Building a new AR for Cali Legal

[Thewolfmatt]

I'm a bit new here and wanted to get a bit more insite on either purchasing a new AR vs building a new AR. My spending limit is around 1k and would like to get/build one with a removable mag. I know you can't own any 30rnd mags unless previously owned in Cali from a couple of years back. Good thing my old man never threw his out from when he served. Any ideas peeps. Thanks for the help.

[jepppppoy]

Worst time to do it now. Lol. You can't really find a complete ar but when you do it's double-triple the price right now. As for building, alot of the main parts are back ordered right now & some company's have inflated prices too. Magazines will have a 10 rd capacity. You can buy 20 or 30 rd mags but will have to have a 10 rs capacity. And for the mag release all you need is to install a bullet button which requires you to use a tool (or a round works) to push the button to release the mag. You will be able to build one for 1k but expect to be waiting for availability of parts and prices to go down a bit. And 223/556 ammo is out there just getting more expensive but expect for it to go down within time too

[jepppppoy]

Rd**

[Thewolfmatt]

I know its not the best time to buy or even build one right now. The way the government is going they'll have all of us jumping up and down like a lap dog beging for more. Its retarded with whats going on. As for ammo, I have a bud of mine that reloads the shells he gets out of Edwards and he and I have a bit of a set up going. Other than that, I probably will do a bit of buying and end up waiting for parts to come in like everyone else.

[Quiet]

Due to the current panic buying frenzy, you will be hard press to find all the parts to build an AR for under $1000. You may have to increase your budget to the $1500-2000 range.

[Thewolfmatt]

I know, the problem is that what if I wait too long and by mid year the AR market is SOL by the big man himself. He really is making this the Obamanation he wanted it to be. Grrrrr

[odysseus]

Welcome to the forum. So you are building a Featureless OLL AR. Search on the threads and there are some good threads just on that and some with a lot of photos. The top CGN menu banner in blue has good links too.

As said, right now is expensive with the panic buys. You should over time get the parts you need to put it together properly, but if you want the good engineered and quality material parts, it's going to cost you right now so leave a little room in your budget.

[jepppppoy]

I say start now like u want to. Buy a stripped lower whenever u see on pop in stock. That's the only part you'll have to DROS.

[Thewolfmatt]

So its just the lower that has to pass through a FFL! Thats good to know, got one out here in Lancaster that does transfers for $20 usually. Thanks for the help guys. Just trying to put everything together befor the big Zombie fest starts. LoL

[jepppppoy]

Yup just the lower receiver. Either a stripped lower receiver or a complete lower build, that's the part you gotta Dros. Happy building!

[Thewolfmatt]

Any particular manufacture you guys would preffer over the others? MILSPEC prefferd.

[jepppppoy]

There will be alot of arguments on what's better haha. Just research you'll see alot of names come up. I went with JD machine tech because I live in San Diego and they manufacture here. And their lowers are great!

[Thewolfmatt]

Good start, thanks for the heads up. I was looking at PSA MOE Lower Build Kit to start it off but I have heard about the JD lowers being pretty good.

[jepppppoy]

I got the Psa lower parts kit which is the build kit without the stock components. Psa is good stuff too

[Thewolfmatt]

Around how much did you end up spending on that lower? I have a bud of mine at work that wants to sell his PSA lower with stock for $400. Not sure I want to spend that much on a stripped lower with stock.

[Thewolfmatt]

Here's another pick your brain question. What the deal with the bullet button vs detachable mag? As far as I could see, you can still detach the mag with the bullet button over a non bullet button AR that doesn't need one. Do you really need to have a bullet button to keep the AR's legal in Cali? Kind of gay if you ask me.

[jepppppoy]

Haha yeah i agree. But I guess the concept is you will not be able to drop mags "with a push a button" as quickly if you were usin it to harm people. It is a California law. And it will be breaking the law if you don't have it.

[jepppppoy]

Oh and I spent $321 on my lower, lower parts lot, buffer kit, and stock. So 400 isn't bad. Some people were buying the stripped lower itself for 300-400 just a few weeks ago

[Thewolfmatt]

That really sux, does Cali think that all the other gang bangers are going to abide by this law, probably better to just build 2 of these, one with and one w/o. Just to be safe you know.

[jepppppoy]

Parts kit**

[jepppppoy]

Haha well it's not hard to change. The bullet button and the regular mag release are almost identical. And it takes 5 minutes or less to uninstall/install it.

[jepppppoy]

When you buy a lower parts kit, Psa for example, it actually comes with a normal mag release button. You have to purchase an aftermarket bullet button which you can find at your local store for 20-35 dollars. I got a raddlock

[Thewolfmatt]

WOW, watch this video on this bullet button wrench gloves.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dtRDcHGvQbc

Kind of makes me wish I got these instead of my Oakely Factory PILOT Gloves.

[jepppppoy]

Yup. Also a common accessory is the tool on your fingertip and you release it pretty naturally

[Thewolfmatt]

Its either this or the Mag Magnet, I could make one of those pretty easy.

[Schultz28]

Finding or building an AR for 1000 or less right now is probably impossible. It's gonna cost you closer to 2000 for an entry level AR.

[Justin87]

Originally Posted by Thewolfmatt

So its just the lower that has to pass through a FFL! Thats good to know, got one out here in Lancaster that does transfers for $20 usually. Thanks for the help guys. Just trying to put everything together befor the big Zombie fest starts. LoL

unless you go the 80% route

[Wild Earp]

Originally Posted by Schultz28

Finding or building an AR for 1000 or less right now is probably impossible. It's gonna cost you closer to 2000 for an entry level AR.

I started my first AR build on 1/16 and I am into it for less than $1000 for a entry level AR with all Magpul furniture. Everything is either on my bench or on a UPS truck.

It hasn't been easy though. Its like a big easter egg hunt, where people keep jumping in front of me an snagging my mags, I mean eggs right before I get them!

[65falconlover]

FYI - I just picked up a stripped PSA lower from Turners a few weeks back for $139. Yesterday I ordered my lower kit ($66) and tatical stock kit with buffer ($90) from Stag Arms yesterday. Both for around $170 including shipping. Now the expensive and really hard to get parts are on my wish list. We'll see.....

John

[jonnyboy]

Just did my first AR build for $1300, picked it up this week. <-- I bought a complete lower (400), and separately bought a complete upper (900), happily paying a little more for piece of mind. I didnt feel comfortable hunting for individual upper build pieces esp. in light of the BCG issue.

LGS is prob one of your better bets. Online, the speed on the forum/broader internet community buying anything that comes temporarily 'in stock' is amazing...

ammo - for new AR guys like myself, 60c / rnd seems to be the going rate. Which I am somewhat comfortable with, though historical prices are painful to hear about.

Everyone has an opinion, but i think the AWB will not happen. CA is different bc the deck is stacked against us.

[Dead*Reckoned]

You definitely want to go featureless. If you own preban mags you can use them. Check out exile machine, you can drop mags with your finger and you aren't limited to 10 rounds. If you put your legally own mags into a bullet button rifle you create an assault weapon

[Thewolfmatt]

Thanks for all the help guys, keep the info flowing through and I'll get a better idea of what to do/not to do in the coming months. Besides, this link may help others so feel free to dump new ideas or just better old ones in here any time.

Once a salty dog, always a salty dog!