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Hey everybody this is my first post on here. I am currently searching for my first AR-15, in .223/5.56. I have looked through every post in the rifle forum for the last week so far and have seen some decent deals but not a whole lot on the entry level side of things. I have also checked prices at NW ARMORY, KEITH'S SPORTING GOODS, and US GUNS. All of them had nearly identical prices for all of their AR-15's. I live in Vancouver and I am willing to drive a little bit for a good price. I have also been looking at a couple other sites and usuing the Gun Genie site. I have also been looking at retail sporting goods store for their Black Friday deals on AR's as well. Do any of you have suggestions, first off, for a good entry level AR, and second, somewhere that I will be able to get a good deal on it for. Or even let me know if you are selling your AR! Thanks everyone! Hopefully I'll get some good info from you all.
 
When building your own, what are some things to look for to know if the parts are quality or not?

In my limited experience building a rifle. (only ever built my one) Go with a brand that is universally recognized as a quality brand. Aero Precision is the first that comes to mind here in the PNW.

If possible try to buy the upper and lower reciever set from the same company or as a set. This will help reduce any possible fitment issues that could arise and buy quality parts one at a time. I try to subscribe to the mindset of "buy once cry once" that way I end up spending less overall as I am willing to spend more the first time around, rather than settling for something that isnt what I really want.

That is pretty long winded to say just read around. If a company makes a bad product gun owners will not hesitate to let the world know. Same goes for if they make a quality product.
 
I would check out the S&W sport.

It is a great little reliable AR and you can beat it to death. Not sure about others but I can run anything through it and it doesn't skip a beat. My more expensive ones I wouldn't run steel rounds through them but my S&W will take them. which makes it cheaper to go out plinking.;)
 
When building your own, what are some things to look for to know if the parts are quality or not?

Youtube will allow you to see how to build one, in great detail.

I myself, and many here, have gone to just building their own, but I think for a first AR, it would be a good idea to get a well known brand, premade and ready to rock.
Bushmaster, Armalite, Colt, Areo Precision, Olympic Arms, Rainier Arms, S&W, Kurt's Discount Shooting supplies, etc, all have decent priced good preforming AR pattern rifles.
Good luck, and Welcome to the Forum.
 
For the current price of ARs I recommend buying a name brand complete rifle. There are so many deals right now. Having just bought the parts for my build I may have a slightly nicer rifle when all is said and done but it's not night & day.
 
I would check out the S&W sport.

It is a great little reliable AR and you can beat it to death. Not sure about others but I can run anything through it and it doesn't skip a beat. My more expensive ones I wouldn't run steel rounds through them but my S&W will take them. which makes it cheaper to go out plinking.;)
The S&W Sport II is actually on the top of my list. I have just been trying to find one for $600 or below. I know they're rarely that cheap but I had an opportunity to buy one for that and wasn't in the same position as I am now so I couldn't do it. Now they're all about $700 new.
 
+1 for building your own, I've built six of the damned things and I think you'll appreciate your AR more if you've pieced it together yourself. Names like palmetto and del ton are good quality budget brands and three of my builds are from those two brands. I also have one built off a smith and Wesson lower and a no-name build kit I got from Sarco. And it works! Has never skipped a beat, never a misfire and is as accurate as an AR carbine should be. Also, I would recommend signing up for Email newsletters from companies like Del-Ton, Palmetto State Armory and Windham weaponry because I've seen some killer deals on various AR components land in my inbox. If you are judicious about how you shop, you can throw together a great rifle that is setup the way you like it, and I'm sure would stand toe to toe with any factory rifle.
 
:DBuilding your own definitely sounds fun and will save you a little bit of scratch, but honestly, if it's your first gun I would recommend just buying one complete, off the shelf. Once you get comfortable with it, and know what your likes and dislikes are when it comes to shooting, you can then custom build your perfect rifle. Smith and Wesson, Colt, Ruger, dpms, and Springfield armory all offer great entry-level ar's. If I were in the market for my first ar I'd go with one of those.
(I'm no longer in the market for my first ar because the wife and I just brought home a shiny new colt expanse!!:D:D:D)
 
Reasons to build:
  • You want the knowledge and experience gained from building your own rifle
  • Your tastes are so specific it's the only way you will be able to get what you want
  • You don't care about a warranty
  • You don't care about resale value
Reasons to buy new:
  • You have little interest in the build experience
  • You do care about a warranty and recourse if there is a problem
  • You want to be able to sell it down the line
Remember that if you decide to build a gun to factor in the cost of shipping and the tools needed. While the tools can be used for future builds if you buy decent ones, this will often eat up any cost savings on the first build. Note too that it can be hard to sell a "FrankenGun" down the line. It can be hard finding someone with the same exact tastes as you and/or someone who is willing to trust that you knew what you were doing when you put the gun together. You may need to take a big hit on the price of the gun in order to find a buyer.
 
I somewhat agree you shoul buy a complete for your first. You will learn allot about what your likes and dislikes are. If your not familiar or not as good at working on things like guns the complete maybe for you. You may have better chance of having it come out accurate as well. Depends on your skill level or help you receive, You can always upgrade parts on a complete too.

Building a AR is great. But any money you may save will go towards tools and supply's you will need to complete it. Now that's also a plus because you get to keep the tools for upgrading or repairs and your next build. You will learn and have that self satisfaction of I built that. Another plus to building is you can buy one part at a time giving you time to research or buy nicer parts. If your going to build I bet you will end up with more than one AR eventually, can't just have one. Personally I think building them is almost a hobby in itself.

I think your budget has a big part of this so start there.
Think about how you will use it, you want something that gets beat up? You want a safe queen? Long range or short maybe a do everything gun? Point is what you like is not the same as someone else. What you want out of it can help steer your direction.
Just a few things to think about the great part of this is you have so many choices, you can really have fun with it any way you go. So enjoy the process and good luck to you.
 
I've done both, many times. And at today's prices an assembled AR is sometimes cheaper than a "budget" build. Sometimes. And frankly, there are so many AR manufacturers that have flooded the market prices are the lowest I can remember in my 20 years with the platform.
 
I've been happy with the Ruger AR-556 as a basic "meat'n'potatoes" AR. I picked one up in June and shot it a ton over the summer months and early fall and it has worked out. There are, of course, quite a few options at or around their price-point though.
 
Hey everybody this is my first post on here. I am currently searching for my first AR-15, in .223/5.56. I have looked through every post in the rifle forum for the last week so far and have seen some decent deals but not a whole lot on the entry level side of things. I have also checked prices at NW ARMORY, KEITH'S SPORTING GOODS, and US GUNS. All of them had nearly identical prices for all of their AR-15's. I live in Vancouver and I am willing to drive a little bit for a good price. I have also been looking at a couple other sites and usuing the Gun Genie site. I have also been looking at retail sporting goods store for their Black Friday deals on AR's as well. Do any of you have suggestions, first off, for a good entry level AR, and second, somewhere that I will be able to get a good deal on it for. Or even let me know if you are selling your AR! Thanks everyone! Hopefully I'll get some good info from you all.

I'm selling an AR15.

WTS/WTT OR - 556 AR15 w/ freefloat handguard and ambi safety

I also have a 9mm set up

WTS OR - Hybrid 9mm complete AR Upper and 80% lower
 
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When I got my first AR I was intrigued by others who had built their own, but was more interested in shooting it than learning to build one. Now I've built several and helped others build their own. If I had it to do over, I'd still buy my first one.
 
When I got my first AR I was intrigued by others who had built their own, but was more interested in shooting it than learning to build one. Now I've built several and helped others build their own. If I had it to do over, I'd still buy my first one.
What was the first model/brand that you purchased? What is your favorite brand?
 

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