Torque and Chrome - Should i Build my AR rifle or buy one?

Should i Build my AR rifle or buy one?

I don't have alot to spend on a rifle but love AR's. I have heard building your own is cheaper, and be of better quality since you buy the custom parts. I might add it would be a Carbine version of 16 inch barrel and a collapse able stock. I would need it in 5.56 not .223 Is there any piston driven uppers around? What parts should be bought by who? What should i get chromed? (barrel obviously) Thanks alot guys. Long Live America Sorry guys forgot to add that i prefer fixed carry handle but not needed. Tekno: 5.56 is the same caliber but the guns specs are different. The 5.56 guns can take .223 but not the other way around. The 5.56 has different pressures which cause more or less stress depending on which the gun was chambered for.

Public Comments

First- .223 Remington and 5.56 NATO are the same cartridge. Second- Olympic Arms Inc. Olympia, WA Been through their factory, and personal friends with the owner. Nuff Said. Edit: Nope incorrect: You need to check your Loading Data! .223 Remington and the 5.56 NATO are the same Cartridge. Quote: Direct from: Hodgdon Loading Data Manual #27 "Also known as the 5.56 NATO the .223 Remington was also known in various stages of development as the .222 Special beating out the .224 Winchester and .224 Springfield to become the US Military Cartrodge of record. With all the time and money spent in the development stages, the .223 Remington is one of the few Government boon-doggles that actually turned out fairly well. In short, the .223 Remington shoots well with just about any reasonable powder charge and the bullet the handloader cares to use. More recently, with quicker rifling twists to stabilize the heavier/longer bullets, (.224) the .223 Remington has made a name for itself at 600 Yard Competitions in the US and Austrailia, much to the chagrin of a few high-power .308 Winchester shooters whom thought the .308 Winchester could not be beat at its own game. Because of variations in case capacity from one brand of brass to the next, it is good practice to choose one brand and stick with developing loads. Military brass has a crimped primer, and primer pocket, and requires swaging and/or trimming prior to reloading. As a rule, domestic brass from Remington, Winchester, Speer, or Federal is the best choice." OK, no if you can find more conclusive data, which can be verified that the 5.56 NATO is a different cartridge, you need to prove it. Measurements across 6 different reloading manuals, including the one that I just quoted from, are the same. Pressures vary slightly based on powder make, type and brand SAAMI/Military Specs top this cartridge at 56,600 CUP Standard reloaded with Alliant Reloader 12 Powder @ 24.0 Grians w/ 68 Grain Bullet. I hate to burst your bubble about them being different, but they are not. What will make a difference in this cartridge and how accurate it is at range is the bullet weight VS. barrel twist. Feel free to look up the data. Plus I own an AR-15 and a Remington 700 Chambered for .223 Remington. 5.56 NATO fits and fires in both accurately. Both rifles are custom equipped with rifle twist 1:12.
I would a standard carbine from dpms or stag arms then you can add a gas piston and have your gunsmith attach it. I wouldn't spend too much on custom parts if you don't use it for competition shooting.
Try doing some research at m4carbine.net and ar15.com I like dealing with bravocompanyusa.com and adcofirearms.com They both carry good products and offer first rate service. If you want to buy complete uppers, lowers, or complete guns, I would also check with Pete at Legal Transfers ( www.ar15sales.com ), he often has great prices on rifle parts and stocks. I would also suggest that you get an detachable cary handle A3/A4 upper instead of the fixed A2 model. It will allow you to do everything the A2 upper will do plus it will allow you to mount optics lower if you ever decide to in the future. Right now CMMG have bargain bin rifles on sale for $599. These are not century arms kit built junk. These are name brand rifles like stag, Rock River, Bushmaster etc.. These rifles may have scratches, but are mechanically fine. CMMG is a good company and will not let you down.
The advantage of building your own is that you get everything you want and you don't have to settle for an off the shelf rifle you modify later. If you are going to go with a piston upper you are going to be spending big bucks b/c they are more expensive than a conventional upper. That being said you won't be saving all that much money building your own but it still would be a little bit cheaper than an off the shelf piston gun. Also for the carry handle. If you get a flat top upper you can get a detachable carry handle for about 75$ or so and just leave it on there. Uppers with fixed handles are more money and don't have the good rear sights like the detachable ones. Good luck
Honestly you need to first think about how you are going to use this rifle. 1) Competitive Shooting or just out to the range? 2) How much ammo do you plan on shooting a week/month/year? 3) What is the climate you live in and will you clean it after shooting? You might think you need to get the bore and BCG chromed but if you are no shooting it that much the bore will out live you. Also the chroming does help in cleaning but if you are not in a humid climate like a jungle this is not going to affect anything. As for the piston, the regular AR gas system is very effective. You might want to hold off on that in the beginning and get all the goodies that can attach to your new rifle. Having said all that I would look on Gunbroker.com for a lower reciever (complete) and a complete Upper that fit what you are looking for. Sometimes by buying the upper and lower seperatly you can save about $150. And they just snap together.
If you only plan on building one, then keep your eyes open and buy one that has what you want. By the time you buy the tools necessary to properly build an AR, you could buy what you want. If you mess up something in the assembly, it could get real expensive real fast. That being said, putting together your own can be very satisfying and there are tons of videos out there showing you how to put one together. As for piston powered; yeah, the technology looks pretty good but the gas system works and is much lighter than the piston. If this is your first AR, I would suggest a good factory rifle to start with to familiarize yourself with the AR. As for a carry handle, believe me, you want a removable carry handle. I have a Colt Sporter Target model and have been looking forever for a flattop receiver for it with no luck. I have had it for 20 years and have yet to find an acceptable optics to put on top of the handle. I have a Doublestar EM-4 Carbine bought last year and put a relatively inexpensive Bushnell scope on it and have gotten better results than with anything I have tried on my Colt.
If this is your first AR15 then I recommend you buy an already built factory model.... The few dollars your going to save are not worth the hassle of the build.... Also do not buy a rifle custom built buy some Elmer Fudd you don't know..... Buy it - use it - enjoy it - get comfortable with its use and operation -- Then move ahead and build another in a year or 2....... PLEASE NOTE -- The .223 and 5.56x45MM are not the same -- close but not the same...... READ...... http://www.thegunzone.com/556v223.html Anyways...... Buy a built one --- Even if its not the exact model you want ---- Don't worry about costs.... This is America! -- some people make $50000 buy coffee break time in this country.... Use your head, ebay, craigslist, whatever and the funds will be available if you put your mind to it...... http://www.rockriverarms.com/ http://www.bushmaster.com/index.asp
The main advantage in my opinion to building an AR15 is having a better understanding of how things work...that and saving a few dollars. If this is your first AR15 I would suggest buying a complete rifle. It sounds like you're looking for a basic AR15 which doesn't run all that much. So the saving on building a rifle could be minimal. That is just my .02. Be safe and have fun.
Factory 5.56 and .223 are slightly different-and a simple search will tell you why. BUt when reloading you use the same die for each. If you don't have the $$$ to put out all at once, then building is the way to go. Do your online research about the different receiver makers, then get one from gunbroker.com. The lower receiver is the only part that an FFL holder has to take delivery for-the upper and rest can be shipped directly to you.
My son has a Bushmaster that sounds just like what you are wanting. Fixed carry handle, collapsable stock, and 16 in barrel. I got it at a local dealer the day after BHO was elected President. It was the last one in the whole town. It was $899. Bushmaster makes that particular model exclusively for Davidson's. You can check them out here: http://www.galleryofguns.com/ . As far as I know, all Bushmasters are chambered in 5.56X45 even though Gallery of guns says .223.
I have looked into building my own AR15 and came to the conclusion that it would cost me almost the same as buying a new factory one. Now there are some factory ones that cost more than building one yourself. The one thing about building one yourself it gives you the knowledge of how these things are built and you will have the pride in knowing you built your own rifle. I have been told that there are a couple of specialized tools that I would have to get to build my own rifle, but other than that it was fairly simple to build. But again I looked at what I would want to build and started pricing the various components and I was amazed that the price almost equaled the price of buying a factory built one. Now the factory one might not be a top of the line, but it also wasn't the cheapest factory one either. In all I think it saved maybe $200 to $300. I still think I may want to build one myself. I am mechanically inclined and work with tools on motors and electronics so I know I could build it. I think the pride of building one and knowing that I know the firearm inside and out would be a great experience. I have also heard that the 5.56 AR will shoot the 5.56 and 223 rounds but the 223 AR shouldn't be shot with 5.56 rounds. They will fire them and they are the same round basically, but from some of the fellas I know that have AR15's and that have built them say it isn't adviseable to shoot 5.56 in a 223 AR15.
They aren't hard to build. To answer your specific questions: 1: Not all 5.56 chambers are truly 5.56, even if they say they are. 2: There are plenty of piston options out there, but you will see with research that they have their own sets of problems. 3: You can buy everything, but when you get the lower receiver, you will have to work with your local gun shop to order it. It isn't hard, they handle it all. 4: The barrel bore and chamber should be chrome lined. As well, the inside of the bolt carrier should be chrome lined, as should the inside of the gas key. 5: You can get the fixed carry handle, but it isn't all that useful. They make a detachable carry handle if you must have one, but I strongly recommend looking into flat top uppers, for the modularity. 6: 5.56 and .223 chambers are not the same, you are correct. Two of my favorite places to shop for projects like this are Bravo Company and Ranier Arms. They both sell everything from partially completed kits, with all the tough stuff done, to all the bits and pieces you need to go from scratch. They can even provide you a complete rifle, if you so choose. There are many other places, and many places with service and parts that are great as well, but these guys will really take the time to work you through the process, and neither of them sell any junk at all. If you take the time to call them, they will surely explain the benefits and drawbacks of building, and help you along with your purchase. Be sure to check out AR15.com and M4 carbine.net, as well. They are forums, and they come with opinions like any other forum, but there is loads of information there for beginner builders and buyers. Feel free to e-mail me if you want some helpful tips, I'll be glad to oblige.