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Is a $600 Delton as good as a Daniel Defense ? No, but for half the price I still have as much fun and it doesn't turn into a safe Queen like my ddm4 or White Oak. All just opinions. :)
Well now,I went to the local ranch store that's sells $600 ARs and DD guns. You pull the charging handle and they both make that sliding sound. Why would I spend another $8-900 for a DD AR when it isn't machined any better than the $600 gun?
It may have better,cooler furniture but you won't convince me it's 900 bucks better.
But that's jus my opinion after a side by side comparison :rolleyes:
 
I build guitars, have built violins and can do fine art work that sells. I am very mechanically inclined as well, so making a good one out of parts doesn't worry me. Getting good quality parts does concern me.

I come from the AK/SKS/Tokarev as more of my wheelhouse and I have repaired a few issues with those guns.

Partially wanting to build one is for me to develop an intimate familiarity with how they work. I want to know how they work so I can do field fixes, but start with good enough bones that I don't have to.
 
Heck, if you just shop around and sign up for various Daily Deals newsletters that goes a long way.

My personal newsletter/Daily Deal list: (an asterisk means I haven't bought from them yet)
--Jet.com - First 3 orders 15%-off up to $30/order goes a long way if you stack 'em up right--my very first buy was the Wheeler Ultra AR Armorer Kit, which is overkill unless you're gonna be building your own uppers too but the only thing missing is an Allen wrench for the grip-screw.
--Palmetto: Entry-level "value parts".
--*Aero Precision
--White Tiger Tactical: Phil's good people, with great customer service for a small shop.
--DSArms: Similar tier to Palmetto, I like to have two competing options to keep each other honest. Better communication than PSA.
--Primary Arms
--*BCM
--*Stag Arms
--*Monmouth USA: a prime vendor of Toolcraft BCG's
--*POF-USA: innovative "Ultimate BCG" with one-piece carrier/gas key forging
--OpticsPlanet
--Midwest Industries
--Quantico Tactical: Anderson lowers 3/$127; Gen 2 Pmags 5/$50 or 10/$90--Jacob and Sanchez at Tacoma are worth the all-day trek across the Puget Sound region to visit my favorite FFL
--*Tactical Sh*t: Two words: "Liberal Tears." 'Nuff Said.
--*Rainier Arms
--Mako Group: 20-30%-off coupons go a LONG way in making FAB, Meprolight, etc. Israeli gear more budget-friendly
--*Brownells
--CDNN: Occasionally a good source for inexpensive small-parts.
--Dvor: OpticsPlanet's members-only special-sale site.
--CBC Industries: Solidly-built entry-level uppers, mostly free-float. Regularly send out coupon codes.
--*AIM Surplus
--Gun Digest: A well-stocked workbench requires a well-stocked library; I highly recommend old boardmate Patrick Sweeney's and Kevin Muramatsu's various AR volumes.
Jet I've slowed down on--you can regularly do better on a lot of things elsewhere once the three 15%s are used up--but every single place listed on the above where I've done business I would do so again, and with some I'm already a repeat customer.

Also, start haunting Slickguns pretty regularly.

RUN LIKE HELL from:
--GunMag Warehouse--transaction goes like it's on greased rails, then next thing you know you're popped with Identity Theft.
 
Watch many of the reviews on YouTube lately?

I'd venture to guess that you could learn alot about "the various brands of lowers and mil spec. quality" if you did.

I've built a fair amount of ARs about the time of the AW Ban. They were built on Pac West Arms receivers (if you remember them). In those days, I had to barrel receivers and headspace the barrel. Now a days, it's alot easier with completed/assembled uppers and already headspaced bolt sets. About all that's left is to assemble a lower.;)

My son assembled his first AR (at about 13 years old) with the help of YouTube and his old man.

Aloha, Mark
 
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Well now,I went to the local ranch store that's sells $600 ARs and DD guns. You pull the charging handle and they both make that sliding sound. Why would I spend another $8-900 for a DD AR when it isn't machined any better than the $600 gun?
It may have better,cooler furniture but you won't convince me it's 900 bucks better.
But that's jus my opinion after a side by side comparison :rolleyes:
J .P. Enterprise buffer spring very smooth no sliding scape noise but there $140 bucks I got one on my 5.56 can't use one on my 300BLK OUT because I have law tactical folding stock and the adapter on the back of the bcg won't let you use it because the spring has a guide rod in the middle
 
A copy and paste better than I can explain. Plus ease of cleanup and corrosion resistant.

From Shooters Log
Nowadays, almost all military rifles are universally chrome-lined to protect the rifle barrel from excess erosion. AR-15 rifles are particularly prone to erosion when fired rapidly, in part due to the high velocity of the round, and in part due to the high pressures generated by the cartridge. While it's not uncommon for military rifles to experience high rates of sustained fire, it's also not difficult to fire a semiautomatic AR-15 at rates exceeding 100 RPM. Under sustained fully automatic gunfire, or rapid semiautomatic fire, an enormous amount of heat is generated. That heat is what can quickly ruin a barrel.

The leade (the unrifled portion of the barrel just forward of the chamber), as well as the first few inches of rifling, is subject to temperatures hotter than the surface of the sun and pressures exceeding 50,000 PSI. Under slow fire conditions this area is able to cool a sufficient amount in between strings of fire. Under sustained rapid fire however, there is no time for the heat to dissipate and temperatures soar into the thousands of degrees Fahrenheit. This can quickly cause damage by eating away at the rifling, "burning up the barrel" with the combination of extremely high heat and pressure. Hard chrome-lining the bore protects the leade and rifling with a thin coat of heat and pressure resistant chrome. This greatly extends barrel life in rifles that are fired for prolonged periods in full-auto or rapid fire semiautomatic modes by preventing damage to the leade and rifling.
As I said earlier, unless you're doing a whole lot of mag dumps its pointless. The big difference between our rifles and the standard isssue M4 is they have select fire. Another thing to keep in mind is that you're rarely going to be in the position where you'd have to dump enough rounds fast enough with enough round count to boot to make a significant difference. Chrome lining also applies to the bore only. Barrel treatment affects both the bore and outside.

Also the first few inches of the barrel are NOT subject to heat anywhere near the temperature of the sun's surface. It would be well beyond melting point if it was.
 
Forged vs cast, milspec vs commercial, button rifled vs hammer forged, nickle boron vs phosphate, barking spider vs A2, Chevy vs Ford, with beans or without, etc., etc., etc.. There will always be differences in opinion and differences in planned use of a rifle. Nice thing about the AR platform is that there is tons of information out there to help you make a decision. And you can always change your decision and go a different route without taking out a second mortgage. At first, it's a bit like drinking from a fire hose but eventually things start to fall into place. Whatever a builder decides, he or she is free to make their own decisions, and in most cases, it won't matter one little bit. Enjoy the experience!
 
I build guitars, have built violins and can do fine art work that sells. I am very mechanically inclined as well, so making a good one out of parts doesn't worry me. Getting good quality parts does concern me.

I come from the AK/SKS/Tokarev as more of my wheelhouse and I have repaired a few issues with those guns.

Partially wanting to build one is for me to develop an intimate familiarity with how they work. I want to know how they work so I can do field fixes, but start with good enough bones that I don't have to.
These are the best and most complete AR Build videos on the Interwebz...
How to Build An AR-15 Video | World's Largest Supplier of Firearm Accessories, Gun Parts and Gunsmithing Tools - BROWNELLS
All the tools used are called out in the videos.

You will find that Youtube has a mixture of OK videos and Bubba videos.

When you get your "Build List" (AND BUDGET) put together, start a New Thread and let the members comment before you buy anything. (Also state the purpose of the rifle)
We might be able to steer you to a better part, better deal or just give a simple blessing of the part you have chosen.

:)
 
As I said earlier, unless you're doing a whole lot of mag dumps its pointless. The big difference between our rifles and the standard isssue M4 is they have select fire. Another thing to keep in mind is that you're rarely going to be in the position where you'd have to dump enough rounds fast enough with enough round count to boot to make a significant difference. Chrome lining also applies to the bore only. Barrel treatment affects both the bore and outside.

Also the first few inches of the barrel are NOT subject to heat anywhere near the temperature of the sun's surface. It would be well beyond melting point if it was.

Like I said cut and paste.

I will pay the extra $100 for CL on my SHTF ARs. For ease of cleanup, corrosion resistance, erosion resistant, and i believe a CL chamber will put more ammo through without sticking when dirty or pressed hard. Longer lasting barrel's . Even my Norico SKS was CL. If I do ever go FA it's ready.

Not all of mine are CL. It depends on its purpose. If it doesn't make sense to you then please ignore because it's an opinion. I try to build some ARs as close to our military m4s as I can. Not just look alikes. But variety is the spice of life and I don't care how you spec you AR. It's all good and there is no wrong or right. Just people doing their own thing for their own reasons and having fun. ;)
 
For corrosion resistance and slickness nitride works as well. CL is really only useful for full on mag dumps.

The point is that an AR meant for defense doesn't strictly require CL as there are other options.

Also my Yugo SKS does not have a CL, but it does have grenade launching fun.
 
Seems like you have to look in the bottom of the barrel to find plain ol' chromoly AR barrels these days.
There are lots of CL and SS AR barrels around.
The wild card is Melonite.....I have one but don't have enough use on it to have an opinion.
 
Most of my AR barrels have been treated as opposed to CL. They were also more accurate, but as far as reliability goes none of them ever had issues outside of poor magazines.

CL is only in the bore. Whereas treatments such as nitride and melonite affect the entire barrel. Treated barrels are slick and corrosive resistant as well. So for defense or SHTF it won't make too much of a difference.
 
realistically parts budget is 1k-1.5k unless I take it slow. I can go up from there as needed. Purpose is general, medium range rifle. In the past I do prefer chrome lined barrels on AKs and SKSs but mostly because ammo can be dodgy and possibly corrosive regardless of what it says on the box. (Basically I don't trust some of the cheaper 7.62x39 ammo, or the old surplus stuff, which has served me well.)

I don't think I will be buying any old mil surplus 5.56 from the eastern bloc.

So I will be game for whatever. I suspect I will use a scope on this one, so while I am not a super precision shooter, I would lean towards accuracy and reliability. I will not be doing 600 yard shots any time soon.
 
realistically parts budget is 1k-1.5k unless I take it slow. I can go up from there as needed.
You'll be able to build something pretty nice with that budget.

Purpose is general, medium range rifle. In the past I do prefer chrome lined barrels on AKs and SKSs but mostly because ammo can be dodgy and possibly corrosive regardless of what it says on the box. (Basically I don't trust some of the cheaper 7.62x39 ammo, or the old surplus stuff, which has served me well.)
I don't think I will be buying any old mil surplus 5.56 from the eastern bloc.
AR World can be very different than AK World.

So I will be game for whatever. I suspect I will use a scope on this one, so while I am not a super precision shooter, I would lean towards accuracy and reliability. I will not be doing 600 yard shots any time soon.
Not very hard to put together a good shooter.
In the meantime, think about the basic configuration that you want....
20" rifle with rifle gas ?
16" Middy with mid gas ?
14.5" Carbine with carbine gas ? (need SBR permit or welded FH)

Buttstock system
Rifle ? (fixed)
Carbine ? (telestock)
UBR ?
PRS ?

Handguard
Full float ? (probably for a precision rig)
Slick or railed ?
M-Lok or KeyMod ?

Once you get a list put together, I would start a new thread and post it for comments.
That way the new thread can be focused just on your build and not cluttered with other stuff.
Don't be embarrassed if you post up some junk parts, it's easy for someone new to the AR market to do so.
The members here can help you get set up for success.
 
You'll be able to build something pretty nice with that budget.


AR World can be very different than AK World.

Very different worlds

Not very hard to put together a good shooter.
In the meantime, think about the basic configuration that you want....
20" rifle with rifle gas ?
16" Middy with mid gas ?
14.5" Carbine with carbine gas ? (need SBR permit or welded FH)

Unless there is a good reason, 16 inches would probably be my preference. No welded FHs. Someday I might want to add a suppressor. And I don't want an SBR. I have a CX4 which is close enough for me. I could be convinced 20 easily enough. I assume the 20 will gain some velocity and accuracy all things being equal. (which they never are)
Buttstock system
Rifle ? (fixed)
Carbine ? (telestock)
UBR ?
PRS ?

I was thinking telescoping simply because I am not sure what length I will eventually want so for now something adjustable seems smart until I learn my way around the gun.
Handguard
Full float ? (probably for a precision rig)
Slick or railed ?
M-Lok or KeyMod ?

I know I want an upper rail for optic, and I would love to throw some magpul back up iron sights on it just in case. In fact, I think I have an optic for it.

I am not sure precisely what a full float handguard is, but I suspect from what I am reading it is the way I should be looking. I suspect it is a handguard that does not make contact with the barrel past the upper receiver. I do not need 43 rails. My preference is generally 1 optic, and the rest of the gun pretty much stock and basic. I might consider adding a bipod later for shooting from a prone position.
Once you get a list put together, I would start a new thread and post it for comments.
That way the new thread can be focused just on your build and not cluttered with other stuff.
Don't be embarrassed if you post up some junk parts, it's easy for someone new to the AR market to do so.
The members here can help you get set up for success.
 
Hey, @Wombat of Doom , here's the Build Sheet for 16" M4gery I'm considering... maybe it'll give you some inspiration. Most important place to put your budget is Barrel, BCG and FCG.

$40 Anderson AM-15 lower - no link, this is pretty much low end of "market rate"
$79.99 PSA 36759 Lower Build Kit (LPK plus buffer assembly and M4 telestock)
$269.99 PSA 507281 1/7, 16" Midlength Melonited Upper with BCG and CH
$389.98 Total
This plus about $80-90 of add-on parts and a little Krylon is what I'm thinking of to build the girlfriend (well, build ME, but the one she gets to use when visiting) a "Faux Canadian C8" Starter AR.

To go a little better:
$40 Anderson AM-15 lower
$79.99 PSA 36759 Lower Build Kit (LPK plus buffer assembly and M4 telestock)
$179.99 <broken link removed>
$149.99 <broken link removed>
$14.95 DSA ZM48517-A Charging Handle
~$15 (low end of market price) Badger Ordnance 249-02 Tactical CH Latch
$479.92 Total
The KNS anti-walk FCG pins and Yankee Hill EZ-pull takedown pins I prefer add another $40-50 on top of this, but as a basic build I thought it might give you some ideas what can be done on tightwad budget. With good use of Daily Deals and coupon-clipping, maybe you can do even better... :) Note that neither of then include rear BUIS or optic, though.
 

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