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Posted: 12/4/2012 1:47:18 PM EDT
| hi im looking to build my first ar and i was wondring what parts to use. Im on a tight budget of around $800. What kind of upper and lower should i be looking at? The plan for the build is to have a general purpose ar so i was thinking 16 in barrel with a 1 in 7 twist. Any input and or reccomendations will be greatly appreciated |
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For a general purpose build, I would look into what bullet weights you intend to use before deciding on a 1 in 7 twist. If you want to only shoot mid to heavy bullets (55 grain to 77 grain), then the 1 in 7 is great, however if you intend to use varmint bullets like the 45, 50 and even 52 grainers you may want to look into the 1 in 8 or 1 in 9 twists. The military uses 1 in 7 is because of the really long 64 grain tracer rounds that are difficult to stabilize.
There are plenty of good options out there for your price range. I would go through the Industry Forums here (see the menu above the logos) and see which ones are delayed, having reliability troubles etc. This is a great way to research brands and see what their customer service is like. I personally have no problem with the mass produced store brands you will find like RRA, DPMS, Stag, Bushmaster, but there is a lot of (sometimes unfounded) animosity and snobbery towards these as being "lower tier". The general concensus on budget oriented builds is Palmetto State Armory, Bravo Company USA and Spikes are good options - but most manufacturers are delayed due to high demand. Again the Industry Forum has a lot of good smaller companies that rarely get mentioned like New Frontier Armory and Adco Firearms that produce good products. My personal recommendation would be to get a lower like an Aero Precision (they make lots of companies receivers and are very affordable - Surplus Arms & Ammo, NFA, Spikes, etc.) and then build it up yourself (knowledge is power) with a lower parts kit and stock that you like. Then get a good upper that has the barrel and handguard you like. This will probably save you a few bucks and potentially afford you some upgraded components that you won't end up paying extra for duplicate parts - like handguards, pistol grips and buttstocks. Keep in mind that BCG's and some other components are pretty hard to find right now so be prepared to do some searching or waiting. |
| I think building your own is a good idea if you think you would replace some parts on a complete rifle. PSA and Windham make some great low priced rifles that can be had for around $800. The question you would need to ask yourself is... Am I happy with the parts that come with the rifle (trigger , pistol grip , stock , sights etc.). If you think you would want a high end trigger , or a different stock or grip instead of the standard M4 parts then building might be the way to go for you. If you are happy with standard M4 style parts , and there is nothing wrong with that, then I would buy a complete rifle. Also when putting together a parts list you have to keep in mind that the exact part you want might be hard to get right now or even months from now. Building your own and initially buying the parts you want will probably be cheaper than buying a rifle and replacing parts that will end up in a parts box in your closet. But it never hurts to have spare parts. When I finish my current dissy build I will be able to put together a KISS rifle for about $400 and use extra parts I already have taken off previous rifles. Just take some time and think it over , do some research and you should figure out what you want. |
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Quoted:
are bolt carriers all the same, could i run an lmt bolt in a psa upper? Would there be any advantages of doing something like that instead of the psa bolt? I'm pretty much in the same boat. I'm waiting on a Bravo Company BCG, but I found these Spike's Tactical and Daniel Defense BCGs, and they seem like they are in-stock right now. Tempted to make a buy and get started on my own first AR build. Exciting. https://delta3tactical.com/store/products/Daniel-Defense-AR%252d15-Complete-Bolt-Carrier-Group.html Good luck on your build! 
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Quoted:
Quoted:
are bolt carriers all the same, could i run an lmt bolt in a psa upper? Would there be any advantages of doing something like that instead of the psa bolt? I'm pretty much in the same boat. I'm waiting on a Bravo Company BCG, but I found these Spike's Tactical and Daniel Defense BCGs, and they seem like they are in-stock right now. Tempted to make a buy and get started on my own first AR build. Exciting. https://delta3tactical.com/store/products/Daniel-Defense-AR%252d15-Complete-Bolt-Carrier-Group.html Good luck on your build!
Can't go wrong with any of those companies. |
| after looking around I realized i didn't want to spend the money on the specialized ar15 tools, so i went to walmart, yes walmart, and bought a windham weaponry src. I havent heard anything bad about it, and it was only 799 at walmart with 0% interest and a year to pay. Now i just have to find a scope, im thinking a 1-4 scope for around $200. Any suggestions?, all the other scopes on my other rifles are Leupold to trijicon but im not looking to spend quite that much. |
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I just got the HiLux Leatherwood CMR 1-4x30
at OpticsPlanet for about $300 delivered. It has very good reviews. Doesn't include a mount, and comes in red or green lighted reticles. Re. OpticsPlanet.. this was my first buy from them, and they were quick. I found a free shipping code, as well as a $5 off code for subscribing to their email list. I may also have a $15 off code that expires soon, if you are looking to buy in the next few days. PM/email me if you need it. |
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