Building the cheapest "good" AR15
- Thread starter Claven2
- Start date
4-5 years ago, I think RRA rifles from Questar and Stags from Armseast were roughly 100-300 cheaper than they are now (and with better availability than now, IIRC). I think that had the Norincos come in around then, they would have had to be cheaper by the margin you mentioned, but the change in prices of US made ARs in the last few years gave more room for the Norcs in the budget end of the market. Remember when Lever was bringing them in for even more than they're going for now?
- Location
- 54°52'56"N 112°10'7"W Alpha Bravo
Nice thread claven, I can't wait to see the finished product.
tools
Nice reporting on the build Claven, maybe i'm being a bit presumptuos but if one is going to play the AR game, even including tools (under $200. for everything you need to work on AR's) is still pretty reasonable. average that over 10 builds..even better
Nice reporting on the build Claven, maybe i'm being a bit presumptuos but if one is going to play the AR game, even including tools (under $200. for everything you need to work on AR's) is still pretty reasonable. average that over 10 builds..even better
sly mantis
CGN Regular
This is good information. Was going to buy a Norc, but now im thinking maybe its better to save a bit more and build it right the first time. How hard is it to build an AR? And how much do you figure the "free" parts you had on hand are worth in the build?
RememberTheSomme
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Nova Scotia
Nice thread Claven, thanks for your time to list and show what you can get for $1000.00. I like the bare bones look with original furniture on a 14.5 inch barrel so I could build it for the 1000 range.
I have the Norc M-4 and the M-14S and except that the M-4 is alot newer to the Canadian market than the M-14S and US ARs are in the 1400-2600 range pulling it upward, I can't for the life of me see why a CQa is 700.00 and a M-14 is only 429.00.
I guess as the Market finds it's own level in the CQa demand, they will drop alot closer to the price of the M-14 copy.
I have the Norc M-4 and the M-14S and except that the M-4 is alot newer to the Canadian market than the M-14S and US ARs are in the 1400-2600 range pulling it upward, I can't for the life of me see why a CQa is 700.00 and a M-14 is only 429.00.
I guess as the Market finds it's own level in the CQa demand, they will drop alot closer to the price of the M-14 copy.
ok, well I got some parts in tonight from Brownells. None of these are needed for a basic AR, but mine is a bit tarted up.
1) DPMS ambi safety - 28.15
2) Magpul mispec black MOE stock - $49.27
3) Magpul MOE trigger guard - 6.90
I know a lot of guys are going to tell me I should go CTR and the aluminum trigger guard. In fact, I have those bits on other AR's.
The MOE stock is an improvement on the GI type 6-position stock for a lot of reasons. The CTR is nice, but the features are not worth the extra $80 to me.
As for the MOE trigger guard, about half the lowers I have installed the aluminum version on, the guard or lower had to be slightly modified so the aluminum TG would fit. This is because, I think, the GI guard is very forgiving for fit, but the magpul unit requires a specific contour at the rear tongues. Colt and Stag lowers seem to work great, Dlask and Armalite lowers required fitting of the 4 I've used. The plastic MOE guard does just as good a job and has enough give that it can be made to fit any lower and is $10 cheaper.
I also put some spare TROY rail covers on the sides of the quad rail as I had them already.
Now just waiting for the rail end cap to arrive. I had ordered in with some tools I needed...
The gun is all assembled now apart from the end cap, gas tube, gas block and flash hider.
pics to follow soon.
1) DPMS ambi safety - 28.15
2) Magpul mispec black MOE stock - $49.27
3) Magpul MOE trigger guard - 6.90
I know a lot of guys are going to tell me I should go CTR and the aluminum trigger guard. In fact, I have those bits on other AR's.
The MOE stock is an improvement on the GI type 6-position stock for a lot of reasons. The CTR is nice, but the features are not worth the extra $80 to me.
As for the MOE trigger guard, about half the lowers I have installed the aluminum version on, the guard or lower had to be slightly modified so the aluminum TG would fit. This is because, I think, the GI guard is very forgiving for fit, but the magpul unit requires a specific contour at the rear tongues. Colt and Stag lowers seem to work great, Dlask and Armalite lowers required fitting of the 4 I've used. The plastic MOE guard does just as good a job and has enough give that it can be made to fit any lower and is $10 cheaper.
I also put some spare TROY rail covers on the sides of the quad rail as I had them already.
Now just waiting for the rail end cap to arrive. I had ordered in with some tools I needed...
The gun is all assembled now apart from the end cap, gas tube, gas block and flash hider.
pics to follow soon.
Here are the pics to date:
And because I talk about it in an earlier thread, the M4 feed ramps:
And the complete rifle (so far):
The sight shown on it is an NCStar BUIS I had in my parts bin. Actually really well made, believe it or not.
And because I talk about it in an earlier thread, the M4 feed ramps:
And the complete rifle (so far):
The sight shown on it is an NCStar BUIS I had in my parts bin. Actually really well made, believe it or not.
The Brownells parts prices you quoted for the safety, buttstock, and triggerguard are approximately 25% below current pricing .
Either you're receiving discounts that we're not entitled to or you're using an outdated price list.
Either you're receiving discounts that we're not entitled to or you're using an outdated price list.
To thump_rrr:
I feel the need to point two things out to you.
1) It's just plain rude to point out to someone that they are "receiving discounts [they] are not entitled to". Even if I got some special dealer pricing (I didn't), how would you know whether or not I'm a dealer? In this case, everyone gets a discount when they sign up as a brownells member.
2) I've not quoted from any price list - these are read directly off the invoices that arrived with the parts, all in the month of April, 2011.
I feel the need to point two things out to you.
1) It's just plain rude to point out to someone that they are "receiving discounts [they] are not entitled to". Even if I got some special dealer pricing (I didn't), how would you know whether or not I'm a dealer? In this case, everyone gets a discount when they sign up as a brownells member.
2) I've not quoted from any price list - these are read directly off the invoices that arrived with the parts, all in the month of April, 2011.
- Location
- 54°52'56"N 112°10'7"W Alpha Bravo
Yep, I get the dealer discount as well.....it's an awesome little discount.
.
X2 dealer discount for me aswell
First of all it was never my intention to be rude.
If you properly read my quote which I provided below you can see that I never wrote that "you" may not be entitled to discounts.
I clearly stated that "we" (as readers of your thread) may not be entitled to them.
Secondly I am a member at Brownells and even being signed in I do not see the prices you are stating.
The whole point of this thread is to show how cheaply someone can build a quality AR.
That being said if you're using pricing not readily available to the average Joe there is no point to this thread other than to say look at me I can build something cheaper than you can.
I know that in the USA some people get a Type 3 FFL for curio and relics which enables them to get deep discounts from Brownells.
I'd love to assemble an AR cheaply, but I have no workshop, and no place to put a bench, and no friends with one. I think the Norinco route may be what I have to do for now, or take all my crap to a gunsmith and get them to do it, but I have a feeling that would throw any savings over buying a complete rifle out the window.
I only mention the bench because I have nothing to bolt a vise onto.
I only mention the bench because I have nothing to bolt a vise onto.
I'm not sure if there's a difference, but I think Brownells has several categories of membership. Like Personal, business keeping inventory, Military, Gov. Agency and LE, and such. I remember there to be quite a few options.
Maybe they offer a different discount rates to the different types of membership.
Maybe they offer a different discount rates to the different types of membership.
