{"id":38964,"date":"2015-06-30T12:33:13","date_gmt":"2015-06-30T16:33:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/blog\/?p=38964"},"modified":"2015-06-30T12:33:13","modified_gmt":"2023-08-18T20:05:15","slug":"build-an-ar-15-step-by-step-series-introduction","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/build-an-ar-15-step-by-step-series-introduction\/","title":{"rendered":"Build an AR-15: Step by Step–Series Introduction"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"I'm<\/a>

I’m 6’4″, and have issues with short rifles. My first attempts at building an AR were designed to build a gun that fit my height.<\/p><\/div>\n

Most of us who own AR-15s buy rifles off the shelf. That shouldn’t be a surprise. There are more than 200 companies making ARs today. With the vast array of available models, most shooters can typically find a rifle that fits all of his or her needs.<\/p>\n

But I have yet to meet anyone who is serious about black rifles who hasn’t at least expressed a desire to build an AR from scratch. You don’t need to be a gunsmith. You don’t even have to be all-that-handy. The parts are designed around the concept of modularity, which means you can put them together like you would a model airplane–only with less messy glue. I asked a friend who has built guns about the experience and he swers its so easy that he could teach a seven year old to do it.<\/p>\n

But why would you want to? And what will you need to do it? GunsAmerica News and Reviews will be covering it all in the coming weeks. This will be the first in a series of articles that will take the build process from the ground up, and today we’re looking at the first in what will be a long list of important concepts.<\/p>\n

Why build your own AR?<\/h2>\n

Cost:<\/strong> Some are looking for an economical way to build a rifle. This makes sense. If you don’t have enough money to buy a complete rifle, but have the patience to spend smaller amounts over a longer time, you can end up with a complete gun. But beware–it will likely cost you more to build your own. You may not have to pony up all at once, but you will likely spend more over the long haul.<\/p>\n

Why is that? Rifle companies build their own parts or buy in bulk. Think quantity discounts. Even when you see shockingly low prices on some parts from a retailer (like a striped lower that’s a steal), you will find that the other parts may not be such a bargain.<\/p>\n

Still–I know this lay-away strategy all too well. I’m not going to admit to being deceitful, but I will say that someone significant may notice the sudden dent that a nice AR is going to put in your shared bank account. But if you spread those costs out over time, then you don’t draw so much attention to the purchase, and you have something to tinker with in the meantime.<\/p>\n

If you’re just looking for an entry level rifle, though, the build-your-own, do-it-yourself approach may be ludicrous. Click on the link below to see exactly what I mean.<\/p>\n

Buy a Complete AR-15 on GunsAmerica: \/AR-15<\/a><\/p>\n

\"You<\/a>

You can monkey with an existing rifle by rebuilding it with new parts, or you can by all new parts and build from the ground up. Either way, you should be able to build a rifle that does exactly what you want it to.<\/p><\/div>\n

Customization:<\/strong> There are very few guns that can be customized in half the number of ways the AR can. The 1911 comes to mind. The Remington 870, maybe. But the AR is really its own animal. This may seem odd when you think about the rifle’s origins. Rifles issued to armies are usually very similar. They are supposed to be exactly the same; it makes maintaining the guns, and training with them much easier. In the civilian world, though, we use the AR’s modularity to fit parts that fit us. And we change everything. EVERYTHING.<\/p>\n

Bigger, better, longer, thinner, lighter–each of us have different needs, and the AR can be tailored to fit those needs. Need a long range rifle? The AR can do that. Want one that weighs 6 pounds? No problem. Need something that will fold up to fit in a briefcase? You see where this is going.<\/p>\n

\"Once<\/a>

Once you get a handle on the basics, you may want to mill your own lower. We’re building one now.<\/p><\/div>\n

Expertise:<\/strong> With so many models and variants available, most of which are priced competitively, can’t you just find one off the shelf that meets your needs? Usually. But you would be giving up the experience you gain from doing the assembly yourself. What will you do when you are in the field and your rifle stops working? First you have to diagnose what’s wrong. Then you have to fix it. If you’re lucky enough to have built a rifle from the ground up, and you have a few common parts and tools on hand, you will likely be able to fix the problem.<\/p>\n

We’re going to break it down. And while we’re putting together this series, we’re going to be building a couple of rifles.<\/p>\n

How to Build an AR-15:<\/h2>\n