Im interested in trying to build my first ar 15. Ill be the first to admit ill have to watch a youtube video to do it and dont really have much knowledge on parts. Is there a place to buy a kit with everything you need or do you buy each part custom? Where is the best and cheapest places to buy? Is there any special tools required?
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Questions on building first ar
- Thread starter DSmith78
- Start date
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HubertGummer
Master
I have been getting my stuff from Palmetto State Armory.com I dont have much to compare it too but my AR kit went together well and fires without a hiccup.
PSA is the best bang for the buck, PERIOD. You won't be disappointed with them for your first build. They have great prices. Below is a link to their rifle kits, just add a lower and build it up. At the present time most things are out of stock for the obvious reasons. Create an account and add out of stock items to your wish list in order to see the process.
Rifle Kits - AR-15 - Palmetto State Armory
Rifle Kits - AR-15 - Palmetto State Armory
BehindBlueI's
Grandmaster
- Oct 3, 2012
- 26,608
- 113
Why are you building one? To save money, to say you did it yourself, etc.
Sootch has great videos on upper and lower builds. Ive assembled lowers sitting in my arm chair but a vice helps and would be needed for the upper. Other tools would be a hammer, needle nose pliers, armors D wrench, torque wrench for the barrel and an upper receiver vice block. Did I forget anything? As for parts I just google search the part im looking for and find the best price. Of course ive built several and I usually have an idea of exactly what I want. Ive seen psa has kits munus the lower but ive never used them. Its a buyers market right now and the options are endless so have fun and remember its very addicting.
raptrbreth
Sharpshooter
If you're building completely from parts you'll at least need a barrel wrench (some handguards use a proprietary nut and wrench), barrel vise, upper receiver vise/block, and castle nut wrench. Although it's not hard if you have all the right tools, it's much easier to pick an assembled upper you like and assemble the lower. PSA has a lot of good choices.
Hi.
When I am doing a build I start with the upper. You can pick up a upper for around $45 for one with no forward assist and ejection port cover. One with the ability to have that stuff cost $55. The parts for it go for around $30. That is what they were costing at Anderson Rifle yesterday when I checked.
Next would be the barrel. I suggest that you don't cheap out on the barre. I just picked up a great barrel from Dead Shot Barrels at a reasonable price. It's a 20” light profile in 6.5 Grendel. It cost me $240. The other barrels I looked at were running around $400 for the same thing. Barrels run from just under $100 to over $600. I took a chance on the Dead Shot Barrel and won. It shoots great.
When you go looking for a barrel you need to know what you plan for your rifle to do. If you just want it to shoot paper. You could go with a 223 in the 18” or longer range with a heavy contour. If you want it for home defence you could go with a 16” in 9mm or one of the other hand gun calibers. If you plan to hunt with it you could go with the 6.5 Grendel or the 6.8. Maybe even the 7.62 X 39 or the AR 30. There are also the 50 caliber and the 45s that are used for hunting. There are all sorts of choices. Be careful on what you choose. Some of the rounds are hard to come by and some are quit costly if you don't reload.
The barrel and its length will determine what gas block and gas tube to use. Some people like the adjustable gas block. Others see no need for one. I use the adjustable gas block because I tailor my reloaded ammo to a given rifle for a given use and I can set the gas block up so it isn't over gassed. Less recoil and abuse to the rifle. Gas blocks go for around $40 to well over $100. The most common size is the .75. The length of the gas tube will be determined by Length of the barrel. Carbines use the carbine length and mid length. It seems like most people like the mid length best. It is claimed to work better. A adjustable gas block will make both work. If you pick a barrel over 18” it will be a riffle length. Gas tubes go for around $15.
The hand guard is a very personal choice. Some like them so they can put all sorts of stuff on them. Such as extra sight, lights and other such things. You will have to decide what you like. They run from $50 for the tube type to well over $300 for the full top rail and the ability to put all sorts of stuff on them. I have used ALG and I like it a lot. It's very light and is the smallest around that I know of. It has the added advantage of not have to use a barrel wrench or torque wrench to install it. A wrench comes with it and if you fallow the instructions it tells you what shims to use and how to tighten it. It's a good set up. Now that is for free floating hand guards. If you go with a standard one they go for around $40 with the barrel nut and the delta pack.
Next is the bolt carrier group or BCG as most refer to them. The bolt that goes into the carrier group will be decided by the round you chose. Example, if you picked the 9mm you will need a 9mm bolt. If you picked the 7.62 by 39 you will need that bolt and so on. Now if you pick the 6.5 Grendel you will have to buy the carrier and then the bolt because I don''t know of any place that sells the two together. That isn't a problem because all carriers are more or less the same. Some are lighter and made of different stuff but they all have to fit in the upper receiver. BCG go for $80 to well over $300. At this time you can get a BCG for a 5.56 for $ 100 that is Nickel Boron at a place called AIM. They go for $150 to over $200 at most places. I will be picking one up this coming week.
The charging handle can cost from $20 to over a $100. The biggest reason for the difference in cost is the part you pull on. If you are using a scope it's hard to get to the standard charging handle. So they make all sorts of levers to make it easier. I suggest you buy the standard handle of your liking and then if it don't work just buy a lever to make it work.
Other than sights or a scope that takes care of the upper. That can cost what ever you want to lay out.
The lower is the part with the number on it and that makes it a gun. That is the part that has to go through a gun shop. So even if you buy it over the net they will have to send it to a gun shop for you to go pick it up. The shop will charge you from $25 to $50 for taking care of the paper work.
Lowers go for $55 to $200.
The lower parts kit comes with a pistol grip and a trigger group. Some places have them with out a trigger group and pistol grip. That is how I buy them because I want a better trigger than what most of them come with. I spend around a $100 for a good trigger. Now if you want a great trigger you will have to spend $200 or so for a great trigger. I can live with a good trigger. As for the pistol grip I like the Magpul grips. They go for around $20. The lower parts kit goes for around $50 with out the trigger group and the pistol grip.
Last but not least is the stock. They come in all forms. They cost from $30 on up to $300. They range from light and compact to full on target with adjustable everything. When you pick a stock if it don't come with a buffer tube, buffer spring, buffer and castle nut then you will have to buy them too. They go for around $30 as a kit. Then you could spend $30 on a Tubb spring alone. This stuff will give you all sorts of ways to spend money.
How to put it all together? I suggest you pick up a DVD from Brownells called How To Build an AR-15. It has all the tricks and how to do everything. I don't know of anything that has been omitted from the DVD.
Where to get stuff? Midway, Midsouth, Alexander Arms, Red Barn, Jo Bob, Anderson Rifles and a hord of others.
As for tools you will need a good vice that will open up to at least 5”. You will also need a upper receiver vice block. They go for around $30. You will need a good set of punches. They go for around $30. I think a set of roll pin starter punches is worth its weight in gold. They only cost $25. You will need a small bras hammer. You only have to tap stuff with it. If you have to beat something with it something is bad wrong. A castle nut wrench is good to have and only goes for $8. Now if you use a AlG hand guard you will not need a barrel nut wrench or a torque wrench. If you use some other brand you will need them and they go for $20 for the barrel nut wrench and $30 to $150 for a torque wrench. That is about it for the must haves to build a AR. You are going to need some things like thread lube and such.
If you get into this I bet you can't build just one. Good luck with the build if you decide to go through with it.
When I am doing a build I start with the upper. You can pick up a upper for around $45 for one with no forward assist and ejection port cover. One with the ability to have that stuff cost $55. The parts for it go for around $30. That is what they were costing at Anderson Rifle yesterday when I checked.
Next would be the barrel. I suggest that you don't cheap out on the barre. I just picked up a great barrel from Dead Shot Barrels at a reasonable price. It's a 20” light profile in 6.5 Grendel. It cost me $240. The other barrels I looked at were running around $400 for the same thing. Barrels run from just under $100 to over $600. I took a chance on the Dead Shot Barrel and won. It shoots great.
When you go looking for a barrel you need to know what you plan for your rifle to do. If you just want it to shoot paper. You could go with a 223 in the 18” or longer range with a heavy contour. If you want it for home defence you could go with a 16” in 9mm or one of the other hand gun calibers. If you plan to hunt with it you could go with the 6.5 Grendel or the 6.8. Maybe even the 7.62 X 39 or the AR 30. There are also the 50 caliber and the 45s that are used for hunting. There are all sorts of choices. Be careful on what you choose. Some of the rounds are hard to come by and some are quit costly if you don't reload.
The barrel and its length will determine what gas block and gas tube to use. Some people like the adjustable gas block. Others see no need for one. I use the adjustable gas block because I tailor my reloaded ammo to a given rifle for a given use and I can set the gas block up so it isn't over gassed. Less recoil and abuse to the rifle. Gas blocks go for around $40 to well over $100. The most common size is the .75. The length of the gas tube will be determined by Length of the barrel. Carbines use the carbine length and mid length. It seems like most people like the mid length best. It is claimed to work better. A adjustable gas block will make both work. If you pick a barrel over 18” it will be a riffle length. Gas tubes go for around $15.
The hand guard is a very personal choice. Some like them so they can put all sorts of stuff on them. Such as extra sight, lights and other such things. You will have to decide what you like. They run from $50 for the tube type to well over $300 for the full top rail and the ability to put all sorts of stuff on them. I have used ALG and I like it a lot. It's very light and is the smallest around that I know of. It has the added advantage of not have to use a barrel wrench or torque wrench to install it. A wrench comes with it and if you fallow the instructions it tells you what shims to use and how to tighten it. It's a good set up. Now that is for free floating hand guards. If you go with a standard one they go for around $40 with the barrel nut and the delta pack.
Next is the bolt carrier group or BCG as most refer to them. The bolt that goes into the carrier group will be decided by the round you chose. Example, if you picked the 9mm you will need a 9mm bolt. If you picked the 7.62 by 39 you will need that bolt and so on. Now if you pick the 6.5 Grendel you will have to buy the carrier and then the bolt because I don''t know of any place that sells the two together. That isn't a problem because all carriers are more or less the same. Some are lighter and made of different stuff but they all have to fit in the upper receiver. BCG go for $80 to well over $300. At this time you can get a BCG for a 5.56 for $ 100 that is Nickel Boron at a place called AIM. They go for $150 to over $200 at most places. I will be picking one up this coming week.
The charging handle can cost from $20 to over a $100. The biggest reason for the difference in cost is the part you pull on. If you are using a scope it's hard to get to the standard charging handle. So they make all sorts of levers to make it easier. I suggest you buy the standard handle of your liking and then if it don't work just buy a lever to make it work.
Other than sights or a scope that takes care of the upper. That can cost what ever you want to lay out.
The lower is the part with the number on it and that makes it a gun. That is the part that has to go through a gun shop. So even if you buy it over the net they will have to send it to a gun shop for you to go pick it up. The shop will charge you from $25 to $50 for taking care of the paper work.
Lowers go for $55 to $200.
The lower parts kit comes with a pistol grip and a trigger group. Some places have them with out a trigger group and pistol grip. That is how I buy them because I want a better trigger than what most of them come with. I spend around a $100 for a good trigger. Now if you want a great trigger you will have to spend $200 or so for a great trigger. I can live with a good trigger. As for the pistol grip I like the Magpul grips. They go for around $20. The lower parts kit goes for around $50 with out the trigger group and the pistol grip.
Last but not least is the stock. They come in all forms. They cost from $30 on up to $300. They range from light and compact to full on target with adjustable everything. When you pick a stock if it don't come with a buffer tube, buffer spring, buffer and castle nut then you will have to buy them too. They go for around $30 as a kit. Then you could spend $30 on a Tubb spring alone. This stuff will give you all sorts of ways to spend money.
How to put it all together? I suggest you pick up a DVD from Brownells called How To Build an AR-15. It has all the tricks and how to do everything. I don't know of anything that has been omitted from the DVD.
Where to get stuff? Midway, Midsouth, Alexander Arms, Red Barn, Jo Bob, Anderson Rifles and a hord of others.
As for tools you will need a good vice that will open up to at least 5”. You will also need a upper receiver vice block. They go for around $30. You will need a good set of punches. They go for around $30. I think a set of roll pin starter punches is worth its weight in gold. They only cost $25. You will need a small bras hammer. You only have to tap stuff with it. If you have to beat something with it something is bad wrong. A castle nut wrench is good to have and only goes for $8. Now if you use a AlG hand guard you will not need a barrel nut wrench or a torque wrench. If you use some other brand you will need them and they go for $20 for the barrel nut wrench and $30 to $150 for a torque wrench. That is about it for the must haves to build a AR. You are going to need some things like thread lube and such.
If you get into this I bet you can't build just one. Good luck with the build if you decide to go through with it.
Last edited:
NightFisher
Plinker
is the 6.5 an Indiana legal caliber now? I did not know that.
So, if one buys a lower and LPK and a complete assembled upper (with BCG and CH) is it literally as idiot-proof as attaching the two? (after assembling the lower, stock, grip, etc. of course)
Or does one still have to worry about headspace and all that jazz?
Thinking about this myself.
Or does one still have to worry about headspace and all that jazz?
Thinking about this myself.
Yes, idiot proof. Headspace is set when the barrel extension is torqued on. Buy assembled upper from well known quality manufacturer/distributor and don't worry
In the process of getting a complete lower from a friend. Anyone have experience with Adams uppers? Midway has the Adams 16" gas piston for around $600 or so. Would the Adams be a good one to go with, or any ideas on building a 16" upper for around that price? Would be my first "build", if you can call it that. Thinking 5.56 or 300 BLK, free-float handguard and a decent compensator/brake would be musts. Mainly for plinking out to 200 yards or so, but might see the occasional 3-gun match. I'm currently own a Colt 6920 Magpul and would like something different for my 2nd AR. I'm in no real hurry to get it built, other than the November election...
