I want to start to get pats together for my son. Being he will be 10 this winter I want to give it to him for his birthday. It will be great for grandpa, dad and grandson to be at the range blasting away. Now back on track.

I am going with an A3 upper. More options in my mind. I will start him out with a removable carry handle. He can get his own scope when he gets a job.

My problem is what barrel/handguard combination to get him. I was thinking 16” chrome lined, but then I think 20”. Then do I free float or just do standard.

Money is kind of an issue. I don’t want to spend tons of money, but I want a good upper for him to start with.

Thanks for your opinions.

My son turned 13 this past April. For his B-day I built him this AR.







It’s a slab side Colt A1 upper, J&T light weight barrel, Oly lower and has a M261 .22 conversion kit installed. I think it’s perfect for an entry level introductory to the AR series of weapons. No forward assist means a simple streamlined upper receiver to simplify the learning process, along with A1 iron sights perfect for perfecting his marksmanship skills BEFORE he moves up to optics.  

Yea, I’m a big stickler on learning the basics first! I even felt my basic marksmanship skills were in need of a tune up and built my self a basic KISS carbine.

The M261 .22 conversion works great, and when it’s time for Jr. to move up to the next level, daddy simply drops in the standard bolt and carrier!

I would go with a M4 profile, or a light 16" BBL from Bushy.

And standerd handguards, That would be a good starter gun.

Just My .02 cents

Quoted: I would go with a M4 profile, or a light 16" BBL from Bushy. And standerd handguards, That would be a good starter gun. Just My .02 cents

+1  My 10 y/o loves the 16" Super-Lite AR that I built over any of the others.  The weight is perfect and the stock handguards are not too fat.  With the tele-stock, the rifle fits just fine and is not "heavy".

I can remember getting a few guns for birthdays when I was 10-13.  I would definately suggest you get something as light as possible.  If the gun is too heavy he will have to shoot it from a bench and won't learn how to properly stabilize his AR standing up or sitting.  You might also consider you can build a complete Stag M4 profile w/ rear buis for about 700 bucks.  That might not be light enough for him but then again he is only 10 :)

Maybe save the AR for next year and get him a 10/22 this year?

The guy said money is an issue, so if his wallet is as barren as mine then $700 for a 10 year olds rifle is out of the question.

The rifle I built above:

$50 -used upper receiver
$145 -new 16” light weight barrel
Lower receivers can be had for $80 new.
Approx $50 for lower parts kit.
$30 for stock.
$85 for the used M261 w/2 mags, or about $120 if you go with a standard bolt.

So, if you shop the E n’ E you could build a similar weapon in the $450 to $500 range or even less if you really shop around and take your time. There are guys here on the board who have built basic KISS carbines for about half what I quoted.

Lower receiver is taken care of. I bought a Superior Arms and a DPMS lower parts kit. I picked up a used 6 position of EE for a good price. How I love the EE!!

I want to have the upper done by the end of Janurary, so I have some time. I know I am going to buy it piece by piece.

I think 16" chrome lined is where I am going to head.

Good luck, keep us informed and post pics of the big day!

The 16" lightweight chromed lined barrel should be a good one, which is the same setup I'm thinking for my son (same age as your son).

Good luck, hope everything goes together well.

I was going to post a pic too. But it would pretty much be a carbon copy of Quib's.

A carbine with a 16" light weight barrel. Mine has an slick side upper as well. Weighs about 5½ lbs.

Standard carbine handguards for smaller hands and collapsable stock he can grow into (but not out of ).

Quoted: $145 -new 16” light weight barrel

This $ is for a Model 1 Chrome Moly. Chrome Lined is $180 from Model 1 and J&T has one for $194.95.

I got a Bushmaster LW 16" BBL Kit from Mike at CS Gunworks for $205. Considering you will need a delta ring, gas tube, roll pin, FH, crush washer, and hand guards for the two mentioned above the Bushy barrel from CS is a better deal.  From what I've come up with you'll need about $42 in parts to complete the Model 1 BBL. That's $222 for a Model 1 LW barrel kit.

I ended up building a NM float tube for my 16' LW and found its accuracy improved quite a bit.  Thus I'd look for a float tube if you're going the LW route.  Sherluk makes a FT that has a swirl cut like a candy cain, I think I'd go with that because it's really light.  

A3 upper receivers are quite a bit more than I remember, cheepest one I've seen is $105 for a RRA at eaglefirearms.net.  Makes me feel good considering I paid $85 for mine new a few years back.

I wish my dad built me a damn AR.  You guys are cool dads

something with a pencil bbl.



or




9mm carbine!

Yes, I agree... either 16" M4 Barrel (but use CAR handguards) or 16" pencil barrel.  Of course, you want a CAR or M4 buttstock.

For my 15 year old daughter's AR-15, I have the 16" pencil.  For a friend I built a similar upper with M4.  These are both light, yet have good balance, particularly if he has the stock shortened.

Later, as he grows, if he finds the CAR stocks too small, it is easy enough (and cheap) to swap out for some M4 handguards.

There's absolutely no reason to NOT buy your son a Ma Deuce, and perhaps 1,000 rounds of linked AP ammo.  Boys need maximum firepower.  The M2 would definitely give him bragging rights at school.  When he's 16, he can set up his pickup for a pintle mount.  

Kidding aside - I think a 13 year old would enjoy a 9mm setup.  Cheap ammo, modest to no blast.  A 10 yr old might enjoy a .22LR to begin with.  No need to intimidate with excess noise and blast.  My daughter, as a 14 year old, handled a FA 9mm like a pro.  It was a treat to put the strutting  range roosters with their comp pistols into an envious tizzy, because they automatically assumed she'd cringe, lean back, and do all the other new-shooter signiature mistakes.

Shooting with kids is great, a real bonding experience.  My daughter is eager to get her CCP.  She'll never fear in her young adult life with her skills.