I've been doing a lot of looking and reading and have finally decided to do my own AR build.  But before I go and spend the money I have some questions about the quality of certain brands, and whether or not certain products will match up.

For the lower I was wondering if it is worth the extra money to get a Bushmaster over the RRA, DSC Star-15, DPMS, Stag Arms, or Olympic.  Money is an issues, however not a big one.  I am a poor college student but would rather spend a little more now and have a quality firearm.

And for the Upper, would you recommend Armalite, Del-Ton, or who?

I suppose I should say too that I was planning on a 1:9 twist, as this won't be a bench rifle.  I was thinking of maybe a 20" barrel with a 6-position stock, and probably tossing a scope on it for hunting purposes.  Thanks for all the help.


Matt

Quoted: I've been doing a lot of looking and reading and have finally decided to do my own AR build.  But before I go and spend the money I have some questions about the quality of certain brands, and whether or not certain products will match up. For the lower I was wondering if it is worth the extra money to get a Bushmaster over the RRA, DSC Star-15, DPMS, Stag Arms, or Olympic.  Money is an issues, however not a big one.  I am a poor college student but would rather spend a little more now and have a quality firearm. And for the Upper, would you recommend Armalite, Del-Ton, or who? Matt

A Bushmaster, RRA, DPMS, Stag, or Olympic would serve all serve you well. RRA lowers are said to have a very tight fit on average- I don't know to what extent this is true or whether you'd find this to be a good or bad thing. With Bushmaster you pay a bit for the name, but you also get very good customer service in the event that something is amiss. I'm not implying that you'll get inferior customer service from the other companies, but folks to tend to note their satisfaction with BM customer support after dealing with them. I'd go for whatever you can get the cheapest in your area. I've never heard of or seen a Star-15 lower, so I won't comment on that brand at all.

As for uppers, since you're on a college student budget, I recommend a used upper complete with bolt and bolt carrier from the EE forums. Look for the ads with yellow subject line backgrounds if you're scared of buying from a private individual. Those are dealers. USGI M16A1 uppers show up for sale from time to time. They're usually a good value. The key to getting good stuff for a good price is lots of reading and lots of patience.

This is my take on the matter- I'm sure other arfcom members will have their own two cents to add.

Galland

Quoted: I like the Mega lower and upper receivers for an inexpensive build.  The fit and finish is excellent and for $89.00 for a lower and the same for the upper receiver you cannot go wrong.  There is nothing wrong with the others mentioned they are of good quality also.  I am just speaking from my own experience with the Mega.

I also hear this from many about the Mega uppers and lowers!I just haven't gotten around to building one of my own with their parts.

There will be different opions on this but I would go with Bushmaster or Rock River lower and perhaps a J&T upper both are extra fine in my book , I have put togather alot od AR-15's with combo and they have always worked very well

I have heard it put this way: A lower is a lower is a lower. As long as it is a forged lower as is DPMS, RRA, Bushmaster, Stag, Olympic Arms, LMT, LCW, Colt, Mega, CMMG, Ameetec and the many others I may have forgotten about you will be good to go!

Is Del-Ton a good compnay for an upper?  If I got the chrom lined barrel from Delton and mated it with a BM bottom would that be an alright combination?  Thanks for all of the help so far.

Matt

Nothing against Bushmaster but with so many top quality lowers at more affordable prices, there are better buys out there.  As someone said, you'd  just be spending money on the name.  Stag and Mega are good examples of very high quality lowers for less than $90.

Del-ton is a good company.  They use CMT uppers which = good and wilson barrels (a well known and common barrel maker in the AR world).  None of their stuff is cheap junk.  I've been very pleased with the things I've purchased from them.  I've also been impressed with Rock River's products.

If your budget allows for some Bushmaster components, I'd actually consider flipping things a bit.  Stag or Mega lower and BM upper.  The money you save on the lower could be applied to the upper where things make more of a difference.

+1 for MEGA--Stag or <$100 RRA would also be another great budget AR lower

del-ton or JTD have the best deals and service on AR kits

eaglefirearms.net (in industry board) have the best prices on RRA uppers (got my CL middy, complete for $430); LMT stuff is also good for the $$$s

A3 upper, 5.56 chambering, CL bbl are a must imo

Quoted: Is Del-Ton a good compnay for an upper?  If I got the chrom lined barrel from Delton and mated it with a BM bottom would that be an alright combination?  Thanks for all of the help so far. Matt

Del-Ton is a great company and they will take care of you.

Again, thanks for all of the help.  The last question I have is whether or not if I decide to go with Armalite or BM for the upper, which one has a more quality product.

Matt

Quoted: Again, thanks for all of the help.  The last question I have is whether or not if I decide to go with Armalite or BM for the upper, which one has a more quality product. Matt

My only experience with armalite was a complete rifle, and it was not a very good one...Never again will that company see any of my money...I currently own several Bushy's and a RRA, and have no problems to report with any of them....

As far as uppers go, if you are going to buy a stripped upper and build one yourself there are several manufacturers I would look at. WhiteOak Armament or WOA have some really nice looking uppers (very high quality). Stag Arms (sister company to CMT which happens to make items for companies such as COLT) also have a high quality upper at a very reasonable price( I would use their lowers if I could stomach the deer). The others will suit you fine as well because they are all of high quality (RRA, BM, LMT, Del-Ton, CMMG etc.) Go with what makes you feel comfortable. If I was using a RRA lower I would want to use a RRA upper etc etc etc. But almost all will work without problems. I hear Bushy uppers sometimes have a hard time fitting on RRA lowers due to RRA's tight tolerances. All the others should be good to go. GOOD LUCK!