I build every time. Nobody sells what I build up.
If you know what furniture you want and any other preferences, you might look to see if you can find something close but if you want a truly accurate rifle you are going to want to spend extra money on your barrel, a good free float handguard system and a decent trigger. You might be able to find something accurate but it won't be cheap.
It's hard to find accuracy with value off the shelf because usually manufacturers have limited choices for where the parts come from.
Building you can choose best of class and high value parts from anywhere. On an AR15 incompatibility is fairly rare, things usually fall together. On an LR308 or other large frame AR, incompatibility is more common so more care needs to be taken in parts selection or else you'll need to be doing more than just basic assembly.
If you know what shots you are going to take and what ammo you want to use, you can figure out what barrel twist and chamber you want. Start there and then figure out what you would build.
If you know what furniture you want and any other preferences, you might look to see if you can find something close but if you want a truly accurate rifle you are going to want to spend extra money on your barrel, a good free float handguard system and a decent trigger. You might be able to find something accurate but it won't be cheap.
It's hard to find accuracy with value off the shelf because usually manufacturers have limited choices for where the parts come from.
Building you can choose best of class and high value parts from anywhere. On an AR15 incompatibility is fairly rare, things usually fall together. On an LR308 or other large frame AR, incompatibility is more common so more care needs to be taken in parts selection or else you'll need to be doing more than just basic assembly.
If you know what shots you are going to take and what ammo you want to use, you can figure out what barrel twist and chamber you want. Start there and then figure out what you would build.
Likes:
Potss
I have a Rock River upper with a heavy stainless barrel and it is sub MOA with the right ammo. If you do a little research you will find a lot of people who are getting very good accuracy from these uppers (and the varmint upper). I would pay some attention to twist rate. If you're planning on shooting 75gr and 77gr bullets, you're going to want a 1:7 or 1:8 twist rate. Lighter, varmint type bullets are going to do better with a slower twist rate.
To me, the best compromise is to buy a good upper and put together your own lower. The parts you're going to want to swap out are mostly on the lower (assuming your upper has a good barrel and is free floated). So you'll want to upgrade your trigger (LaRue or Geissele), probably upgrade your stock, maybe swap out your pistol grip, play around with spring and buffer, etc. And lowers are pretty easy to put together.
Or you can go out and spend a bunch of money on a GAP, LaRue, JP, etc. and get a rifle that you know will be a tack driver.
And finally, be sure to leave a good chunk of money for a decent optic. How much magnification you need will be governed by the type and distance of the shooting you're doing. But you will want something with decent glass and, most importantly, that tracks well.
To me, the best compromise is to buy a good upper and put together your own lower. The parts you're going to want to swap out are mostly on the lower (assuming your upper has a good barrel and is free floated). So you'll want to upgrade your trigger (LaRue or Geissele), probably upgrade your stock, maybe swap out your pistol grip, play around with spring and buffer, etc. And lowers are pretty easy to put together.
Or you can go out and spend a bunch of money on a GAP, LaRue, JP, etc. and get a rifle that you know will be a tack driver.
And finally, be sure to leave a good chunk of money for a decent optic. How much magnification you need will be governed by the type and distance of the shooting you're doing. But you will want something with decent glass and, most importantly, that tracks well.
In my experience, builds usually have much less resale. So if you're gonna keep it forever, then that's a non-issue. But otherwise, I'd find the best value I could in a factory rifle and go with it. I've owned RRA before and been very pleased. Never built one, but I'm sure you can build a decent rifle on the cheap if you keep an eye out for sales on top-grade components.
So, this isn't a AR 15?
https://www.rockriverarms.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_ID=78
https://www.rockriverarms.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_ID=78
When you look at the economics of build vs buy, a build might very well have worse resale. A $900 build might only sell for $500 while a $1,200 factory rifle might sell for $800. By percentage, the build is doing worse but the up front cost is less and the total loss is the same.
Maybe I know some unusual people but everyone I know who buys a factory AR can't leave it alone unless it's a KAC or something, so if you're going to be honest about the economics, you should include the upgrades.
If you already know what you like, the upgrades are already baked in to the price of a build.
Maybe I know some unusual people but everyone I know who buys a factory AR can't leave it alone unless it's a KAC or something, so if you're going to be honest about the economics, you should include the upgrades.
If you already know what you like, the upgrades are already baked in to the price of a build.
I got the armalite a2 stock flat top 20" bull barrel.
https://www.armalite.com/product/15a4tbn-m15-20-target-rifle/
Because I'm in Cali they had to swap out the M15 receiver for the SPR-1.
I don't know enough about ARs to tell the difference.
Here's 5 shots of American Gunner at 100 in 3 holes in a nickel:
https://www.armalite.com/product/15a4tbn-m15-20-target-rifle/
Because I'm in Cali they had to swap out the M15 receiver for the SPR-1.
I don't know enough about ARs to tell the difference.
Here's 5 shots of American Gunner at 100 in 3 holes in a nickel:
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Not sure how you can have experience with this but have never built a rifle. The issue is most people are trying to sell their Franken-gun with budget parts for the same price you can buy a decent factory gun. That or they are trying to recover $2000 of tacticool purchases on an overbuilt gun. If you know what you are doing and where to spend your money it’s not hard to build a sub MOA gun for a fraction of the cost of a sub MOA factory gun. And if you do it right it shouldn’t be hard to sell it if you want to.
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Shifty6BR
Ehh. Saying built ARs don’t have resale value is like saying you can’t flip a house and make money. Sure if you buy the wrong crap and spend too much money that didn’t need to get spent you will end up in the hole. If you have the small knowledge it takes to build an ar and buy smart and spend where it matters you will come out on top building every time.
I agree on building your own. Once you've owned an AR for a while, you start to swap out the stock parts. You upgrade the trigger. You change the stock. Maybe you change the buffer and buffer spring. Or you change the bolt. If you then get a second AR (maybe an SBR this time, or something you're going to use exclusively for long range shooting), why spend $$ on stock parts that you know you are going to eventually toss? And, if you've made relatively smart choices, when you go to sell it someone else who also knows their way around an AR will pay for more your gun.
Besides, unless you are a buying a gun as an investment, your primary concern should be ending up with an AR that works for you and that you enjoy shooting.
Besides, unless you are a buying a gun as an investment, your primary concern should be ending up with an AR that works for you and that you enjoy shooting.
I have two Stag Model 6 Super Varminters, which are no longer sold, but are essentially identical to the current Stag 15 Varminter, with the exception of the fixed Magpul stock on the latter. They are excellent for F T/R 600yd as well as varmints.
The range rifle uses a Mueller 8-32x44, and the Varmint gun uses a Weaver V-24 Classic.
These lowers are also used in conjunction with three 16" Uppers, where the two-stage target triggers are a big plus.
The original Model 6 rifles are already configured well for their intended use, and have the additional advantage of being a refined, proven, and waranteed system; they need very little added. All I have put on them is a pair of Magpul BAD Levers, and a Luth AR MBA-1 stock; which is an outstanding addition.
Greg
The range rifle uses a Mueller 8-32x44, and the Varmint gun uses a Weaver V-24 Classic.
These lowers are also used in conjunction with three 16" Uppers, where the two-stage target triggers are a big plus.
The original Model 6 rifles are already configured well for their intended use, and have the additional advantage of being a refined, proven, and waranteed system; they need very little added. All I have put on them is a pair of Magpul BAD Levers, and a Luth AR MBA-1 stock; which is an outstanding addition.
Greg
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