AR-15 build or buy

[Oklahomabassin]

I would buy a stripped lower and watch for a lpk kit and stock with or without an assembled upper. You can put the lower together and snap in a built upper. You will save money this way.

Lowers can be assembled with minimal tools.

 

[Retired]

If you don't have something very specific in mind, buying is better than building. The only time building is cheaper is if you're going to replace a bunch of parts anyways. For example, if you want a race gun for competition shooting, and you don't like the off the shelf option from people like JP, Taran, etc., then building is obviously a necessary evil.

If you're looking for a bombproof AR for general purpose, home defense, SHTF, etc., a Colt LE6920 is what you want, and it's not even debatable.

If it's solely for plinking, there's a certain logic to getting something dirt cheap like Anderson or PSA, but I wouldn't recommend anything in that category if you think you might use it as a house gun at some point.

Wow professor, I guess we won't be debating . end of thread. Nothing more to talk about for it has all been said. Thanks man for all the good advice. Keep up the good work for mankind.

 

[dennishoddy]

My advice is to build your own. In the process you will learn how the AR platform operates, and the idiosyncrasies about getting it tuned.
You can't just slap parts together, you have to build it for a purpose. Plinking, competition, or long range. Heavy bullets, or light bullets.
It's not that complicated so don't be afraid to jump in ask questions. There are dozens on OSA that will steer you right.

 

[kirk1978]

^^^^^This

 

[JR777]

Wow professor, I guess we won't be debating . end of thread. Nothing more to talk about for it has all been said. Thanks man for all the good advice. Keep up the good work for mankind.

Pretty much. Much ado is made about any number of things, but it's mostly just noise created by marketing departments to resell the same mousetrap in 31 different flavors, often to the detriment of its basic functions.

Once you wade through all the fluff, the best option for 99% of people becomes obvious.

 

[bigfug]

Yes

 

[bigfug]

Pretty much. Much ado is made about any number of things, but it's mostly just noise created by marketing departments to resell the same mousetrap in 31 different flavors, often to the detriment of its basic functions.

Once you wade through all the fluff, the best option for 99% of people becomes obvious.

Yeah, that may have been true years ago, but you can get a BCM, SOLGW, FN, DD, that are all viable quality alternatives in the same price range. Colt goes back and forth on whether they want to sell to civilians, prices are on the upper end of mid-level, and quality is not what it once was. Hell, its not even Colt anymore. CZ bought them a couple of months ago.

 

[JR777]

Yeah, that may have been true years ago, but you can get a BCM, SOLGW, FN, DD, that are all viable quality alternatives in the same price range. Colt goes back and forth on whether they want to sell to civilians, prices are on the upper end of mid-level, and quality is not what it once was. Hell, its not even Colt anymore. CZ bought them a couple of months ago.

CZ acquisition is all the more reason to get one now. Even if they don't screw with it, and they probably will, just the perception alone will make pre CZ Colts worth more. We're officially at peak Colt, so it's not hard to imagine that pre acquisition LE6920s will be the new Pythons.

There are several reasons why Colt is the obvious choice, though. Number one is the bolt. They came up with some kind of proprietary heat treat back when SOCOM was looking for an enhanced bolt for their Mk18s. That's why their current production bolts last a ridiculously long time. To get a better bolt you have to spend huge bucks on an LMT or KAC enhanced, which is incidentally the bolt that Colt beat out for the SOCOM contracts. Not to say the Colt is better, but it's adequate, and no more expensive than a standard milspec, and of course takes standard extractors that don't cost 75 bucks each.

They have also always had excellent barrels, and that's more true now than ever. They're within a few percent of being as accurate as non chrome barrels, and they last a really long time. Nobody else is offering chrome lined barrels that accurate or that hard wearing, and especially not at that price.

The only thing the competitors have on Colt is all fluff. Mid this, free float that. Or worse, lightweight carriers, PDW buffers, etc. I don't have time to go into detail on every so called modern upgrade to the AR, so I will briefly comment on the most common: free float rails. Take a look at the two free float rail upgrades that have been adopted by SOCOM. You have the Mk12 and the Mk18mod1. Ask yourself what those two have in common with one another. They're both extremely rigid and heavy, because that's what it takes to keep them from flexing. These lightweight ones that are so popular, anything you mount to that top rail isn't going to hold zero. Crane also found that they don't lock up well enough and a slight bump can shift zero, along with temperature changes. The problem is compounded by the fact that most of them are 15 inches long, and of course people like to mount their sights and lasers at the very end. Obviously I don't have to explain what happens when you mount a sight at the end of a 15 inch flexible rail.

For general applications, a stock M4 is what you want, and Colt makes the best there are. Believe me, I don't much like it either, but that's how it stands. They pulled some flaky crap in the past with the oversized pins and whatnot, but it is what it is. As far as milspec, they are the cream of the crop, and by a large margin. To get a better AR, you have to go non milspec with LMT or KAC, and they run about two to three times higher.

It's also worth noting though that all the magic sauce is in the upper, and they're plentiful. There's nothing stopping a person from buying an Aero lower and plopping a Colt commando upper on it, and thereby saving some money. You just won't be getting that roll mark is all.

 

[dandee]

I knew this would bring up some healthy debate. These have all been great suggestions. I am almost leaning towards buying a built gun and building another to understand the workings more in depth. I appreciate everyones feedback.

 

[BobbyV]

I bought a Windham Weaponry AR years ago and have built most all of the others I have at the moment.