Building vs buying Complete...

[ColtJ]

New here, great site with a ton of good info.

Thanks to this site i found the M4 Chart. While I doubt I "need" the best out there, I would rather buy quality if for nothing more than a piece of mind.

Obviously you can build an AR for ~$600.00 but let's say you wanted to build something of the Colt or BCM quality (further most left of the chart)? It seems it would be cheaper to just buy a BCM. Is that correct?

Side note: local friends ridiculed me for buying an LE6920 as it was "not worth it, paying for a pony, etc..." but I bought it for the piece of mind of buying something I could trust (first AR).

Thanks for looking.

[mikejg]

IMO, the best you can do is get the BCM blem lower for $250, add a stock, and then get the BCM upper of your choice. You can't go wrong and you should be able to save a few clams along the way.

[amd5007]

I'm new here also, and just recently found this site because I've set on building an AR from the ground up. But when all the number crunching was done, it came out to about the same price. I'm using a stag lower I got for $100 from a gunshop by my house, and now I'm looking at uppers.

I'm tempted to keep with a stag upper, but BCM seems to be one of the best. Right now, I'm planing on using a BCM upper and BCG, but when all is said and done, with BCM I still have to find a rear sight. And it's that extra $60-120 spent on a rear sight that pushes my build up to and even beyond the price of a factory made piece.

[ColtJ]

I'm new here also, and just recently found this site because I've set on building an AR from the ground up. But when all the number crunching was done, it came out to about the same price. I'm using a stag lower I got for $100 from a gunshop by my house, and now I'm looking at uppers.

I'm tempted to keep with a stag upper, but BCM seems to be one of the best. Right now, I'm planing on using a BCM upper and BCG, but when all is said and done, with BCM I still have to find a rear sight. And it's that extra $60-120 spent on a rear sight that pushes my build up to and even beyond the price of a factory made piece.

Exactly, I made a quick list and thought I was within a good range but realized I was missing a BCG. When I add the BCG, shipping charges and the one time FFL fee, seems I might as well just buy new.

[g5m]

ColtJ, absolutely nothing wrong with buying a 6920.
You don't need to look back and wonder.

[ScottFarkus]

You did not make a bad choice.
I put a DPMS together for way less than $600 (pre Obama), but I also put together an LMT upper from Bravo Co. for the same reason as you---I want a tough as nails gun that won't let me down.

And besides...it's your money!

[SA80Dan]

Obviously you can build an AR for ~$600.00 but let's say you wanted to build something of the Colt or BCM quality (further most left of the chart)? It seems it would be cheaper to just buy a BCM. Is that correct?


Of course, you are right. However.....people usually build them for other reasons than outright cost - the fun of it and sense of accomplishment, the fact that you know every little detail about your rifle, etc. You also get to nit pick and exactly choose your choice parts - trigger, upper receiver, precision barrel, etc. There is a ton of choice out there. I also think if you are going higher end in a build, you might just come out a little cheaper. If you use high end components and carefully and painstakingly put it all together, your rifle will be every bit as solid as a single name brand.

The thing about the AR platform is that it brings the ability to put together a rifle within reach of the average guy with a moderate level of mechanical ability, a reasonable home tool kit and a few special tools. By contrast with other weapon systems, which have you bending receiver flats,welding parts together, pressing in barrels and headspacing them, etc, the AR is really very simple. There are also a ton of guides out there and great resources like this forum to help you through.

I kinda liken putting together an AR with putting together a computer. Sure, you can get a ready built one cheaper....but there will usually be something you want to change out. You can (to some extent) specify your parts to a company like BCM etc...this is about the same as 'building' up a PC with Dell, for instance. But, if your 'EBR disease' is advanced to the level of obsessing about individual parts, and wanting to know about every single part in your rifle, that barrel is seated correctly and torqued just right, that gas block is precisely placed and attached, everything is staked correctly, etc....then building yourself is the way to go. After much removal and replacement of parts on my rifle, I have just now gotten to this level to build an entire one myself from components , and am just about to start to put together a precision rig.

[ucrt]

.........Side note: local friends ridiculed me for buying an LE6920 as it was "not worth it, paying for a pony, etc..." but I bought it for the piece of mind of buying something I could trust (first AR)....

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That depends what you paid.
I saw a Colt yesterday at a shop for $1999...that a little high.

If you don't mind saying, what did you have to give?

.

[pezboy]

Building usually isn't cheaper. The only reason I build rifles is because the exact configurations I want aren't offered. If I bought an M4 upper for every build I would have a lot of left over parts.
Dustin

[ColtJ]

Of course, you are right. However.....people usually build them for other reasons than outright cost - the fun of it and sense of accomplishment, the fact that you know every little detail about your rifle, etc. You also get to nit pick and exactly choose your choice parts - trigger, upper receiver, precision barrel, etc. There is a ton of choice out there. I also think if you are going higher end in a build, you might just come out a little cheaper. If you use high end components and carefully and painstakingly put it all together, your rifle will be every bit as solid as a single name brand.

The thing about the AR platform is that it brings the ability to put together a rifle within reach of the average guy with a moderate level of mechanical ability, a reasonable home tool kit and a few special tools. By contrast with other weapon systems, which have you bending receiver flats,welding parts together, pressing in barrels and headspacing them, etc, the AR is really very simple. There are also a ton of guides out there and great resources like this forum to help you through.

I kinda liken putting together an AR with putting together a computer. Sure, you can get a ready built one cheaper....but there will usually be something you want to change out. You can (to some extent) specify your parts to a company like BCM etc...this is about the same as 'building' up a PC with Dell, for instance. But, if your 'EBR disease' is advanced to the level of obsessing about individual parts, and wanting to know about every single part in your rifle, that barrel is seated correctly and torqued just right, that gas block is precisely placed and attached, everything is staked correctly, etc....then building yourself is the way to go. After much removal and replacement of parts on my rifle, I have just now gotten to this level to build an entire one myself from components , and am just about to start to put together a precision rig.

I completely understand. Im into cars and would use building a stock car to what you want opposed to buying someone else's project cars as another analogy.

This basically started as "I heard" I can build a better rifle for less, so I started doing research.

I'm not a picky guy, so I'm looking to build another simple rifle (my Colt is stock). Goal was to build one with OD Green accessories and some type of optic.

So I may still build one to achieve those goals rather than buy one then swap parts.

Where I'm getting at is making sure I set a realistic budget for a quality rifle while putting all the mis-truths I've heard to rest.


=============================
That depends what you paid.
I saw a Colt yesterday at a shop for $1999...that a little high.

If you don't mind saying, what did you have to give?

.

My issue wasn't so much the price but the remarks about the quality of the Colt, etc...

I bought it early this year at a local shop and it worked out to ~$1400 after taxes and fees.

I've had one gentleman swear his Bushy is the way to go and all I got was a horse stamp. Which in my opinion was un called for... What I am interested in is to know what I have for me, not to tell some random stranger about his parts...

Disclaimer: I am sure I am not skilled enough to take any of these rifles to their limits, so whether I bought a pos or top tier, I prob wouldn't reach limits to know difference without taking in what I've researched. But it doesn't mean I will settle... Hope that makes sense.

[Iraqgunz]

Anyone who claims that their Bushy is better or equal to a Colt is a moron and I would terminate all future conversations with them. You made a good choice and when people ask me for a recommendation I say, "if the world was going to shit tomorrow, I would grab a Colt 6920 off the shelf".

[Beat Trash]

Side note: local friends ridiculed me for buying an LE6920 as it was "not worth it, paying for a pony, etc..." but I bought it for the piece of mind of buying something I could trust (first AR).

Thanks for looking.

Side Note: unless you paid way over current retail for a Colt 6920, your friends are idiots.

If you know what you are doing, you can build a quality AR. But you need to use quality parts. Many use crap parts then want to argue for ever to justify their decision. By putting a dress on a pig, you do not have a low priced fashion model, you still have a pig. It's just covered up a bit.

I do not consider it "building an AR" when you buy a lower and an upper and put them together. You can do this with a BCM and end up with a gun best suited for your needs.

The Colt 6920 is an excellent gun. I own a couple. So is the DD and the BCM.

[ColtJ]

Sorry if my post came off as if certain remarks worried me (because it didn't). I just thought it ironic. People like calling rifle A junk because they have B; however, in truth it's opposite.

I also have no interest in bringing it back up with them either as it just wouldn't be worth it. Can't help someone that doesn't want to be helped.

Thanks for the responses, I just needed to confirm a few things.

[RogerinTPA]

Colt 6920s are $1100 now. Shop around and buy off the internet, some dealers have free shipping. Just pay the transfer fee from your local FFL.

[ucrt]

.....My issue wasn't so much the price but the remarks about the quality of the Colt, etc...

I bought it early this year at a local shop and it worked out to ~$1400 after taxes and fees.

I've had one gentleman swear his Bushy is the way to go and all I got was a horse stamp. Which in my opinion was un called for... What I am interested in is to know what I have for me, not to tell some random stranger about his parts...

Disclaimer: I am sure I am not skilled enough to take any of these rifles to their limits, so whether I bought a pos or top tier, I prob wouldn't reach limits to know difference without taking in what I've researched. But it doesn't mean I will settle... Hope that makes sense.

===============================

The way it sounded, I thought you might have paid a lot more than $1400 but either way (paying more or less) you've got a gun that no one can argue about being top-tier.

So, like others said, don't worry about what those "turk deville's" say about your gun, you don't have anyhtng to worry about. Just go shoot the heck out of it.

Sometimes I wish there was a way to shut those bigmouths up. Years ago, I was selling knives part-time and some guy on the job was giving me a hard time about my Victorinox Soldier pocket knife I carried. He had some big honkin' Schrade lockback that dwarfed my little silver 4-blade pocketknife. At lunch, in front of a pile of guys, he started on me again about my "dainty little knife". So, I told him, "OK, let cross blades". His knife was brand new but his ego wouldn't let him back down in front of everybody, so he agreed.

I told him to decide if he wanted to cross blades with his or mine on top and that he could strike the blades with a wrench we had. His knife was on top and he gave it a pretty good whack. Afterwards, looking at them, all meshed into each other about halfway, you couldn't tell whose cut whose. He picked his knife up and mine was stuck to it. He was waving it around trying to shake mine loose and showing everyone how they were interlocked. With his big fat blade, it looked like mine was cut in half and they were all laughing like crazy at me...until he wiggled them apart. When it was all said and done, my Victorinox had a slight little nick, his Schrade was about cut in half.

It would be neat if their was some way to prove which AR is better in a short-short. Like whack crossed barrels or crossed BCG's to see which gun is "tougher"...not that would prove anything. But I guess for now, we just have to go by "mil-spec compliance". But I'd like to watch a crossed AR-parts whacking contest...as long as it wasn't none of my parts. ;)

.

[Vegas]

I am in the middle of buying up the bits for my first AR. I quite like the pay as you go aspect of putting your own together. I am saving some money over buying locally for sure but over ordering a complete rifle over the web, I'm not saving much at all. I figure what I learn along the way will make it more than worth it.

[avengd7x]

I also considered this when I was getting my first ar and one of the members here told me that the nice thing about buying a complete ar (from a quality company) is that if you ever have trouble with any part of it, then you don't have to worry about what's wrong with it and can just have the company handle the whole thing.

I don't know how much of a big deal this will be, especially since my rifle has been rock solid, but it was something I considered.

I bought a Daniel Defense M4 from buds for $1149 shipped free and I couldn't be happier. It's a great rifle and DD is a great company.

[AlphaKoncepts]

Building usually isn't cheaper. The only reason I build rifles is because the exact configurations I want aren't offered. If I bought an M4 upper for every build I would have a lot of left over parts.
Dustin

I couldn't agree more. Unless you are buying parts in bulk you will see no real savings for building your own. You may save $100 or maybe $200 if youa re lucky. However for the reasons mentioned by pez, I have only built my AR's.

It does end up being cheaper to build what you want from the ground up rather than to buy something basic and start replacing parts.

[nhskull21]

Cdnn had new 6920's for $1077. You could also sell the no name free float they throw in free for $40 bucks and you got a good deal.