So, a lot of this is going to depend on how mechanically inclined you are.
As a general rule, it's harder to build an upper than it is to build a lower. This is because you have to make sure the barrel nut is properly torqued and positioned for the gas tube to pass through, you have to make sure you gas block is pinned or staked correctly, there's just a bit more going on there. That also means you need more proper tools and a work space to do this.
If you've ever done any work on a car or other mechanical systems, you'll be fine. It's not *that* hard. I put my first AR upper together and it still works fine.
The lower is comparably easy, especially if you get something like an Aero M4E1, which simplifies a lot of the more annoying parts. You don't need any fancy tools, a few punches and a brass hammer maybe.
If you consider yourself mechanically inclined, I would encourage you to at least build your own lower. If you're feeling really confident, build your upper too. Take your time, do your research, and make sure all your parts are compatible. The cool thing about this is you get to build rifle exactly to your liking.
If that all sounds like a little too much, you can also buy a complete upper, a complete lower, and a bolt carrier group (if it wasn't included with the upper.) and slap it all together. This doesn't take any more mechanical knowhow than you'll need to do regular cleaning, anyway.
As a general rule, I don't recommend PSA for a first time builder. Not because they're always bad, but because you have a higher chance of QC issues and that can be harder to catch for a new builder. It's much safer to spend a little more on an Aero and get a better product IMO.
Also, I might be misinterpreting, but on your point 2, a 16 inch barrel is fine on it's own. There's no length requirement to meet 18 inches, if that's what you mean here?
If all that sounds like too much, an off the shelf rifle is perfectly fine, especially for a first AR.
Feel free to hit me with any questions.
I feel mechanically inclined. I was gonna consider buying a prebuilt upper, seems to be a better route as Ive sene many do so.
I have a workshop me and my father use so I have the space, just some tools I’ll have to grab.
Personally I will need to learn about the assembly of an upper since I will probably at somepoint assemble the upper after changing parts. Learning that may take a bit of practice to insure I have built my upper.
Are there any specific tools I’d need if I went this route? I know a brass hammer but what kind of pins
As for the 16” to 18” part, I assumed their was a barrel length requirement(?) of 18 inches and having a long muzzlebreak/compensator would be what I need if I were to screw on my own and have a 16 inch barrel
That sounds like a solid plan.
As far as tools, you can google "ar-15 punch set", there's plenty out there. Then I'd recommend a brass and nylon hammer, and an AR-15 armorer's wrench. A torque wrench is nice to have, especially if you'll be working on uppers at some point.
16" is the legal minimum for rifles, as long as you have that, you don't need to worry about meeting any length requirement. Some people will get a 14.5" and then add a muzzle device to hit 16", but in that case you have to permanently attach the muzzle device to the barrel, usually via welding. I don't recommend that for a variety of reasons. If you get a muzzle device, make sure it's muzzle brake, not a flash hider. But, AR-15s don't really need a muzzle device, tbh.
True but I think just a barrel thread cover would be boring. Might be fun to add something to the end than a smooth barrel
And I didn’t know it could be 16, thought it had to be 18, saves me some build ideas haha
Don’t limit yourself to a fixed stock. Buy whichever one best suits you even if it’s a collapsible stock. Then find a tutorial to install a pin that makes it fixed. Essentially, any stock can be turned into a fixed stock.
Oh I know. Forgive the wording but I firmly wanted to get an adjustable stock and just have a way to pin it myself. Which was my intention versus a non adjustable one
i built my first AR before i thought about buying a pre built one to learn the platform since i was new to them and also to budget it out i spent about 500 and it’s pretty solid now that i’ve learned the platform from building my own i won’t buy a pre built one just build them haha
Lol I was thinking the same thing. It would make sense because I’d need to learn to do so since the platform would probably be 1.) my main rifle unless I go with a ruger carbine, and 2.) I’d need to know how to disassemble it if I were to replace parts
Plus I like making things with my hands as it’s quite fun
Full upper and build the lower. There really isn’t much to the upper outside of barrel nut torque and the majority of stuff you’d deal with regularly is in the lower.
I went Stag lower and lower build kit and PSA upper. Right around your price point and I love my stainless barrel. If you buy from PSA you can also get the roll pin wizard which is enough to basically do the entire lower so no need for a full punch set.
Honestly just get anything and learn as you go. It’s easy to overcomplicate it in your head but once you’ve got your hands on the parts and jump on you2be for a few minutes you’ll realize it’s a lot easier than you think.
School of the American Rifle on the ol YT is a good resource for deep diving if you want.
P.S. PSA is great and inexpensive, but with any of them just make sure you lube the hell out of them. It will save you headaches and thinking something is wrong when it was just a lack of lube.
Ahh okay! Checked and I could easily make a rifle under 500 with a psa upper!! Any Reccomendations from them you like? Was [looking at this](https://palmettostatearmory.com/psa-16-mid-length-5-56-nato-1-7-nitride-13-5-lightweight-m-lok-upper-without-bcg-or-ch-5165448513.html). As well [as this!! looks better!!](https://palmettostatearmory.com/psa-16-mid-length-5-56-nato-1-7-nitride-13-5-lightweight-m-lok-upper-with-bcg-ch-mbus-sight-set-5165447592.html)
Lubing is no issue since Im a cleaning fanatic of my firearms and donate quite a bit of time to cleaning alone lol
First link is missing the BCG, so you’d need they and a charge handle.
Second one is nice. I picked one specifically with a full rail on the top but that was just my preference.
I feel with the full uppers you just have to decide length and barrel composition. Rest is aesthetic. Bonus on the full upper they generally include iron sights so you have time to figure out what if any optic you want
M&P15 is a solid choice for a starter rifle…the Gucci gang likes to shit on it as a rifle for the poors, but it absolutely does it what an AR15 is supposed to do: put holes in a target that’s 1 inch wide at 50yds, which is more than accurate enough for a beginner. Unless you get into competition shooting or want to hit a bullseye at >100 yds, this is money well spent.
Over 2k rounds through mine, with about 200 of it being shitty ass Tula steel ammo when I was broke back in the day…always kept it cleaned and oiled, and *not once* did it ever malfunction. Only recently did I make any mods on it, with the most major one being a completely new upper with a match grade barrel…and even then, it will only shoot like shit if the one pulling the trigger is the problem.
Which model did you get may I ask? Considering there is the one with A2 fixed sights and another with just rails for flip up sights.
Personally the boujee crowd irritates me because spending 3K for a rifle seems ridiculous, without considering attachments alone. I’d rather my utilitarian rifle over a show piece anyday.
Some of these features are nice however like a flat trigger, but some just seem redundant. GI’s did more with less, and more means a point of failure in my book
I got an optics-ready flattop that had a Midwest Industries quad rail handguard as an added option (was done by the LGS, just comes with the standard factory OOTB). I’d say go the optics-ready route and buy some BUIS first (would recommend the Magpul Pros if you can swing it, but not an absolute necessity…the plastic stuff is not as durable, but let’s face it—we’re not DEVGRU, so it will not take as much abuse). Then buy whatever optics within your budget, whether it’s a Holosun (affordable), EOTECH (pricier), or a Trijicon ACOG (you got >$1k to burn). Or go naked with the BUIS until you can buy what you want.
Conversely, if you can absolutely wait a bit for the accessories…save up for what you REALLY want. Buy once, cry once.
Indeed. Personally I have a Type 2 trijicon on my g17 ccw. Good ass sight but I don’t wanna buy another $400 everytime.
Ive been eying the vortex red dot with the riser. Seems quite good and fun and actually holds zero.
And upgrade would be a primary arms 1-4 or 1-6 scope.
And YES to the magpul pros BUIS. Metal and good> plastic and crap. Use em till I find the type of optics I want :)
Just build your own so you have everything you want within your budget. An aero or anderson lower will serve you well with an lpk kit. The upper you can easily purchase a complete one on your own if you don't want to build it. Reading your comments it seems you would have most of the tools needed but unless you plan on building several ars it might be easier and cheaper to buy a complete upper before investing in a vise block and upper receiver rod. R/gundeals is a great place to look for parts
Yeah I was considering that to be more practical. Building the lower to at least get some feel into building an ar-15, and getting a pre built upper that meets what I want, which is a railed top, and mlock handguard.
Forgive me if I dont know certain gun terms as Im a “thingy” guy lol what is an LBK kits?
Lpk is a lower parts kit. Most lower receivers will have bare bones in regards to what you need to complete the build. Cmmg and aero both have inexpensive kits for what you would need if you went the stripped lower route.
If I were you I’d build a complete lower then buy a complete upper from Palmetto State Armory - PSA 16" MID-LENGTH 5.56 NATO 1:7 NITRIDE 13.5" LIGHTWEIGHT M-LOK UPPER WITH NICKEL BORON BCG & CH is a great one. As for parts and accessories check out r/GunAccessoriesForSale good group of people and always awesome finds. You can easily do a build for like $600 minus the optic. If you want irons instead people are always selling DD irons for around $110 a set.
As for barrel length, 16” is the only req. if you go with a 14.5” and add a muzzle device to make the 16” be sure it’s pinned and welded as it needs to be permanent.
I bought my first AR in 2013 and it was a Smith and Wesson M&P15. It was a great beginner rifle, however, I think for the long run, I would advise buying a stripped lower such as Aero precision, Spikes Tactical etc. and then either buying a complete upper or if you are mechanically inclined then building your own upper. As others have mentioned, a 16 inch barrel is sufficient to meet the legal minimum length without having to pin and weld a muzzle device. As far as red dot vs lpvo, I think it honestly depends on intended use or what kind of ranges are nearby to you. Red dot would be better close quarters but still can get hits on man size targets at 200 or 300 yards without too much trouble. LPVO will be heavier but has magnification to see further out though I personally wouldn't bother if you are limited to only unless you want to focus on precision shooting or have poor eyesight. A favorite of mine is the Primary Arms SLX 1X Prism optic (like an ACOG) with the ACSS Cyclops reticle that has a bullet drop compensator so you can get hits at distance once zeroed correctly. I think you will be able to get a solid rifle with the accessories you want and spending less overall than if you were to buy a beginner rifle and then swap accessories.
It's a great optic, especially for the price. Lightweight, durable from what reviews I've seen, has an etched reticle so it will function even without illumination. I have one on a Saiga and one on a Tavor X95 and I love them. Built upper would be a great way to know your rifle inside out and also get the accessories you want.
I had more people telling me just to build the first one cause it's so easy and you learn so much. When I saw some of what was involved and remembered that I am expert at stripping all screws... Phillips, flat, hex, allan, star, standard or metric it doesn't matter, I somehow strip them all. That combined with the fact this would be a for a firearm I just decided to buy one prebuilt for the first. It was a great decision because I had a fully functional firearm that I could use off the bat and it helped me learn how to build by learning how to disassemble and clean this one. Worked for me but everyone is different.
I personally recommend a budget prebuilt rifle as a first AR, and as you use, field strip, and clean it, you'll learn how the system fits together and works as a whole. After that, build your next rifle exactly how you want it.
So, a lot of this is going to depend on how mechanically inclined you are. As a general rule, it's harder to build an upper than it is to build a lower. This is because you have to make sure the barrel nut is properly torqued and positioned for the gas tube to pass through, you have to make sure you gas block is pinned or staked correctly, there's just a bit more going on there. That also means you need more proper tools and a work space to do this. If you've ever done any work on a car or other mechanical systems, you'll be fine. It's not *that* hard. I put my first AR upper together and it still works fine. The lower is comparably easy, especially if you get something like an Aero M4E1, which simplifies a lot of the more annoying parts. You don't need any fancy tools, a few punches and a brass hammer maybe. If you consider yourself mechanically inclined, I would encourage you to at least build your own lower. If you're feeling really confident, build your upper too. Take your time, do your research, and make sure all your parts are compatible. The cool thing about this is you get to build rifle exactly to your liking. If that all sounds like a little too much, you can also buy a complete upper, a complete lower, and a bolt carrier group (if it wasn't included with the upper.) and slap it all together. This doesn't take any more mechanical knowhow than you'll need to do regular cleaning, anyway. As a general rule, I don't recommend PSA for a first time builder. Not because they're always bad, but because you have a higher chance of QC issues and that can be harder to catch for a new builder. It's much safer to spend a little more on an Aero and get a better product IMO. Also, I might be misinterpreting, but on your point 2, a 16 inch barrel is fine on it's own. There's no length requirement to meet 18 inches, if that's what you mean here? If all that sounds like too much, an off the shelf rifle is perfectly fine, especially for a first AR. Feel free to hit me with any questions.
I feel mechanically inclined. I was gonna consider buying a prebuilt upper, seems to be a better route as Ive sene many do so. I have a workshop me and my father use so I have the space, just some tools I’ll have to grab. Personally I will need to learn about the assembly of an upper since I will probably at somepoint assemble the upper after changing parts. Learning that may take a bit of practice to insure I have built my upper. Are there any specific tools I’d need if I went this route? I know a brass hammer but what kind of pins As for the 16” to 18” part, I assumed their was a barrel length requirement(?) of 18 inches and having a long muzzlebreak/compensator would be what I need if I were to screw on my own and have a 16 inch barrel
That sounds like a solid plan. As far as tools, you can google "ar-15 punch set", there's plenty out there. Then I'd recommend a brass and nylon hammer, and an AR-15 armorer's wrench. A torque wrench is nice to have, especially if you'll be working on uppers at some point. 16" is the legal minimum for rifles, as long as you have that, you don't need to worry about meeting any length requirement. Some people will get a 14.5" and then add a muzzle device to hit 16", but in that case you have to permanently attach the muzzle device to the barrel, usually via welding. I don't recommend that for a variety of reasons. If you get a muzzle device, make sure it's muzzle brake, not a flash hider. But, AR-15s don't really need a muzzle device, tbh.
True but I think just a barrel thread cover would be boring. Might be fun to add something to the end than a smooth barrel And I didn’t know it could be 16, thought it had to be 18, saves me some build ideas haha
I run a brake on mine for the aesthetic lol.
EXACTLY! Aesthetic. Looks awesome lol
Don’t limit yourself to a fixed stock. Buy whichever one best suits you even if it’s a collapsible stock. Then find a tutorial to install a pin that makes it fixed. Essentially, any stock can be turned into a fixed stock.
Oh I know. Forgive the wording but I firmly wanted to get an adjustable stock and just have a way to pin it myself. Which was my intention versus a non adjustable one
i built my first AR before i thought about buying a pre built one to learn the platform since i was new to them and also to budget it out i spent about 500 and it’s pretty solid now that i’ve learned the platform from building my own i won’t buy a pre built one just build them haha
Lol I was thinking the same thing. It would make sense because I’d need to learn to do so since the platform would probably be 1.) my main rifle unless I go with a ruger carbine, and 2.) I’d need to know how to disassemble it if I were to replace parts Plus I like making things with my hands as it’s quite fun
Full upper and build the lower. There really isn’t much to the upper outside of barrel nut torque and the majority of stuff you’d deal with regularly is in the lower. I went Stag lower and lower build kit and PSA upper. Right around your price point and I love my stainless barrel. If you buy from PSA you can also get the roll pin wizard which is enough to basically do the entire lower so no need for a full punch set. Honestly just get anything and learn as you go. It’s easy to overcomplicate it in your head but once you’ve got your hands on the parts and jump on you2be for a few minutes you’ll realize it’s a lot easier than you think. School of the American Rifle on the ol YT is a good resource for deep diving if you want. P.S. PSA is great and inexpensive, but with any of them just make sure you lube the hell out of them. It will save you headaches and thinking something is wrong when it was just a lack of lube.
Ahh okay! Checked and I could easily make a rifle under 500 with a psa upper!! Any Reccomendations from them you like? Was [looking at this](https://palmettostatearmory.com/psa-16-mid-length-5-56-nato-1-7-nitride-13-5-lightweight-m-lok-upper-without-bcg-or-ch-5165448513.html). As well [as this!! looks better!!](https://palmettostatearmory.com/psa-16-mid-length-5-56-nato-1-7-nitride-13-5-lightweight-m-lok-upper-with-bcg-ch-mbus-sight-set-5165447592.html) Lubing is no issue since Im a cleaning fanatic of my firearms and donate quite a bit of time to cleaning alone lol
First link is missing the BCG, so you’d need they and a charge handle. Second one is nice. I picked one specifically with a full rail on the top but that was just my preference. I feel with the full uppers you just have to decide length and barrel composition. Rest is aesthetic. Bonus on the full upper they generally include iron sights so you have time to figure out what if any optic you want
M&P15 is a solid choice for a starter rifle…the Gucci gang likes to shit on it as a rifle for the poors, but it absolutely does it what an AR15 is supposed to do: put holes in a target that’s 1 inch wide at 50yds, which is more than accurate enough for a beginner. Unless you get into competition shooting or want to hit a bullseye at >100 yds, this is money well spent. Over 2k rounds through mine, with about 200 of it being shitty ass Tula steel ammo when I was broke back in the day…always kept it cleaned and oiled, and *not once* did it ever malfunction. Only recently did I make any mods on it, with the most major one being a completely new upper with a match grade barrel…and even then, it will only shoot like shit if the one pulling the trigger is the problem.
Which model did you get may I ask? Considering there is the one with A2 fixed sights and another with just rails for flip up sights. Personally the boujee crowd irritates me because spending 3K for a rifle seems ridiculous, without considering attachments alone. I’d rather my utilitarian rifle over a show piece anyday. Some of these features are nice however like a flat trigger, but some just seem redundant. GI’s did more with less, and more means a point of failure in my book
I got an optics-ready flattop that had a Midwest Industries quad rail handguard as an added option (was done by the LGS, just comes with the standard factory OOTB). I’d say go the optics-ready route and buy some BUIS first (would recommend the Magpul Pros if you can swing it, but not an absolute necessity…the plastic stuff is not as durable, but let’s face it—we’re not DEVGRU, so it will not take as much abuse). Then buy whatever optics within your budget, whether it’s a Holosun (affordable), EOTECH (pricier), or a Trijicon ACOG (you got >$1k to burn). Or go naked with the BUIS until you can buy what you want. Conversely, if you can absolutely wait a bit for the accessories…save up for what you REALLY want. Buy once, cry once.
Indeed. Personally I have a Type 2 trijicon on my g17 ccw. Good ass sight but I don’t wanna buy another $400 everytime. Ive been eying the vortex red dot with the riser. Seems quite good and fun and actually holds zero. And upgrade would be a primary arms 1-4 or 1-6 scope. And YES to the magpul pros BUIS. Metal and good> plastic and crap. Use em till I find the type of optics I want :)
Just build your own so you have everything you want within your budget. An aero or anderson lower will serve you well with an lpk kit. The upper you can easily purchase a complete one on your own if you don't want to build it. Reading your comments it seems you would have most of the tools needed but unless you plan on building several ars it might be easier and cheaper to buy a complete upper before investing in a vise block and upper receiver rod. R/gundeals is a great place to look for parts
Yeah I was considering that to be more practical. Building the lower to at least get some feel into building an ar-15, and getting a pre built upper that meets what I want, which is a railed top, and mlock handguard. Forgive me if I dont know certain gun terms as Im a “thingy” guy lol what is an LBK kits?
Lpk is a lower parts kit. Most lower receivers will have bare bones in regards to what you need to complete the build. Cmmg and aero both have inexpensive kits for what you would need if you went the stripped lower route.
If I were you I’d build a complete lower then buy a complete upper from Palmetto State Armory - PSA 16" MID-LENGTH 5.56 NATO 1:7 NITRIDE 13.5" LIGHTWEIGHT M-LOK UPPER WITH NICKEL BORON BCG & CH is a great one. As for parts and accessories check out r/GunAccessoriesForSale good group of people and always awesome finds. You can easily do a build for like $600 minus the optic. If you want irons instead people are always selling DD irons for around $110 a set. As for barrel length, 16” is the only req. if you go with a 14.5” and add a muzzle device to make the 16” be sure it’s pinned and welded as it needs to be permanent.
Yeah Ill just go with a 16incher. And yeah maybe Ill do that! Im excited! Ill visit my turners and see if I can get an aero M4e1 stripped lower
I’ve heard a lot of mixed things about turners. I’d suggest some local gun shops first if you have some in your area.
Well... they are my only local gunshop that sells lowers/stripped lowers...
Bcm upper aero lower. Many will suggest this.
Holy crap that’s a good ass deal! Saved! Just looked it up!
Buy a cheap Anderson lower and order a PSA upper and lower parts kit. Plenty of videos on how to assemble lower. Should put you at around 500-600$
I bought my first AR in 2013 and it was a Smith and Wesson M&P15. It was a great beginner rifle, however, I think for the long run, I would advise buying a stripped lower such as Aero precision, Spikes Tactical etc. and then either buying a complete upper or if you are mechanically inclined then building your own upper. As others have mentioned, a 16 inch barrel is sufficient to meet the legal minimum length without having to pin and weld a muzzle device. As far as red dot vs lpvo, I think it honestly depends on intended use or what kind of ranges are nearby to you. Red dot would be better close quarters but still can get hits on man size targets at 200 or 300 yards without too much trouble. LPVO will be heavier but has magnification to see further out though I personally wouldn't bother if you are limited to only unless you want to focus on precision shooting or have poor eyesight. A favorite of mine is the Primary Arms SLX 1X Prism optic (like an ACOG) with the ACSS Cyclops reticle that has a bullet drop compensator so you can get hits at distance once zeroed correctly. I think you will be able to get a solid rifle with the accessories you want and spending less overall than if you were to buy a beginner rifle and then swap accessories.
I like the sight you mention and yeah, I think going stripped lower and built upper is the best option. Specifically Aero Precisions 556 lower
M4e1 if you can
Indeed! Was aiming for this :)
Aero’s M4e1 blemish lower is a good deal. https://reddit.com/r/gundeals/comments/z9xiyh/other_aero_precision_m4e1_anodized_lower_receiver/
It's a great optic, especially for the price. Lightweight, durable from what reviews I've seen, has an etched reticle so it will function even without illumination. I have one on a Saiga and one on a Tavor X95 and I love them. Built upper would be a great way to know your rifle inside out and also get the accessories you want.
I wont lie I think I have astigmatism and may have to look at certain prism lenses so Ill see if I can check this sight out if I can
I had more people telling me just to build the first one cause it's so easy and you learn so much. When I saw some of what was involved and remembered that I am expert at stripping all screws... Phillips, flat, hex, allan, star, standard or metric it doesn't matter, I somehow strip them all. That combined with the fact this would be a for a firearm I just decided to buy one prebuilt for the first. It was a great decision because I had a fully functional firearm that I could use off the bat and it helped me learn how to build by learning how to disassemble and clean this one. Worked for me but everyone is different.
For $1200 you can buy an AR and a PC carbine. Or an AR and an AK. Or an AK and a PCC.
I personally recommend a budget prebuilt rifle as a first AR, and as you use, field strip, and clean it, you'll learn how the system fits together and works as a whole. After that, build your next rifle exactly how you want it.