AR-15 headache; Please help

[burt gummer]

ok so iv been thinking about building my first rifle but im stuck on which company to go with, my goal is to save atleast $2000 for this if I build or buy parts, I can save more if need be, but im hearing that colt is good and FNH is good and spikes tactical, and bcm and ect. yesterday I drooled over a FNH it was amazing but not the caliber I wanted, I don't want to spend this money and then then cry over a bad gun. somebody said that knights armament is the Ferrari of guns awesome, but what about the other brands? I loved the FNH, so can somebody help clarify over the few brands I did name what is good or bad about them? I was told that colt is machine made to me that doesn't say good "quality" craftsmanship. this being my first AR I want to be sure it will perform flawless and be able to survive.

 

[jblomenberg16]

All of the brands listed there will be very good to build. However, I'm not sure how much flexibility you have to buy components and build FNH and Colt, where as Spikes, Knights, BCM, and others are companies that sell a lot of components that allow you to build up exactly what you want. They of course have the option to buy fully assembled uppers to fairly customized specs.

So, in my opinion, it probably comes down to what features you want in terms of barrels, handguards, etc., then chose the mfg that has those options.

 

[romad7]

You might consider just buying a complete upper and build your lower. This will give you the best quality and reliability especially if you haven't done this before. Then you can customize your lower the way that you want. Also, what you are going to use this AR for is important and will affect how much to spend. For example, if I were building an SBR or pistol then I would probably go with this one, 300 BLK Upper, 9" Barrel

 

[burt gummer]

thanks as with barrels I don't know what I want or need lol, im a newbie that being said is why I need help not just with choosing a company to buy from, im currently looking at the few companies I mentioned,

 

[Jeremy1066]

Need more info on your intended purpose. You aren't going to save much (if any) money by "building" vs buying complete, but if you want the experience, then go for it. I think for the money spent, Spikes is hard to beat.

 

[burt gummer]

@romad7 that sounds like a good idea buying a upper and customize a lower, @jeremy1066 well as far as purpose I want to be able to shoot maybe 500-600 yards away I believe that is what a 16" barrel will get me? and home defense and shtf scenario,

 

[Jeremy1066]

@romad7 that sounds like a good idea buying a upper and customize a lower, @jeremy1066 well as far as purpose I want to be able to shoot maybe 500-600 yards away I believe that is what a 16" barrel will get me? and home defense and shtf scenario,

Then let me suggest a 1:7 twist on the barrel so that you can shoot heavier (longer) projectiles to reach out to 500-600 yards. It will also shoot 55gr loads just fine for target practice. As for barrel length, there is a balance to find (only by you) between range and maneuverability. A longer barrel (18-20") will give you more velocity and resulting better long range accuracy, but a 14.5-16" barrel will be more maneuverable in close quarters. That being said, a 16" barrel is a very good general purpose length.

 

[romad7]

I agree, 16" is a great place to start. My first AR was a basic Daniel Defense carbine, little more expensive but it's better to buy quality first, from your budget I think you understand that. $2000 will get you a very good rifle and optic to get started then you can go from there.

With your experience level, I'm thinking that it might be best to get a complete high quality rifle so you have that covered. Then you can learn through trial and error about all the little things that can go awry during a build. I consider myself very mechanically inclined and recently built an 8.2" 300 BLK SBR. However, I am very glad that I had a high quality professionally built AR in the meantime.

ARs are called the Legos of the gun world for a reason, there are so many options that are totally personal preference that it's almost impossible to figure out what you like without lots of time with the rifle. Example, I started with a full quad rail and A2 front sight. After a while I found that I didn't care for all the rails and I wanted flip sights. So, sold the quad and bought a Samson free float tube and put some flip up sights on it. Other people love quad rails and fixed sights, so it's difficult to say what you'll prefer.

In the process, I learned how to shave an A2 sight, replace a hand guard, and remove the gas block/tube and barrel nut. That's half the process of building an upper. Later I replaced the mag release, grip, and stock. All this prepared me to build my SBR.

Ill be right back with more...

 

[romad7]

If I were starting from scratch with very little AR knowledge here is what I would do:

1. Buy this:
https://danieldefense.com/build-your-ddm4/



2. Buy ammo, shoot a lot with iron sights, learn and love the rifle.

3. Read INGO and other gun sites, learn about and lust after cool accessories, save/buy cool accessories.

4. After you are intimately familiar with how ARs work, build dream gun.

5. Repeat until wife threatens to leave you��

This rifle will do 500yds decently with a good shooter and will be a great all-purpose rifle. Not a precision long range gun but with a few upgrades later it can do very well for what it is. Good thing about buying quality is that someone will buy the parts that you upgrade from.

 

[burt gummer]

thanks jeremy1066 I will have to check out those lengths on a rifle to see what I like, I have been watching vids on youtube by james yeager and his recommendations on guns is spikes tactical and Daniel defense, I will also look at BCM, and FNH but with them I can only get 5.56x45 or .223 Rem which is better or easier to get idk, but spikes is multi caliber which I like, also going to use the Daniel defense "build your DDM4" program see what I like, any other info would help thanks,

 

[burt gummer]

@romad7 wow Im building my DDM4 now lol see what I like, and #5 not if wife or GF loves to shoot more then me perfect life

 

[romad7]

@romad7 wow Im building my DDM4 now lol see what I like, and #5 not if wife or GF loves to shoot more then me perfect life

In that case, buy 2!

 

[burt gummer]

this is what I built http://danieldefense.com/build-your-ddm4/?step=9 check it out let me know any changes I need or if its a good gun, I'm still looking at spikes and FNH

 

[romad7]

That link doesn't show your's, it resets to the beginning. At the last page click "Parts Summary" then take a screenshot or copy the text and post it here.

Like this:

1	DDM4 Complete Lower	$465.00
2	A4 Upper Receiver, Assembly (Black)	*$141.00
3	Barrel Assembly, 16", M4 Profile,1.7 Twist, FSP	$329.00
4	Not Pinned	$49.00
5	Bolt Carrier Group	$195.00
6	DDM4 Rail 7"	$335.00
7	A1.5 Fixed Rear Sight	$73.00
8	None	$0.00

 

[burt gummer]

here is the build I came up with let me know if its good DDM4 Complete Lower	$465.00
2	A4 Upper Receiver, Assembly (Black)	*$141.00
3	Barrel Assembly, 16", M4 Profile,1.7 Twist	$369.00
4	Not Pinned	$59.00
5	Bolt Carrier Group, Chrome Plated	$205.00
6	Omega Rail 7.0"	$249.00

 

[romad7]

Looks good, that would be a great all around rifle to start with. You'll find things that you want to change over time but this is a great start.

Now a good thing to do is print out that PDF that has all the prices/specs/pic and take it to a gun store that has a lot of different ARs. Tell them that this is what you are thinking so far and have them show you ARs that are similar and also that come in different configurations. This will give you a quick idea of what you might change after getting your hands on actual rifles. Then come back and see if you would change anything on your build. Some things that are common are:

Hand guards that cover the gas block (the thing on the barrel in front of the hand guard)
Front sight mounted on the rail vs A2 sight (triangular sight post on gas block)
Vertical fore grip (handle that mounts to bottom of hand guard)

Here are 2 other common configurations. Knowing what I do now, I would probably go with the one with the round tube hand guard vs quad rail. This all comes down to personal preference. From handling these three types, you should be able to get a feel for what you like best.

If you build an AR with the DD builder it will be an excellent gun, it just comes down to what is comfortable to you.

 

[burt gummer]

I will do that I'm a fan of magpul so I will support them, and see what I can get and then if I'm lucky will have my gun and fondle it and love it for ever lol

 

[romad7]

Ha:-) Sounds good, let us know what you end up with and how you like it.

 

[burt gummer]

I will, it will be a gun Rambo would love lol

 

[Double T]

For two grand? I'd go for a BCM upper, spikes lower, and call it a day.

I honestly am liking the BCM Recce stuff. AR-15, 16" Recce Upper Groups (Mid Length)