kctaxman said:
Thanks for the info; I don't think its worth the trouble to build one to save $ 100; now $300 is huge.
My first choices are RRA & DPMS for the upper & lower; I can cut the cost by getting a standard stock.
Ok, some ideas from you with just a little bit of searching:
All prices are either from the EE at ar15.com or one of their vendors:
Complete DPMS lower with 6 position stock $255
Complete DPMS upper flat top barrel assembly with standard hand guards $460
Total $715 for your complete firearm minus magazines +shipping.
That's the easy way but as you can see, not much savings.
You can save $55 on the upper if you don't care about manufacturer (this is just the one vendor I looked at, others I'm sure could be even more savings).
You can save almost $100 just buying the upper and lower seperate (mine are RRA/DMPS respectively). You lose out on getting a magazine, but heck, you are probably going to buy a bunch more anyway, right?
Sorry, but I'm too lazy to go the priced out parts list.
I can tell you a lower will run you around $105 and the parts kit around $55 (DPMS/RRA) depending on where you go. From there you need to add your stock (buffer as well I would imagine). You could probably piece together the lower for $220 or so from what I'm seeing with a 4 or 6 position Telestock (running $50-70).
This is sticking only RRA and DPMS. If you were to really scrounge and be patient and watch the EE for specials, My guess is you could probably put the whole lower together for under $200.
Uppers seem to run right around $100 and up. Couple hundred for the barrel, add on the cost of the bolt, carrier and charging handle and (I'm assuming) standard hand guards. Another $100 or so for the bolt carrier assembly...hell, I'm not searching hard, but doesn't seem like me that you can even peice the damn upper out and save all that much money! Still gonna run you $400, give or take, for just the upper, bolt carrier and barrel.
You can get lower but if you really want to go RRA/DPMS the whole way that's what it's looking like to me. I just don't get it. The build freaks at AR15 swear you can build an AR for a heck of alot less than you can buy one complete, but I'm just not seeing a huge savings difference.
Maybe if you go the KIT route with
J&T or
Del-Ton...ahhhhhhhhhh...there we go!
Del-Ton's 16" M4 Rifle Kit runs $460. (You can add on from there...I played around and found I would probably add on about $125 for a total of $585). All you need to complete are the right tools and a stripped lower. As you wouldn't be going RRA/DPMS for much of anything on this rifle if you went this way, so it would probably run right around $100 for that. Total of $560 if you go bare bones with nothing else. Now THAT's some savings.
Now comes the tricky part. Do you really want the bare bones, no frills, stock AR15 M-4gery (mock of the military M-4)? Or do you want to put a free float (or not) rail system in place of the standard hand guard? How about a forward grip to go with that rail system (Can get really expensive fast)? What about that grip? I think the standard grip is crap...have a G27 (think that's what it's called...) on mine. Also, all of these kits, for the most part, are missing that fancy removable "carry handle" on the RRA you are looking at. That sucker is $100-120 by itself. Personally, I'd go for a BUIS (Back up Iron Site), but a good one again will run you approx $100. Do you really like the standard telestock? I don't...kind of eyeing a VLTOR telestock...and those dang things are EXPENSIVE!
I guess the point I'm making is that yes, you can build one for cheaper, but you will most likely end up paying about the same or more as a stock by the time you are customizing yours to your tastes. It's a disease, I tell ya!
So there you go!
