Build a AR?

Building is not cheaper, at least for me.
My "cheapest" one was $1,300

Complete uppers don't need an FFL, just the lower.
Palmetto State Armory is the best bang for the buck IMO.
Primary Arms is another place I spend money at.

Read more, watch some videos, or go to an armorer's class. If you don't have one or haven't used/cleaned one, you'll need to know your way around one to know all the parts and their names if nothing else. Uppers don't need to be shipped through an FFl. Only the lowers are serialized and require that. That is just the stripped lower, or the lower with the parts already attached.

I pieced a franken-rifle together last month. Get the proper tools. Either borrow, buy, or rent them. You can start with a stripped lower and a lower build kit. That has all the parts, some of which look very much alike. Once the lower is done, you can worry about an upper. If you're just doing it to build one and don't have any other purpose in mind, then get a basic Palmetto State Armory kit and a stripped lower. The upper is already assembled, but you can take it apart and put it back together. Maybe even upgrade parts when you put it back together.

tws3b2 said:

Just wondering if any tips, tricks or advice that anyone would care to share. I would like to keep the price down as much as I can. But, in the end I would like to end up with a gun that actually works.

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If you do not already have a running AR, buy a complete rifle from a company with a good customer service record then.

buying quality parts will easily exceed the $$$ amount you can buy a complete rifle for. For the cut rate ones, ask where the parts are coming from..

I bought a stripped lower locally and went with a Palmetto kit with assembled upper, it didn’t go too bad. If you have old fat fingers order an extra spring kit right away.

Brownell’s and MidwayUSA and a couple other places used to have AR build tutorials on YouTube. Maybe check around. It’s not really difficult. There’s a reason ARs are known as Lego for grownups. No real gunsmithing involved; just assembly. The hardest parts for me are getting the bolt stop pin and front receiver pin detent and spring installed. But there are plenty of videos and specialized tools if you want that make it easier.

A cheap set of receiver bench blocks and an AR armorer’s tool come in handy, as do roll pin starter punches.

Lower build.


Upper build, same company.

Lower and upper parts are out there by the hundreds, cheap to outrageous.

Unless a company produces their own parts, most buy from the same few manufacturers.


Tools for building an AR.

I've built all mine ..... They're very ready to actually build. Have 13 I think in 6-7 calibers. Have two lowers and uppers that I've had for a couple months that need built.
Between the cost of parts and the couple of tools needed it would be hard to build one for the cost of OEM ones. Ruger, S&W, PSA and others make budget ones that work.

Buy 1 good one to have as pattern. Build the remaining <insert your favorite number here that corresponds with your wallet size> as you see fit for purpose, caliber or whim. You'll end up with a dozen pretty quick...

Lo-Profile said:

I've built all mine .

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You milled them? or Assembled them?

tarosean said:

You milled them? or Assembled them?

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Build a house, assemble a rifle. I assembled two Garands from kits. Didn't build anything. But that was then , this is now.

Assemble the lower in a corrugated paper box so that one spring dosent get away.

Tomaeto tomato potaeto potato.. let just call the whole thing off

I’ve assembled uppers and lowers. If you can change out a bathroom faucet or the oil in your car you assemble an AR. As noted there are a few specialty tools that make assembling particularly the upper easier

There are a bazillion YouTube videos

I feel like building uppers is even easier than the lowers.

I tore down, mixed and matched, and reassembled two uppers in under 45 minutes the other day.

Hardest part was timing the muzzle brake.

Lowers, take a little longer. Less technical parts, like torquing a barrel nut, but far more "fiddly bits" that can be a PITA if your fingers don't feel like cooperating that day.

I like building my own firearms but building an AR is not hard at all. My first AR lower build only took me about 20 min. that hardly enough to call it a build, it's more of an assembly.
The only part than needs to go through a FFL is the 100% receiver, everything else can be shipped right to your door.(that's depending on what your state laws say)

ARs are not difficult guns to build (and technically speaking “assemble” is probably a better word to use than “build”). If you don’t have much prior experience with handling an AR, it could be a little tougher just due to not having time with a fully complete and working model, but with enough research you can alleviate that concern.

I recommend answering a few questions (at least for yourself) prior to building. There’s a lot of ground that can be covered between different variants of ARs. Are you looking for just a middle of the road “normal” AR, or do you want something along the lines of a class A1 or A2, or something a bit more specialized for closer range or longer range? Are you ok with a 4 MOA rifle, or a 2 MOA rifle, or do are you not happy unless you can get sub-MOA?

I know you said essentially “less expensive…just works” but “just works” for a box of ammo at the range once a year and “just works” for several weekend carbine classes where you’ll be shooting 1500 rounds in 2 days in each class are different in costs, components, and even some build techniques.



Anyway, general recommendations:
The lower receiver is defined as the “firearm” for the AR design and is the only part that needs to go through a FFL. If you’re building, you’ll want to buy a stripped lower. Forged is the normal for AR receivers, but there are billet receivers available (usually a matched set of upper and lower). Nothing wrong with forged receivers - the only time I’d go with a billet set is if I wanted to wring out every last bit of accuracy (which is not to say that a good forged upper isn’t able to be accurate), wanted a monolithic upper/rail, or just wanted to have one for the hell of it.

Get the right tools. It is certainly possible to build an AR without them (especially the lower) but the right tools make the process so much more enjoyable. A good set of roll pin punches, a set of roll pin starter punches, a tool for installing the front pivot pin detent, and a wrench for the castle nut are all good ideas.

For the upper there are different tools you’ll want. The main ones are a way to hold an upper receiver in a vise for barrel install, and a wrench for the barrel nut (which can be different depending on which rail you go with).

A torque wrench is recommended for the barrel nut, but the torque spec is pretty wide so you can get away with not having one. Depending on the barrel/gas block setup, you may want a set of feeler gauges for the right offset off the shoulder behind the gas block journal. And again, depending on barrel/gas block/planned use, you may want to dimple the barrel for the gas block if it’s not already done, or even cross pin the gas block. You can get different jigs for those, and I’d recommend using a mill but a drill press can usually suffice.

On the barrel, the headspace is set by the barrel extension. The vast majority of the time Company A’s barrel will headspace correctly with Company B’s bolt, but it’s good to check.

Lots of people think of the AR as a piston-less design, but there is effectively a piston internal to the bolt. That means the dimensions of the bolt compared to the bolt carrier are pretty important to the function of the rifle. Don’t skimp on the bolt carrier group.



Overall it’s not really difficult to build an ok rifle, but if you want a really good rifle there are a lot of little things that can go into it.

I’d recommend looking through School of the American Rifle videos on YouTube - he has a lot of really good, detailed information on the design and function of the AR.

I just finished one up for my neighbor last week, total came to just under $1000 minus sights/optic. Just a solid carbine, nothing special.

All the ones I've built for myself have been north of the $2K mark.

When I starting putting them together I put together a tool kit, which I add to periodically. A lot of things aren't "needed" but they make the job easier.

Definitely not cheaper to build, but more fun & you get the satisfaction plus exactly what you want.

Palmetto State Armory or Bear Creek Arnsenal are two good places to start.

Building an AR lower is pretty close to tool-less. It's like snapping Legos together. Uppers are a little more involved, but they often come pre-assembled.

Building vs buying comes out pretty close these days in terms of cost, so if you're heart's set on building, why not build one.

I would get a PSA rifle kit that fits your budget, pick up a lower from anywhere in-person or online, and dive into it.

tws3b2 said:

Just wondering if any tips, tricks or advice that anyone would care to share.

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Here are 770 threads on the topic.

tws3b2 said:

I'm thinking of building a ar. Not because I need one or even want one. Just because? I have good experience with tinkering with firearms. Not in any way a gunsmith, but a dang good "Bubba the gunsmith". I can completely disassemble & reassemble lever actions, pumps and some semi auto rifles using guide videos and books. I've repaired, brought back to life several old junk rifles and shotguns including a Remington 550-1, complete disassemble, repair and reassemble. Wasn't easy but Now works perfect.
I've watched some videos and read some articles on building ar's. Doesn't seem to be that hard.
Probably in 556 or 223.
Just wondering if any tips, tricks or advice that anyone would care to share. I would like to keep the price down as much as I can. But, in the end I would like to end up with a gun that actually works.
I'm assuming the upper would have to be shipped through a FFL?
Where to get the parts at the best price?
Good brand names.

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It is objectively very easy to assemble an AR15. However my current stable exists entirely of factory built guns. They are so cheap now, I dont think you can save going piece by piece. If you can find a Del ton rifle kit on sale and a stripped lower, that would be fairly cheap and a very good rifle.

The first one I put together was a PSA $300 kit, just add stripped lower, which was an Anderson I picked up from the LGS for less than $50
It worked.
It's been taken apart and reconfigured more than a few times.