I'm working on "saving" funds for my first National Match Service Rifle.  I'm in the military (as I'm sure MANY of you are or have been at one time or another) so I don't have a lot of $$$ if you follow me.  So I'm seeing these "kit" rifles, and there affordability.

So my question is this, Is it worth the couple of hundred bucks you could save in buying a competition rifle in a kit vs. buying the complete (put together version) rifle from the same manufacturer?

As has been stated in many other posts, the AR is a very simple rifle to build. By building it from a kit you'll not only save money but you'll know how it went together and be able to take it apart for maintainance or to modify the trigger group with ease.  Even if you get a match rifle that's already assembled you'll, more then likely, pull it apart to polish up the trigger group, with the kit you can do this as you build and save some time.   Pick up a good kit and have some fun and when you win your first match you'll be able to say "I built the gun that won.".  Talk to ya'll later.  TN.Frank

I haven't built one yet, but am planning to do so.  I want to build a rifle for the fact that I get emotionally attached to my guns!!! HAHA.  But, if I built one from scratch, that would be of great satisfaction, and I can call it "my baby".

Arianboy, email steve at adcofirearms.com and see if he can help you with your decision.

Arianboy,
I am also in the military (21+ years, US Army) and never thought I would ever want to own an AR15/M16. about a year and a half ago I bought an A3 upper receiver from E-bay. Set it on the shelf and since have bought a little here and there. I will be receiveing my last peice next week (Skeleton Stock) and can't wait to get it on. There are many post on the forums that show many different variations of the AR15. It inspired me and now I'm looking forward to posting pics of it as well as shooting it. It will be a sense of great satisfaction when completed and of course you'll be able to say...
"I Built It Myself"

Good Luck
George

You can save a few dollars, and learn an awful lot. That's a BARGAIN.

1) the easiest way to save some bucks is to buy a RRA National Match completed lower from Steve at ADCO, and a RRA NM bull barrel upper from Pete in NH. This is a 10 second build. You save 10% in federal tax, but are not allowed to sell the completed firearm, only the separated parts. You will like the trigger, and will need to spend a lot more to get better.

2) you can buy the RRA NM trigger group and kit from ADCO or Pete in NH. You will not save much by assembling it yourself. You may not even save enough to pay for the few hand tools you need.

3) in the line of work you are in, someday it might be damn handy to know how to strip an AR down to parts and reassemble. It's fun, it's easy, and all you have to do is try by reading the instructions on this site and perhaps the US manuals.

I've never been in the service, so I thank you for doing so for me.

God bless you,

Pete

I agree with all of the above, having built a DCM service rifle to compete with in CMP Service rifle. However, unlike the standard 20" AR15, the DCM rifles have quite a few specialized features like DCM legal free floating handguards, 1/4 MOA rear sights with .036-.040 apertures, match 4.5lb triggers, special air-gauged stainless 1:8 barrels like Krieger and Douglas, and the like. It would be very easy to spend as much on a build as a complete rifle with these components if you are not careful. A true hooded national match rear sight alone can cost $120 just for the sight assembly. There are many imitators out there who are otherwise reputable who sell 'National match" rear sights, which are not true 1/4 MOA increments but instead simply have had the smaller apertures installed on them. BEWARE questional "national match" parts. The advantage of buying a new prebuilt national match rifle is that you are guaranteed to have everything as it should be. Also barrel breakin is critical with these rifles. Armalite and bushmaster's DCM rifles are good examples. If you shoot with the ODCMP for one round with one of an affiliated club's loaner M1 Garands or a borrowed AR15, you will also be qualified to participate in their discount purchase program, which entitles you to a new Bushmaster DCM rifle for under $900, which is regularly about $1300.

If you are in the military, check to see if your unit or a unit at your post has a CMP team, they may be happy to let you shoot with them.

If you do decide to build a true DCM/CMP legal service match rifle, be very careful, or you may end up with something less than what you could have had. Check out [url]www.compasslake.com[/url] (compass lake engineering). Their rifles have won quite a few matches with the right shooters, and they are a good resource whether you build or buy.

Good Luck, see you at Camp Perry!

The actual build up isn't the thing that bothers me in the least.  I was one of the lucky guys that got to take a unit armorers course.  And I have broken down several M-16A2's and M-4's down to striped recievers, minus the barrel...   I mean geez I'm not crazy and the weapons did belong to Uncle Sam after all!  But let me tell ya, the 1SG's could never figure out how I got 'em so clean!!!

The point I think I was trying to find is can you maintain the acuracy required for a NM rifle without spending the big bucks you just saved in machine work or other gun smithing services?  Well also you see, I found a FFL licenced guy who can get me a RRA DCM/CMP rifle for $900 and I don't believe I can beat that with a kit.