Budget-friendly AR15 build

RabbitTeeth

RabbitTeeth

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So I bought myself a stripped $70 AR lower! Thank you Bill for the encouragement. But now, I have no idea what to do. I'd like to build a 12.5"-14.5" AR15 for under $1,000, and I'm afraid that if I buy things piecemeal, I'll end up with a lot of incompatible parts.

I have no point of reference for what constitutes an "acceptable" vs "unnecessarily expensive" BCG, stripped upper, trigger group, foreend, muzzle attachments, rails, sights, etc.

I just need something that goes bang reliably and comfortably, for a reasonable budget.

Things that I'd like to have on my AR15:
  • 5.56 preferred
  • 12.5" preferred barrel length (I've heard that 8.5-10.5 lengths have reliability, noise, recoil and flash issues)
  • Flat top for mounting 1-4x and flip up sights (not a fan of the front barrel sight but it's not a deal breaker)
  • Reliable cycling - not sure whether gas or direct impingement matters or if that's just splitting hairs
  • Ability to mount a flashlight
  • Flash hider
  • As lightweight as possible within budget
  • Adjustable stock

If you have resources that I can use to educate myself, that would be great. You know, give a man a fish vs teach him how to fish, that whole thing.

I've also gone through all of the vendors on the list, and it seems that mostly everyone is sold out of what I'll need to build one up, and the ones that aren't sold out are way above my budget. I regret not picking up a $700 Norinco AR15 6 months ago, to be honest.


Thank you
 
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I have been building up one of my lowers with a "budget" in mind. I have the lower done, an assembled upper, I just picked up a barrel and floating hand guard. No gas block,tube, bolt carrier group, brake,sites, maybe a few more bits. I'm right around the $1100 dollar mark. I figure I will be into it for $1500 completed and that is with no optics or ambi charge handle. Now I didn't use the cheapest stuff, I put money where it needed to be but IMHO a $1000 dollar "build" with decent parts is tough to keep under $1000 bucks. You may be better to just pick up a whole rifle and hot rod it as you can. At least you can shoot it as is.

My opinion
Corey
 
Chuckbuster said:
IRG has a thread with complete build kits (and parts) for $340US. I think that's about $440Cdn after exchange. You could get one of those, and as suggested, hold on to your stripped lower for a later build after you get the hang of things with the complete kit.
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Yep, but, most of the kits are without a lower so, he can use his on the build. If they get more of the $316. Kits in I will be buying one, I was holing out for some of the psa kits but it doesn't look like they are biting on that idea. Quick question to chuckbuster, can you put a normal adjustable AR stock on the pistol kits, I know it has a different back end on it but I know just enough about AR to be dangerous!?
 
bobdbldr said:
Yep, but, most of the kits are without a lower so, he can use his on the build. If they get more of the $316. Kits in I will be buying one, I was holing out for some of the psa kits but it doesn't look like they are biting on that idea. Quick question to chuckbuster, can you put a normal adjustable AR stock on the pistol kits, I know it has a different back end on it but I know just enough about AR to be dangerous!?
Click to expand...

Just swap out the pistol length receiver extension ("buffer tube") and put whatever you want on it.
 
Tenda has the 14.5" CQ-A in stock. Surprised they lasted through the buying the spree, very decent rifle for the price. Just don't buy that god awful DPMS with the railed gas block lol

I would buy a complete rifle and slowly finish your lower...
 
bobdbldr said:
Yep, but, most of the kits are without a lower so, he can use his on the build. If they get more of the $316. Kits in I will be buying one, I was holing out for some of the psa kits but it doesn't look like they are biting on that idea. Quick question to chuckbuster, can you put a normal adjustable AR stock on the pistol kits, I know it has a different back end on it but I know just enough about AR to be dangerous!?
Click to expand...

Ah! Good catch. My mistake...I thought it included a lower, but you are correct, no lower--but a lower parts kit. In terms of the stock, you can replace the "pistol" buffer tube with a regular one and stock...and I see someone has beaten me to it.
 
I got my Oracle for just over $600. I've added a few Magpul items due to the cheap quality of the oem stuff on the rifle with those few items I'm around $800 not including taxes. Under $1000 though if thats what your after. Mind you I got a knock off scope from a buddy at work so I didn't have to buy anything there, however they are on Amazon for about $80.
 
i built one of my lowers with junk parts that i took off of my WK180-C and a Fedarm upper that CanAm had for $450. Whole build came to just under $700.

Anderson manufacturing AM-15 stripped lower $125
Fedarm upper 14.5" Barrel .223 Wylde $450
Aero buffer assembly $70
Aliexpress lower parts kit $30
Junk parts trigger from WK180-C $??
Butt stock from WK180-C $??
Pistol grip from WK180-C $??

if i had to buy the junk parts, i think the whole build will come out to $900 with a decent trigger and magpul furniture.
 
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