Inexpensive AR Kit

[pbwalker]

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=643057" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Looking for an inexpensive AR? Can't beat $494 for everything but the lower. I ordered one and it's on backorder until 4/19, which will give me some time to pick up another lower.

With the other AR I am building, that will become my tack driver...this one is going to be my varmint / truck gun.

[lrb111]

Really cool. I just picked up some lowers for a couple of builds. This maybe one of them.

[gigag04]

Good luck with the build. I'd be curious to hear how it all comes together...I have a bad taste in my mouth from some of the "better values" out there in the AR market but this may turn out better.

Optics?

[cajunautoxer]

If your looking for a trunk gun get a CMMG bargin bin AR. You can't beat the price. For $600 you can't build one for that price. They have been doing this for a couple of years now and I have yet read someone complaining about the rifle. If your okay with a scratch or two this is the way to go.

As far as varmit rifle I just picked up a DPMS 24" bull barrel. I don't know if 16" would be enough IMO. Now CMMG sometimes have 20" rifles for sale in the bargin bin. The problem is that its not very often.

If you want to just buy an upper look at AIMSurplus.com. They sell CMMG uppers for $50 more than the DMPS. I'd go with the 20".

All this of course IMO so take it for what it's worth

[TDDude]

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=643057

Looking for an inexpensive AR? Can't beat $494 for everything but the lower. I ordered one and it's on backorder until 4/19, which will give me some time to pick up another lower.

With the other AR I am building, that will become my tack driver...this one is going to be my varmint / truck gun.

Just realize that there aren't any sights in that kit and you'll need to budget for them. That can easily add another $100.00

Still a good deal though.

[karl]

Got my complete CMMG upper from Operator's Edge for $485.

[jeeperbryan]

Hey PBWalker, since it's backordered you might consider some of the other companies that make kits. Noticed that the handguards on that kit look extremely cheap and the upper doesn't have a forward assist. IMHO, for $494 there are much, much better kits for the money. Especially if it's gonna be a truck gun.

You should check out Del-Ton or Model 1 Sales. They have kits starting at $465 and you can customize as you like. Also, the upper will be fully assembled, headspaced, and test fired for you. The CMMG bargain bin is also a great deal.

The other thing I'd recommend is getting an A2 upper for a truck gun. Three reasons: 1) You don't have to buy BUIS and optics. 2) You don't have to worry about breaking optics. 3) Keep It Simple Stupid

[PeteCamp]

pbwalker ... I'm going to second the comment by jeeperbryan. That is not only an inexpensive kit - it is a cheap kit. I can only recommend that you keep shopping. There have been some good bargains mentioned already. You are going to have to spend around $250 (sights, lower, mag) to finish it. $800 give or take. I have seen some of those upper receivers and they are really cheap. If you decide to go ahead, I hope it works out for you.

Belay that $800 figure. I just realized you are going to have to build not only the lower, but the upper as well. Do you have an armorer's wrench, headspace gauges, and punches? Add those to the cost. Anyone can build an upper (and lower) but it is fairly critical that it is done right. This is not a bargain.

[gigag04]

Belay that $800 figure. I just realized you are going to have to build not only the lower, but the upper as well. Do you have an armorer's wrench, headspace gauges, and punches? Add those to the cost. Anyone can build an upper (and lower) but it is fairly critical that it is done right. This is not a bargain.

Yeah...and time.

You can get a RRA entry tactical for $900 something at Champion's Firearms in College Station. That is my gauge on value. It is a solid, high quality flat top with a 6-position stock.

IMO the value bin is something to look at.

[jeeperbryan]

Thinking about this last night got me antsy. PB, you gotta cancel the order if you can. I'd consider it a blessing that it's on backorder.

If you really want feedback on the kit, post it on AR15.com. Just be prepared to be bashed. I remember another guy that posted his DPMS lo-pro upper build and people ripped him a new one. Not everyone on Arfcom are elitist and only shoot the top of the line stuff. But they'll let you know pretty quickly what is, and what isn't a good deal.

[The Annoyed Man]

As far as varmit rifle I just picked up a DPMS 24" bull barrel. I don't know if 16" would be enough IMO.

The main value of the longer barrel is higher velocity, and possibly another 50-100 yards of range. The 16" bull barrel from DPMS will be just as accurate as a 20" or 24" bull barrel from DPMS, given the same twist rate — maybe more accurate since the shorter barrel is actually stiffer than the longer barrel. The whole point of bull barrels is stiffness, and stiffness is the result of thickness to length ratio. Even a really fat barrel becomes less stiff the longer it gets, so it does not follow that a longer barrel is more accurate than a shorter barrel. And indeed, the only reason a longer barrel is preferable in 1,000 yard competitions is because it gives more time for powder to burn and develop the velocity which will carry a bullet at extremely long ranges. This is why many tactical bolt rifles designed for urban sniping only have a 20" heavy barrel. They don't need the range, but they do need the accuracy.

We have a 16" DPMS bull barreled "low-pro" upper laying on a shelf. My son bought it for a carbine he was building, and set it aside for an HBAR barreled upper he purchased later because he was unhappy with the forward weight bias of the carbine with the bull barrel on it. That said, it was extraordinarily accurate, even when mated to a standard DPMS lower using the standard DPMS parts kit with a standard trigger.

My son and I also own 24" barreled varmint rifles, and they both shoot well. My son's is a RRA 24" Stainless varminter, and he has shot 5 rounds into .25" at 100 yards with it before. He's let total strangers at the range try it out, and on their first attempts, they've shot the best group of their lives with it. The thing is truly magical, and it is the most accurate rifle in our safe. However, it also weighs more than any of our other rifles, including a couple of heavy barreled .308 bolt rifles, one of which has a 26" barrel. In short, it is not "handy," and it would make a terrible "truck gun." If an all around use truck gun is what you're looking for, compromising for a 16"-18" HBAR will make a much better all around use rifle, particularly if it is important to you to be able to mount any kind of flash suppressor. You'll still get pretty good accuracy, and the rifle will be much more fun to carry in the field, quicker to the shoulder (and sight picture), and just a lot easier to live with.

[pbwalker]

Thanks for all the feedback all! I canceled...

[MechAg94]

I like those bargain bin options if you don't already have an AR or have access to some of the tools. However, punch sets are cheap and so is a stock wrench. You can put together a lower without a lot of tools. I've heard the upper works better with some extra tools on hand. Uppers are easier to shop around for since they can be ordered over the internet.

That said, if you want a warranty option, go find a factory rifle.

[Drewthetexan]

The cheapest kits I've found yet come from Blackthorne Products. They ship a completely assembled, headspaced, and tested upper. Lower parts kit is DIY. I'm not sure about shipping costs, but they claim to be on the spot with shipping if they have the stuff in stock.

I had been looking at model 1 sales, but I've seen such horrible reviews about their customer service and they are saying it is 4-6 weeks before they ship. Their prices are about $100 more across the board on all their kits. Same with AR15-kits.com, mapartsinc.com, rangersales.com, but I'd suggest looking at these websites also for inexpensive builds.


As an aside, I'm looking at this kit in particular: 16" dissipator. Basically a carbine with rifle length handguards and longer site radius. They (most of the cheaper kits) call them dissipators, but the gas tube is still carbine length, just modified to fit under the handguards.

[Rex B]

+1 on CMMG Bargain Bin rifles.
Mine was like new, could not find a defect on it.

Model 1 sales comes to most all the gun shows locally.
They sell a 24" SS Bull upper for $375 out the door for cash.
No BCG or CH.

Delton sometimes runs specials on their complete M4 uppers. I got in on a group buy at $350 complete.
With a $65 lower, $50 LPK, $5 stock, I finally beat the CMMG BB deal.