To build or to buy?

[esrice]

Buy your first, build the rest.

 

[esrice]

Yes but why not just buy a complete PSA rifle?

If he purchases the kit and the lower separately (in two separate transactions) he can avoid the 11% excise tax put on complete guns.

 

[Martin Draco]

Yes but why not just buy a complete PSA rifle?

The link to the kit I posted has a hammer forged barrel which costs quite a bit more and it will save $75-$100 over buying it complete. The kit is $520+$15 S&H, the receiver is $79+$7 S&H ($49 on sale). The total cost of a kick butt AR: $591-$621

For those that say build then buy, I disagree. I say build the first one so you learn the rifle. Building an AR is as easy as a drunk chick in a bar at closing time!!

 

[sepe]

Something similar to this. Just something plain and simple.

Something similar to that, you should be able to pick up a PSA lower for $49.99 (believe they're still on sale) and do this kit Palmetto State Armory 14.7" 5.56 M4 Rifle Kit with Pinned A2 flash hider

or this kit Palmetto State Armory 16'' Hammer-Forged, Chrome-Lined, Standard Rifle Kit

with the 2nd being a little better (hammer forged FN barrel over standard barrel).

Get yourself a Matech backup sight and enjoy. Add optics when you feel like.

You'll have a better rifle than the DPMS (I have a DPMS lower that was built into a pistol and it runs fine but my next 2 builds will be PSA, lowers are waiting).

 

[WC Deer Hunter]

Thinking more and more that I'm gonna build now instead of buy. I like those PSA kits that you all mentioned and I would like to know that I built it myself not only for the accomplishment but to know my weapon that much better from scratch. Not to mention I can build it cheaper than buying after looking at those prices and have a much better weapon.

 

[viiiupndhead]

Definitely build. If you look at Palmetto State Armory, you can get a kit that as far as quality and features will beat any entry level on the market. For $520 you can get a kit with the following feature that you probably won't find on any entry level rifle:

Bolt carrier- MPI/HPT M-16 carrier
Barrel- Hammer forged, chrome lined, 1/7 twist, MPI/HPT (manufactured by FN)
Extractor- Upgraded extractor spring for added reliability
Front sight block- F-marked with park finish under the sight block.
Trigger and lower parts- Great quality and fairly smooth trigger for a single stage. The hammer is rounded not notched, so it can be used with a .22 conversion.

Is all this necessary for a first AR? No, but why wouldn't you want it for the same money as an off the shelf gun. You will also feel satisfaction from building it yourself and knowing how to disassemble/re-assemble it.

Palmetto State Armory 16'' Hammer-Forged, Chrome-Lined, Standard Rifle Kit

Thanks for this lead, I've been asking myself this very question. PSA has a deal on lowers, save 11% excise tax, and learn the rifle by building it. Better parts, lower price... I think I've decided.

 

[Piston]

Guys, it's simple... If you take pride in your guns, you should build your AR. If you're not that particular and might sell it someday, you should buy one off the shelf (for re-sale purposes). I see myself building a pair of PSA ARs in 2012.

 

[Bill B]

One advantage to building is that you don't have to spend $600 right now. I bought my lowers one month, the LPKs later and then a complete upper later. I have one complete rifle for about $550 (w/o optics) and another complete lower waiting for an upper for about $160 (I always miss the sales).

 

[Mosinowner]

Here is what I did

AR15 build #1*

MOE*Carbine/learning build

Surplus arms and ammo stripped lower: $70 shipped

MOE lower build kit: $131 shipped

Palmetto state armory 14.7 inch upper with 1.3 inch flash hider and MOE hand guards: $434 shipped

UTG national match grade sight: $24 shipped

Price with rear sight: $659

 

[04DarkShadowGT]

I have two AR-15s right now, both are what I would consider entyr level and kinda what you are looking for OP.

I have a 16" DPMS Sportical. It has no fwd assist or dust cover, although imo neither is really necessary. I also have a Palmetto 20" FN upper with a Palmetto lower build kit and a Surplus Ammo lower.

Both have been great, the DPMS chews cheap steel and goes back for more. Its accurate and reliable for what I use it for. The PSA has choked on steel, but its 100% on brass and is equally accurate and well built. Both are great and you cant go wrong with either.

My opinion is if you just want one AR, I would buy a complete gun because if you build it you are going to need the tools to do it properly and you are going to be spending some extra $$ you may not have intended. But if you want two, three, or more then go ahead and invest in the tools and build whatever you want.

Go buy a DPMS or whatever other entry level AR you want, they almost all function great for what 95% of us are going to do with them. Sure Id rather have a Colt if I am going to be defending my land against Mexican drug cartels, but the paper targets at the range don't seem to notice much difference.

 

[billmyn]

there is a ingo member on here with a complete 20'' bushmaster upper for $400 obo and if you really want to save money buy you a complete polymer lower for $110.00 put them together and go have fun . probably get it done for under $500 buddy of mine has one of those lowers and functions fine if you dont like it you can always upgrade later down the road and still be under $600 and if he has sold that upper there are always deals on here for about the same money . if you buy a parts kit have the barrel nut torque checked the uppers are just thrown together and not properly tightened

 

[sshelton]

ive always heard buy first build later... but that isnt always easy when budgets are tight.

i bought my stripped PSA lower for 100$ off ingo (they are on sale for 50$ now)

then later bought my PSA lpk with MOE trigger guard and grip, and p mag

then later ordered my PSA stock kit with MOE stock, MS3 sling and ASAP sling plate

i would rather take my time and buy what i want rather then dropping 600ish at once and still having the desire to change parts out

 

[sshelton]

My opinion is if you just want one AR, I would buy a complete gun because if you build it you are going to need the tools to do it properly and you are going to be spending some extra $$ you may not have intended. But if you want two, three, or more then go ahead and invest in the tools and build whatever you want.

correct me if im wrong but if he buys a complete upper and stripped lower with a lpk all the tools he needs are some punches and a hammer.

idk what to tell you if u dont have a hammer. but i bought a cheap punch set at walmart for 8$

 

[Martin Draco]

correct me if im wrong but if he buys a complete upper and stripped lower with a lpk all the tools he needs are some punches and a hammer.

idk what to tell you if u dont have a hammer. but i bought a cheap punch set at walmart for 8$

That is correct. IMHO pin punches are kind of must if you own some guns. They come in very handy if you ever need to replace parts held in with pins, as most guns do. The only tool I would find useful that is JUST for AR's, is a stock wrench or armorers wrench ($7-$25). I would recommend owning an armorers wrench or at least a stock wrench, if you own one AR or many AR's.

 

[harmonn@att.net]

Okay, I may be off here, as I did some quick searching on midwayusa for ammo pricing, but as I am a newbie to the AR world myself, I will purchase mine based on the cheapest, long term ammo pricing. I am not a sniper,(wish I was) and this hobby I am finally joining is expensive, so the best that money can buy is not exactly for me...all the time. I looked at 223 ammo and Nato 5.56X45mm (brass casings only, I hear steel is hard on a gun) and found that the Nato ammo for one brand was like 0.33 cents for 500 (before tax)! This was 62-grain. Some 223 ammo was cheap, but I saw mostly above between 0.50-0.75. Is this correct info AR-Users?

Thoughts/Concerns?

Best Regards,

 

[sshelton]

@ Draco. good idea, punches woulda worked way better than the nail i used to take the rear sight off my old 91/30 i had lol

 

[qualitytym]

I thought DPMS had a bad rep??

 

[WC Deer Hunter]

This is basically what I have been finding so far from low .30's and up. I would imagine with more research maybe able to find a cheaper source? Maybe not?

Okay, I may be off here, as I did some quick searching on midwayusa for ammo pricing, but as I am a newbie to the AR world myself, I will purchase mine based on the cheapest, long term ammo pricing. I am not a sniper,(wish I was) and this hobby I am finally joining is expensive, so the best that money can buy is not exactly for me...all the time. I looked at 223 ammo and Nato 5.56X45mm (brass casings only, I hear steel is hard on a gun) and found that the Nato ammo for one brand was like 0.33 cents for 500 (before tax)! This was 62-grain. Some 223 ammo was cheap, but I saw mostly above between 0.50-0.75. Is this correct info AR-Users?

Thoughts/Concerns?

Best Regards,

 

[sepe]

I thought DPMS had a bad rep??

I've got an AR pistol built on a DPMS lower. I don't believe the upper is DPMS but as far as the lower, it is fine. As a complete rifle, they're fine (probably won't be a high volume rifle) but you can do better for less money with the PSA build.