So You Want To Build An AR15

The modern heathen does not carry around an axe. Well, most of them don't unless they have a job that would require it. Hundreds of years ago the people we came from used tools they used for work as weapons of war. It only made sense. They carried them pretty much everywhere. For defense if needed and for work or just to go out in the field.

Today the modern man has firearms. It is the equalizer. It is what makes the playing field level. Men and women, of all sizes, abilities or lack there of are all equal with firearms. Where ever bad people lurk the law abiding armed citizens are there to counter them.

For some reason or another usually self defense, sporting, hunting, or for just learning the craft of building you want to build an AR15. Oh and also, because America. For the sake of this entry I will walk you through the process I followed with how I built my first one. I will also explain some things to think about before hand to make it a little easier for you if its your first rodeo. Lets get into the major questions you need to answer first.

Assign a role to what you want to build

When it comes to firearms for me I have to give whatever I purchase or build a job. This job is specific to the platform and make and model. Without having this figured out it is going to be difficult to pinpoint what the endgame will be for it. What are its strengths and weaknesses? What is is ideal and suitable for? Can it be multi-role? Ask yourself these questions first and the rest is easy.

For AR15 platform comes in a variety of calibers. I chose .223/5.56 for my first build. I liked the idea of having more than one caliber available for ammo. Its also much easier to find parts and the prices are in the budget range. Which brings me to my next key point.

Decide on a budget for your build

This is vital. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard friends say they overspent on an AR build. Its easy to do especially on some of the more expensive of parts like bolt carrier group and the accessories like scopes. Get a figure together for what you would like and stick to it. People will typically spend $500-700 on a complete build bought in a store. Anywhere remotely close to this sort of budget is more than enough to get what you need and to get going.

Building your own

Is there any benefit to building your own? Well yes for a number of reasons. Primarily its cheaper. Its also more satisfying. Learning about your firearms is a great way to be more knowledgeable about your hobby. It also makes fixing problems and issues in the future a lot easier. Building your own AR from the ground up also makes it easier for getting to your endgame. Buying one built may require some work or parts to get the way you would like it. In the end that would be a waste of money overall. And that money wasted could be money spent on ammo and other accessories.

Other considerations

Do not forget about ammo, magazines, safe storage, locks, cases, extra cleaning supplies and parts, and the tools required for building your project. An example of what typically happens is someone has a budget of $500 then after they add up some of these things its closer to $700 or $800. This is something to keep in mind and remember early on. This will help keep your project in a realistic range suitable for you once its completed.

Note: scopes and optics can run well into the thousands. It can get very expensive for a first time builder and its a bit daunting. Don't let the price of glass freak you out. Go budget first. Get some back up sights to learn with. Worry about optics later. You may not even like the AR platform so it's not worth jumping all in at this point.

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After these things have atleast somewhat been sorted it is a lot easier. I won't go into the intricacies of the actual building process but I can touch on the important list to get your parts bought. I also wont get into the process of going about building it here. There is youtube for that and forums to learn about what works and what doesn't. Plus it would be long and boring.

Regardless of what you decide to do caliber wise, if you have an option for a multi-caliber lower do that. It is better to have options. There is the main reason. If you go into a store and buy an AR rifle and then decide you want to make it an AR pistol shorter than 16 inches barrel length then you technically cannot put a pistol upper on an AR Rifle lower. There is a lot that goes into this law wise and a lot of weirdness. But to make it easy if you build your own and start with a multi-caliber lower then it isn't "born" a rifle or pistol. Its whatever you decide it is and its not stuck with that designation. Rifles purchased in store complete are born and stuck the way they were built. Any changes to make it shorter you are dealing with the ATF and filling forms out and paying for stamps. Just avoid it. Buy a multi-caliber lower so you can shoot whatever caliber you like, and if you build your own then you can play around making it a rifle or pistol or even a short barreled rifle or SBR if you choose to and want to pay $200 to play.

An example: You buy a multical lower, build a 5.56/.223 upper and its 16 inches. You decide you want a 300 blackout build. Instead of going and buying an entire new gun from the store, with a built project you just need to build an upper and fit it to your lower. Provided your magazines for the 5.56 build work with it of course. If you bought it in store your lower will be stamped with what its chambered in.

Currently there is a list of many calibers that will work with standard AR15 lowers.

6 x 45
7 x 40
357 Mag Rimless
300 Whisper / .300Fireball / 300-.221
6.5 x 40
.30 Coyote (30 x 45)
.17 Remington
.17 Mach IV
.20 Tactical
.19 Calhoun
5.7 FN
.204 Ruger
6.8 SPC
30 HRT
338 Spectre
10 mm Mag
35/40
219 WASP-C
7.62 x 40
5.45×39
7.62 x 39
.338 x 39
6 PPC
6.5 Grendel / 6.5 AR / 6.5 PPC Improved
22 PPC
7 sCAR
30 Carbine
5.45×39 / .21 Ghengis
7 BR
6.5 BR
300 Sabre
8mm
458 SOCOM
44 Mag
440 CorBon
44 AMP
.475 Tremor
50AE
499LW
50 Beowulf
.50 BMG
.50 Blackpowder
9mm
45ACP
32ACP
22 LR
17 HV
10mm
7.62×25
224 BoZ
7.62×24
9×23
.357 Sig
.357 Auto
40S&W
223 WSSM
243 WSSM

There are more benefits legally from this standpoint. Since the lower is the "firearm" and its multi caliber you can do this without any issues. Have your FFL mark your lower as a PISTOL on the forms. That way if you decide you want a rifle or a pistol its no problem.

It is possible just to buy a complete upper already built and put together on the cheap. It is also possible to buy a complete lower already built as well. However the lower is serialized so it has to be done through an FFL. You can purchase online and have shipped to FFL holder in your area and pay for a transfer and background check. Your serialized lower IS the gun. Everything else part wise can be shipped to you directly. If you choose to do the prebuilt route that's fine but you lose the whole learning process through building it yourself. This is okay to do but I highly suggest learning to build yourself. Its very rewarding.



Parts List

Lower
Upper
Barrel
Gas System
Bolt Carrier Group
Charging Handle
Handguard
Muzzle Device
Lower Parts Kit
Upper Parts Kit
Sights 

This is the basic list of parts you will need. Parts kits will include a whole list of parts for the upper or lower. Cheap sets are going to be milspec. Milspec does not mean they are awesome quality but it means they are to specifications for the military. They are cheap and will work. Lots of people do not like milspec and later upgrade. That is perfectly fine. For the sake of my personal build I used mostly milspec parts. It functions just fine.

Considerations

There are parts you do not want to cheap on. The bolt carrier group and the barrel are the two primary things. They are the heart and soul of your AR. There are many materials and different companies producing quality parts, do your homework and find the right ones. The rest of the parts can be milspec and then switched fairly easily.  This cost effective way will leave money for the list of things that I listed previously many others forget about. Like ammo. Doing it this way will get you going if you are on a budget.

Stripped lower with parts kit. 

The process is pretty straightforward. In the building you can buy parts at your pace with little pain. Since you can time it out for whatever is comfortable you can do it as slow or as quickly as you like. You can buy the parts and then put it together as they come in. Order your stripped lower online and have it sent to your FFL. Transfer prices vary, but its usually $10-20. After you get the background check, everything else can be shipped directly to your home. Starting with the lower is suggested.

Upper with upper parts kit. Including charging handle.

Lower parts kits sometimes may include other free parts. Buy the ones that have free shipping and include gifts like muzzle brakes. You can also get complete lower parts kits that will include stock and buffer assembly parts. This may help save a ton instead of piecing it together part by part. This can get very expensive quickly. If its stuff that its not a big deal if its milspec, then do it. Same with upper parts kits. You can get deals that include free shipping and include other items sometimes.

Barrel kit with gas system.

Barrels may come with deals too where the gas system is included. Do it. If the kit is from someone reputable it will all work together no questions about it. Just make sure the parts fit your idea for a final build. Don't skimp of barrel. It can be swapped out and last a long time if its quality.

Complete BCG.

Same goes with bolt carrier group or BCG. I would opt to do a complete BCG purchase that is already keyed and built. The ones that require assembly may be cheaper, but a complete one that's built is far less hassle. Same as barrel don't skimp on the BCG. Make sure it matches the barrel type, caliber, and the feed ramp for the upper. Again. As with all the parts make sure they match what you are building. You can get charging handles and other parts with BCG deals. Do it this way if you can.

Handguard choices.

Handguards can be bought on the cheap. Even as little as $20-40. If you are not particular about them you can even get keymod for cheaper as its being phased out. Mlok is a bit more expensive because its relevant. Either way choose what you like and what fits what you need. Make sure the length is right for your barrel and your gas system. Also your muzzle device needs to be suited for your handguard. Lots of considerations here. Think about all of it before buying. Or else you are going to end up trying to sell it if it isn't what you are looking for exactly.

Birdcage muzzle device with crush washer.

Muzzle device is important but short answer for budget is a birdcage one can be had for free as a gift with other parts or is very cheap. $6-10 online usually. If you dont build your project with a recessed barrel inside the handguard these cheap options will work just fine for most.

Pop up sights, polymer. Or BUS back up sights paired with optic.

Sights are cheap too. If you need some back up sights or pop up sights, they are $10-20 online. They work just fine for most on a budget. They can be swapped out too later if you choose to upgrade to MAGPUL or something but they will adjust and work just as designed fine.

Check compatibility for parts before ordering online. Its smart to cross reference your parts throughout the entire process. Check, double check, then triple check. Dimensions and numbers matter. And even more important caliber matters. Parts for the AR are like adult Legos however you have to make sure the parts are the right specs for what you are building.

Ordering online

Online deals are great and perfectly legal. Look for the sort of deals that have free shipping and also may include other parts you need. Like for instance an upper parts kit may include a cheap birdcage muzzle brake. Or a barrel may include a gas system that goes with it. These things are a great way to cut total cost for the build. Take complete advantage of them. Wait until sales and special holiday pricing goes up. I cannot stress how many times I missed on deals had I waited one or two days in some cases for some special once a year inventory purge sale. Check your preferred websites regularly or sign up for email alerts and get the parts before they sell out. Yes, it is common for deals on gun parts to sell out very quickly so being able to snipe them quickly is essential.

Take your time to do it right. Buy the tools you need, watch videos on youtube, and scour forums or dedicated groups for advice throughout. Most collectives are quick to help out new builders with advice and direction. Expect the snobs to come out in full force. Do not mind them. Once your project starts to come together it becomes easier as you go. Just take it one step at a time. Get your lower finished, then work on your upper. And then prepare to test and break in your new build. Wear gloves. Be careful to make sure it doesn't explode with the first couple mags ran through. Then break it in properly with a couple hundred rounds.

I hope this had some info to make the building of an AR less daunting. It is not that difficult to do and is satisfying to have a complete firearm that you built with your own hands. I think the sense of pride one gets from building their own AR is probably similar to the way our ancestors felt making their axes and weapons for work and for self defense. If you are hesitant to get started maybe some of these tips will help you ease into the project. Hope it helps!

Hail the Old Gods!
Hail the Folk!
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