AR newb questions

[Spdu4ia]

I am in the market for an AR for a range toy / home defense. I've always had handguns and this Is my first rifle. Forgive my stupid questions but here we go.

I am mainly looking for advice, I want to spend about $1000 . I also don't mind buying something stock and modifying it if it better fits my budget. I currently have HK handguns but don't think I want to go that high end on this one ( maybe the next one). I am going to hit up the gun show at the end of the month to look or buy . When I get past my 30 day probation here on the forum ill browse the classifieds.

I definetly am going to want a weapon mounted light, red dot sights, also I'm not sure what it's called but I don't like the plastic front grip on the barred I defetly want a metal foregrip. I realize that all those are easily modified so I guess I am just looking for a good starting point or possibly something that is already made by someone on here.

Guide me....[Bang]

[rbeau30]

Things that helped me out in my first build was to browse the member's build pictures (on here and on ar15.com), and find components that I liked that gave me the ook I wanted to my project. Wrote them down, then went online and found the cheapest price over the next month or so.

Now I built all 5 of my ARs a peice at a time, which will most likely yield you a mor expensive build. But I can tell you this. I know all the ins and outs of my particular weapons and I know how to more than just field strip it and t/s any problems I come upon. Noone can take knowledge or experience from you. I also did not have 1K to drop all together for a complete rifle/pistol.

If you want... look at complete uppers or complete lowers that get you as close to the look you desire, then customize it. That may help you since you are dividing up the expense into two parts. You also then save a little bit of money starting as close to what you want and customizing as little as possible.

As for specific components, you are going to have to get out there and look around. Start a build thread of your own and put your ideas down. If people have problems with items you want or if they have had bad experience with components failing they will let you know.

[ChunkyMonkey]

If this is going to be your very first AR..no matter how much time you put in the research, you will end up selling it for a better suit to you AR in the future. Go w/ the affordable CMMG or Delton for around $700.. then go from there.

Don't ya remember your very first hand gun?

[Spdu4ia]

Yea I remember but I wasn't really looking for it to do as much. Shoot bullets from my hand is about where I was at the time :)

[Great-Kazoo]

If this is going to be your very first AR..no matter how much time you put in the research, you will end up selling it for a better suit to you AR in the future. Go w/ the affordable CMMG or Delton for around $700.. then go from there.

Don't ya remember your very first hand gun?

Walmart has basic no frills DPMS 16" for $600. Shoot, get familiar with the rifle then sell, or redo as necessary.

[Spdu4ia]

I don't want to buy crap or something I'll sell to replace. I want to do it right the first time

[ChunkyMonkey]

^ lol you arent listening. $600 to $1000 is still in the starting price range (or Crap price range as you put it).

IMHO, I like Adams Arms upper + Mega lower + Acog + DD lite + Magpul furniture.. low $2k range. I like the setup so much, I build another one in same spec as a backup. Lately, I ve been shooting my SCAR more than anything else. No such thing as doing it right the first time and only once!!!

[Spdu4ia]

Fair enough , I understand what your saying now . I guess I will keep my eyes peeled at the show and the classifieds and see what I can find used?

[ChunkyMonkey]

Fair enough , I understand what your saying now . I guess I will keep my eyes peeled at the show and the classifieds and see what I can find used?

Take your time... or buy that walmart DPMS and start your journey there. [Coffee]

[islandermyk]

here's another thing I keep on hearing....

"Buy once... cry once!" [Coffee]

be patient, but not to patient cause prices do tend to fluctuate... but at the same time patience does pay off most of the time [Tooth]

Glad you found your way around here you should try whoring it up on the "post whore thread"... and then maybe... just maybe... we'll let you in the secret sections[LOL][Beer]

[spongejosh]

I built my first AR trying to keep it at $1000 but I went way over that. I think it's pretty good right now and I don't see myself selling it for another any time soon.

Have you ever shot an AR before? If you haven't played around with one before at the range it might be a good idea to try someone else's first and see what you like or don't like. Even if you buy a used one off here and shoot it for a while you won't really lose any money. A new rifle may be $1200 and be sold here used for $900. After you use it for a few months and decide you want something different, you can sell it again for $900 or trade for something else.

Building your own is a great experience and it really does help teach you how the rifle functions. However it could be a huge waste of time and money if you realize it's not your thing after shooting a couple times.

[dwalker460]

Just my .02cents...

Your first AR should be an off-the-rack fairly standard rifle, probably along the lines of a 16"bbl, A3/flattop with iron or BUS, nothing real fancy. Use that rifle to learn the weapon, and do practical research on what you might like by going out and trying bits in stores, shooting other folks rifles, etc. You may end up with adding optics, rails, etc. and never sell that simple rifle, or you may build something up from scratch, no way to tell at this point.

My personal observation is that once you decide to build a rifle STOP reading magazine article, reviews, and forum posts about components etc, otherwise you will second guess every part you buy and the rifle will never get built, or if it does actually get built, you will ponder the great reviews of X part vs the Y part you went with, which can lead a lot of weird places. Feature creep and tacticool rifle builds are fun to watch, but IMHO simple is usually better for my sanity.

[RonMexico]

If you want a solid ar for a steal of a price grab a Wyndham weaponry( old bushmaster owner). Sportsmans had them for749-849. If I need to build another rifle I would use this as my starting platform, if I wasn't going to build it from the ground up.

[Great-Kazoo]

Just my .02cents...

Your first AR should be an off-the-rack fairly standard rifle, probably along the lines of a 16"bbl, A3/flattop with iron or BUS, nothing real fancy. Use that rifle to learn the weapon, and do practical research on what you might like by going out and trying bits in stores, shooting other folks rifles, etc. You may end up with adding optics, rails, etc. and never sell that simple rifle, or you may build something up from scratch, no way to tell at this point.

My personal observation is that once you decide to build a rifle STOP reading magazine article, reviews, and forum posts about components etc, otherwise you will second guess every part you buy and the rifle will never get built, or if it does actually get built, you will ponder the great reviews of X part vs the Y part you went with, which can lead a lot of weird places. Feature creep and tacticool rifle builds are fun to watch, but IMHO simple is usually better for my sanity.


Thank you.

I don't want to buy crap or something I'll sell to replace. I want to do it right the first time

Eventually you will learn there is no "first time" when building an AR. Or doing it right the first time. There is point A then you evolve from there.
When able browse the firearm acc section AND firearms. You will see items that new went for a lot more then being sold for.
You can pimp you AR out and 2-3 weeks later ask yourself why? OR start at square 1 shoot the shit out of it and other peoples AR's see what you like, or don't then start on rifle #2, or 3.

[jreifsch80]

i built my first and only ar15 for about 550$... it's all colt except for the lower and furniture. colt a1 parts kit, colt 1/7 16 inch pencil barrel, model 1 sales car15 stock kit and triangle carbine hg's. it shoots very nice, just trying to tell you that quality can be had cheap if you don't mind used or surplus parts kits (if they can still be found)

[Great-Kazoo]

i built my first and only ar15 for about 550$... it's all colt except for the lower and furniture. colt a1 parts kit, colt 1/7 16 inch pencil barrel, model 1 sales car15 stock kit and triangle carbine hg's. it shoots very nice, just trying to tell you that quality can be had cheap if you don't mind used or surplus parts kits (if they can still be found)


OR having people sell you parts for the good deal.

[rpm]

I don't want to buy crap or something I'll sell to replace. I want to do it right the first time

Colt 6920

BAUUR

[ark3maxu5]

Amen to what everyone else has said about it being an evolution. I was thinking the same way you are several years ago when I was shopping for my 1st ar and have changed or upgraded so many things since then. The one thing I haven't regretted was starting with a quality base; Colt HBAR match. That being said, there are so many companies out there that build a quality product. Dpms is a great example of a rifle that can't be beat for the price, mine shoots 1/2 moa all day long with factory match ammo, definitely take a look at them. My two cents.

[Great-Kazoo]

I don't want to buy crap or something I'll sell to replace. I want to do it right the first time


Here is a pic with a few upgrades of another board members DPMS that i mentioned, walmart was selling for the right price. The sky's the limit. Buy a basic and the money you saved, buy AMMO!

http://www.ar-15.co/forums/showthread.php?t=57273

[ray1970]

Since it is your first one, I vote for buying a complete, ready to go rifle. $1000 gives you quite a few quality options for an "entry level" rifle. Just buy something basic first and then start upgrading it as you figure out what you really want. No need to sell that first rifle if you find it doesn't meet your needs. Just start changing things out until you get it like you want it. Keep an eye out for good deals on used parts when you start upgrading if you want to save a few dollars.

Whatever you do, have fun with it and be safe. [Beer]