Hello all, I bought a Bushmaster ar-15 about ten months ago. So far I've put about 2500 rounds through it. Its the carbine model with the AK style muzzle brake. It's had 3 FTE's all with Wolf ammo so I don't use it any more. I've been a hunter and plinker my whole life(squirell hunting with a .410 at 8). This site has been alot of fun and I have been luking here for a while and learned alot.The internet is a wonderful tool as I found that a NMLRA record I set in the 80's as a teenager still stands today!!! My first post should at least have a question so here goes. Is it cheaper to do a build than just buy or is it more of a personal satisfaction/ability to customize. I'm thinking about giving it a try. I told my wife I was going to buy a new fishtank( a big expensive one) and she said she would rather have me buy another gun than another fishtank. God I love that woman. Any more and I will need a larger safe.Hopefully I will figure out how to post pics because I'm dying for some action shots with my new digital camera. PS NMLRA stands for National Muzzleloading Rifle Association. I still use the old smokestick every now and then!!

Quoted: Hello all, I bought a Bushmaster ar-15 about ten months ago. So far I've put about 2500 rounds through it. Its the carbine model with the AK style muzzle brake. It's had 3 FTE's all with Wolf ammo so I don't use it any more. I've been a hunter and plinker my whole life(squirell hunting with a .410 at 8). This site has been alot of fun and I have been luking here for a while and learned alot.The internet is a wonderful tool as I found that a NMLRA record I set in the 80's as a teenager still stands today!!! My first post should at least have a question so here goes. Is it cheaper to do a build than just buy or is it more of a personal satisfaction/ability to customize. I'm thinking about giving it a try. I told my wife I was going to buy a new fishtank( a big expensive one) and she said she would rather have me buy another gun than another fishtank. God I love that woman. Any more and I will need a larger safe.Hopefully I will figure out how to post pics because I'm dying for some action shots with my new digital camera. PS NMLRA stands for National Muzzleloading Rifle Association. I still use the old smokestick every now and then!!

Build.  Relatively easy to do and a great way to learn a bit more about the rifle.

You've already bought the first one, so now you have a "SAMPLE" that you can compare your build to....

Lots and LOTS of great advice here.  Everything but the Lower can be mail ordered.....

Have fun!  It's addictive....BRD.....

Yeah I've already got it pretty bad(BRD). I never have much 5.56 ammo around because I'm always shooting it up. My beautiful Russian SKS is also collecting a bit of dust. I would love to build and am looking at Colt lowers because I love that stupid horse. It's actually quite amazing as my Colt 1911 has never been a very reliable handgun and it's out again for some customizing work. It's an officers model and although its tiny I shoot it way better for some reason than my HK USP in .45. I guess it just feels better in my hand.A little off topic but my best friend was in the Marines in the 80's and had tons of his old gear. I got ten 30 round mags from him including some nice old Colt mags. They have been all over the world and although they are over 20 years old they are all 100% reliable.

BUY!

Once you've learned the weapon system, your build will be a little easier.

If you build, how much of it do you intend on building?  Have you been reading the threads in the builder section?

I put together my first Lower last night.  Wasn't too complicated.  Hardest part was getting the Front Pivot Pin.  But since I've figured out the trick, future builds will be a lot faster.

I'm not at the stage of putting together a complete upper, but in time I will.

I would start with building a lower.  Nice quality gun time while doing it.

Quoted: I'm not at the stage of putting together a complete upper, but in time I will.

I never plan on trying this.  It's just to critical for the garage build IMP!

Quoted: Quoted: I'm not at the stage of putting together a complete upper, but in time I will. I never plan on trying this.  It's just to critical for the garage build IMP!

Not if you ply the Imp with enough alcohol.  It works well enough that I keep several drunken Imps around do all my pictures.

My first AR was a build from Model 1 on a Stag.

If I can do it, anyone can.  Just follow the directions at the Information link up there towards the top of the webpage, and you'll find assembly instructions on this site.

Take your time.

Getting the hinge detent pin in is a son of a bitch if you don't have the right tool, so consider investing in one.

Since you already had your first AR, then build your next one, it's a great hobby.

It might be more expensive at first because of the tools you have to get but if you get your gun parts at a lower price it won't be so bad.

I would like to warn you about the Colt brand, it could be expensive if you buy the parts at the regular prices.

I just built a Colt M16A2 upper on a Colt Match Target HBAR lower using all Colt parts and I spent more than buying a complete rifle.

I have been using and buying factory assembled ARs for more than 30 years but I got started building only this year.

I built my Colt Match Target HBAR lower for my rifle project and a mid-length gas system 16-inch barrel and Colt M4 upper for my 6721 middy carbine project.

I'll be building more in the future and will never go back to buying complete rifles.