AR-15 From the ground up... any comments?

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boxxman

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I just signed up on THR, after weeks of my buddy telling me aboot it. I now have a series of questions aboot my latest project. Let me explain my plan, then ask the questions. Along with experienced answers pertaining to my particular project, I would also value any comments on "ground up" builds in general.
A couple of months ago, my wallet was fat with over-time cash, and i was grocery shopping. The last aisle in this Price Chopper had the booze and the magazines. After deciding which $9 sixer of beer i would nurse that night, I saw my old friend on the magazine rack: The Shotgun News, or as you Stephen Hunter fans know it, "the rag."
Fast forward a week, in the crapper, flipping through the rag, i finally notice that there are companies that sell stripped AR-15 lower recievers, and there are companies that sell varies AR-15 kits -lower recievers. This is when the wheels start grinding.

AR-15 = Parts + assembly labor + Gunstore Markup = $$$$$

Now, here is where the idea for the project comes from. keeping the above formula in mind...

AR-15 = Parts + Shipping - assembly labor - Markup = $$$

Question #1 Does this sound like a reasonable thought process.

First up on the shopping list- Stripped Lower Reciever. Below is a list of companies that offer Stripped lowers through "the Rag."

1) Lauer Custom Weaponry
www.lauerweaponry.com
$130+shipping
2) R Guns
www.rguns.net
$145 includes shipping
3) Gun Smoke Enterprises
www.ar15.tv
$92.28 includes shipping
4) LRB Arms
www.lrbarms.com
$139.95+shipping

Question#2 Do These price ranges sound right?

Question#3 Has anyone interacted with these companies, and if so, would you suggest business with them?

Question#4 What questions do I need to ask, the company and myself, before purchasing a Stripped Lower?

This will be the first series of questions I'll be asking aboot this project. ANY input will be strongly valued, even the inevitabe "Don't do it, just buy a Rifle Built."

Thanks,
Boxxman:evil:
 
As someone who was looking at doing the same thing a couple years ago for my first rifle... let me just say: don't. It really doesn't save you all that much once you've purchased the necessary assembly tools, and then you don't have a warranty or any such thing. What you might have is a rifle with tolerance off somewhere, or headspacing off, or any number of sundry issues which are trivial to someone who is experienced but which will be a real pain to you.

If you do go this route, I'd recommend a kit. That way you know you've got all the parts you need for a basic AR. I've heard good things about both the kits at http://www.model1sales.com/ and http://www.del-ton.com (very, very good things). I suspect my next AR will be one from Del-ton, for what it's worth.

If you want something more custom, I guess you'll be doing it yourself. Kinda hard to get 'custom' w/o doing that or starting from something else. But, in my opinion, you won't be saving much.

(FWIW, I went with an RRA from ar15sales.com for $780. Love the rifle, good price, hated the customer service.)
 
Thanks to all. Del-ton looks like the way to go. That will probably be the route i take.
 
Thanks to all the responses. I'll probably be using Del-ton now. i'll let y'all know when i make the purchase/recieve the order. out.
 
Caimlas said:
As someone who was looking at doing the same thing a couple years ago for my first rifle... let me just say: don't. It really doesn't save you all that much once you've purchased the necessary assembly tools, and then you don't have a warranty or any such thing. What you might have is a rifle with tolerance off somewhere, or headspacing off, or any number of sundry issues which are trivial to someone who is experienced but which will be a real pain to you.

If you do go this route, I'd recommend a kit. That way you know you've got all the parts you need for a basic AR. I've heard good things about both the kits at http://www.model1sales.com/ and http://www.del-ton.com (very, very good things). I suspect my next AR will be one from Del-ton, for what it's worth.

If you want something more custom, I guess you'll be doing it yourself. Kinda hard to get 'custom' w/o doing that or starting from something else. But, in my opinion, you won't be saving much.

(FWIW, I went with an RRA from ar15sales.com for $780. Love the rifle, good price, hated the customer service.)
Click to expand...
If you're only going to build one AR, or if you want a GI spec one, e.g. front sight base, delta ring, etc. I'd agree.

Otherwise, I think it's easy and fun. As far as issues, if you buy a barrel with a matched bolt, headspace will not be a problem as the headspacing is set by the bolt and barrel extension only. Use quality name brand parts and it is very hard to screw up when building an upper. In fact I think that it's easier to build an upper than it is to build a lower.

The only thing that is difficult to do is to taper pin the gas block to the barrel if you want to do that. Some people feel that setscrews are enough, and I skip the taper pinning when I use a low profile gas block and a long forearm that covers the gas block. You can also send the completed upper to ADCO if you want it taper pinned and don't have a drill press.
 
Been there, done that, highly recommend getting to know a new rifle by building it from the ground up. I builta Model1Sales 2, actually 2 kits with uppers on a DPMS SS lower for UNDER the price of a new Colt. 2 uppers with kits = spare parts for breakages. Only need a couple of punches, hand tools and a little patience in reading the manual off of ar15.com
 
I built mine for about 500 minus all the mags I bought. Compared to 1k I would say you save a little. You might just wait till the market totally drops out and prices drop.
 
Im sorry but i worked in m16 assembly for 2 months and I tell you what I much rather buy one pre assembled. Atleast I had the convenience of specific stations and tools not available to the public to put together this gun fast and precise.

How do you know the true position is right on a barrel to upper?
Do you even know the torque specs on the barrel nut?
What about the torque specs on the rear buffer tube?

not to mention if you have to buy each piece individually. If your just starting out and happen to loose a spring, mess up a pin, or w.e the costs will add up quick.
 
Atleast I had the convenience of specific stations and tools not available to the public to put together this gun fast and precise.
Click to expand...
Are you kidding me? There are no special tools that are not available to the public. The AR is a parts gun that can be fully assembled in less than a half hour. Get real.
 
No need to get excited, freakshow. Calm down.

Assembling AR rifles and carbines (and pistols) is exciting and fun. But like many hobbies, don't do it because you think you'll save some money. Do it for the love of the hobby.

You probably won't save significant money compared to the gunstore markup.

The two biggest rewards:
  • Shooting a gun you assembled yourself.
  • Finding deals on parts over the next 20 years and reassembling it into dozens of different configurations.
 
I bought my first stripped lower and all the parts, including the stock, at a gun show and put it together that afternoon, having never even owned a long gun before. I did have a detent spring fly but I found it.

As for building an upper, later, I had all the parts for one and I was just going to mock it up as part of my pre-assembly planning but it was so easy I ended up just assembling the upper. Everything I needed to know, including torque values, were in the stickied thread on the DIY board on ARFCOM. Admittedly I was building a target rifle, and not an M4gery so I didn't have to worry about any cant of the FSB, or assembling the barrel+delta ring+FSB.

I've built three uppers, so I think I've gotten my money's worth from the less than $200 in specialized tools, and the armorer's wrench would have been a necessary purchase anyways.
 
I do agree putting an AR together isn't rocket science. That being said I didn't want to fool with putting the upper together, thats why I went with Del-Ton.
 
Thankyou all for the great input.

well, I know i didn't keep you all updated like i said i would, but i finally finished it a week and a half ago. final cost, minus mags, $750. that includes a chromlined 1:7 twist barrel, yhm ltweght quadrail freefloat front, w/ end cap, flat top upper, Gunsmoke Ent. Stripped lower. Delton upper and parts. I have another thread out for an ammo problem i had on the maiden shoot, but am happy otherwise, my 1911 was getting lonely.
 
Congrats boxxman, ARs are pretty simple to put together and a lot cheaper than buying one. The 2 most expensive parts are the barrel and a free float tube if you go that route. I think I have less than $700 in mine, probably closer to $750 once you add in shipping charges but of course that doesn't include any of my optics or accessories.
 
I just put two together last night. Cost was $550 and $575 respectively.
Stripped lowers were $55 ($66.00 shipped inc FFL)

for a little more, CMMG Bargain Bin rifles at $599 are a better deal.
 
One of the issues when breaking in a new AR or kit is because you need to break-em-in wet with the upper and bolt assembly very lubricated.
Every kit I've built I've run in wet except the first one and the first one was the only one which I started out with what I would consider normal lube. The dry gun was jamming on every round until I opened, pulled carrier and bolt and just saturated them. Run fine from then on .
After the first fifty rounds I cleaned the gun, knocked off a few burrs that showed up and lubed normally from then on.
 
got 'em right here:

http://www.rguns.net/rifles/rifles-semiauto-ar15-lowers-556rguns-stripped.shtml

I bought 3. they came in fitted plastic boxes, a first in my experience.
2 built up fine. the 3rd needed a little cleanup on the mag release channel.

I emailed the head of the Sharps rifle Co. about these. Seems the first order came back from the machine shop fine, except the lettering was cut with a ball mill instead of a fine-point mill. Makes some of the lettering look "soft". So they sold them through at a bargain price, while they last.

They work fine
They will ship up to 3 for the same $20 shipping.
 
$55

that looks like a heck of alot more than $55 shipped to me! dang...i was gonna be all over that. Dennis
 
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