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Thread: Building vs buying Complete...

  1. #1
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    Building vs buying Complete...

    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.

  2. #2
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    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.

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    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.
    Last edited by amd5007; 12-21-10 at 11:56.

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    Quote Originally Posted by amd5007 View Post
    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.
    Last edited by ColtJ; 12-21-10 at 12:14.

  5. #5
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    ColtJ, absolutely nothing wrong with buying a 6920.
    You don't need to look back and wonder.
    former cat herder

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    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!

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    Quote Originally Posted by ColtJ View Post

    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.
    Last edited by SA80Dan; 12-21-10 at 13:14.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by ColtJ View Post
    .........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)....
    =============================
    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?

    .

  9. #9
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    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

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by SA80Dan View Post
    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.

    Quote Originally Posted by ucrt View Post
    =============================
    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.
    Last edited by ColtJ; 12-21-10 at 13:36.

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