AR15 build, where to start?

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Bynming

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Hey guys,

So I'm thinking about picking up the parts for an AR15 build as well as the basic tools I'll need to build it. The sheer amount of resources that are available online is quite daunting and I don't know where to start my research to pick my parts and to figure out what I'll need, so I'd appreciate if I could be pointed in the right direction. Are there some things I must read, unbiased sources that'll be informative and won't necessarily try to sell me on specific brands or anything like that?

Right now, I'm kind of in the dark. I have a budget of around $1500 (maybe a little bit more) for the rifle including the tools that I'll need to build it, and $1000 for the optic. I intend to build it gradually over the year, starting with a lower that I might as well get ASAP since it could take a while to get transferred. Part of why I'm writing this is because I want to spend my money wisely and I'd rather not end up feeling the need to upgrade or changes too many parts immediately after I'll be done building.

My purpose is to buy a reliable and accurate AR15 with a 14-16 inch barrel, a decent trigger, without cutting too many corners in terms of the quality of the parts. I don't expect a high end AR for $1500 but I don't want cheapo parts.

I would appreciate any tips and tricks, or links to good threads or guides, or just direct advice for which parts to read up on. Like where do I start for a quality AR lower? Cheers and thanks.
 
Are you building from scratch ie. a stripped upper and lower or are you building it basically attaching a full upper and lower together or somewhere in between?

If you want something budget, spending $1500 on a complete rifle will probably score you something nicer than $1500 over a year buying pieces slowly.
Not saying it's impossible but you will need the patience of Job!
If you decide you don't like it, a Frankenbuild will be less desirable also vs a complete factory gun.
$1500 can score you a Colt USA and even a DD if you are careful. Nothing wrong with starting there.
Depends how patient you are to go pew, pew with your AR. Your call.
The good thing about buying a complete gun is you can take it apart and put it together again also so you can learn your rifle that way.
 
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I didn't really have a plan, I was thinking of buying a stripped lower, assembling that, and then maybe putting attaching a full upper to it.

As for buying, it's not out of the realm of possibilities but I kind of like the idea of at least putting together my own lower with a geissele trigger or some other premium trigger in, so I don't have to buy those parts twice.

What do you mean about getting a DD if I'm careful? I was under the impression that those were always >$2000 these days. You mean a used one?
 
I'll start off by saying this. Building an AR isn't cheaper then buying one when in Canada, especially if you don't want something super cheap like NEA or various knock off brands.
If you're going to be buying the specific tools to build entirely you'll need the following.
Most important is a good vice block, this will be used to torque down your barrel nut. I highly recommend the geiselle reaction rod because it's one of the ONLY options on the market where the torque is only applied to the barrel/barrel extension. This will save you from damaging your upper. There are cheaper options, like the magpul bev block that I'm sure people will swear by, but I've had a gunsmith damage an upper of mine using one, and that was actually why I started building my own.
Next you'll need a torque wrench, a good pin punch set, and probably a roll pin punch set.
I prefer using a non marring dead blow hammer.
You'll want a good quality AR15 armorers wrench as it gives you most of the gun specific wrench heads and such.
You'll need a vice to hold the aforementioned vice block.
I'd hope you have a decent screw driver set and Allen key set already.
A heavy duty punch to stake the castle nut in place.
Some might say you need a lower vice block but I've never personally used one and never had an issue.

As for actual parts, you really have to do your own research into what you like. As long as company A builds their parts to mil spec then you should be fine. Most milspec lowers are the same thing and sometimes even come from the same manufacturer and are just branded differently. Typically for budget builds I recommend spikes tactical uppers and lowers. Mil spec and can be had relatively cheap from questar.
The best advice I can give you is this, spend your money on the parts that really count. Your barrel, your bolt carrier group, and your trigger. They're all personal preference but for a phenomenal trigger under 100.00 the ALG ACT is great.
Next, decide what exactly you want to do with this gun. Are you planning on shooting sub moa bench rest, runnin n gunnin for 3 gun or what have you? What you want out of the gun will help determine what the gun should end up like.

I think your 1500 dollar budget is a good start but I'd bet you will end up much further in the hole after you get started. Speaking from experience.

As for places to shop, I highly recommend red deer shooting center, they bring in a lot of quality parts at reasonable prices. They're definitely my go to for ar parts.

Any question, feel free to PM me, I've helped many a folks get started on building their first AR.
 
Well if you guys really do think that building may end up being more expensive, I should consider buying and saving myself the hassle. Assembling lowers seems easy enough but I'm not too enthusiastic about buying a US$100 Geissele reaction rod and other equipment to avoid damaging the upper's parts.

My purpose is to initially learn to shoot it accurately while standing (and some benchrest too for science, but I won't do very much of that). Then maybe I'd eventually do 3 gun competitions. If I can get something with a good trigger/bolt carrier group/barrel on a retail rifle, I'd be quite happy with that.

There are a few things I'd rather not have to re-purchase down the line. I want a stock that doesn't wobble like the one on my buddy's rifle, it felt really cheap, and I want a decent metal handguard with room for attachments (I just really dislike the cheap looking ribbed plastic handguard on the budget AR15's). Perhaps something like this is not attainable for $1500.
 
If you want to assemble a rifle from various parts that you acquire from time to time, do it. It is a great learning experience.
It probably won't save you any money, compared with buying a complete quality rifle. The rifle you assemble probably will have lower resale value, maybe less than the value of the parts, and be harder to sell.
Buying a commercial rifle will give you known quality, and the $$$ you mention should get you a good one.
Your optics budget will also get you an excellent sight.
Having said that, I have never purchased a commercial rifle. Then again, I machined three of the barrels were machined from blanks, according to what I wanted. And I am an experienced gunsmith.
Beware the accessory trap. There is no point loading up a rifle with tackiekewlkrap.
 
First things first.

Figure out what distance you most probably will shoot this AR.
Figure out what is the AMMO you will be using.
Find a barrel for the ammo and distance you plan on using.

BUILT AROUND IT.

Many things wont make your AR better or more accurate. Few things are key.

Barrel.
Handguard.
Trigger.
Optic.

These are my 4 priorities.


Cheers
 
Well money is a concern of mine so while I would enjoy the experience of building an AR, if I can buy what I want for cheaper, I will do that for now. And I won't load the rifle with accessories, I'm the least tacticool person. I just like the look of keymod handguards.

As for Cpt.Flan's questions
-I'll shoot it at up to 200 yards seated, but mostly 25-100 yds standing I think.
-Ammo will mostly be reloads, I want a 1:7 twist to be able to use heavier bullets for the hell of it. Maybe I'll try to shoot long distances one day.
 
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Bynming said:
What do you mean about getting a DD if I'm careful? I was under the impression that those were always >$2000 these days. You mean a used one?
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Yes, a used one. But adding a decent aftermarket trigger will bust it north of $1500.
For your criteria, a Windham Weaponry, CORE or DPMS around $850 or close to $1000 with Magpul buttstock ( that will reduce your wobble problem), either Keymod or the older BCM quad rail, some BUIS and a Geisselle trigger will be close to your $1500 number.
 
Still alive said:
Yes, a used one. But adding a decent aftermarket trigger will bust it north of $1500.
For your criteria, a Windham Weaponry, CORE or DPMS around $850 or close to $1000 with Magpul buttstock ( that will reduce your wobble problem), either Keymod or the older BCM quad rail, some BUIS and a Geisselle trigger will be close to your $1500 number.
Click to expand...
Sounds like short of building from scratch, there's no getting around ending up with a leftover trigger assembly, a cheap buttstock and a handguard.
 
yeah, as mentioned, don't underestimate the need for correct tools before you start. Plastic punches/mallet as you want to avoid metal on metal scrapes.

should be lots of you tube vids on 'how-to" for research.
 
By the sounds of it, everything you want to do is attainable with a commercially built rifle, and with a few minor upgrades you could easily turn it into the rifle you want. The money you would save on tools can now go towards the rifle and new parts. I'm not sure which hand guard it is specifically you are after, but it will likely require removal and replacement of the factory barrel nut, but most gunsmiths I know only charge less than 50 bucks to do so.

What kind of optic are you looking for? 1000 bucks is a great starting place for optics, but if we know what type of optic you want, we may be able to save you money from the optics budget and find more to put towards your rifle, or at least get a better understanding.

One last point, don't always listen to others "opinions" on firearms. There's absolutely nothing wrong with setting up your rifle with what you either want or need. The whole "tactical" shaming we see from some people within the community is kind of ridiculous. If you want a surefire weapon light or a PEQ15 on your rifle then put one on it. The only time it can be an issue is when you prioritize either A: cheap accessories to make you look cool(because cheap crap always breaks), or B: accessories before necessities.
Other than that, do whatever you see fit to the specifications you require. When someone tells you "you don't need all that crap" it's no different then our glorious Liberal overseers telling us "you don't need an AR15".

As I say to a lot of the old timers, your knowledge is always welcome, just hang your opinions at the door.
 
For optics, I was thinking about getting an ACOG at first, but then I decided that the dot may be a bit too big and while a combat optic is fun, I'd rather have the tools I need to print decent groups at 200 yards if I want to. One scope that someone recommended (and that is way out of my price range) was the Vortex Razor HD Gen II 1-6x24. Something with that form factor would suit my purposes I think.
 
A quality lower powered variable scope will do most anything that you need. A 1-6 such as you mentioned will work nicely from point blank to several hundred meters.
The rifle I shoot most has a Leupold Mk.4 2-8. I have also found a Leupold 1 1/2-5 with finger knobs added to be very useful. The rifle has a gas block with rail for a front sight. When shooting at night, I mount a light there. Effective at 100m (haven't shot further back in the dark), and closer.
 
Speaking from experience, the ACOG is a fine optic choice but it leaves a lot to be desired. If you want to be shooting at closer ranges, as you said 5-25 meters, the fixed 4 power sucked. That's why I sold my ACOG for a nightforce 1-4.

As a suggestion, look into the vortex strike eagle. I have no personal experience with one but I've seemed to notice a lot of people are quite happy with them. With a retail price of around 500 and a mag range of 1-6x, you're not getting the BEST but I would presume it to be a good entry optic. Down the road if you really fall into the precision bench shooting you can always upgrade to some top dollar scope. I would suggest doing some research and seeing if this fits your desired outcome.
 
Alright well thanks everybody for your input! I'll keep looking into this, it seems like buying a rifle may be my best option for now although I may change my mind along the way.

Maybe my best shot would be to go for a used DD, or to increase my budget and get a new one.

Cheers!
 
There is something to be said about the hobby of building from scratch. First off, it will not save you a dime but it is enjoyable if you like making stuff, looking for deals and are not overly concerned with resale value. I don't think there is any better way to learn how the rifle works than doing a ground up build. Sure you can tear down a factory made gun and re assemble it but I have to say, I enjoyed the whole process. It is a bit frustrating when things don't work out just right the first time but very rewarding when it all goes together just right.
 
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