AR15 n00b build

How much you want to spend?

I'm on my second build now and the way I did the first one was to take it slow. A few parts every pay cheque and about 3 hours assembly time.

Brownells, EE and a few forum sponsors was my go to for parts.
 
For me, parts selection was based on how I thought I'd be using my gun. In my case it was intended as a competition gun so I prioritized a good barrel and trigger then went for ergonomics and balanced reliability/quality and cost and weight.

In retrospect, I think that I would err on a barrel with a chamber that was "roomier" to eliminate ammo pickiness and reliability issues. The truth is that for most competition use, the rifle's accuracy won't be the limiting factor in your score (your ability to hold, shooting fast will be) but stages missed due to equipment issues will torpedoe your score.
 
This is my issue, too. I'll be watching this thread.

I have an idea of what I want to build, but I really don't know what I need without familiarizing myself with the platform first. I've seen suggestions of getting a cheap AR and to figure out what you'd need from that. I can see myself eventually replacing it bit by bit to the point I have 2 complete AR's.
 
take a stan said:
I'd be willing to spend about $2500.

I'd like to take it slow and wait for some deals on the parts I want, but I don't even know what I really want. How did you decide on the parts you were going to go with?
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For that kind of money, you can buy a way nicer gun than you can build and accessorize it better too.
It's like car parts. Building a car from scratch will cost you more than buying a complete car. It will also cost you more time.
And your $2500 custom home build AR will only be special to you but will not be valued as much by a buyer if you choose to sell it.

My suggestion is to buy your first AR. A second hand DD will cost you around $1400. Shoot it lots and if you are serious about building one, you will already have a good foundation rifle to start.
 
I own 4 ARs, only one of them is really a custom build, the others might have at most a different stock and trigger, that way when I sell them I dont lose cash.
 
take a stan said:
It seems the concensus is to buy reasonable rifle customize it a bit and put a lot of rounds through it, improve my skills before buying shiny things. If I get access to the equipment exchange perhaps I'll have a better idea on how far my dollar will go on the used market.

Thanks for all the advise from everyone. This forum is awesome.
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The only things you will need on a stock DD or any midrange AR is a Raptor charging handle, maybe a AFG and the Geisselle trigger. If you compete, maybe an ambi safety ( not a huge need either) .The BAD lever is a personal taste thing. I don't use one.
Good optics (I use the Aimpoint T-1 micro) and a nice single/ 2 point sling will complete the package.
 
Still alive said:
The only things you will need on a stock DD or any midrange AR is a Raptor charging handle, maybe a AFG and the Geisselle trigger. If you compete, maybe an ambi safety ( not a huge need either) .The BAD lever is a personal taste thing. I don't use one.
Good optics (I use the Aimpoint T-1 micro) and a nice single/ 2 point sling will complete the package.
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listen to this guy!
 
take a stan said:
I'm newer gun owner after a friend got me into it a couple years ago (no guns or motorcycles allowed type of family growing up). Now I'm a proud gun owner and ride enduro every weekend, funny how that turns out :p

So i want to build my own AR as I will only have 1 and want it to be something special to me not just something off the shelf. I've only shot 1 in my life which was my friends.

The selection in Canada for parts seems pretty poor, for online anyway. I'm going to use it for range days with friends to shoot along with my handgun and may eventually get into 3 gun. I'm a fan of the F1 firearms ARs, the light and skeletonized style of them seem the way I would like to go.

My question is where I should start? Should I just buy a random lower that has good reviews and hope I like it and go from there? Or should I just buy a gun I like and mod it as I go?
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have you looked into importing the f1 AR's into Canada? they also intrigue me.
 
I too took the AR plunge and went with a DA gun. Didn't like the fit and finish and decided to start my build. Not too far in, but got a Dlask lower, spike's upper and buffer tube assembly. Barrel will be next, followed by hand guard and bcg. Got some decent diamondhead alloy buis for the time being. Optic will be the very last.
 
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