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Posted: 8/8/2010 3:05:18 PM EDT
Well good evening folks. As yall can see I am new here and I know not alot AR-15's. I have been wanting to build one for quite a while now and i should be getting some money I hpe in the next month or so so I figure I will take about $700 out and build a AR-15. But that being said I dont know much about them and I dont know what upper to get, what lower and ect...This rifle will be used for varmit hunting, self defence and target. I dont need the most accuret AR-15 in the world but I would like to be able to hit a beer can at 75 yards with it. So what are some good uppers and lowers and what style should I look into (flat or A2)
All help is appriciated Thanks, Ryan. |
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If I go with the Del-Ton that is everything I need but a stripped lower reciver. Or do I need to get a copleate lower reciver? also what should I go with, the flat top or the A2 style upper
And do I need to get the kit shipped to a FFL or can it be shipped to my house? thanks, Ryan |
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You can build a good shooter with either a Del-Ton kit or a J&T kit. All you need is a receiver and some tools. A great receiver at an even greater price is the stripped Aero Precision from Dan's Ammo. It is $60 + $10 S&H. Figure $20 for a transfer, and you are well inside $700.
If you are going to ask questions in this forum, one of the rules is you have to post pics when you are done. 
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Really suggest that you look at a complete rifle. You will NOT save much by building it. Once you have one that works, and you learn all about it, deciding what to build will be a lot easier then... There are too many decisions that you will wrestle with, and you can ONLY decide from experience - your own experience. Most any rifle you get in that price range will do what you ask.
Use the time you would be building and researching to go shooting! |
AR-15's are amazingly easy to build. I finished my 1st one a few months ago, a plain jane A1/A2 combo. Even though I used to carry an M16, I only realized how well they were designed after I put mine together. The only tools I had to get was a clamshell receiver block from Model 1(about $30) DON'T EVER BUY FROM THEM, credit card got ripped off. Also bought a G.I. barrel wrench (about $10). Other tools were just a hammer and punch or a pair of pliers. When you install the barrel you can borrow a torque wrench from Auto-Zone or the like. Good Luck! 
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Quoted:
Well good evening folks. As yall can see I am new here and I know not alot AR-15's. I have been wanting to build one for quite a while now and i should be getting some money I hpe in the next month or so so I figure I will take about $700 out and build a AR-15. But that being said I dont know much about them and I dont know what upper to get, what lower and ect...This rifle will be used for varmit hunting, self defence and target. I dont need the most accuret AR-15 in the world but I would like to be able to hit a beer can at 75 yards with it. So what are some good uppers and lowers and what style should I look into (flat or A2)
All help is appriciated Thanks, Ryan. Do it right, do it light, friend. When you really think about it, is it worth building a rifle for that amount than just waiting a couple more months to buy something really special? After all, the ammo alone you put down its pipe will probably outweigh the overall price. For $700 you're really not going to get your money's worth, IMHO. Yes, I know a lot of people are now going to flame me and say, "well my $_______ build is ultra reliable, never jams, yada yada yada." I'm just advising you, the OP, to what I would personally do. It's certainly possible to build one for under $700 if that's what you're set to do, and everyone is entitled to their opinion. My advice? If you're not up for building one (which I would recommend both for cost savings, customization, and the experience you'll gain from doing it), I would recommend Spikes; it's the best bang for your buck. *Edited for grammar and clarity 
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A mil surp 1980's LK M16A2 upper with a Colt barrel, Colt BCG, DTI lower reciever and assorted A1 furniture parts all picked up at local fun shows. 
A mil surp early 70's Colt M16A1 upper, Colt BCG, Hughes Precision lower, M&A Parts LPK and assorted A1 funiture again all picked up at local fun shows. In southern Michigan you can usually get everything you need at a local fun show to put an AR-15 together for under $700. |
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Hear ye, hear ye, hear ye. Ye have opened up the vast flood gates of AR knowledge, opinions and options.
Customarily, varmint and HD rifles will be at two opposite ends of options for your upper. For varmints you typically build up with a 20 or 24 inch heavy barrel and want a flat top to accommodate a wider choice of sights. For HD on a budget, a short light barrel and iron sights on a carry handle upper might be the ticket, but you might still prefer a flat top with a removable carry handle or a red dot sight. Then again, you might compromise with an 18 or 20 inch barrel to do both jobs. It all depends on what you see yourself using the rifle for. I have taken down a few varmints and caused serious injury to a lot of paper, but I haven't yet come face to face with a knife-wielding crackhead. Yet my go-to rifle has a 16" barrel for the crackheads and I've decided to give the varmints a fighting chance to escape. Naturally, YMMV. Building a lower is pretty easy. You can do it with general purpose tools you probably already have, or use your wife's pink Do-it-herself tool kit. Your biggest problem with assembling the lower is getting the right springs in the right places, and right side up. You also have to be careful with the springs lest you find yourself marveling at how such a tiny spring can launch itself into a low earth orbit. You can save some tooling money by buying a barrel and upper receiver already assembled. That will save you the price of a barrel wrench and receiver clamp, and maybe the cost of a vise and torque wrench. If you really want to do it all and assemble the barrel and upper yourself, go for it, just be ready to devote up to $100 of your budget to those tools. Up your budget from $700 to maybe $800 and you'll have more options on what you can build. Everything you need to know and more is in the tacked Build It Yourself threads here or in more detail in the army manual, which is available here as a PDF file in the downloads. Religiously follow the function check procedures here before heading to the range to hear and feel that first round and you won't have any need to take your new creation to a gunsmith. We now return you to the fire hose. Have a sip. |
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I built mine, just a simple battle-rifle for near $792.
A2 buttstock assembly from Midway: $55 DPMS lower parts kit from Midway: $53 RRA stripped lower ($104+$10 shipping+$20 FFL) = $134 CMMG M4 mid-length upper assembly = $456 shipped Yankee Hill Machine Rear sight = $80. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– If I had gone for a Precision Aero lower, that would drop the cost by $40, and spent a little less on the rear-sight, I could be very close to $700. The tools, I spent $8 on a harbor freight punch-set, and made a vice-block out of a 2x4. Everything else I already owned. http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs121.snc4/36399_567301361427_6600408_32917557_8074658_n.jpg http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/hs201.snc4/38370_568270214837_6600408_32953191_2212550_n.jpg So I know $700 could be done if you looked harder for a less expensive upper. Or, jumped on the $600 M&P-15, and added a rear iron. |
| Unless you are willing to be patient, take your time and cruise the EE frequently for parts, you'll probably end up spending more than you thought you would. I started my first build thinking it would be cheaper than buying a complete rifle, but quickly gave up on that. I found myself wanting to put on quality stuff and eneded up spending quite a bit more than I thought I would. I just decided to have fun, learn a lot and build the rifle I wanted. It was really fun and very rewarding to end up with a quality rifle that I had completely built myself. As far as the upper and lower to use, it really doesn't matter as long as they're built to spec. The BCG and barrel are where you want to spend a little more for quality. I'm not mechanically inclined much at all, but I can follow directions well. The videos at the top of this forum will walk you right thru the process. |
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Nobody has mentioned this yet so I figured I would chime in...Brownells has a great set of instructional videos on building an AR-15.
You can check them out HERE before you decide on anything to see what you might be getting into. Also, as previously mentioned, the tacked threads here are very helpful! Along with the above information used THIS BOOK when I was building my first AR. I found it to be very helpful. You can find deals all over the internet as well as on the EE here. |
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$500 rifle thread
Although the OP cannot add, there are numerous tips on where to get parts for a bargain build. Plus THIS is tacked at the top of this section |
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Quoted:
Really suggest that you look at a complete rifle. You will NOT save much by building it. Once you have one that works, and you learn all about it, deciding what to build will be a lot easier then... There are too many decisions that you will wrestle with, and you can ONLY decide from experience - your own experience. Most any rifle you get in that price range will do what you ask. Use the time you would be building and researching to go shooting! This. You say you don't know much about ARs; remember there is little or no warranty on parts, as opposed to up to lifetime on complete rifles. My advice is buy a basic carbine and see what you want to change. You can modify your first buy and/or build what you want in your second one. CDNN has a good deal on S&W right now. |
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