Building my first AR-15 with a $500-$600 budget.  I am a AK and SKS owner and want to build a budget AR-15. I sure would like help on suppliers and any info which would be helpful.

Thanks from the new guy:)

Buy a RRA stripped lower & a kit from J&T Distributing. That shuld get you in at 600 or less depending on your kit choice.

Edit: You can get the RRA lower in the Equipment Exchange, then the kit here:
[url]http://www.jtdistributing.com/[/url]
Kits start at 434.95 for a 16" CAR.

s0ulzer0 is right.  You could save money by using an Olympic Arms cast lower, but an RRA is probably a better choice for your first project.

Stick with RRA parts.  You might come in a little over budget, but you'll have a better experience.

If you want save money and log some time learning how to troubleshoot the AR-15 rifle.  Then I'd suggest that you get an Oly cast receiver (+/-90).  You may need to open the magazine well and bolt catch recess.  Combine this lower with an M&A Parts post-ban kit (+/-$425).  Factor in another $5 for a pivot pin detent installation tool and perhaps another $15 to replace missing or defective pins, detents, spring etc and you're there!

Have fun.

A lot of hobbyists wait until they have a bunch of extra assemblies and parts (shot out barrels, stock internals that have been replaced by 2 stage triggers, old buttstocks, stripped uppers etc.) in their parts bins, and then they build them up as beater Frankenguns on Oly cast lowers.  When I lived in the mid-west I used these Frankenguns to harvest my share of yodel dogs on the weekends.

If you want something of better quality, then go with RRA.

Thanks you all!

I am really interested in the Olympic gun. I can get the lower receiver and the rest of the kit for $507 excluding shipping and FFL fee.

Is Olympic good stuff????

WARNING:  Asking questions about Olympic's quality is likely to start a flame war.[BD]

In my own humble opinion that has been shaped by much personal expereince with many AR manufacturers I'd place Oly near the bottom.  The Oly kits that I've built have featured 1X9" chrome moly barrels with .223 Remington chambers.  I think that they've recentlky fixed that, and now ship 5.56mm chambers.  The barrels also sport cast front sight posts with A1 round front sights.  The muzzle really isn't crowned... it simply ends.  In regards to their other parts, they still ship weird shiney silver phillip's head buttstock screws, cheesy pistol grips and handguards without the aluminum heat shields.  What's up with their fire control groups lately?  I thought that the engagement surfaces were suppossed to be polished and chromed?  

Regardless, their cast lowers a "okay" and their forged lowers are "good".  Their lowers are affordable and have served as the basis for many of my projects.

You would do better to spend a little over your budget to get a J&T kit or a RRA upper and internals.

Don't get me wrong, many people have had great luck with Oly.  Many people love their FIRSH(sp?) system and swear by their match barrels.

I just don't think that their regular kits are so hot.

No flame intended.

What about starting with a Cavalry Arms lower? You will not need a buttstock nor a pistol grip. Then, don't forget that J&T is in Kentucky like you are. You may be able to get some kind of local break.... Then again, you might have to pay state sales tax. Don't be afraid to look in the Equip Exchange.

I did mine on Oly forged lower and Oly upper kit for just under 600 about two years ago.  Gun has worked exactly as advertised.  Shoots better than I do, reliable, well finished.  No complaints at all.  Oly gets flamed alot but I think that may have been due to old stuff.  Wouldn't hesititate to buy Oly again.

RRA is definitely the new kid on the block but they are making some very nice stuff.  Friend shots RRA CMP gun and it is extremely nice.  Others shoot Bushmasters, DPMS.  All of them work.  Stick with the top half dozen or so brands and start price shopping.  

 

I used a Rock River Arms lower on mine. Cost me $145 plus change for lower, shipping, and a 20 dollar fee to the FFL.

My 20" HBAR A2 upper kit cost $411 shipped from Model 1 Sales.

So I got a great gun for $565 or so.

However actually getting to shoot it cost me another $200 dollars! I still had to get magazines, ammo, cleaning kit and a sling. And it only cost me that much cause Southern Ammo had that "scratch and dent" ex-IDF 1970's vintage 5.56mm on sale at the time for $87 per 1000, which with shipping came to $101 bucks and 5 used USGI 30's was 60 bucks more.

J&T DIST. all the way.Last one I bought was  a 20" Expedition Kit add a RRA Two Stage Trigger and the Tannerite eerrrr targets just make for Erotic shooting pleasure........Oly lower was givin to me and had sloppy Mag Well machining still functions fine though.