hey guys this a newbie question i want to build myself an ar but dont know where to start, all i know is iam in a wheelchair and i want a rifle that is small and compact but not super small. i want a good strong barrel that is atleast 16 to 20'' but i dont know what kinda barrel i should be looking for and i want medium length handquards the upper and lower reciever im not sure on what to get, i want it to be a .223 can anyone help me out, maybe with some sites to look on or any advice/ideas. thanks alot guys all help and advice will be appreciated.

sencerely
vinnie

ps. i was thinking of getting a bushmaster m4 type a2 post ban upper and a bushmaster complete lower reciever with stubby stock, what do u guys think do u think that is goin the right way for someone like me bein in a wheelchair and all.

Bushmaster is a great choice. Depending on how budget concious you are, you could save some bucks with another manufacturer, but for a first rifle, I always think its better to get something you know is built right, and comes from a company with excellent customer service. Bushmaster fits both of these criteria.

Not knowing how mobile you are in your chair, I would recommend a 16" barrel. It will be easiest to balance. Also, I agree that you should get a collapible stock so you have the most adjustment in your shooting position.

The Bushmaster M4 clone is a great rifle. Personally, I would suggest getting an A3 upper w/ a carry handle. It might cost a couple bucks more, but you get a rifle out of the box with iron sights, and when/if you want to put optics on it, you are free to do so.

Hope that helps!

Quoted: hey guys this a newbie question i want to build myself an ar but dont know where to start, all i know is iam in a wheelchair and i want a rifle that is small and compact but not super small. i want a good strong barrel that is atleast 16 to 20'' but i dont know what kinda barrel i should be looking for and i want medium length handquards the upper and lower reciever im not sure on what to get, i want it to be a .223 can anyone help me out, maybe with some sites to look on or any advice/ideas. thanks alot guys all help and advice will be appreciated. sencerely vinnie ps. i was thinking of getting a bushmaster m4 type a2 post ban upper and a bushmaster complete lower reciever with stubby stock, what do u guys think do u think that is goin the right way for someone like me bein in a wheelchair and all.

It would help if you could better define your handicap (being in a wheel chair can mean a lot of different things) and how you foresee using the gun? Being in a wheel chair, I would assume this will be strictly for target shooting\plinking but I could be wrong. Assuming I'm right, do you prefer to free hand shoot or bench shoot? If bench shooting, what are you expecting accuracy wise and at what range? Too many variables undefined here for anybody to give you any meaningful advice.

As far as places to look around and become more familiar with AR's and their multitude of options, I've found no place better than this site. Just spend some time looking around and you will be hit with more options and ideas than you will know what to do with.

PS - I do not belief the notion that someone should buy their first AR. First off, buying one is no gaurentee that you won't have issues. Secondly, if you do have issues, having built the gun yourself, you will be in a better position to fix it. Lastly, very often the reason people have problems with home built AR's is because they tried to save money and used cheap\used\questionable parts. Quality parts are almost always worth their premium.

I am looking for the same,bushmaster m4,butwhat about front rail system,I would like to
put a handle under it. and an aimpoint on the flat top with a flip up rear sight.Any product
recomendations would be helpful.I am sure there are other options I can't think of right now.
Looking to buy soon, thanks for any help.

sorry i should of expained better well i have full use of my hands and arms i am paralized from my stomach down but can hold and shoot a rifle like most people except that my balance is alittle off, and i would useing the rifle for range use on paper and probably shooting at cans and bottles or what not when i go to upstate ny i live on long island ny also so when it comes to stocks or barrels the laws here for barrels on ar are 16'' and up and the buttstock cannot be a collapsably stock. i was thinkin a stubby stock and a 16 or 20'' barrel but i dont know much about what would be the best type of barrel to use and yes i deffinetly want a upper that has a carry handle.

Quoted: sorry i should of expained better well i have full use of my hands and arms i am paralized from my stomach down but can hold and shoot a rifle like most people except that my balance is alittle off, and i would useing the rifle for range use on paper and probably shooting at cans and bottles or what not when i go to upstate ny i live on long island ny also so when it comes to stocks or barrels the laws here for barrels on ar are 16'' and up and the buttstock cannot be a collapsably stock. i was thinkin a stubby stock and a 16 or 20'' barrel but i dont know much about what would be the best type of barrel to use and yes i deffinetly want a upper that has a carry handle.

OK - I would say 16" barrel in either the A1, A2 or M4 profile. This is mostly for balance and weight. For your intended purpose, They will be more than accurate enough. an HBAR barrel would serve no useful purpose and just detract from your shooting enjoyment. I would tell you that even if you weren't in a wheel chair but in your case, this is even more true. As far as what barrel to get, IMO Bushmaster barrels are the best in terms of a cost vs. performance vs. features and are usually easy to find. They are 4150 steel, have 5.56 chambers and are chrome lined. All very good things.

I would only recommend you use an A2 (Carry handle) type upper if you knew for a 100% fact that you will NEVER use any optics on this gun. Other wise an A3 (flat top) upper with a detachable carry handle is the way to go.

It's a shame you can't use a collapsable stock as I think it would be perfect for your situation. Depending on your arm length, an A1 length stock may work other wise yes, you are looking at either a tactical entry stock or a ACE ARFX-E .

I would also recommend use 2 stage trigger. Seeing how this gun will be use at the range and or plinking only, you might as well have a nice trigger!

Good luck

PS - It's a shame you don't live closer. If you did I'd let you try this gun out as it might work for you. Complete RRA build with a 16" A2 profiled barrel using a mid length gas system and a A1 length stock...

thanks alot for the info i think i have a real good idea on what im doing now and how to go about this, that rifle of urs u posted is one sweet gun its pretty much exactly the kinda ar im looking to build expect id but some cool accories and change the grip to a hogue grip but very nice gun otherwise. again thanks for all the help.

Quoted: thanks alot for the info i think i have a real good idea on what im doing now and how to go about this, that rifle of urs u posted is one sweet gun its pretty much exactly the kinda ar im looking to build expect id but some cool accories and change the grip to a hogue grip but very nice gun otherwise. again thanks for all the help.

That's cool. Glad I could help. One last piece of advice. Don't go accessory crazy. Definitely get a nice grip but the more stuff you hang on these guns, the heavy and less balanced they become. The only thing you may want to consider would be a vertical forward grip. Might be helpful in your situation?

ask for Mike(mikey) at American outdoor, he was always helpful, and gave me less than store prices when I lived there. Actually all the guys there were good to deal with.  Get some 20 round mags instead of 30's for off the bench work. Good Luck.

Quoted: Quoted: sorry i should of expained better well i have full use of my hands and arms i am paralized from my stomach down but can hold and shoot a rifle like most people except that my balance is alittle off, and i would useing the rifle for range use on paper and probably shooting at cans and bottles or what not when i go to upstate ny i live on long island ny also so when it comes to stocks or barrels the laws here for barrels on ar are 16'' and up and the buttstock cannot be a collapsably stock. i was thinkin a stubby stock and a 16 or 20'' barrel but i dont know much about what would be the best type of barrel to use and yes i deffinetly want a upper that has a carry handle. OK - I would say 16" barrel in either the A1, A2 or M4 profile. This is mostly for balance and weight. For your intended purpose, They will be more than accurate enough. an HBAR barrel would serve no useful purpose and just detract from your shooting enjoyment. I would tell you that even if you weren't in a wheel chair but in your case, this is even more true. As far as what barrel to get, IMO Bushmaster barrels are the best in terms of a cost vs. performance vs. features and are usually easy to find. They are 4150 steel, have 5.56 chambers and are chrome lined. All very good things. I would only recommend you use an A2 (Carry handle) type upper if you knew for a 100% fact that you will NEVER use any optics on this gun. Other wise an A3 (flat top) upper with a detachable carry handle is the way to go. It's a shame you can't use a collapsable stock as I think it would be perfect for your situation. Depending on your arm length, an A1 length stock may work other wise yes, you are looking at either a tactical entry stock or a ACE ARFX-E . I would also recommend use 2 stage trigger. Seeing how this gun will be use at the range and or plinking only, you might as well have a nice trigger! Good luck PS - It's a shame you don't live closer. If you did I'd let you try this gun out as it might work for you. Complete RRA build with a 16" A2 profiled barrel using a mid length gas system and a A1 length stock... img.photobucket.com/albums/v474/cgv69/RRAMID-Ls.jpg

Dude, that rifle is "Sexier'n" hell!  I'll be honest, I haven't REALLY understood the whole mid-length thing until I saw your pic' but I think I do now  I want one!

Quoted: Dude, that rifle is "Sexier'n" hell!  I'll be honest, I haven't REALLY understood the whole mid-length thing until I saw your pic' but I think I do now  I want one!

Thanks man. I wanted at least one "K.I.S.S." AR. I think a mid length carbine, setup up like I have it, is one of the most balanced (both visually and in your hand) AR's out there. It is definitely just as much fun to shoot as my fully decked out M4gery even though I do suck with open sights.

Check out Fulton Armory for an adjustable stock, the Guardian.  I don't remember the range of adjustment , but it's set up more like a competition stock.  The buttplate is adjusted by loosening two set scrrews and sliding in or out.  I think it also has some vertical adjustment availble.  From all the information I had previoulsy read I'm pretty sure it was 'post-ban' legal so you should be OK in NY.  Be sure to double check that of course.  Forest has done a review of this stock over on MarylandAR15.

Stock reviews

Adjustable Buttplate review