Advice on building first AR

[grousemaster]

For length, 16" is probably best for your yardages. With the most choices for barrels. I would avoid 1/9 twist and go with 1/7 in this length. With 14.5" you need to pin the muzzle device which limits future handguard changes. 18" is a good length for precision shooting. Easier to find with 1/8 twist and Wylde chamber if that is important.

Forget about matching upper lower for resale. In a high buck build sure, but for a good budget shooter put any optional dough into a quality barrel. You can always sell the upper and lower separately if you want to upgrade in future.

My 14.5" Korstog has a small enough radius on the muzzle device that you can swap out gas block, hand guard, etc. without issue.

[shooter115]

The PTAC is PSA's lower quality in house brand. The BCG for instance is all 8620 steel. Not saying they don't represent a good buy or that they won't work, but there is a difference. PSA sells about 5 different bolts in varying degrees of quality and are priced accordingly

The "premium" and "duty ready" labeled parts at PSA are pretty dang good from what I've seen. I've also used several of their Lowers and LPK's now and have never been dissapointed.

[grousemaster]

The PTAC is PSA's lower quality in house brand. The BCG for instance is all 8620 steel. Not saying they don't represent a good buy or that they won't work, but there is a difference. PSA sells about 5 different bolts in varying degrees of quality and are priced accordingly

The "premium" and "duty ready" labeled parts at PSA are pretty dang good from what I've seen. I've also used several of their Lowers and LPK's now and have never been dissapointed.

Bingo. If it isn't a duty weapon or you're on a budget it will work. I'm curious if these PTAC bores really are melonite lined....seems strange for a budget upper.

[Thunder71]

I prefer the idea of buying your first one, then build your second based on what you know you like/don't like, unless you're lucky and have lots of friends with different AR builds that you can base your own opinion off of.

At least that way you can shoot one while going through the process of acquiring the parts.

[BigDog58]

Thanks for the great advice everyone. I think I will take Oldman up on the loaner upper while I collect my components for the upper. I have everything for the lower in hand. I have a stripped Striker Punisher Lower a CMMG Lower kit including trigger. I also have the buffer tube, buffer and buffer epring that I got from another board member and it's all Mil-Spec.

I do have a forward handguard but I don't believe it's going to work. From what I've seen, I want one around 12" - 14" with ability to ad or remove rails. I will also want to go with a flat top and plan to put a 3x9 scope on it and aux iron sight on a 45° offset. I think I also want a forward T handle.
I also want a 1-7 or 1-8 barrel in chromeolly or stainless.

SigP240 says he has all the tools and will come over and help direct me as I build the lower and upper. Which I always bow to experience.

As for the barrel, I want one capable of shooting 5.56 or .223. What is a Wylde you all mentioned? Is there any particular barrel to stay away from? Who would you suggest I get my barrel from and particular brand, remembering I am on an EXTREMELY tight budget.

Thanks again

[farmerj]

Some of your questions lend to why you are being suggested to buy your first rifle.


Wylde is a chamber cutting that better works for thw 5.56 and .223 chambers.

There is a slight enough difference (namely in pressure) that you shouldn't fire 5.56 in the .223 chamber.


And that'll start the battle on how they are and are not the same chamberings.

[Hmac]

Some of your questions lend to why you are being suggested to buy your first rifle.

Exactly.

And that'll start the battle on how they are and are not the same chamberings.

That's controversial?

[BigDog58]

I did know enough that if I were ordering my barrel seperately, I would insist it be chambered to shoot both 5.56 & .223. I just had not come across the term "Wylde" in my searching. I'm leaning toward buying a completed upper because I have seen some very good pricing lately. I'm not in a hurry so I may wait to see what happens when the Black Friday sales occur (as one poster suggested). I'm also thinking of either trading my nearly new Glock 21SF for a comlplete upper, whole gun, or sell my pistol to finance the purchase of an upper sooner.

Decisions decisions

[Hmac]

I did know enough that if I were ordering my barrel seperately, I would insist it be chambered to shoot both 5.56 & .223. I just had not come across the term "Wylde" in my searching. I'm leaning toward buying a completed upper because I have seen some very good pricing lately. I'm not in a hurry so I may wait to see what happens when the Black Friday sales occur (as one poster suggested). I'm also thinking of either trading my nearly new Glock 21SF for a comlplete upper, whole gun, or sell my pistol to finance the purchase of an upper sooner.

Decisions decisions

At the risk of opening another can of worms, let me caution about quality vs price. People sometimes talk about "paying for the name" but I don't think that happens much. I think you're paying for things like how often they replace the tooling, their QA process (some mfgrs spec every piece, some batch test), and the quality of the component parts (China is actually importing AR15 parts these days). Barrels or uppers from Damiel Defense, Noveske, BCM, Rainier have better reputations among people who push their rifles hard on a regular basis. I'd start there (did start there) if I were doing it, but it does cost more.

[codilly]

I will say before you assemble your lower, decide if the standard trigger guard is what you want, the bolt release is what you want and if you want an end plate with sling mounts or not.
I am also a huge fan of Palmetto and feel their value for the price can not be touched by anyone out there. I picked this upper up for under $500 shipped when it was on sale http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.ph ... andle.html