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Thread: Help putting building a Ar 15 in 5.56

  1. #1
    Boolit Master brstevns's Avatar
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    Help putting building a Ar 15 in 5.56

    Cousin has 800.00 to build a 5.56 on a Ar15 frame. He needs advice on his best chooses for upper lower and other parts etc. He has never built one before.

  2. #2
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    ShooterAZ's Avatar
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    What is he intending to use it for? Varmint, Competition, Plinking etc? AR's can be as specialized as you want them to be. It really boils down to what he wants to use it for.

  3. #3
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    rancher1913's Avatar
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    why build one for 800 bucks when you can buy one already to go for 400. psa has complete uppers for 200 bucks if he is set on building his own. franklin armory has blemished lowers with the binnary trigger for 500.
    if you are ever being chased by a taxidermist, don't play dead

  4. #4
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by rancher1913 View Post
    why build one for 800 bucks when you can buy one already to go for 400. psa has complete uppers for 200 bucks if he is set on building his own. franklin armory has blemished lowers with the binnary trigger for 500.
    Ja...
    I wouldn’t build an ar for my first one, and for the budget put together, or build, i couldn’t recommend psa enough. I built from scratch or pieced together a few ar‘s from ‘other’ budget resellers and had nothing but problems. They looked great, but had several functioning problems and didn’t shoot well.

    My first kit build was from psa and I’ll always go back, and they have cheap kits all the way up to very nice kits.


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  5. #5
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    nagantguy's Avatar
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    He can buy almost 2 complet rifles from PSA for that money! And it would be well spent

  6. #6
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    I have a couple of $450 PSA Freedom ARs and an PSA AR10
    They go bang just like my more expensive ARs
    Barrel are not chromed lined
    Bolt is not particle inspected
    They are properly staked and functional
    Was thinking about upgraded BCGs
    Got a $20 Ozark rear sights as they do not come rear sights
    For around that amount of money I would just buy a Colt LE6920

  7. #7
    Boolit Master gnostic's Avatar
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    I'm with you about building an AR15 from scratch. I have just one AR, it sports a nitride BCG, free float nitride barrel and JP trigger group. I'd put it up against any AR out there...

  8. #8
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    lefty o's Avatar
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    building an ar is like building a car, he's gonna have to ask himself if he wants to drag race or commute with it before he buys the first part. recommendations are useless without an end goal first.

  9. #9
    Boolit Grand Master

    dragon813gt's Avatar
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    Buy a $400 off the shelf AR and spend the other $400 on ammo. After the ammo is used up he will have a better idea of what he wants to change. People like to throw all types of money at ARs. They buy what they think they want and then end up changing it after range time.

    Asking what to buy is like asking Ford or Chevy. It’s all going to be personal opinion. People will debate the merits of why everything must be milspec. And people will tell you why you need a $300 trigger if you want to shoot tiny groups. And it’s all opinion. In general spend money on a good barrel, trigger and optics if you want to shoot tiny groups.

  10. #10
    Boolit Master

    alamogunr's Avatar
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    I've got 2 AR's that I assembled on stripped lowers from the problem plagued GB on this site a few years ago. I don't claim to have "built" them because I bought assembled uppers & stocks from Palmetto, LPK's & back up sights from Brownell's. The different suppliers was due to shortages around the Obama election. I've still got just a little over $500 in each one. Palmetto is great to deal with although slow to ship.

    I won't be building any more. These are going one to each son(if they want them).
    John
    W.TN

  11. #11
    Boolit Master brstevns's Avatar
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    He just wants a paper puncher maybe with a suppressor on it at a later date. He said he just wants the experience of putting one together, but does not want to waste money on parts or brands people are having problems with.

  12. #12
    Boolit Master
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    Buy a new one and a hundred dollars worth of tools, tear it apart. Put it back together and go shoot the couple hundred left in ammo. Then there will be the tools to build the one he will know he wants. Better hurry, I fear the winds may be a changing!

  13. #13
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Gtek View Post
    Buy a new one and a hundred dollars worth of tools, tear it apart. Put it back together and go shoot the couple hundred left in ammo. Then there will be the tools to build the one he will know he wants. Better hurry, I fear the winds may be a changing!
    Hurry!!!?!?? You know something I don’t, other than the norm?


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  14. #14
    Boolit Buddy 55fairlane's Avatar
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    $800 to spend? Paper punching or varmint rifle? Either way, buy a rock river arms.....or at minimum look real hard at there components.....if you wanna go cheap.....PSA uppers,Anderson lowers, RRA lower parts kits.....could probably built 2 if you wait for deals and buy on sale....

  15. #15
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    Anderson, PSA, and AIM surplus are where I shop and I've been nothing but happy. I bought my first one(FN), assembled just the lower on my second one, then assembled from parts the next 5.
    If he's looking to use suppression later, I'd recommend the .300 Blackout- especially if he reloads 'cause it's funner. IMHO.

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  16. #16
    Boolit Grand Master In Remembrance
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    I'm considering one for Varminting, but this isn't my topic So I'll watch and enjoy.

  17. #17
    Boolit Bub jhaston's Avatar
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    An upgraded trigger is well worth the money, my AR had trouble with the mil spec trigger not resetting, I bought an $85 Rise Armament trigger when Brownells had them on sale and it has been the best upgrade so far. My last trip to the range I put 200 rounds through it with no malfunctions, before the trigger was replaced you couldn't get through a 30 round magazine without several failures to reset.

  18. #18
    Boolit Master Moleman-'s Avatar
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    Bolt carrier group, barrel and fire control group will make or break an AR build. If you're going to keep it within a certain budget get the best quality of those three things that your budget will allow.

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by Moleman- View Post
    Bolt carrier group, barrel and fire control group will make or break an AR build. If you're going to keep it within a certain budget get the best quality of those three things that your budget will allow.
    Excellent advice. Lastly I'd recommend a free float handguard. I finally used one and it's so much better than the delta ring arrangement IMO.

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  20. #20
    Boolit Buddy Iron369's Avatar
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    Building an ar15 is as personal a thing as naming your kid. They may have similar parts to other ones, but it’s still unique to you.
    The following is simply from MY experience with the ar15.
    I have more than my fair share of rifles in the ar15 platform. I will suggest staying away from Anderson lower receivers even though the price is quite enticing. I’m not bashing them. I have more than one. I even sbr’ed an Anderson lower. But as an inexperienced builder, not knowing what is a spec or tolerance issue and how to resolve it could lead to a negative experience.
    I recommend Aero for a budget upper/lower set, Palmetto State Moe lower build kit, pick up the Palmetto enhanced trigger group, 16” faxon Barrel with midlength gas system, STEEL gas block, a Palmetto full auto bcg, birdcage flash hider, 15” free float m-lok handguard, and Vortex strikefire red dot or set of magpul iron sites. It would be a solid build that could be added on as needs change. A couple “oops” kits for detent springs that WILL go flying.

    Definitely a GOOD armorers wrench and upper/lower blocks. Small punch set and a hard plastic mallet.
    All of this should eat up most of the $800 budget. My two favorite parts sites are Palmetto State Armory and Joe Bob Outfitters. And YouTube. Lots of YouTube videos that show every single step.

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BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
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GC Gas Check