Yet another help me build an AR thread.

[Ibefuz]

So my dad calls me up randomly yesterday and says "I'm at Turners right now and they have JD machine stripped lowers on sale for $87 right now, so i bought both you and me one" needless to say i was pretty damn excited! I've been wanting to get an AR for awhile now, i just didn't know if i wanted to buy an complete rifle or build my own, now the choice has been made for me.

now heres where i need help, this will be my first AR let alone centerfire rifle, i have no clue what "good" prices are for parts. Im to not spend a ton on this rifle since its my first, im looking to making this into a BASIC FUNCTIONING AR, no thrills and frilly things on tis one.

the only thing that is a must for me right now is I want an 18inch upper, im 6'2" and have long arms, every one of my friends have 16inch uppers and they feel really cramped.

so if you could break it down to listing the parts i need like this it would be awesome, and pointers and advice are much appreciated

Upper- (brand and $$)
Lower parts kit-
Buffer tube and spring-
whatever I'm missing-

again, thanks for the help

[SURVIVOR619]

HAHA TRUE STORY BRO...

My Dad (I swear) did the same thing and he put two JD Calguns lowers in jail last week..

So, we're going for our first AR builds together. I'm opposite of you, short arms, so do not want an super long rifle... However, I suspect that I can get an 18" or even 20" upper and just go for a shorter stock setup and the OAL may be sufficient enough for compliance, comfort, and then I get the benefits of the longer barrel (accuracy differences maybe).

There are a bunch of good uppers out there. My advice that I am taking myself is: bunch of research online. know and compare prices. Then, I'm going to the Del Mar Crossroads show March 10th. See uppers there.. Compare and either walk out with one I love, or know that I can get a better deal online with no sales tax but with shipping costs.

Also, give your fellow Calgunner vendors as much love as you can, search the marketplace for their wares and you will find some quality products at quality prices.

Add to your parts list: Bullet Button unless you are trying for a featureless AR...

Respect, Survivor619

[ns209]

There is ton's of info on here

[tpat663]

Westernsportonline.com

[CHS]

So, besides the lower (which you've already got coming) you'll generally need these groups:

1.) LPK
2.) Buttstock assembly
3.) CA-Compliance parts (bullet button, featureless grip wrap, etc)
4.) Upper

For the LPK, just get a known-good quality LPK. A basic Stag LPK is wonderful and has some of the best QA/QC I've seen in an LPK. Armalite is the same.

For the buttstock assembly, just purchase it complete. It will come with the appropriate buffer tube, spring, mounting hardware, etc. Now, you mention being a big guy and wanting an 18" barrel. You may want to rethink that and instead of going with an 18" upper, which are not very common, you may want to just go with a standard fixed A2 stock. It doesn't look as flashy or "tactical/tacticool", but might be more appropriate for your body size.

For CA-compliance, you'll need to figure out what you want to do. Most common is to retain the evil features and mag-lock the gun with a bullet button. I'm a fan of the classic/OG "Bullet Button". It's far easier to use, in my opinion, than any of the switchable possibly-felony buttons like the raddlock. Again, personal preference. You'll also need some 10rd mags. Mags are cheap and disposable, so buy a lot.

So far, you've got a lower, LPK, CA-compliance parts, and buttstock assembly. Your lower is completely finished and ready to go now. To top it off, all you'll need is an upper. For the best cost/performance compromise, I always recommend that you buy your upper complete. This will have a barrel, handguards, receiver, and BCG. It is literally two pins away from being installed and ready to shoot.

Again, for the upper I would recommend that you stick with a standard and common 16", and make up for your size issues with an A2 fixed buttstock. The gun will feel more sturdy and fill your frame more without feeling tiny.

Here's one of mine with a fixed A2 stock and a 16" barrel:

[icenix]

I love my Bravo Company upper, so check them out. Palmetto is pretty popular right now, and fairly inexpensive, so you might want to take a look at what they have.

[What Just Happened?]

First, I'd like that say, 'that's an awesome dad'.

I would suggest that you look into something with a mid-length or rifle-length gas system. It'll make the hand guard longer and that should help with the cramped feeling a bit.

[Arkangel]

You have a great dad, I hope to be in his league when my daughter gets older.

That being said, I'm also voting for a 16" middy with rifle length handguards. I imagine the "cramped" feeling you are talking about is the small amount of real estate on carbine length handguards?

My AR has a 16" barrel and 13" handguards... Plenty of space for whatever I want to mount on.

As for brands, there are so many choices. How much would you like to spend?

As someone already said BCM and PSA are both very popular right now.


Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

[Ibefuz]

I went to TDS in bonita today and was looking at a 16" TDS upper with an ODgreen MOE forend for $499. And the guy that was helping me also said that they have their basic TDS upper for $300 which would be in stock in a couple weeks.

What do you guys think of TDS?

[M_Trinidad88]

I just bought a Del Ton 16" 1x9 Twist upper from EliteTacticalComponents.com for $389.98 altogether with shipping. They are out of stock right now. But that was the best deal i found and happy with the choice ive made.