pictured it, and happy shooting

Looks like a fine rifle that will provide you many years of service. BZ

I try not to reflect on the price of all parts added to any of my builds as much as the enjoyment I have using it.

Every round down range placed where you want them to go - that is what we all strive to achieve, so it makes no difference on what you pony up to make that happen as long as you are satisfied on how those rounds make it to their destination.

Faxon barrel on a $3000 rifle? Where's the Krieger?

Why. ?

Op, it looks like a cool rifle.

Ceracoat turned out really nicely. Hopefully you enjoy it and get tons of use out of it.

Please don't take my comments too hard, or even as a critique of your build, I'm just trying to share some of what I've learned about building ARs over the years. In the end, it's your gun doing what you need it to do, just don't get too hung up on the approval of the people on this board. Your gun should reflect your needs and wants and not the opinion of others.

Don't get too hung up on the "should have bought a factory gun comments." While it's true there may be some better values out there in factory guns, I firmly believe that building your first AR is a rite of passage into serious gun ownership. It also teaches you important lessons about the actual function of the weapon and the relationship parts all have with each other. You can also diagnose and troubleshoot more easily knowing your gun in and out. I have also had just as many reliability issues with factory guns as builds.

In the future, as I'm sure you can tell from the comments, focus on the barrel and trigger. Those will make the biggest difference to your rifle. Nothing wrong with Faxon either, great barrels. This is just where I would have put more of my budget.

An adjustable gas block and a sturdy BCG are next on my list. I've used just about every brand of BCG out there, from basic PSA to eye-wateringly expensive top teir brands. Unless it's a purpose built competition rifle or I'm chasing a weight number, I now stick with Toolcraft milspec ones. They have been every bit as accurate as my JP, Young, etc ones. And usually more durable. Daniel Defense, Colt, and a few others have been just as good, but are more costly.

Finally I look for a handguard/barrel nut combo with as little flex as possible. I have found Geissele to be the best, but there are plenty out there that work great. In a true precision build, I'm also not running an extremely long 15" rail, as that extra length can put more torque on the barrel/nut/receiver and affect accuracy. Otherwise

In the long run, you're not likely to notice much of a difference in performance with your receivers across the budget spectrum as long as they are properly in spec. Looks, etc. are another story and completely subjective.

I've also spent a lot of time looking to improve my reload times and increase performance/decrease times with a huge range of lower parts. An ambi safety and good trigger, and MAYBE a larger mag release are all I have found to make a difference. I stick with cheapo LPKs now sold without a trigger and drop in a Geissele.

Finally, I think the majority of the negative reactions you got in this thread we're due to your thread title. I don't think you meant it as such, but it came across as a bit braggadocious. That can rub people the wrong way here, whether it's because they can't afford a build like that, or they know that putting 3k into a build is no guarantee of performance. Or they just don't like people flaunting their money. Frankly a lot of the replies here were more fitting for General Discussion and not a tech forum, but OP, you did kind of walk into it with that thread title. Again, I think your heart was in the right place, but it's hard to get a read on someone in a thread.

Remember, this website contains some of the meanest, snarkiest, most malcontent sons of bitches you'll find anywhere (kind of reminds me of the line of villains in Blazing Saddles) but you also will never find a group of more knowledgeable and helpful folks in regards to the AR rifle and guns in general.

If you have any questions about future builds, feel free to IM me. I'm far from the most knowledgeable person here, but I will always try and give you straight answers on AR15 stuff, and let you know if I don't really know. Enjoy your build and welcome to the hobby.

Thank you for the thoughtful post

Nice looking gun OP.  Just an FYI..and this includes other people I know with them, not just myself.  With the suppressor in place you can't get the bleed off setting opened enough to cause the gun not to cycle.  You'll have to tune it to closed off for suppressor use.