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Thread: Build from scratch or buy in the box ?

  1. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by eperk View Post
    Get a Colt, DD, BCM, and spend the rest on shooting it
    Fixed it for ya. You won't know what "customization" a rifle needs until you actually use it.

    To that end, buy/build a carbine in it's basic configuration


    BCM offers good parts to assemble carbines with but I think the PSA rifle kits offer the best value. Again, get a basic carbine kit if you decide to build


    Ammo Before Accessories. Shoot Before Customizing
    INSIDE PLAN OF BOX
    1. ROAD-RUNNER LIFTS GLASS OF WATER- PULLING UP MATCH
    2. MATCH SCRATCHES ON MATCH-BOX
    3. MATCH LIGHTS FUSE TO TNT
    4. BOOM!
    5. HA-HA!!

    -WILE E. COYOTE, AUTHOR OF "EVERYTHING I NEEDED TO KNOW IN LIFE, I LEARNED FROM GOLDBERG & MURPHY"

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  2. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by motodad View Post
    I guess you could say I collect most I brought used can't pass up a good deal. But I only hunt with a few. I Would like to build one also just to say I built it myself. I will waiit till prices settle down everything is inflated right now.
    Building one is gratifying, but the choices in various components can be dizzying. I agree with the recommendations to buy one to shoot, learn the platform. It will give you a better starting point for planning the one that you do build.

    Budget of $2000 can give plenty of headroom, but don't forget to save room for ammo, training, and a good red dot sight. The sight alone will typically run you $400 and up.

    As to "settling down"...I wouldn't anticipate that any time soon. AR15 components have been in ridiculously short supply for months now, even before the spectre of increased gun control legislation.

  3. #13
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    Like everyone said here, you can get a basic model to learn it and find out what you need/ want. A lot of people are happy with normal handguards and iron sights only. That may suite your needs.

    Just make sure you get quality and you cannot go wrong. If you get a Daniel Defense or BCM you can get mid-length carbine with rails. I know BCM sales a lot of configurations so you can find what you are looking for, well once upon a time you could

    Anyways, get a quality carbine and a bunch of ammo, and even more time shooting it/ taking it apart. Become familiar with it.

  4. #14
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    I was in the same boat as you a couple years ago. This place is a wealth of knowledge and it led me to purchasing a ready to go Daniel Defense rifle. I am glad I did. I added accessories carefully and have ended up with a light, no frills, carbine that has been very dependable. I spent my money on ammo and training. It was a great decision. If you care about resale down the road, factory built rifles simply bring more money on the used market.

    With a rifle that you know is good, you can use it to make decisions on what you want to build. It also gives you a known good rifle to judge your build against. Had I started building first, I simply wouldn't have known what a high quality rifle should be. I've now started to build rifles and it's very enjoyable. I share the time with my kids while they are building their own rifles. This latest tragedy and subsequent panic has really put the damper on the progress of my daughter's rifles, but I'm using it as a lesson in politics for them.

  5. #15
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    If you are thinking of reselling it, buy a complete rifle and DO NOT customize it.

    If you plan on building a customized gun, do it from scratch and never plan on selling it. It will get run, it will get scratched. You will replace parts as you learn what you want to have.

    I suggest you get a complete rifle FIRST. This will teach you the basics of how everything works. It will give you a functioning upper and a functioning lower, so if one or the other of your new build doesn't work you can diagnose which part is an issue.
    One day, I shall come back. Yes, I shall come back. Until then, there must be no regrets, no tears, no anxieties. Just go forward in all your beliefs and prove to me that I am not mistaken in mine.

  6. #16
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    Both.

    Build one for you, and then buy one and let it sit in the box in your safe forever.

  7. #17
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    Here's a video on the lower. Either way you go, buy or build, you will want to know how these parts assemble so you will have to dis-assemble your bought rifle in order to do so.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iA_Vkb2UB1w

    The upper is a bit more to deal with regarding tools. But prebuilt uppers are readily available.

    One thing you may wish to note.... many people here like the mid-length profile over the carbine length so if you do decide to buy already built you may want to spend some time deciding which one of those you want. Might save you having to replace your upper once you "learn it"

    Going from carbine to middy can be a bit pricey. Not necessarily but depending on how deep you go. Rails for instance are near $300. So if you had a carbine with handguards, you need to ...

    A. Switch out upper complete
    B. Switch barrel, handgards
    C. Switch rail if for reason you bought a carbine rail.

    A lot of the other stuff works for either setup, grips, stocks, triggers, whatever.

  8. #18
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    Alright, here is my perspective. Since joining M4C I have built four carbines, ranging from a lightweight built for HH6 to a Recce. When I started with the first, the Recce it was right at the highpoint of the first Obama scare and parts were scarce so I made compromises that I later had to correct, at added expense. I built because I wanted the building experience. I wanted to work through failures. I wanted to experiment. We're DINKS and I lack other vices like liquor to excess, smoking, or gambling so I didn't mind sinking some money into tools and a redundant part along the way. As I built one rifle then the other I did learn the things I wanted along the way and succeeding rifles changed along the journey.

    Building when parts are scarce and prices are elevated is not a good idea. Your costs are going to outweigh any benefit from building. Contrary to popular opinion, you are never, ever, going to save any money building over buying.

    My recommendation is to go to a reputable gun shop and place an order for a BCM EAG middy carbine. I got to T&E one of these rifles several years ago, before their release and I find this to be about as ideal an AR setup as you can get. Save some coin while waiting for the rifle and get an Aimpoint H-1 package from LaRue tactical and start accumulating ammo for a class. Once the rifle arrives, start training.

  9. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by MistWolf View Post
    Ammo Before Accessories. Shoot Before Customizing
    This is my thought on the matter. A 6920, sling, some mags, and a couple cases of ammo will put you ahead of the game. Id rather do that than buy just a rifle for $2k With all this panic and hysteria I am starting to think in terms of ammo instead of dollars.

  10. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by kmrtnsn View Post
    Building when parts are scarce and prices are elevated is not a good idea. Your costs are going to outweigh any benefit from building. Contrary to popular opinion, you are never, ever, going to save any money building over buying.
    If you can truly buy a complete rifle a lot cheaper then I agree. But he did say when prices come down. But yeah, if you can get a great price buying a complete rifle, by all means, do it. You can always take it apart and put it back together to learn how the parts operate.

    ... and the parts you replace are never worth zero. You can always get some money for them.

    Taxes on a complete prebuilt are going to add a significant bit as well.
    Last edited by tb-av; 12-25-12 at 14:46.

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