I recently purchased an upper and a lower separately to put together my AR to save money. The upper didn't have a bolt or carrier with it and I plan to buy one as soon as I can scrape together enough money (a completely assmbled one). But I have a few questions about it since I am not very knowledgeable with AR's.

1. Is it easy to install the bolt and carrier, or would it be wiser to have a gunsmith do it? How much would that cost, roughly?

2. Does the headspace have to be checked everytime the upper is removed from the lower?

3. If I get my own headspace gauges, do I really need the field gauge, or will the GO and NO GO gauges do the trick for most normal applications?

4. What is a good, but affordable brand of ammo to shoot through an AR (.223)? I don't want to use the Wolf junk I put through the AK, but I also don't want to bankrupt myself buying the absolute best stuff on the market either.

no. the installation or the bolt carrier group is cake. you just place the charginh handle in, then slide in the BCG. thats it. make sure its properly lubed. and if you check headspace, you really only need to do it once now. and then again if you ever replce the bolt, or rebarrel. you dont need to check it everytime you seperate the gun. you are overthinking the whole thing. pick up a USGI manual.

The South African Battle packs work well in mine. Check out www.cheaperthandirt.com 300 rounds for about $40.Thats $.13 a round

i second the use of SA battlepacks. get the 1986 stuff it at all possible