AR Sponsor
Posted: 9/24/2010 3:36:48 PM EDT
| HOW MUCH DO YOU SAVE BY BUILD YOUR OWN AR AS TO JUST BUYING ONE, JUST FROM A FINANCIAL STANDPOINT |
|
Quoted:
ETA: When I purchased the reciever for my last rifle I planned to build a KISS carbine. Nothing fancy. Over $3000 later I had my first SBR! Once you get started you find all sorts of things you didn't even know you NEEDED! THIS!!! So very true about my first two builds, and probably relevant to my next build too lol. I honestly think you spend more, if you build your own, only because you do so much research, and look at different parts that you end up buying the ones your really want, rather than the ones your wallet can afford. If you were to just buy an upper and lower, or a complete rifle, you'd be done for the most part, and wouldn't have the knowledge to know what you'd want to replace, but because you build it, and know how it all goes together you find different things that you want to add later on and in future builds lol. |
|
Quoted:
HA  Thats funny!
ETA: When I purchased the reciever for my last rifle I planned to build a KISS carbine. Nothing fancy. Over $3000 later I had my first SBR! Once you get started you find all sorts of things you didn't even know you NEEDED! Yep...I'm in EXACTLY the same boat...but I don't regret it a bit. I'm making plans for my KISS build now...again. I have a feeling I will fail again.
|
|
I got 5 receiver sets from Surplus Ammo for like $550ish, built three KISS rifles with all Magpul for around $2000 total including the additional two receiver sets. My S&W I first bought is over a $2000 rifle, Why? Because I didn't like the plain Jane stuff and switched it out......that's why I like to build my own now, you get exactly what you want and it is cheaper.
|
|
Quoted:
HA Thats funny!
ETA: When I purchased the reciever for my last rifle I planned to build a KISS carbine. Nothing fancy. Over $3000 later I had my first SBR! Once you get started you find all sorts of things you didn't even know you NEEDED! wow that much..it better be able to shoot plasma lol |
|
Quoted:
Quoted:
HA Thats funny!
ETA: When I purchased the reciever for my last rifle I planned to build a KISS carbine. Nothing fancy. Over $3000 later I had my first SBR! Once you get started you find all sorts of things you didn't even know you NEEDED! wow taht much..it better be able to shoot plasma lol Yep, adds up quick. Noveske, LaRue, Geissele, Eotech. Thats about half the cost right there. But I have exactly what I want and I know how to fix it if it stops running. I spent alot of time researchig what would work best for my application and thats what I went with. Another nice thing about building your own rifle is you don't have to come up with all the money at once. If you have the patience, buy a few parts each payday and before you know it you will have your rifle. |
|
Nothing in the short term. If you plan on building a basic rifle and keeping it that way, better to buy complete. If you want or will want to customize it, you MIGHT save some by doing it the way you want it in the first place, instead of replacing parts at a later date. But building your own has it's intangible benefits though. Since you're asking, you're probably not sure what you want yet, might be better off buying complete, unless you WANT to assemble it yourself with parts you choose (not some somebody threw together in a package that you might not know where they all came from). |
| It really depends. Think about it this way. If you purchased say a standard M4 for around 800, then you add the furniture you want, you could really punch that price up pretty high. For example, say you buy that m4 with the regular hand guards and other stock equipment. Then you buy a troy battle rail, magpul stock, and grip and upgrade the iron sights, you could easily shoot this gun to a total investment of over 1000 dollars. It is possible to take that 800 hundred bucks and piece together what you want and have it built the way you want it the first time. You gotta understand though that there is that little range there where you can come out ahead, but if you start jumping to daniel defense quad rails, sopmod stocks, and other highend components, you are still going to spend alot regardless. My personal opinion is the building is cheaper, "in the long run". It just depends how you do it. |
|
Well...I spent about $1618.13 (yes I kept track) to including shipping on my first AR. All the parts were strait from name brand companies like; noveske, daniel defense, magpul, aero percision and G&R T LPK. It compares directly to Noveskes RECON refile that retails for $2290.00. So I saved over $600 bucks on the build, mind you I have a mil discount that saved me a few hundred bucks too.
I'd say go for it and build it yourself––much more rewarding. |
|
Quoted:
Another nice thing about building your own rifle is you don't have to come up with all the money at once. If you have the patience, buy a few parts each payday and before you know it you will have your rifle. Yeah right. I was going to that, but 3 weeks after buying my stripped lower I had a complete rifle. Too many good deals and too many nights "air firing" my complete lower. I spent about $850. For that price I got a home-assembled DD lower with magpul furniture and a spikes middy upper. I figure a similar gun would cost about $1200. |
| I could have saved a ton... However I got into the problem where a "few more $" I could have a better part. That started to add up quickly. My original budget was around $850. I could have stayed in that area if I wanted, but by the time I was done (still waiting on my upper to be shipped) I will have $1,000 in the upper alone. That is the problem, for an extra $50 here and $100 there you can build a heck of a rifle. |
|
Quoted:
HA Thats funny!
ETA: When I purchased the reciever for my last rifle I planned to build a KISS carbine. Nothing fancy. Over $3000 later I had my first SBR! Once you get started you find all sorts of things you didn't even know you NEEDED! something about 1st reply! |
|
When you purchase a complete rifle you are paying a federal excise tax. If you buy a stripped lower and a rifle kit you can save around a $100 or so. I have had several friends go this route to save some money. Besides building them is a hell of alot more fun!!
|
|
NONE.
I'm building an M4 clone that I'll have ~$800 in when I'm done, sans optic. I'm using all new parts from reputable companies (Spike's receivers, Magpul furniture, DD lpk and barrel, BCM CH, Rainier BCG, LaRue rear iron). I do it for the fun of it, and I like to pick which parts I use. Plus someone gave me the stripped lower, and I hated to let it go to waste. |
| I just got one of the BCM summer sale uppers, chopped the gas block and installed a DD lite rail. Doing the math it saved me about $60. That wasn't the reason I did it though. My original intention was to get the upper while it was on sale, and some time in the future get a rail and finish it. Of coarse it didn't workout that way. The next day I spent some time looking at the mid length picture thread and could not help myself and ordered the rail. This site is expensive. |
|
All depends on what you want it to do...my experience based on two rifles below.
My Bushmaster M4 clone cost me $900 new...plus another $900+ to get it up to speed. Rifle $900 EOTech $350 Doublestar quad-rails (tight!!!) $140 ARMS #40L BUIS $140 Magpul CTR $120 Magpul MIAD $45 Badger Tac-Latch $20 MW slingpoint $45 CAA Vert grip $25 Sling $45 My build cost me $1,490 (so far!!!) Lower $125 Upper Kit (16" HBAR, LPK, etc.) $600 Doublestar quad-rails (again, tight!!!) $140 - if you haven't checked these out, do yourself a favor and look them up. VERY nice...slim and tight. Magpul MIAD $45 Magpul AFG $35 Badger Tac-Latch $20 Magpul ACS $135 Armalite 1" scope mount $100 Vortex Diamondback 3-9x40 $200 MW slingpoint $45 Sling $45 |
| I built an LMT upper from parts on the EE and put it on a RRA lower I bought locally. After buying the tools I needed to assemble it, I probably saved 100 or so by using used parts, but the biggest benefit was that I was able to spread the purchase out. Instead of dropping 900 at once like I did for my first rifle (factory built Bushmaster,) I was able to buy parts as I could afford them. |
. This cycle happens over and over until you have more rifles then you have room for.....
|
lol
I bought a bushmaster for 750 a few years back for my first AR. I started swapping out parts fast forward to now there are NO parts on it that were on it originally. I built another rifle out of the bushmaster parts.... and the same thing happened. That one only uses the bushmaster lower receiver. I am now working on my third rifle which I plan to SBR. |
| It's easy to save money because the example I use is my AR pistol. I saved about $150 on the upper because I couldn't have gotten it exactly the way I wanted it for less money. I built the entire weapon for $1300 with an Aimpoint Comp M2 and Streamlight TLR-1 on a remote switch. Plus it's in 762x39. And it's got TangoDown panels and XTMs. I'm very pleased with the setup and as long as I can get parts I'm building my own uppers from here on out. |
| I actually saved probably $200 off the basic model shelf price. I built a basic model. It was fun to build but i didnt go with high dollar stuff cause the inexpensive stuff I got for my build is just as good. Like high speed, high dollar Charging handles? Please... Ive used nothing but standard stuff and never had an issue. |
|
Quoted:
HOW MUCH DO YOU SAVE BY BUILD YOUR OWN AR AS TO JUST BUYING ONE, JUST FROM A FINANCIAL STANDPOINT i saved $400 on my Noveske than if i would of bought it already assembled. However, i got a free lower and sold the "pig", so this was the majority of the WIN. |
|
If you want a cheap AR and want to save a little cash, you can always buy a kit from Del-Ton, which comes with everything but the lower. They're about $500 or so. Then you can buy a lower from Spikes for $100 and that's everything you need for a complete lower. IMHO, that's the best way to get an AR at a decent price.
Right now though, you can find pretty good deals on used rifles as well. |
| Given the fact that you can build a better AR with qaulity selected parts for more than an off the shelf cookie cutter AR, you will save nothing. However, you can build a substandard AR using cheap parts that are readily available to the uninformed builder for less than a complete AR of average quality. Take your pick. |
|
Quoted: I just couldn't find the one I wanted off the shelf and decided that I didn't want a box of spare parts laying around that i would never use so I built my own best decision I madeQuoted: It's just more fun building it and you can make it JUST as you want it!! ^^^^^This.... It is very doable with very few special tools and you learn how all these little parts work together to make a round go bang. |
AR Sponsor