Parts needed to build an AR.

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billard81

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I said in the past that I would probably never own an AR since I can only use it at the range... however, since I don't really want to take my .270WSM and use it to punch paper I have been thinking that maybe an AR would be a good idea.

I'm not in a rush for it, willing to take my time piecing it together if I can't find one at a decent price.

I've searched here but can't seem to find a semi-detailed list of the components I will need.

Any idea on prices to expect for a decent setup?

Any input/suggestions are appreciated.

Thanks.
 
Greetings,
1) purchase lower receiver
2) purchase lower parts kit all the internal parts to complete your lower
3) Go to AR15.COM Guides printable instructions on how to install parts and do function tests
4) fixed A2 stock or telescoping adjustable stock
5) after completing lower receiver require upper receiver to mate to lower,need complete bolt assembly and your choice of barrel length and set up
need more info
evans.m455@gmail.com
 
The Brownells website has a great video series on building your own AR. It's not a video you buy, it's up on their site for public viewing (so you would know what to buy from them). Worth a look to give you an idea. I think there is even a parts list there...
 
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How hard is it to bring in a lower reciever "parts-kits" from the US, or who sells them on this side of the border if importing takes more effort than it's worth..?

And how do the prices compare here, with the $60+ USD average price of a kit w/grip Stateside..?
 
ar build

rivetc78 said:
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X10 and you got a pretty respectable set-up.
Like others have said you can piece by piece it or you can find on here(CGN exchange) some pretty good deals on some Quallity guns. If your unsure as what to get start hanging out at the range and talk to guys that already have an AR and they will likely be honest with you and more than happy to let you try theirs.Great thing about AR's is there is a flavor for everyone. There are lots of reasonable priced AR's avail. Bushmaster,Ruger,Dlask,a few Colts,and even a Norc. A piece by piece build can get you in over your head $$$ wise pretty quike, start with a complete gun and switch out parts from there once you know what your looking for its easy,plus you can often sell your take offs on here or start a "parts bin" and you will end up with another gun in a box in no time(which you put together and sell on here)haha
 
J0HN_R1 said:
How hard is it to bring in a lower reciever "parts-kits" from the US, or who sells them on this side of the border if importing takes more effort than it's worth..?

And how do the prices compare here, with the $60+ USD average price of a kit w/grip Stateside..?
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Brownells will ship you a lower parts kit. The DPMS kit is priced below what they retail for in Canada. There are no problems with importing a DPMS LPK from Brownells to Canada. I have purchased many.
 
canucklehead said:
If its your first, just buy a Norinco 14.5" carbine and try it out. You might like it - you might hate it. It's by far the cheapest way to get into the AR game.
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That is not bad advice. Or you can buy a brand name used ar on the EE for less than you can by building from parts. Building from new parts is more expensive than buying a brand new complete ar. Think about building a truck from new parts$$$$$. Buy a brand name lower on sale from one of cgn's sponsors, buy a stock from Questar and lpk from Brownells and you have a complete lower.......and a new one at that for less than $400. A complete upper, a good used one should be selling for no more than $700.....but you know how it goes on the EE........guys part out their rifles and want new prices for used stuff.
 
I also once wanted to build an AR, having said that I bought the Norinco CQ AR. I love it! Some will argue about the quality of the finish but the new ones are great and will preform just as good as a brand name. I bought the .22 conversion kit from Questar and all together it cost me $1,100 and I can shoot for pennies. This is very cheap when you consider it gets you in the game fast. I have also been told that when building from scratch you can "sometimes" run into problems with parts that do not fit very well together. If you get a lower from one brand and an upper from another etc. If you do go this route though make sure you have a friend with an AR so if you run into any problems you can swap parts back and forth to find the problem. When I got my AR the bolt wouldnt lock open when it was empty. Where do you start? Luckily my brother in law lent me his buffer spring, that wasnt it, then his M-16 bolt carrier, that wasnt it. It was my buffer tube screwed in too far not letting the bolt cycle far enough back for the bolt catch to grab. Easy fix but could have cost me a fortune trial and erroring the problem. And when your building you dont know if it works until you can shoot it. Having said that it;s nice to start with a $700.00 gun all complete that works right away.
 
Given equal quality, it is hard to assemble an AR for less than it would cost to buy the same rifle.
There are lots of parts in an AR.
If you keep your eyes open, you can sometimes buy parts, subassemblies, assemblies for attractive prices. There is little to be gained buying Brand X parts of indifferent quality.
The advice to buy a Norinco is good. Even if you decide its not for you, how much would you lose when you sold it? Pretty cheap learning experience.
You can dump a lot of money into tactikewl gimcracks, doodads and bobble headed dolls. Get a basic rifle, put a low powered variable on it, and have at it.
 
Building your first AR from scratch is never a good idea, buying parts in piecemeal you are always paying a premium, the Frankenstein AR will perform mediocre at best, but if you decide to sell it, unless you sell it off in parts, you will never get anywhere near the amount of money you put into it n the first place.
 
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