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Posted: 11/12/2004 10:12:12 AM EDT
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Hi Everyone. This is my first post, but I have been reading the board for a couple weeks. I don’t want to be the typical noob so I wont ask a ton of already well covered questions, but I hope a few are alright. I thought I would share my plans and welcome any feedback anyone has to offer. I recently decided to add the AR-15 platform to my gun collection. I have several handguns, a couple rifles, and a shotgun. At first I was just gonna buy a complete rifle and go from there. After talking to a few people and reading the wealth of information here I decided it would benefit me more if I made it a more hands on project. So far I have been making decisions on what I want based on how I will use the rifle. Barring an invasion of my backyard, the rifle will only see range duty and field plinking. I have spent most of my time on CMMG and DPMS web sites, a direction I chose based off the material on this forum. I don’t really have a price range, but being my first AR project I would like to keep it “middle of the road” price wise. CMMG seem to have everything I am looking for . . . AFAIK. I have heard nothing but good things about them. I don’t mind paying a little more if certain places are faster or better to deal with. I will start with lowers as I don’t have many questions on this. Leaning towards the DPMS stripped Forged Lower Receiver with the standard DPMS Lower parts kit. (From what I understand, this is a sound choice.) I have not looked too far into grips, stocks, and other accessories. I know the look I a want to go for. I figure I would go to a few shops and shows to get hands on with these components in the next couple weeks. For the upper I am torn between the 14.5 MOD4A3 w/ permanent Phantom and the 16” MOD4A3 w/ A2 Hider again both from CMMG / DPMS. I don’t really know the advantages to having one over the other than length (accuracy). On top of that I don’t know what Gas Block/Front Sight Option I want. Eventually (sooner than later) I will get an EOtech or Aimpoint. Because of this I was leaning towards the GasBlock/Flip Front Sight over the standard front sight base. (Suggestions welcome!) Either way, I don’t know what to do for the rear site. I am not against building my upper from parts, but it seems more logical both price wise and experience wise to just get one of these assemblies. I think I will compromise and not get the bolt or carrier from CMMG (I hear colt’s bolts are better anyway, no pun intended.) I will probably start ordering parts over the next couple business days. Thanks to all ahead of time . . .I really love this forum. -Adam |
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i too am in your boat and i have been reading for a long time and just now am deciding to start buying parts. from what i have read, the lowers from dpms, rra, bushmaster and ameetec are all excellent in quality. i will be going with ameetec because they are excellent in quality and cheap - $90 and since i live in az no ffl transfer. cmmg is, again from what i have read, excellent and their barrels are 1:7. personally i would get a 16" because you can then change the front brake/comp to whatever you want instead of having one permanentally attached. as far as the front sight - i have read that it just blurs out when using optics and you really don't see it through the optics, again i have not fired one this way but i have seen pics through optics and you really can't see the front sight. rbprecisison has an excellent deal on m4 stocks - $74 shipped to you including a car wrench, over in the equipment exchange under new stuff. i have ordered one and i got it really quick. i believe they currently have both the unmarked and rra marked ones in stock. eagle firerams has good prices one mags - 30round bushmasters for 16+ shipping, my 3 that i orderdd came out to $55 to my door and i got them quick, again in the equipment exchange. others with more experience than me will soon give you their opinions and welcome to the forums :) 89grand just finished his ameetec lower with cmmg upper, it was his first build, here is the link - www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=3&f=4&t=210642 |
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Thanks for the feedback guys. I went to a couple shops today and have a much better idea what I want to do. Needless to say between this forum and shopping around I think I can build up a rifle I can be proud of. Currently I am less caught up on the brand names and more concerned with getting exactly what I want. On a side note, one shop said they did not want to deal with me just buying parts. Another shop was dead set that I could not build one cheaper than I could buy one that they had in stock. I did not want to be rude and let him know I am all about the wonders of online/mail-order merchants. They did have some good deals, but I really want to build my own. He did have an anniversary BM that was $1500. It was my favorite and has several components I want in my BIY rifle. This shop said they would get my lower for me for $40 transfer fee and the $10 TBI background check fee. I guess thats fair. |
Shops do not want to deal with buying parts, as they can't compete with online sources. It actually isn't even a fair comparision. As far as cheaper than is what in stock, it all depends on what you are looking for. Sometimes there are great deals to be found. At the last gunshow, Carricoz Armory had a new 16" carbine for $598, and it would be hard to build a basic carbine much cheaper than that. When you get into building what YOU want, the way YOU want it, it is almost always cheaper to simply buy and build. If you are building yourself, and want a rail, the YHM FF rail is a great way to keep costs low, and quality high. |
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Thanks all for the recommendations! Here is my running list. I will start ordering parts on Monday. A4 Flat Top upper receiver Chrome Lined M4 16" Barrel Phantom Hider Std FSB Rear BUIS YHM FF rail Side rail covers ACE ARFX buttstock Lower Lower parts kit Brands for the upper and lover are still up in the air. I have more reading to do! DPMS, LMT, MEGA are on my list to look at. |
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anybody in TN want to let him know of a better deal than $50 for a xfer fee? that seems high to me. f*ck the shops that won't deal with you just for parts, there are plenty that will. are you going to save a ton of $$$, probably not, but you will have exactly what you want and most importatantly the knowledge of how it all works. |
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OK, so I have been reading all about cmmg (dpms) and LMT uppers. Is the LMT better for the extra $100 over the cmmg? They both have what seem to be the exact same specs (16" Chrome Lined 1/7, "T" marked, feed cut ramps, 5.56 chamber). If I go with the cmmg upper I will probably go with the dpms lower to keep it all the same. If I go with the LMT upper I will consider the MEGA,RRA, and the DPMS. I dont think I want to pay the extra $$$ for the LMT lower. I cant tell you how much fun I am having learning all these things. |
i thought cmmg was making their own barrels now, a user on here 89grand just built one with a ameetec lower and cmmg upper and said the fit was excellent and the finish was close. here is the link |
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