I'm new to the specifics of AR type rifles, but not guns in general, so I need some AR advice. I was looking to get a Bushmaster AR15 in no ban configuration, but after checking out this forum a little bit it seems like building my own could be considerably cheaper. For instance I've seen complete DPMS lowers with stocks for about $250 and I've seen uppers at Model 1 sales for about $350. If I'm understanding this correctly than I would just need to mate the complete upper and lower together with no other assembly work for a complete working rifle for only about $600 or so. A good $200 or more less than a Bushmaster. If I'm wrong please set me straight.

Also are there any makers to specifically stay away from other than Hesse or whatever they're called now?? A friend of mine has a American Spirit Arms that he bought as a complete rifle. I found it suspect as something in the charging handle broke right after he got it and it malfunctioned when I tried shoot it. They are local to me so I wouldn't have so pay a FFL to accept the shipping on a lower but I'm affraid they suck. Anyone have much experience with them? One last thing, are there some upper and lower combinations from different manufacturers that don't work well together or should any upper mate to any lower regardless of who makes it? Is the upper or the lower the most important part? I would think the upper although I'm sure they're nearly equally as important.

Thanks in advance and sorry if I asked too many questions but I've been dealing with AK's mostly but I've always wanted an AR. I'm not the best at saving money so I thought kit idea could get me started without paying a lump some of $800 or more complete rifle.

Quoted: I'm new to the specifics of AR type rifles, but not guns in general, so I need some AR advice. I was looking to get a Bushmaster AR15 in no ban configuration, but after checking out this forum a little bit it seems like building my own could be considerably cheaper. For instance I've seen complete DPMS lowers with stocks for about $250 and I've seen uppers at Model 1 sales for about $350. If I'm understanding this correctly than I would just need to mate the complete upper and lower together with no other assembly work for a complete working rifle for only about $600 or so. A good $200 or more less than a Bushmaster. If I'm wrong please set me straight.

Prices sound right - but remember you get what you pay for...

I've had good experiences with Kits, and model 1 is offering chromelining now. It will cost a little more but I would highly recommend it.  Also make sure to get the 5.56 chamber (unless this will be a target rifle).

Any good quality lower will match and work fine with a good quality upper.

I've had no problems with bushmaster, PWA, Rock River, and  MEGA lowers mixed and matched with Model 1, M&A, DPMS, and Rock River uppers.

welcome to the forum......

Wedge hasn't been by yet to proclaim this thread as a trap/not-a-trap, so I will just say "Hi!" and "Welcome!"

Quoted: Wedge hasn't been by yet to proclaim this thread as a trap/not-a-trap, so I will just say "Hi!" and "Welcome!" hr

Thanks for welcoming me. I guess it's because I'm new here, but I don't understand the "trap/not-a-trap". Can you please explain?

V
V
V

I congratulate you on not just saying hi for your first post.  Well done, and welcome aboard.

By the power vested in me, by the good people of AR15.com, I declare this thread not to be a trap.


P.S. you should buy a Colt.

Also, I could not make it to the end our your post due to my short attention span.

To explain this version of the trap in a short answer is that I believe that people who post with nothing else to say but Hi are doing so in order to raise their post count.  They have nothing good to contribute and therefore they get this.

IT’S A TRAP!!!



There are many different kinds of traps though.  You must always be on the look out.

Is that $350 with the bolt carrier group assembly/charging handle? Model 1 charges extra for that stuff. :)

Sounds like a great buy, thanks. It really isn't so much that I'm on a really tight budget it's more that I don't save money that well. It's like if I have $500 I always find another more affordable gun to buy so I never get an AR. I thought that by buying a kit I could get the pieces as needed without spending a full $800-900 at once. One I got an upper or lower for a reasonable amount I would be to excited not to finish the project but I wouldn't have to cough up the full amount at once plus it would be cool to have one that I kind of built rather than just going to the store and buying one. I checked out the RRA rifles and they seem pretty reasonably priced, not much more than the ASA that's prone to failure that my friend has and a little cheaper than the average Bushmaster. I've heard of most AR brands like RRA, ASA, DPMS, Eagle Arms and so on but don't know much about the quality differences. I do know that I wasn't going to even consider a Colt though. Too much for what it is.

Does Sherluk have a web site? I can't seem to find one. I found a few links but they sent me to some B.S.

You might also have to add in the price for the lower parts kit plus the stock and that parts for that. I know that the lower parts kits are around $55.00. Not sure how much the stock and the parts for the stock are though

Quoted: Order from Sherluk... entire kit is $415 for a no-ban carbine... plus $89 for a Mega lower shipped... figure $425 for Sherluk's kit shipped. $89 for a lower to your dealer $30 or less for your dealer to do a transfer $544 you have a nice little starter AR with all new parts.

+1


And since you build it, you will know it inside & out.

I built a few lowers since the ban ended, and didnt realize it until I was done, but I did 3 in less than an hour. I still remember my first one, scratches here and there, duct tape is your friend. No scratches these days. You can find a lower instructional around here somewhere up top.

Good luck!

Anyone wanna post a Phone# for Sherluck Arms?

I don't see any advertisement for Sherluk in the Shotgun News from Sept. 13, I'll check out the new one. Thanks. BTW, if it's a complete kit, won't all the parts for the lower be included? I thought a kit was everything but the lower receiver.

I found a place local to me for the Mega lower, Ameetec Arms, I'm going to try and get a hold of them a pick up the lower today or tomorrow. That's cool, I won't have to pay for a transfer. It looks like the Sherluk kits are about the same price as the Model 1's I was looking at. I wish I could see pics of what Sherluk's has. I'll get the latest SGN. What tools will I need to assemble the lower?

if you buy a NIB one, get BUSHMASTER (or RRA, armalite,some of the dpms)

if you are going to build, well people i heard say that model1sales is ok-- supposidly their CS sucks, but the proucts are ok; h/w bbls are reputed to be weaker

no idea on the Am Spt Arms

Do you want quality or affordability? For a first-time purchase I advocate a Tier 1 rifle: Armalite, Bushmaster, Colt.  The couple hundred dollars is an investment of QC that helps newcommers love their rifles and get into the game. Buy/build a piece of shit the first time and you're probably not going to hang around long enough to get into the spirit of things. So grab a quality rifle, get pumped and later on make a special purpose build (like an AR pistol). that's my .02

So, is it your opinion that a rifle made with a Mega lower and Sherluk or M1 upper is a piece of shit?

I was looking at Bushmaster for $800 but after checking out this forum I heard a lot about building one. It seems like it's quite a bit cheaper to build one, but it's only worth it to me if it ends up a decent rifle. If most kits are in fact pieces of shit then I wouldn't want one. I maily want an AR to take out shooting on the weekends sometimes. I don't usally get out near as much as I'd like to, usually 5 or 6 times a year. I would do it more but I usaully bring most of my guns each time plus the drive to get out of town and it usally costs me hundreds of dollars in ammo so I don't do it every other week or anything plus in AZ it's too hot to even shoot in the summer.

I guess I'll do a little more research before I take the plunge into a kit. It sounds like a decent idea but it may not be.

Yeah, HiramRanger...I think I'll still build a Mega/Sherluk AR, plus it would be a good learning experience. I mean who wouldn't want to save some money if they could, I don't have to buy a ultra expensive rifle to prove anything. If the kit AR's look nice and shoot well than that's good enough for me. Now if they looked like shit or jammed up alot like my friends ASA than no amount of money savings would make it worth while. There sure seems to be a lot of companies sellings kits and I don't think there would be if they were mostly junk.

I'll need  AR mags, tools, ammo and accessories so a $250 savings would go along way towards that. My $285 Norinco Mak90 shoots great, I don't see why a $550 AR can't. If cost was everything Colts would be the shit, well above Bushmaster but from what I've heard they aren't and not just on this forum.

Plus I want to see the look on my friends face when my $550 kit AR out performs his $750 piece of shit ASA.