I am thinking about building my father an AR-15 for Christmas, but I am a little confused with the plethora of parts that are out there.


The requirements are that he would like this to look and act like a tactical gun. Both of us are veterans and we like the feel of the tactical weapon. Like to be able to add a laser sight and a light to it as well.

Thanks, I was just going to send Jeremy a PM, but I know there are a couple of you that can help out

 

Just buy one complete at a gun show. You will spend a few 100 more, but it's a lot less hassle, IMHO.

edit: ibhate

 

choose your lower...pick your upper...and I think the tacitcal part comes with the forearms where you can mout all kinds of stuff on

 

Jesse recently did a pretty cheap build himself and he has a spreadsheet of everything you will need and the price.

 

laser is meh and you can add a light by means other than a railed forend but if you want one by all means don't let me stop you.

you can get lowers for < 300 complete now, uppers for ~500 and midwest industries make a good quality railed forend for about half the price of the high dollar pieces.

 

Building it yourself you get a far better weapon and choose your parts. de.fused has no idea how so he opts for the easy way out.

The lowers are pretty much all the same, a couple you may want to avoid but nothing really to be scared of. Once you get that just research the uppers available the get a rail system that is universal.

Only thing I like is an Eotech (if you got the flow) and a good trigger system is invaluable as well as a good scope.

 

is it difficult to build one yourself, if you have no idea how?

 

Basically if you can do some research online and follow basic instructions with hand tools it really isn't all that difficult.

Some people are more mechanically inclined than others they say, but I think it's just a matter of being able to follow instructions and not getting ahead of yourself.

 

It is not difficult to build one. I think I have built 4 of them and a couple more with my friends. But some people just arent comfortable with building their own firearm. Putting together the lower is not that hardest thing, there are great How-Tos...but it does come with a shitload of small pieces As if I remember correctly, the only tool I used was a set of pliers to push the pins into the hole And if you arent that picky, lowers can come assembled (not in CA though :ugh: ) as does uppers. Everything else is cake.

 

You can buy a quality AR from the cmmg bargain bin cheaper than you can build one...