05-12-2011, 07:19 PM
Gents,
If you really want to save a bunch of money on building an AR, but still want high quality parts, there are ways to do it. You have to decide if you want a billet or standard upper receiver first. There is sound thinking behind using a beefier upper, although many standard uppers with great barrels have been able to shoot great. You can get a DPMS low-pro upper from Midway for $81 right now if you go the beefier upper route, but you might want to true it so the barrel extension flange is perfectly square to the action race ways if needed. This is a machinist task if you pursue it.
If you use a standard M4 upper, you can get DSA uppers from B-store pretty cheap, or blems from BCM or LAR ( I get blems from LAR for $48!!!!, and they only had .001" shaved off the top of the brass deflector where it adjoins the upper under the Picatinny rail...before being finished-nothing wrong with them at all, unless you're a CNC laser ISO-9001 QC station. They're actually better than any other M4 upper I have ordered from other sources, with a much better finish and tighter fit to the McKay lowers from NoDak. They sold out on those really quick.)
I rarely pay more than $75 for perfectly fine off-name 7075 T6 lowers. I was getting them for $65, but those are sold out now. Check with NoDak Spud for those under "A2 lowers". I have bunches of them, and they are great lowers with Type III hardcoat anodizing.
If you're getting a 6.5 Grendel barrel/bolt combo from a reputable manufacturer, you can get some good deals on a complete 5.56 BCG or just the bolt carrier, cam pin, firing pin, and firing pin retaining pin. I usually get my bolt carriers from Bravo Company USA, as they are the cleanest and best-made Milspec M16 weight Bolt Carriers I have found so far. I get a stripped carrier for $51, and build it up with Milspec gas keys and permanent thread-locking compound after checking fit/function with the gas tube alignment. You can get a rifle-length gas system kit with the gas key, gas tube, roll pin, & extra gas rings for $23 from Midway IIRC.
You can shop around Brownell's and Midway and find good deals on extension tubes ($18), recoil springs ($10 for 3-pack), and I would recommend balancing your buffer with your gas system length/barrel length/and bullet weights. I like the Spike's Tactical Tungsten powder buffer, ST-T2, for carbine stocks. They are priced about the same or less than other heavy buffers.
If you're getting a match trigger, just order the Lower Parts Kit without the trigger mechanism and pistol grip for about $30. You don't need a crappy hammer or trigger anyway, or you can get the full kit and polish your trigger/hammer sear engagement surfaces, and use reduced power springs to cut your trigger weight down and make the quality of the pull smooth.
There are some bare-bones free-float tubes available for less than $50 bucks if you shop around, and YHM low-pro gas blocks are $25. Everyone usually uses grips and stocks of their preference, so there are literally tons of A2 stocks and grips floating around for a song. I've got boxes of A2 grips that I will probably never use.
As long as the heart of your system is a quality bolt and barrel, with good springs, functional mags, and the rest is properly-fitted and gas system is balanced, you'll be fine with AR's. I prefer to Cerakote them before assembling, which adds service life, protects from any corrosion, abrasion, humidity, skin salts, etc., and looks amazing.
I had written this up before on the old forum with all the links to these fine sources of quality parts on a dime. Let me know if there is interest in me doing this again, as I'm all about saving money so I can spend it on ammo and gas to the range.
LRRPF52
If you really want to save a bunch of money on building an AR, but still want high quality parts, there are ways to do it. You have to decide if you want a billet or standard upper receiver first. There is sound thinking behind using a beefier upper, although many standard uppers with great barrels have been able to shoot great. You can get a DPMS low-pro upper from Midway for $81 right now if you go the beefier upper route, but you might want to true it so the barrel extension flange is perfectly square to the action race ways if needed. This is a machinist task if you pursue it.
If you use a standard M4 upper, you can get DSA uppers from B-store pretty cheap, or blems from BCM or LAR ( I get blems from LAR for $48!!!!, and they only had .001" shaved off the top of the brass deflector where it adjoins the upper under the Picatinny rail...before being finished-nothing wrong with them at all, unless you're a CNC laser ISO-9001 QC station. They're actually better than any other M4 upper I have ordered from other sources, with a much better finish and tighter fit to the McKay lowers from NoDak. They sold out on those really quick.)
I rarely pay more than $75 for perfectly fine off-name 7075 T6 lowers. I was getting them for $65, but those are sold out now. Check with NoDak Spud for those under "A2 lowers". I have bunches of them, and they are great lowers with Type III hardcoat anodizing.
If you're getting a 6.5 Grendel barrel/bolt combo from a reputable manufacturer, you can get some good deals on a complete 5.56 BCG or just the bolt carrier, cam pin, firing pin, and firing pin retaining pin. I usually get my bolt carriers from Bravo Company USA, as they are the cleanest and best-made Milspec M16 weight Bolt Carriers I have found so far. I get a stripped carrier for $51, and build it up with Milspec gas keys and permanent thread-locking compound after checking fit/function with the gas tube alignment. You can get a rifle-length gas system kit with the gas key, gas tube, roll pin, & extra gas rings for $23 from Midway IIRC.
You can shop around Brownell's and Midway and find good deals on extension tubes ($18), recoil springs ($10 for 3-pack), and I would recommend balancing your buffer with your gas system length/barrel length/and bullet weights. I like the Spike's Tactical Tungsten powder buffer, ST-T2, for carbine stocks. They are priced about the same or less than other heavy buffers.
If you're getting a match trigger, just order the Lower Parts Kit without the trigger mechanism and pistol grip for about $30. You don't need a crappy hammer or trigger anyway, or you can get the full kit and polish your trigger/hammer sear engagement surfaces, and use reduced power springs to cut your trigger weight down and make the quality of the pull smooth.
There are some bare-bones free-float tubes available for less than $50 bucks if you shop around, and YHM low-pro gas blocks are $25. Everyone usually uses grips and stocks of their preference, so there are literally tons of A2 stocks and grips floating around for a song. I've got boxes of A2 grips that I will probably never use.
As long as the heart of your system is a quality bolt and barrel, with good springs, functional mags, and the rest is properly-fitted and gas system is balanced, you'll be fine with AR's. I prefer to Cerakote them before assembling, which adds service life, protects from any corrosion, abrasion, humidity, skin salts, etc., and looks amazing.
I had written this up before on the old forum with all the links to these fine sources of quality parts on a dime. Let me know if there is interest in me doing this again, as I'm all about saving money so I can spend it on ammo and gas to the range.
LRRPF52