Putting together a cheap AR-15 thread

[nehalemguy]

There seems to be a price war on Amazon for charging handles right now.

Rousch mil-spec charging handle for $9.99. I ordered a couple for spares.

http://www.amazon.com

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[Pandaz3]

I just ordered another Aero Precision upper and lower receiver with M-Lok rail combo. There goes cheap. It will be nice though and Bronze, very tactical if guarding beer vats.

 

[Member 5605]

Palmetto, cheapest build so far with above average parts: $465

Stainless barrel, mid weight, mid length, Magpul furniture etc....

 

[mikemenzie]

Wow. Ya'll are amazing - or i'm just pathetic, haha. I have s feeling it's the latter (but the former is still true!) I have a tendency to avoid projects because i just don't know enough to know how difficult they are, or where to begin. But every time, it ends up being simpler to understand than i first thought.

Got an offer - any of ya'll live near Dallas, OR and want to teach me the propers of building ARs in exchange for teaching you about musical instrument design and building, or lapidary, or PVC forming, or language learning, or sewing, or...any other things i know how to do but forgot? Haha.

I'd love to do as much myself as i could, using 80%ers and such, but looking at what ya'll have been saying about pricesx it looks like i'd be more able to afford a frankenstein with cheap parts.

 

[mjbskwim]

Wow. Ya'll are amazing - or i'm just pathetic, haha. I have s feeling it's the latter (but the former is still true!) I have a tendency to avoid projects because i just don't know enough to know how difficult they are, or where to begin. But every time, it ends up being simpler to understand than i first thought.

Got an offer - any of ya'll live near Dallas, OR and want to teach me the propers of building ARs in exchange for teaching you about musical instrument design and building, or lapidary, or PVC forming, or language learning, or sewing, or...any other things i know how to do but forgot? Haha.

I'd love to do as much myself as i could, using 80%ers and such, but looking at what ya'll have been saying about pricesx it looks like i'd be more able to afford a frankenstein with cheap parts.

If you do any or all of those things,then building an AR will be a breeze.
Heck if you do another language,your mind is working over time and that should be enough to get thru an AR.
As I always say they are designed so the average kid entering the military can fix them

 

[Member 5605]

Wow. Ya'll are amazing - or i'm just pathetic, haha. I have s feeling it's the latter (but the former is still true!) I have a tendency to avoid projects because i just don't know enough to know how difficult they are, or where to begin. But every time, it ends up being simpler to understand than i first thought.

Got an offer - any of ya'll live near Dallas, OR and want to teach me the propers of building ARs in exchange for teaching you about musical instrument design and building, or lapidary, or PVC forming, or language learning, or sewing, or...any other things i know how to do but forgot? Haha.

I'd love to do as much myself as i could, using 80%ers and such, but looking at what ya'll have been saying about pricesx it looks like i'd be more able to afford a frankenstein with cheap parts.

I'm going to send you some links.... (I'm in Albany so probably far to explain some stuff in person about assembly..)


One of my cheap builds:


With optics $740. Vortex Crossfire so calculate out the costs on that with the cantilever mount and addition of Magpul furniture. Yeah I bought everything on sales with free shipping and discounts. I think to do this build today would run me about a grand. No taper under the handguard, it only gets heavier between chamber and gas block unlike some of the builds.

 

[rdb241]

TONS of Youtube videos. I learned how to build an AK watching videos. Even a 1911.

 

[IronMonster]

If you can't assemble an AR you got bigger problems than not being able to assemble an AR.

Start with a built upper first go around and you have a 100% chance of success. You may have to put it together and take it apart a few times to get it right but each time you do will learn ya a little sumpin

 

[mikemenzie]

oh, it's not about building the AR. I'm pretty sure that once I have tools and pieces in my hands, SOMETHING will be built, haha.
The main thing that keeps convincing me to pass on the idea is SO MUCH in the way of options for parts, tools, jigs, accessories, etc. I've gone into some projects with similar overwhelming amounts of information, and ended up realizing I'd spent half my time simply wading through all the options, half my time buying the wrong things that matched up with other parts, but not the parts I already had, and half my time remaking parts, or making brand new ones when I got fed up with everything else.

yes, these kinds of projects take three halves. Haha.

I field stripped (and continued taking apart and got yelled at, haha) my M16 when I was in basic. And if there was one company that made parts, or even billions of companies that made parts that will fit each other, I'd be all right, I think. But billions of companies making and selling billions of parts, some of which match others, but some of which don't...aaargh!

 

[U201491]

Has anyone made a full list of the most inexpensive parts and source for ALL of the parts yet ?
Would be interesting to se what the lowest price someone could build the most inexpensive one possible with parts that are actually good. A really lightweight M4 would be interesting someday maybe.

 

[slimmer13]

If you can't assemble an AR you got bigger problems than not being able to assemble an AR.

Start with a built upper first go around and you have a 100% chance of success. You may have to put it together and take it apart a few times to get it right but each time you do will learn ya a little sumpin

You also might have to spend some time on your hands and knees looking for detents lol

 

[mikemenzie]

Hahaha, yes, I've dealt with similar things.

 

[U201491]

Without spending a whole bunch of time I wanted to throw together a inexpensive AR. This is what I came up with.

PSA 16" mid length 1/8 5.56 Upper. $199 shipped
PSA Phosphate BCG $69 shipped
PSA classic LPK W/Tele stock $74 Shipped
Anderson Lower from Aim Surplus $39 shipped
Surplus GI handle $14 + $4 shipping eBay
Take off charging handle free

So basically $399. I bet you could do better if you waited for some sales and took your time.
And I dont feel like any of this is cut rate crap. I think its a solid rifle that will put a lot of rounds down range.

I was hoping to get others to post their cheap builds. Maybe make it kind of a resource for folks looking to build a low buck rifle.

Lets see what you have done?
Have you given it a good hard trial yet ?


View attachment 109707

That is a sweet build. Price is right.
Have you given it a good hard trial yet ?

.

 

[Member 5605]

Has anyone made a full list of the most inexpensive parts and source for ALL of the parts yet ?
Would be interesting to se what the lowest price someone could build the most inexpensive one possible with parts that are actually good. A really lightweight M4 would be interesting someday maybe.

This is the cheapest... I couldn't find the materials to assemble an upper with lpk and buffer assembly for the price:

PTAC rifle kit - palmetto $299 (free shipping)
Stripped Anderson Lower: $50

$350 (+$10 background)

The PTAC is a slick sided melonite finish carbine M4
Profile barrel setup.

 

[drewp]

That ptac slick side would make for a great homemade sidecharger setup.

This is the cheapest... I couldn't find the materials to assemble an upper with lpk and buffer assembly for the price:

PTAC rifle kit - palmetto $299 (free shipping)
Stripped Anderson Lower: $50

$350 (+$10 background)

The PTAC is a slick sided melonite finish carbine M4
Profile barrel setup.

 

[notazombie]

Just ordered my door prop <broken link removed> to go with my 80% paper weight. Almost ready for a strong breeze to blow through.

 

[IronMonster]

I've put together a couple of those PSA kits. I've been real happy with the end result, make a fine doorstop