Want to build an AR - Help please

[Bigum1969]

I've got the black rifle bug. I have a SIG 556 and love shooting it and I'd love to try and build my own AR. This is where I need help.

Do I just need to buy and upper and a lower and put them together?

I read Shotgun News all the time and see uppers, lowers and stripped lowers for sale. Do i just need an upper and a lower? And, how hard is it to assemble? Would I need special tools? I'd really like to try and build one myself.

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

[melensdad]

Buy an upper that is already built. The quality of the upper will determine most of the accuracy of the gun. The other major factor for accuracy is going to be the trigger. If you go discount on the upper you will probably get a decent service grade gun, but you can go to any extreme with uppers and they are more than the sum of their parts, assembly and tolerances are critical if accuracy is of the utmost importance. You can pick from 100's of variants from service to long range target to everything in between.

The lower is something that you can assemble. Part kits are available from many sources, triggers run the gamut of from single stage, dual stage, to exotic target triggers. You can use standard parts like a spring buffer assembly or you can go to the pneumatic units, the lower is really something you can tailor to your whims and wishes.

[Bigum1969]

Thanks for the tips melensdad. Any tips on some good vendors or web sites to shop?

[W9ZEB]

Originally Posted by Bigum1969

Thanks for the tips melensdad. Any tips on some good vendors or web sites to shop?

The first and last place for AR-15 parts
Rainier Arms, LLC™ | Taking the AR15 to new heights.


Ok, Not really, but a really good vendor none the less.

[melensdad]

Originally Posted by Bigum1969

Thanks for the tips melensdad. Any tips on some good vendors or web sites to shop?

Depends on what you want to build. If you want to build a mall ninja/tactical Teddy gun then there are countless places to get your uppers and parts. If you want something special, or some sort of odd caliber, then that narrows things down considerably.

For example, if you want an AR that is legal for deer hunting in Indiana then you should look at the 458 Socom uppers, only a few places to get those. Want a deer legal gun with a flatter trajectory and higher velocity then talk to Mike Milli at DTech and have him build you his wildcat 358 WSSM that pushes a 200 grain .358 diameter bullet at 2600 fps out of an AR15. Want a long range rifle that can go 1000 meters and hit a pie plate then consider an Alexander Arms upper chambered in the 6.5 Grendel round.

[Bazooka Joe71]

Del-ton isn't a bad place to start either...I have nothing but excellent things to say about their products and customer service.

[shooter521]

Originally Posted by Bigum1969

Do I just need to buy and upper and a lower and put them together?

You certainly can do it this way, although that's not really "building," and there's no real reason to go that route vs. buying a complete off-the-rack gun.

I read Shotgun News all the time and see uppers, lowers and stripped lowers for sale. Do i just need an upper and a lower?

Depends on what those ads mean by "upper" and "lower". Uppers can be bought stripped (need to add all the guts as well as the barrel assembly), assembled (upper receiver with barrel attached, but no bolt carrier group or charging handle), or complete (assembled, with bolt carrier group and charging handle). Similarly, lowers can be bought stripped, assembled minus buttstock, or complete.

And, how hard is it to assemble? Would I need special tools?

Not hard to assemble, especially after you've done the first one. Putting the guts into the lower is pretty elementary. No special tools (other than some basic hand tools) are required, but there are a few that sure make the job easier! Barreling an upper is another matter, and does require more in the way of specialized tools (a barrel wrench being chief among them) and know-how.

Thanks in advance for any help you can provide.

A couple bits of advice - one needs to keep in mind that "parts is parts" doesn't apply when it comes to ARs. You can't expect to build a rifle from a $400 gun show parts kit and have it be equal in quality or performance to a factory Colt/LMT/S&W or other top-name rifle. That said, a home-built AR using quality components can get up and run with the best off-the-shelf factory rifle. I know, I've seen mine do it. You may not save any money building the gun that way, but 1) you can spread the process out over time, vs. dropping a huge chunk of change at once, 2) you have knowledge of and control over EVERY part that goes into the build, and 3) you can have a gun in a particular configuration that may not be available off the rack.

Also of relevance here is what you intend to do with the gun. If it's just for occasional recreational blasting, the $400 gun show special will probably serve your needs just fine, and there may not be tangible benefits to spending more money. If it's for defense, duty or high-intensity competition, however, you'll be glad you didn't take the cheap route.

My $.02.

[WHITE_WOLFE]

If you wanna build one from ground up you can come to my house and use all my tools!!

I have everything to do it.

[Paul]

Originally Posted by WHITE_WOLFE

If you wanna build one from ground up you can come to my house and use all my tools!!

I have everything to do it.

Yup, he helped me put together my upper

[Bigum1969]

White_Wolf:

Are you located in Indianapolis? I'm down in SW Indiana.