building an ar15 for the first time

[drifter001]

i have decided to get an ar15 and have been looking at either buying a complete one or building one. i know building one might be a few bucks cheaper but you get exactly what you want. what i dont know is what exactly i need to get in building one...all i know is the lower receiver, the complete upper, and tahts about it...i also know that the lower needs to go through a dealer so if you can suggest where to get a lower in the socal area ill appreciate that as well

[1911su16b870]

As your first AR you could by the complete lower at Rettings or go the OLL route from Ammo Bros or Rifle Gear.

[Linus]

I would recommend you read and educate yourself on the AR platform if you plan on building your own. There's no way of build anything without having a complete understanding the design. Although like most people here, building your own probably means putting together your own lower and choosing a stock and slapping on an upper. Either way learn as much as you can until you feel confident and understand what you want. Last thing you want is to shell out a ton of $$$ and realize you wanted something different or later realized you could have had better quality parts for less if you had done more research.

[Greg-Dawg]

Go to the "AW & OLL Guide" at the top and scroll down to the "OLL Assembly Guide".

[Brianguy]

I built my first AR three months ago but I'm so busy I haven't had a chance to see if it works!

[tenpercentfirearms]

Drive up to Taft. I will take care of you. If that drive isn't economical, then I will just throw away the sale right here.

You only need five things in a PRK compliant OLL.

1. lower
2. LPK (lower parts kit)
3. buttstock assembly
4. CA compliance parts (ie Bullet Button, Radlock)
5. complete upper

Yes the lower is the only thing that requires a ten day wait. If you buy a complete upper, then the lower is the only thing you need to build. The lower is built quite easily if you have a rubber or plastic hammer and a set of Lyman Roll Pin Punches.

If you are having a hard time figuring out exactly what to build, just stop. This will probably be your first AR15 and you will probably change set-ups or parts later. Stop worrying about what EXACTLY to build and just get one built and start shooting it. I find information overload happens quite frequently with first time AR15 buyers and it is just better to quit worrying about Internet commando minutia and just build and shoot a gun.

Buy mid-level to upper-level quality parts and go out and enjoy. It won't be your last AR15.

And you can build it on your own. Using the AR15.com build instructions is how I got started and now I have literally built hundreds of AR15s and I build them for customers after they buy their parts for no extra charge in about 10 minutes.

[drifter001]

thanks ternpercentfirearms...im still deciding whether to build or buy a complete already...i know the shop at angeles ranges has em starting at about 1000 for a doublestar and from what ive read its a pretty good rifle to own.

[Dangerpin]

Read for about a month, in that time you will change your mind 1,234,567 times, then decide what to build.

So true!

[evidens83]

Read up on different manufacturers and decide what use you want for your AR. Definately read all the FAQs on OLLs. Buy once cry once.

[jaustin612]

On both of my ARs I've assembled the lower, then bought a complete upper. I didn't feel like going that far in depth to put together the upper receiver, doesn't look too hard though.

Seriously, the lower is simple, I've done both of them with nothing but a 10 dollar set of metal punches, a hammer and a flathead screw driver, very simple, It's fun to do too, as you get a good know how of how your ar works.

[1911su16b870]

Upper's require the proper tools and techniques to assemble...no problem after the learning curve...

[brassburnz]

I suggest that you build your own. I've built several, and each time I learn something new about the platform. If you want to keep things simple for the first time out, buy a complete upper or upper kit and build your own lower.

Try to go with the best quality lower, because chances are that's something you'll keep. For a first time build, go with a stock lower parts kits and learn how everything works. Then you'll appreciate things like better triggers, sears and hammers, anti-walk pins, etc.

If you can, get a couple of extra take-down detents and springs. It really sucks to have an incomplete build because you launched those little turds into space!

Like tenpercent said, get the right tools and you'll be way ahead of the game. If you can get an experienced buddy to guide the way, that's even better.

I have Rock River, Lauer, and Stag lowers. I don't hear too many complaints about them. Everything seems to be in spec. I have DPMS, Olympic Arms, Stag, Delton, and Bushmaster uppers and they all fit well. Nothing special. Some day I'll get that JP or White Oak upper.

I don't think any of my AR's came in over $1000 without sights. Add sights or optics and mounts and the price goes up considerably.

[Coltlover]

I just build my first AR aswell and looking forward to a second build.Good Luck!