First AR Build: Need Advice!

[rg115]

Been thinking about building my first AR-15 for a while, finally got started on parts. Seems like if you dig around, there are some decent deals, but man, it's a bit overwhelming. I'm definitely still trying to figure out what's worth buying and what's not.

I'm aiming for a basic rifle build, going with 5.56 for now. I've heard that's a good entry point, but if anyone has other calibers they suggest for a newbie, I'm all ears.

What brands should I steer clear of? I've been seeing mixed reviews on a few, and I don't want to end up with garbage. Also, what about hidden costs? I know I'll need the tools, but anything else I should be prepared for?

Part of me thinks maybe I should just buy a complete rifle, but honestly, I want the satisfaction of building my own. I'm just worried about making rookie mistakes.

If you've built one before, any hard lessons you've learned? Really appreciate any thoughts you guys have!

 

[John Balazek]

Been thinking about building my first AR-15 for a while, finally got started on parts. Seems like if you dig around, there are some decent deals, but man, it's a bit overwhelming. I'm definitely still trying to figure out what's worth buying and what's not.

I'm aiming for a basic rifle build, going with 5.56 for now. I've heard that's a good entry point, but if anyone has other calibers they suggest for a newbie, I'm all ears.

What brands should I steer clear of? I've been seeing mixed reviews on a few, and I don't want to end up with garbage. Also, what about hidden costs? I know I'll need the tools, but anything else I should be prepared for?

Part of me thinks maybe I should just buy a complete rifle, but honestly, I want the satisfaction of building my own. I'm just worried about making rookie mistakes.

If you've built one before, any hard lessons you've learned? Really appreciate any thoughts you guys have!

Get a few extra detents and springs. If this is your first you'll probably need them. It's really hard to screw up an AR. Almost all of mine are built on pre 2013 ban 80%'s. There are tons of great parts kits still at really good prices. I honestly don't think I have over $500 into any of mine. Being in Maryland complicates things somewhat. Whatever you build will need to be an HBAR(Heavy Barrel) variant. Palmetto has been great to me. Their midlength 1:7 twist is sub moa all day with 72gr Matchkings. Many won't ship parts to MD because of the stupid laws in place here. 5.56 is probably best to start. Ammo is cheap and usually available. You will be needing an optic/Sight setup as well. What will you realistically be doing with it? Under 100yds a red dot or 1-4 should be more than accurate. I like backup Iron Sights so Cowitness or offset Irons are on all of mine. If you have a 5-600yd range available maybe go with a 4-16x scope. Check out my other thread for some of my configurations.