AR building for a novice.

[mtmuley]

Timing is probably bad, but my youngest turns 18 soon. He has developed an interest in the AR platform and wants one for his Birthday. I already read VG's thread. So, where do I start to build one myself? Staying with .556/.223 for cartridge. If costs are out of hand with an AR, we may go semi auto handgun instead. Dad and his bolt gun/revolver love is getting boring I guess. Thanks guys. mtmuley

 

[EastTNHunter]

If you want economical and easy, PSA Freedom Kit. It will be less than perfect, but perfectly functional and mine is plenty accurate. It is nowhere near as good of a gun as my CMMG, but if you just want to plink and/or varmint hunt then it’s fine.

If you want something nicer then make out a list if desired features (barrel length, hand guard type, cool finishes, etc) and start shopping at PSA, Brownells, Midway, Bear Creek, etc

 

[MTLabrador]

Brownells has some good instructional videos, and there’s a lot on YouTube. Building is probably the way to go right now, the parts will be more available than complete uppers or complete rifles. Is he looking more for a precision type rifle or a tacticool zombie carbine?

Trigger Times | Brownells

Trigger Times | Brownells

www.brownells.com

 

[SticksMcKinley]

KAK Industries is a good source for quality parts.

 

[JLS]

Pretty easy to build one. Don't skimp on your lower receiver (look for 7075 aluminum, 6061 is for beer cans). Tolerance stacking in these is very real, and if you have shitty tolerances on your lower receiver it likely won't operate very well. Be aware many of the parts floating around on the internet are actually designed for air soft guns. Make sure you're not buying stamped parts.

It's a simple and wonderfully designed rifle.

 

[mtmuley]

Brownells has some good instructional videos, and there’s a lot on YouTube. Building is probably the way to go right now, the parts will be more available than complete uppers or complete rifles. Is he looking more for a precision type rifle or a tacticool zombie carbine?

Trigger Times | Brownells

Trigger Times | Brownells

www.brownells.com

This is the first AR for either of us. It will be used just for fun. If his interest grows, he can move into it as far as he wants. mtmuley

 

[MTLabrador]

This is the first AR for either of us. It will be used just for fun. If his interest grows, he can move into it as far as he wants. mtmuley

I really like the 18” barreled SPR style rifles for something that’s compact, light, and performs well out to as far as the 5.56 is capable. I think Magpul stocks and accessories are very good quality and hard to beat for the price. There’s lots of good options for free float handguards depending on whether you want or don’t want rails. Like JLS said, start with good quality. I’d pay special attention to the lower and upper receiver, the bolt carrier group, and the barrel. There’s some real cheap crap out there. Get Magpul Pmags, they’re inexpensive and reliable.

 

[JLS]

BCM makes good stocks, grips, handguards as well.

 

[mtmuley]

Looks pretty daunting when researching it all. I have some studying to do. Thanks for the info so far. At least he doesn't want a Creedmoor. mtmuley

 

[VikingsGuy]

For any new AR, I would definitely get it chambered in .223 Wylde if at all possible. That allows it to shoot both .223 Rem and 556 NATO equally well.

 

[mtmuley]

For any new AR, I would definitely get it chambered in .223 Wylde if at all possible. That allows it to shoot both .223 Rem and 556 NATO equally well.

What's the difference between the two? Cost? I'm gonna be googling, but like to hear from guys that have an AR. Maybe I can talk him into a RUM build instead. mtmuley

 

[Bigjay73]

Midway has some great videos as well. VG beat me to it, I would definitely go .223 Wylde. Actually planning on building one myself.

 

[Bigjay73]

Get a decent receiver, spend as much as you can on a barrel and trigger. The rest is mostly looks, some ergonomics, but trigger and barrel will determine the accuracy

 

[VikingsGuy]

What's the difference between the two? Cost? I'm gonna be googling, but like to hear from guys that have an AR. Maybe I can talk him into a RUM build instead. mtmuley

Essentially, you cannot safely shoot 5.56 NATO ammo in a .223Rem, and while you can shoot .223Rem ammo safe in a 5.56NATO you lose some accuracy due to how the NATO throat is cut. Wylde figured out a geometry that allows a single rifle to shoot both .223 Rem and 5.56NATO ammo equally safely and with equal accuracy.

An Official Journal Of The NRA | .223 Wylde: The Ideal AR-15 Chamber?

Is a 223 Wylde chamber the best chamber for your AR-15?

www.shootingillustrated.com

 

[FLS]

Get a good barrel and a good trigger and build around those two items. You want a free floating hand guard.
The rest really doesn’t matter as much. Krieger, Bartlein, Criterion, White Oak, all bulld great AR barrels.

 

[JLS]

Essentially, you cannot safely shoot 5.56 NATO ammo in a .223Rem, and while you can shoot .223Rem ammo safe in a 5.56NATO you lose some accuracy due to how the NATO throat is cut.

Correct. A 5.56 chamber has a longer leade to handle the higher pressures of the military round.

 

[338 win mag]

As stated above, PSA has some cheap build parts (if they are in stock) Also BCM has very quality stuff but its a little more pricey. You can build one for $400 or spend close to $4000. The lower receiver is the only part you will need to purchase through an FFL. Everything else can be simply shipped to your house. The barrel, bolt carrier group, and lower receiver are probably the most important pieces.

 

[mtmuley]

So far, barrel and trigger. mtmuley

 

[MO Betta]

You may find 5.56 cheaper from time to time (especially MilSurp), the high end barrels listed are nice - but can set you back. Depends on what you want to spend. I'll echo that a 223 Wylde chamber would be first choice. There's a few midrange barrel makers that put out sub-MOA barrels like Ballistic Advantage (owned by Aero Precision). I haven't owned any Faxon barrels but I've seen good reviews of them. Geissele and Larue make fantastic triggers. Your end goals will dictate what parts go into your build. If you're wanting shorter, lighter, maneuverable or longer, geared more towards punching paper at distance and predators. If you go midrange quality/price and above on parts you should have a very good rifle. Some of the lower end makers like bear creek arsenal (if they're still going, I know they got busted using undocumented workers) and the like may turn out a functional rifle but you will probably not be happy with them.

 

[Fj605]

I started with this. It doesn't cover all of the aftermarket toys you can add but it covers how to assemble the upper and lower receivers quite well. I kept my first build super simple. The next ones will be more involved.