AR Build Cost - Share your experience

[kbf64]

So I'm looking at $1200 retail for the parts for my spring build. Not to include a few needed tools.

This is middle of the road components, what are other's spending these days for their builds?

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[P7M13]

$1200 is what it cost me to build an AR10 in 7mm-08 two years ago. Prices were higher then.
If you're in a rush, it's like buying gas at a freeway interchange - you're stuck with what's available at market rate. If you have time, that's where you realize HUGE savings.

Then, biding my time and finding values, I built a complete 6.5 Grendel for <$300, but that's trading for some parts like the handguard and grip. BUT, the barrel was crap (replaced by Bear Creek after 9 weeks), I hated and replaced the handguard, and I upgraded the trigger. What was a $300 grendel is now a $550 with Wilson Armament barrel, Guntec handguard, LaRue trigger. Now it's nice.

 

[madmax]

Never build in a panic, good way to cost 3x as much

 

[titsonritz]

If you can't do a solid build for 12 bills you're doing it wrong or as mentioned above at the wrong time.

I honestly don't keep track of my costs, but I always more often than not buy my stack of components during the big sale like Black Friday, 4th of July, Ive never paid full price for Geissele products

 

[GunSmoke]

$1200 is what it cost me to build an AR10 in 7mm-08 two years ago. Prices were higher then.
If you're in a rush, it's like buying gas at a freeway interchange - you're stuck with what's available at market rate. If you have time, that's where you realize HUGE savings.

Then, biding my time and finding values, I built a complete 6.5 Grendel for <$300, but that's trading for some parts like the handguard and grip. BUT, the barrel was crap (replaced by Bear Creek after 9 weeks), I hated and replaced the handguard, and I upgraded the trigger. What was a $300 grendel is now a $550 with Wilson Armament barrel, Guntec handguard, LaRue trigger. Now it's nice.

Same here, my 308 ar10 cost me about 1200 using mostly aero precision parts.
Black Friday is your friend. My ar pistol in 556 is gonna be around 700-800 again, mostly aero precision parts

 

[Ops]

400 up to 2600

 

[mkwerx]

My latest AR build...

$110 for the Spike's lower (BCG included in that)
Smith & Wesson M&P15 LPK - $40 IIRC (I get a discount on some stuff thru my wife's work, I bought this LPK last year but I think it ran about 40, maybe 45)
Rock Island pistol buffer, spring, and buffer tube ran $40 online
PSA 10.5 inch upper with MBUS sights - I traded a Glock 22 and a small pile of magazines and ammo for - about a $500 value
Added a Vortex Strikefire 2 optic - $179

As it sits right now that's $690 for the gun without the optic, and $870 with the optic. Working on a deal to add a KAK brace to tide me other until I SBR it, then I plan to swap the pistol back end out of a Milspec buffer tube and MagPul CTR stock

 

[LSWC]

$1100 got me a nice barrel, trigger, BCG, wrapped in Aero & Magpul with a Vortex red-dot.

 

[Tony617]

I did a break down for my parts cost for my AR pistol build. I ordered the upper and hand guard but not received them yet. The total is less than $1000. I don't use cheap parts but I am going to a Toolcraft BCG instead of a BCM one. I do have a couple of unused BCM bolts as well.

Most expensive was the 10.5" Aero upper, SB3 pistol brace, and a 9" Troy M-LOK hand guard.

 

[Ura-Ki]

Complete Upper cost was $465
Midrange quality/known suppler, awesome barrel
BCG $115
Charging handle $85
LPG $70
Buffer System, $45
Stock $79
Handguards $35
Stripped lower $75
10 pack of Pmags, $130

 

[Member 34319]

My SBR build wasn't cheap.

Most of them are PSA kits however.

 

[RaceFan]

I keep track of my spend and played a game a few years back to see if I could be a complete AR for under $400. Success. Shipping costs split among various parts.

Here's the rifle (now since upgraded internally, and with a scope and bipod).

 

[Jonnyuma]

Complete Upper cost was $465
Midrange quality/known suppler, awesome barrel
BCG $115
Charging handle $85
LPG $70
Buffer System, $45
Stock $79
Handguards $35
Stripped lower $75
10 pack of Pmags, $130

That sounds about on par with my current build. The two-stage trigger probably adds 100 bones or so over a Mil-Spec job. Adding glass, DD stock/grip, ALG Defense tube, and some NiB geegaws adds on a few bucks too.

 

[bad pony]

My current hodge podge build is a little tough to tell. Some of it is used stuff bought off the Classifieds here. The new stuff was various sales and a couple Instagram raffle wins. I'd say about $900 right now. The current build list:

Stag lower - used, assembled
Magpul CTR stock - new, on sale
Geissele SSA-E trigger - used
Geissele Super 42 buffer - new, on holiday sale
Ballistic Advantage 10.5" complete upper - new, on holiday sale
Sig Saur Romeo5 red dot - new, holiday sale
J&E flip up sights - Tac-pack monthly mailer (Christmas gift subscription )
Bootleg Piclok handguard - new, on sale
Streamlight Protac HLX - new, raffle prize

I do have a YHM Turbo K suppressor in jail right now, so I guess you can tack on the $550 I paid for that on there too lol

 

[Mygrainman]

Sooo relative.
Initially it can be as little as $350, but by the time all is said and done it's 10x that and all the parts I've bought, decided against, and replaced...have morphed into 3-4 more builds...
If I really take my time... work trades, and scour the net for the best deals..I can start with a lower, a port door spring and $20 and flip my way into a $2000 Gucci carbine.
but I literally eat, sleep and poop AR building, so I'm the wrong guy to comment here...

 

[nk02442]

There are so many variables its hard to quantify. A Short range carbine using good parts? Yea you can spend about $1K easy for quality parts.
For a precision AR, a good barrel starts around $500 so add that and generally more expensive parts to facilitate accuracy and you can spend $2K+ easy before optics.

Lots of junk parts out there. Most don't know the difference.

To properly build and AR & have the means to measure/QC parts/fitment, you need about $1K in tools. Much higher for some specialized stuff.

Most of the trash I see people building their AR with, is strait junk. bubblegumty recievers out of spec/true, pot metal LPK's, rails made in china and barrels made by monkeys. Quality costs money. Its cheaper than it used to be , but you get what you pay for in life.

 

[ron]

There are so many variables its hard to quantify. A Short range carbine using good parts? Yea you can spend about $1K easy for quality parts.
For a precision AR, a good barrel starts around $500 so add that and generally more expensive parts to facilitate accuracy and you can spend $2K+ easy before optics.

The best Highpower competition barrel for across the course 200-300-600 yards I can buy is $470 for a Krieger or Bartlein. A great competition
barrel runs about $220 for a WOA. A good trigger runs between $100 and $279 (Geissele). The rest of the parts from a mid level manufacture
like Rock River. I think some of the "build" parts is nothing more than bling bling. Like over $100 for a charging handle?
#1 is the barrel and #2 the trigger. And of course the optic can be as much as the whole rifle.

 

[CLee0507]

That's on par really. I make Excel spreadsheets with every build I do with part, description and cost columns which makes it easy to keep track of what I have into something for future sell or purchase/builds. I've got basic builds for $800-900 and others $1600-$2000.

 

[Ops]

400 - 3000.00

 

[Cerberus Group]

If you can't do a solid build for 12 bills you're doing it wrong or as mentioned above at the wrong time.

I agree, if you can't build a top notch AR for 12 bills...someone is doing something terribly wrong.