Build or Buy Complete?

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Rosco19

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I've read up quite a bit on the subject of assembling your own AR15 or just buying a complete rifle. Most information is from the perspective of Americans who have access to hundreds (thousands?) of parts manufacturers.

Obviously things are much different up here. While we do have access to AR15 parts, it is very limited. For example finding a lower receiver you can purchase right now does not yield many options.

So from a Canadian perspective is it worth it to assemble an AR15? Am I better off starting with a complete rifle and then customizing it?

Please let me hear your opinions/thoughts on the subject.

Thanks.
 
I say build, I think it can be cheaper and than it's yours. With that said some very good deals pop up on complete AR's on the EE. This is both for used ARs. If I was to buy solely new it would be a complete AR. I happen to be sellling a complete lower cheap..... :)
 
I started looking into this a few months ago (mmmm - around the time the SHTF for my SAN) ......

I think we're in the same situation as the Americans re: what we can buy. For the most part, no one can get much these days without a loooooong wait.

Personally, I'm gonna opt for the complete rifle - but a really high end rifle. I kinda subscribe to the idea that if all the components come of the same machine floor - they're gonna have Karma.

I'm quite sure that if the mix & match BCM / Colt / DD etc. you're gonna get a pretty good rifle - but it ain't gonna be a Neveske or a LMT.

Just depends what you're looking for - Better Than Mil Spec, True Mil Spec, Questionable Mil Spec, or a 'A Good Bang For The Buck' ...

Just my two cents ...
 
For your first buy an assembled one as you wont know what you like yet. Then when youbknow what works for you and what dosn't then you can build exactly what you want from the ground up and thats the point of building one.
 
It depends on what you want, and if you can get what you want in a complete rifle. Or are you going to end up replacing everything anyway. If you are just starting out, a store bought gun may be just fine, but if you have a specific idea regarding stocks, barrel length, rails or muzzle brake, it may be less expensive to build from scratch. You also have to take into account the time it will take to accumulate stuff for a build. In the states (until recently) you could make a list of what you want, go to the local gun store and start building the same day. That won't happen here, so if you build, you won't be shooting anytime soon, unless you get lucky.
 
For me the decision came down to cost of customizing a new rifle with exactly what I wanted or to build from the ground up, I chose to build from the ground up. Like previously mentioned it will take time to acquire all the parts necessary for your build. The market does seem to be returning to normal and it should be even less difficult to find parts in the coming months. I personally found great satisfaction in finding and building my own rifle not to mention you learn a lot about how the rifle functions. I made a few mistakes during assembly fortunately it was nothing major that said it is fairly straight forward to do and there are many tutorials online outing the steps to assemble a rifle from scratch. If you want to go out and shoot it tomorrow (or in the very near future) buy complete and customize but if your patient enough to collect all the parts, assemble and troubleshoot build it yourself. Building it yourself really pays off at least it did for me I'm already planning my second(once I feel comfortable spending some money again).
 
The way I see it, building an AR is the same as reloading. It will only save you money if you do the bare minimum over a very long period of time. It's way too easy to spend more building it than getting one off the rack. For example, buying a $550 match barrel, when an entire Norc rifle can be had for the same price.

I do recommend building if you are interested in the mechanics of how ARs work, you'll learn a lot, but if you don't know what you want it can end up costing you extra time and money. I did something like $90 damage building my lower receiver, destroyed two armorer's wrenches, borked up a receiver extension tube, bent the rear detant spring, and my castle nut looked like a chewtoy since I had to use a pipe wrench to get it off after the damn armorer's wrenches wrecked the threads of the extension tube getting the end plate on. All because I wanted to see how a different style end plate fit, and I didn't recognize a junk wrench when I saw it.
 
Stevebot-7 said:
I did something like $90 damage building my lower receiver, destroyed two armorer's wrenches, borked up a receiver extension tube, bent the rear detant spring, and my castle nut looked like a chewtoy since I had to use a pipe wrench to get it off after the damn armorer's wrenches wrecked the threads of the extension tube getting the end plate on.
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I did exactly the same thing but I sure learned my lesson and won't make the same mistakes again.
 
Buy a decent rifle - there are Stags complete with lifetime warranty available for slightly more than what you'd pay to assemble your own. If you're not really sure of which parts are decent AND cheap, it's easy to skimp in the wrong places and end up with a gun that'll cost more and wear out very quickly.
 
All that shipping for the different parts will add up, so in the end I have a doubt that you would really be saving that much. For your first AR, buy a complete rifle with a good warranty for sure.
 
I haven't done an AR, but from shotgun, SMLE, and SKS mods I suggest doing plenty of research into everything remotely related to your gun, and then building one instead of buying a finished unit.

If you don't want to do that much research, buy a completed model to save yourself second-guessing every accessory on it.
 
Thanks for all your thoughts guys. I have to admit that the prospect of building my own rifle has quite a bit of appeal to it. I would be doing it for the fun of it and to get the rifle I want, not to save money. I'll have to continue to watch if parts become more available over the next couple months. I don't mind waiting and slowly collecting parts.

Any site sponsors in particular I should be checking out? Also where can I get a decent set of armourer's tools for the AR15? I know Brownell's sells everything, but I would prefer to buy within Canada.
 
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I have done both, if you buy you will change stuff anyway but you have a serviceable rifle to start with and shoot as you go, building you can get what you think you want the first time but you may not have a rifle to shoot for a bit of time, again you will change stuff later.
 
you will not be able to build an AR for cheaper than buying a brand new DPMS or norinco

however you will be able to get EXACTLY all the components that you want on your custom build
 
luke s said:
you will not be able to build an AR for cheaper than buying a brand new DPMS or norinco

however you will be able to get EXACTLY all the components that you want on your custom build
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I agree, I've just started ordering stuff for my first AR and I'm right around $1400 just for a lower, lpk, upper and barrel.
 
Don't cheap out on the armorer's wrench! I tried that with a pair of cheap wrenches, the castle nut bit sheared right off. The NCStar one actually bent at about a 35 degree angle from me trying to get a magpul asap sling plate off. On both my cheapo wrenches, the other castle nut part, that has the three prongs designed to work with regular receiver end plates, those prongs are too long and dig into the threads when you try to turn the nut.

Also, if you're wanting a magpul ASAP receiver plate, make sure it's what you want, cause it's a bastard to get on and off since you have to use the single little tab to turn the castle nut.

It's also possible that I'm just retard strong, cause I also ovaled the hole in the castle nut.
 
Unless you want a high end build just buy a complete rifle. Learn the platform and build your second one.
 
In my experience, it would be near impossible to build the same quality rifle for cheaper than a complete rifle. And that’s not to mention the possibility of having to acquire specialised tools.

With that being said the reason to build a rifle would be either for complete customization or for the experience. If you are looking for a certain thing and you can find a complete rifle that fits your criteria you will most likely end up with a better product. But, if you are really looking for a project and the experience go for it. Just understand that although these things are like Lego, Lego does not always go together perfectly. Particularly if you get cheap parts or go into more advanced builds. With a complete rifle any fitting and testing issues are taken care of, but you lose the experience and knowledge that comes with doing those things yourself.

This is my experience after one complete rifle and three builds. The complete rifle runs like a sewing machine right out of the box, the builds are close but are no cigar. And despite my high level of pride that comes with each build the complete rifle is still my favoured rifle.
 
Deckard said:
When I add up the shipping from a dozen vendors builds cost more. I wish there was a complete kit out there.
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Hmmmmmm. A vendor you could build your own kit from on there web page and have shipped to you or you could assemble your own parts list on there web page and they assemble and send it to you. Now there's an idea.
 
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