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Thread: AR - build or buy?

  1. #1
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    AR - build or buy?

    I'm looking for opinions on ARs. I like to tinker with my guns, especially range guns, not so much the ones that travel with me often. I want to buy or build a nice AR carbine specifically for home defense, at least that's my current excuse.

    Is it easier to just buy a solid base rifle and add a few parts or buy the lower and add specific items one at a time until I'm happy with it, which may be never.

    For those that are seeing a lot of different ARs in courses etc, what brands are worth considering? or just buy a Daniel Defense M4 carbine, slap a Micro on it and call it a day? what items have you seen to specifically avoid?

    Thanks in advance.

  2. #2
    Site Supporter gringop's Avatar
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    I've gone the "buy a stripped receiver and a kit and put it all together" route for 2 of my own ARs and for some of my friends.

    While I saved some money to begin with, after replacing broken bolts, out of spec LPKs, bolt carriers and hand staking various gas keys and castle nuts, I really didn't come out ahead in the end.

    If I could do it all over again, I'd just get a DD, BCM or Colt complete gun. The money I saved left me standing in a match with a broken gun many times. Good thing it was just a match.

    It can be fun to put together an AR from a top of the line upper kit. But stay away from places like Model1Sales and Delton.

    Price it out and see if it's cheaper. I'm guessing it won't save you much.

    Gringop
    Play that song about the Irish chiropodist. Irish chiropodist? "My Fate Is In Your Hands."

  3. #3
    Site Supporter Lon's Avatar
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    Define "build". If by build you mean buy a complete upper from, say, DD or BCM and slap it on a complete lower from somewhere else, that is no big deal. If you mean actually build it by buying all the component parts then assembling it, I wouldn't do that unless you really know what you are doing if it is for defense purposes. BCM has lots of options when it comes to complete uppers.

  4. #4
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    I agree with xpd54. If it's for serious social purposes, I probably wouldn't DIY from a stripped upper/lower. Better to either buy a complete rifle, or a quality upper half and lower half and put them together.

    Prices have come down and manufacturers have started offering some pretty nicely configured rifles these days. If you can find a stock configuration that you like, it probably makes the most sense to just buy a complete rifle. If not, buy a quality upper half from BCM, DD or Colt, slap it on a complete lower from somewhere else, and add the stock, rail, etc. of your choice.

  5. #5
    Member JConn's Avatar
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    I'll echo everyone else. I built mine from parts and it was a lot of fun, however it is purely for fun. I also ended up spending way too much money, because I have a thing about buying the best I can. In hindsight I would buy a complete upper and lower from a respected manufacturer and keep it as simple as possible, spend the rest on a good optic and ammo. I have not run my rifle hard yet, and I'm a little nervous about it.
    Evil requires the sanction of the victim. - Ayn Rand

  6. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by part-time shooter View Post
    I'm looking for opinions on ARs. I like to tinker with my guns, especially range guns, not so much the ones that travel with me often. I want to buy or build a nice AR carbine specifically for home defense, at least that's my current excuse.
    Think of it this way: If you like to tinker with cars, you should still own one reputable, reliable vehicle that you trust. Once that's done, you're free to buy/build/modify anything that looks interesting.

  7. #7
    Site Supporter Jay Cunningham's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by part-time shooter View Post
    I'm looking for opinions on ARs. I like to tinker with my guns, especially range guns, not so much the ones that travel with me often. I want to buy or build a nice AR carbine specifically for home defense, at least that's my current excuse.

    Is it easier to just buy a solid base rifle and add a few parts or buy the lower and add specific items one at a time until I'm happy with it, which may be never.

    For those that are seeing a lot of different ARs in courses etc, what brands are worth considering? or just buy a Daniel Defense M4 carbine, slap a Micro on it and call it a day? what items have you seen to specifically avoid?

    Thanks in advance.
    My advice is to purchase a complete AR carbine from either Colt, Daniel Defense, Knight's Armament, BCM, or Noveske. Alternately you could buy an upper and lower from any of those companies and be fine, and probably save a few bucks.

    Save your tinker gun for your second AR.

  8. #8
    Member Al T.'s Avatar
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    May 2011
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    Columbia SC
    specifically for home defense
    If that's your primary criteria, buy that DD and RDS, get a light on it and train.

    However for a second rifle, building is good as you really get to know the system. If you get your parts (and parts ain't parts) from reliable vendors, you can assemble a good rifle fairly inexpensively. Or as most do, spend a bit more and get higher quality specific parts.

  9. #9
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    I had looked at building my first AR for a while but, in the end, I kept finding that I could get an equal or better deal by hunting down a good deal on a Daniel Defense, BCM, or Colt than I could by buying good components. There's also something to be said for knowing a good manufacturer is standing behind the quality of the weapon and that there's someone there in the event something goes bad and it isn't my fault. With Riflegear and Buds selling Daniel Defense rifles in the $1200 range and a few places out there selling Colt 9620s in the $950 range, I can't see getting a better deal on the components without getting really lucky with sales. Top it off by knowing it was put together by someone who knows what they're doing and had a good QC department to pass through and I'm willing to just know how it works under the hood instead of needing to assemble it.

  10. #10
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    "I'd just get a DD, BCM or Colt complete gun"-Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!!!

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