You can build one cheaper???

[556BlackRifle]

Maybe you can, but by the time I bought all the parts I wanted it has never ended up that way for me.

Same here.

[lysander]

"Cheaper" depends . . .

If you want a certain barrel, a certain rail, a certain stock, a certain trigger, a certain grip, a particular muzzle device, then it is probably cheaper to buy the parts and assembly it, rather that buying a stock gun and removing the unwanted parts and replacing them with your preferred parts, even if you sell off the old parts.

If you happen to want a stock configuration, then no, you're probably not going to get it 'cheaper'.

But, that requires that you know what you want in the end before you start, most people asking "What kind of AR should I buy?" really have no idea what they want out the back end . . .

[lysander]

I agree with Averageman- For a minimally informed buyer, the Easy Button is the Colt. Telling minimally informed buyer they can build an AR cheaper without taking the time to lead them by the hand through every step, from selecting each part to ensuring everything is assembled and torqued correctly, is a disservice

Meh, they'll probably turn up later requesting some trouble-shooting help.

[user737425]

Same here.

Yup. Between all of the tools and shipping, my first build cost more than my Noveske SBR with tax stamp.

[Jim D]

You can't build one cheaper. I used to believe that line of thinking until I actually built one. I didn't buy a KAC right away because I thought it was "too expensive" at $2100, $2400 just in parts later, I still didn't have a KAC, I had a BCM that was heavier, didn't have all the same features and was more expensive. $2400 didn't even include the tools I needed.

IMO, when people talk about building an AR, 98.174% of the time they have a beer stain on their wife beater and it was built using parts from companies I've never heard of, or wish I hadn't.

It's really simple economics... Who do you think is going to be able to it cheaper at the same quality? Bubba buying all the tools, and buying all the parts (which have each been marked up for profit), likely not all at the same time from the same place, paying shipping, a transfer fee etc... Or... A company, I'll use Colt as an example, who has been making the gun for what? Nearly 60 years?

The same people I hear saying "you can build one cheaper!" Are the same mouth breathers saying "all the parts come from the same place!"


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Your post is full of hyperbole though, and you're forgetting a few things.

1) a manufacturer has to pay 11% of the price they sell the complete firearm for, to the dept of treasury, just for manufacturing it. When you buy parts and assemble yourself, you are side stepping that 11% federal excise tax.

2) if you pick up components over time, say you need a few mags and a site has a free shipping weekend... then you can frequently bypass sales tax in your state, and shipping costs. If you're really savvy and grab stuff during blowout times... you can save another 10-20% off normal prices on components.

3) if you've already built a gun, or have friends/range buddies who have the tools already, then you're not stuck buying a ton of tools. That said, an ALG rail comes with a barrel wrench that you shove a pipe over, and a Magpul BEV block and a castle nut/stock wrench aren't all that expensive in the first place.

4) major brand name AR companies that are publicly traded like to show profits to their investors... so a fair bit of markup on their end goes into the price you pay at the counter.

So yes, if you woke up one day and ordered from 5 different places, didn't take advantage of sales throughout the year, and weren't buying other stuff from them anyway... you might pay a premium to get those components in hand. But if you're in the habit of picking up a component or two over time, and it's not your first rodeo, there are absolutely savings to be had.

You can put me in the 1.83% that can put a gun together cheaper and with better quality parts than other options at the same price point. That's with 8 years experience or so in the industry though, and significantly more experience tinkering inside of guns than a first time AR owner. That said, on forums like this, the average knowledge/ ability level in such matters is higher than the national average by a significant amount.

Point being, not everyone who makes the claim is full of crap and featured on the People of Walmart website.

[MistWolf]

I can build a standard AR carbine cheaper than buying a Colt 6920, so long as I don't have to pay for a work table and a vice, by waiting for a good PSA kit to come on sale. It will be reliable and durable, but certain details will be lacking when compared to the Colt. The PSA will not come with Colt springs and that is important, particularly when it comes to the extractor. That's why it simpler and less time consuming to tell a minimally educated buy a 6920.

You can build for less, but you've got to know what you're doing or it will cost you more in time and money trying to get it sorted out

[MrTuna]

My first AR 15 was a 6920 and I still love it. It's hard not to get the black rifle disease when doing a custom build the first time. You tend to want the best of everything that you can afford.


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[pinzgauer]

It's much harder to build a quality one for less now that quality (LMT, DD, BCM) BCGs are $100 more than they used to be. I think I paid $89 for my first DD bcg, and got annoyed when they raised the price to $119.

Yet 6920s are $300 less than they used to be!

This may have more to do with brand inflation, as you can still get decent lesser known BCGs for less. But those would have been less back then as well.

Same for LPKs, but to a lesser extent

Lately I buy complete LMT lowers rather than build. They've gone up a bit, but so has the cost of building.

Just wish Colt had more barrel options on the OEMs! Or that DD offered a basic kiss carbine with no rail.

[D_M]

I depends entirely on what you want, when you want.

Yes, you can "build" one cheaper, but quality is relative and you may have to make compromises.

I "built" my first AR by assembling a lower receiver and buying a complete blem upper for $210 on Black Friday. The total rifle cost me $400, but it wasn't what I originally wanted. However, I was able to use that knowledge, sell that rifle, and build what I wanted. It may have ultimately cost me more, but I enjoy building them.

Buying exactly what you want may be cheaper in the end, because once you start building them, you won't stop.

[scottryan]

"Cheaper" depends . . .

If you want a certain barrel, a certain rail, a certain stock, a certain trigger, a certain grip, a particular muzzle device, then it is probably cheaper to buy the parts and assembly it, rather that buying a stock gun and removing the unwanted parts and replacing them with your preferred parts, even if you sell off the old parts.

This just simply isn't true.