Well I've been thinking about a new rifle, and think I would enjoy building one to my specs. Problem is, I don't know what I want and what to start with where! I want to build with all high quality parts, possibly an "m4gery"... Where to start looking?

My AR is a Colt Comp. HBAR A3...

or....you could shop complete uppers and complete lowers, put them together and save yourself a bundle.  No tools involved and could be a great intermediate step between buying a complete rifle off the rack and investing in tools, time and effort setting up for your first build.  It also gives you an opportunity to try your hand at online buying, finding a good local FFL, who you'll surely need.  There are other excellent sources, I'll start with these only because they're bookmarked for me, but you'll find others as you go along.

http://www.adcofirearms.com/

http://www.jtdistributing.com/

http://www.quanticoarms.com/


Good Luck

I was in your same situation a few months ago.  I decided to "build" instead of buy because it was less expensive.  I bought a stripped RRA lower from Sable Co. [url]www.sableco.net[/url] and a kit from J&T.  

The hard part was deciding on what configuration I wanted.  I finally made a list of what features I wanted, and weighted their importance as a % of "total score".  Then each kit choice either had the feature ("1") or didn't ("0")...for each kit, multiply the 1 or 0 by the weighted %, and add up the total score.  The kit/rifle with the highest score gives you the best combo of features you want.

For example:
                   
Feature      % Weight       [red] Kit A[/red]       [blue] Kit B[/blue]        [green] Kit C [/green]
----------------------------------------------  
16" BBL          30          [red] 1 (30)[/red]      [blue]1 (30)[/blue]        [green]0 (0)[/green]  

< 7 lbs          30          [red] 1 (30)[/red]      [blue]0 (0)[/blue]         [green]0 (0)[/green]  

A3 Upper         20          [red] 1 (20)[/red]      [blue]1(20)[/blue]         [green]1 (20)[/green]

NM trigger        5           [red]0 (0)[/red]       [blue]1 (5)[/blue]        [green] 1 (5)[/green]

Muzzle Brake     15           [red]0 (0)[/red]       [blue]1 (15)[/blue]         [green]1 (15)[/green]
-----------------------------------------------
TOTAL           100           [red]80[/red]               [blue]70[/blue]           [green]40[/green]

Rifle A scored the highest with an 80 out of 100 and is the winner!  It had fewer total features than B, but had more of the MOST IMORTANT features that were desired.  

Hope that helps a little...

--Otter

oh you totally lost me with that lol... where you at in michigan??

pepsimayn, you do have several tough choices...barrel length, profile, weight; to ras/sir or not, and buttstock style, being the most noteworthy.  Once you narrow it down as to what you want, the rest is relatively easy.  

The 3 kit companies most people cite are:
J&T
Model 1
M&A

The mix 'n match upper/lower thing is good too, that's how I got my first AR...Eagle lower and Armalite upper.  

The best way to assure you're getting exactly what you want, and not paying for stuff you don't want, is to build the upper as well.  It's a little more expensive that way, 'cos there are a couple of tools you need...action block and armorer's wrench, and the 2 of those will be about $60 or so.  The combination of parts might be a tad more expensive as well, but it probably works out in the wash.  

If you ever think you'll build another rifle, or just want the ability to swap barrels, then you'll need these tools anyway.  By building the upper, you'll be able to put rail style/free floating handguards on before you get the thing assembled.  BTW, stay away from muzzle brakes if you do want to do this; it's MUCH easier dealing with this kind of stuff if you don't have to worry about removing a pressed on or soldered on brake.  


A lot of your parts you can get from either Midway or Brownell's, both of whom offer discounts to C&R and FFL holders.  Brownell's has great prices on the DPMS competition style--no forward assist, and no trap door--uppers...they have one for $80, and another for $88.  ADCO has complete RRA uppers, with the forward assist and the trapdoor stuff already installed for $90.  

If you really want the M4gery, ADCO has the RRA M4 entry uppers for $411.78 delivered.  Build yourself a lower for around $225 (with transfer fee on the lower)or so depending on buttstock, and you're ready to go.  

Good luck.

I don't think thats the price on the entry style uppers there are just standard A2 CAR uppers for 388.00... I think if it came to me doing this I'd want a standard probably RRA lower, and the shortened Entry with the brake and A2 Handle, and the ACE stock.... maybe...

Pepsimayn,

I'm in the Metro Dee-troit area.  Unfortunately.  How 'bout you?

Basically what I was getting at was to decide what features are important to you, and then decide how important each feature is relative to the other features.  One rifle may have more total features, but maybe not the one or two that matter most to you.

It's just one way to keep you focused on what's important to you...helps keeps the emotion/distraction out of it.

Think of it as a "gun pageant".  Instead of "Swimsuit, Evening Gown, and Interview" categories, you have "16 in. Bbl length, Less than 7 lbs, A3 Upper"...whatever you decide. Each feature counts as a certain % of the total score.  

If one rifle has every feature you listed, it scores a perfect 100 out of 100.  Otherwise it either gets a score for that feature because it has that feature, or it doesn't.  

[b]Example:[/b] For the feature of "weighs < 7 lbs" which is to count as 30 points of the total score -- If the rifle weighs more than 7 lbs, it doesn't get a score for that feature...a "0"...If it weighs less than 7 lbs it gets "30" out of possible 30 for that feature.

(The score is usually either all or nothing.  Unless you have 1 rifle at 6 lbs and 1 at 6.5 lbs.  Both are under 7lbs, but if you really want the lightest possible, then the 6.5 lb rifle scores a 15 out of 30, while the 6 lb'er scores the full 30 out of 30.)

Do this for each category then add up the category scores to get a total score for each rifle.  The rifle with the highest score out of 100 wins.

[rolleyes]  I have way too much time on my hands, apparently...

Hope that made it more clear...If not, try it again while drunk.  It won't be any clearer, but at least you won't care.  [;)]

--Otter

heh me too, what city? I got your little system a lil while after you posted. I think I'll stick to the its ugly or its not scale ;-)