# My AR Delima



## ReidRH (Feb 1, 2010)

*I Want to Build My Own AR, My Delima is Not Being Ex Military and Never Owning an AR, I Know Next to Nothing about one. Yes I have Looked till I have Blisters on My Eyes at Guns, Parts , Accessaries and Websites of every Description and I am Still at a Standstill Because I Do Not KNOW Which Guns are the Most Reliable but also the Most Reasonable for the Money. I Know they have Gone WAY up in Price If You can Even find one. I saw one the other day this guy had for sale that Was a 567 dollar gun before all of this Stupidity started He wanted nearly 1900 dollars for it! I will not get ripped by a Crook but I want a Good Rifle when I do get it. I looked at Daniel Defence but by the time I got my kit together it was Rediculously Priced too. I would like to get a kit to build a complete rifle but I am Leery about them and have heard some horror stories. What barrel length, Rifling, Caliber, and ammo availability are just a few of my concerns. Any suggestions?*


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## sneakygroundbuzzard (Nov 1, 2012)

i have a DPMS ORACLE with a 16" barrel(i believe),5.56/.223.dont remember what the twist is off hand

very accurate so far

i talked to an ex NAVY SEAL ONE DAY AT GANDER MTN,he said ammo choice is more imprtant than barrel length,also to get a great(not good,but great trigger)installed in it,so i am looking into them now

i wanted and like DPMS becasue they are built right here in the town i live

but like everything else,best for you can only be decided by you


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## prairiewolf (Feb 19, 2012)

try this link:
http://www.model1sales.com/


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

or here:

http://www.jsesurplus.com/completefactoryar15upper.aspx

These guys have some really great deals at times. they may post a deal and only have a few, so timing is key. Just know what you want and be ready to buy if you see it.

I'd look for a 1-8 twist and stay away from the really heavy barrels, they look cool but make the gun heavy as heck.


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## Scotty D. (Feb 23, 2012)

+1 on the Model 1 Sales....My AR was pieced together from there--it was extremely accurate... I recommend the ER Shaw uppers & a match trigger (Timney or RRA)


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## ReidRH (Feb 1, 2010)

Thanks for the Help Guys, Most of the folks I have talked to Can't get the Parts or dont have them in stock! I know hindsight is 20/20 but I sure wish I had Gone ahead and got serious Before all the Hoopla Happened and Prices Skyrocketed! I looked Real hard at the DPMS but the Local Gun Shop Owner Talked me out of that. I will most Likely be Blind and Bald Headed Next time any of yall see me from Looking But I Will Find One I want Eventually!!


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## sneakygroundbuzzard (Nov 1, 2012)

How/why did he talk you out of it?


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## JTKillough (May 4, 2010)

I run a DPMS sportical without issue...sub MOA but I put some stuff into it. Rule #1, drop in a good trigger. I have a 3 lbs.Timney drop in and love it, as do most shooters that have shot it. Well worth the money in the accuracy department. Also a comfortable stock set. You will want a flat top reciever for optics options, and you could always put a removable handle there, but why? You can still get a good deal here and there, most manufacturers are still at the same price. Problem is that most shop owners are taking advantage to the recent decline in stock-piles and jacking us around for more $. As stated above, the DPMS Oracle is a good rifle. It has what most shooters would want. You can get a good DPMS upper and lower then drop in whatever you desire, you should be able to get one done on a budget of $600 (with stock mil-spec triger) I would think, minus the single stage trigger. Most SS triggers run about $200 themselves, but that could come later.


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## ReidRH (Feb 1, 2010)

sneakygroundbuzzard said:


> How/why did he talk you out of it?


I went in to get some perspective from him on an AR, Without knowing very much I was depending on this guy to Give me some solid advice. He is an OK Guy and a lot of Guys I know do Business with him, Well after telling me How Sorry Every Brand Name AR I could think of was Eventually I figured out he is not a fan of the AR Platform. So I Put off Buying because of the Negative things He told me. I know all guns have good and bad, All I want is a Solid Weapon that is Dependable and Will Shoot a couple hundred yards if needed. Around here that is about all the distance you can see anyway unless you are in an open Cattle field.


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## sneakygroundbuzzard (Nov 1, 2012)

well i am more than happy with my DPMS PANTHER ARMS ORACLE AR-15

will probably be even happier once i get the trigger done up,but evn now it shoots very nice,but havent shot it past 100yds as of yet

but no doubt in my mind that it will be fine out to 200yds plus right now,and a smoother trigger will make it even better.

personally i never take that much advise from folks at the gun stores

i do my own research,and ask folks on dedicated hunting and gun sites with questions i have.

there are several web sites dedicated to AR platforms,i got a lot of info there just from reading the past posts,when i was looking to buy.

some folks had high praise for the dpms some didnt,once again it comes down personal preferance.i cant speak on other brands as i dont own any others right now,but my next choice would be a RRA(rock river arms) once i can afford it.

good luck and remeber,get what you like not what others like.thats the only way you will be happy with your choice


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## bnkr244 (Dec 29, 2011)

I was never a fan of ARs, I was going to build a custom bolt gun in .204. After one of my buddy's that is an AR guy told me how great they are I started doing some reading. I ended up putting together a custom AR15 with all different parts. I tried to stay with the best of the best parts. Ended up costing quite a bit more than I planned. My best shooting with it has been 375 yards with a 1.5" group. I was very impressed. BTW my AR is a .204 instead of .223. The only thing different to make it .204 is the barrel. There are tons of options when building one of these guns. I am not an AR nut. I believe I could have made a gun just as accurate for a few hundred less knowing what I know now. I really like bolt action rifles but now that I made my AR i wont get rid of it. Pretty awesome gun.

Most or all AR15 parts are "mil-spec" which means they all will fit together because they are made to the same tolerances. IF your interested in putting your own together. It is pretty simple. There is a ton of info on them and they may seem complex but after some reading it is a breeze. ARs are very accurate, or at least can be. You basically break it up into your upper receiver and lower receiver. The upper receiver has the barrel connected to it and your bolt and bolt carrier in it. The lower receiver has your trigger group, magazine well and stock on it. There are 2 pins that hold your upper and lower receivers together. And in a nutshell thats your AR15. Buying a whole gun is the more common option. I think that most brand ARs are good. If theres something on it you don't like its easy to set it up how you want. AS was already mentioned a good trigger is a important to accuracy. Good barrels are not very expensive either and easy to change. I can help you if you have any other questions, I am by no means an expert but i did become fairly familiar with AR 15s during my build and several friends have built them as well.


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## fr3db3ar (Aug 6, 2011)

Definitely nothing wrong with DPMS. I have the Oracle in 308 and it shoots great. one of the guys on another forum just picked up a Sportical in 223 for less than $600 at his LGS. they are out there


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## ReidRH (Feb 1, 2010)

bnkr244 said:


> I was never a fan of ARs, I was going to build a custom bolt gun in .204. After one of my buddy's that is an AR guy told me how great they are I started doing some reading. I ended up putting together a custom AR15 with all different parts. I tried to stay with the best of the best parts. Ended up costing quite a bit more than I planned. My best shooting with it has been 375 yards with a 1.5" group. I was very impressed. BTW my AR is a .204 instead of .223. The only thing different to make it .204 is the barrel. There are tons of options when building one of these guns. I am not an AR nut. I believe I could have made a gun just as accurate for a few hundred less knowing what I know now. I really like bolt action rifles but now that I made my AR i wont get rid of it. Pretty awesome gun.
> 
> Most or all AR15 parts are "mil-spec" which means they all will fit together because they are made to the same tolerances. IF your interested in putting your own together. It is pretty simple. There is a ton of info on them and they may seem complex but after some reading it is a breeze. ARs are very accurate, or at least can be. You basically break it up into your upper receiver and lower receiver. The upper receiver has the barrel connected to it and your bolt and bolt carrier in it. The lower receiver has your trigger group, magazine well and stock on it. There are 2 pins that hold your upper and lower receivers together. And in a nutshell thats your AR15. Buying a whole gun is the more common option. I think that most brand ARs are good. If theres something on it you don't like its easy to set it up how you want. AS was already mentioned a good trigger is a important to accuracy. Good barrels are not very expensive either and easy to change. I can help you if you have any other questions, I am by no means an expert but i did become fairly familiar with AR 15s during my build and several friends have built them as well.


The main Reason for my wanting to build instead fo buy was to familiarize myself with the gun from top to bottom, Inside and out I have a blue print and parts breakdown that I have studied extensively so I do not think it will be a problem for me to get it done. Does the lower have to be shipped to a ffl dealer?


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## fr3db3ar (Aug 6, 2011)

Yes. The lower has the serial # on it and is the part that is considered "the gun"


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## Scotty D. (Feb 23, 2012)

Yeah--what Fred said....Uppers (& everything else) will come right to your door via UPS, FedEx, etc...


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## ReidRH (Feb 1, 2010)

fr3db3ar said:


> Yes. The lower has the serial # on it and is the part that is considered "the gun"


Well I guess my Next step is to contact a local ffl dealer and get what info i can out of him on how to accomplish this! Thanks for the help Guys!


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## bnkr244 (Dec 29, 2011)

Yea all AR parts are scarce now. If you have a local machine shop you can buy an 80% lower receiver and have them mill it out. They are a little cheaper than a finished lower receiver. An 80% receiver is legal where I am, I believe you have to have the serial number assigned to you for it by the ATF or something but as it stands when you get it, it is nothing more than a paperweight and can be shipped right to your door. Look into the paperwork side of it but from what I have heard its fairly easy. The only thing left to be machined is the trigger pocket, it is not a difficult job for a machine shop or anyone with a milling machine.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

+1 On DPMS being an OK upper


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## ReidRH (Feb 1, 2010)

I had a Chance to get a DPMS rifle Complete with a couple hundred rounds and 4 30 round Clips but I felt the Guy was trying to Rip me, Back to the Drawing Board!


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## airman (Mar 10, 2013)

You can still get a colt m4 le6920 at walmart for around 1100 bucks, you just have to be there when they come in the store as they usually don't last more than an hour or so. That is where I purchased mine and installed an aimpoint pro red dot sight and a Wilson combat 3gun trigger and the whole package cost me right at 1800 dollars. I knew nothing about the ar platform before I got this gun, but it has been 100 percent reliable and very accurate. So far I have killed a red fox and a doe with it and it is a blast to shoot. Ammo is kind of hard to get right now but hopefully will get easier. I reload which helps but reloading components are hard to get right now also. Good luck which ever way you go just get one while you still can as they are a blast to shoot.


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## 4Cody4 (Dec 24, 2012)

There are lowers out there available right now. The gun shop near my office has SEVERAL lowers including complete lowers, as well as many complete rifles.


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## sneakygroundbuzzard (Nov 1, 2012)

My local scheels has several ar's currently
A couple differant styles of dpms,and some rra,and another brand.I just can't remember what it is.
It seems the frenzy on them is over locally.prices for the rifles and mags have come down slightly,and more seem to be available.


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## Not_Fur_Friendly (Feb 23, 2012)

sneakygroundbuzzard said:


> My local scheels has several ar's currently
> A couple differant styles of dpms,and some rra,and another brand.I just can't remember what it is.
> It seems the frenzy on them is over locally.prices for the rifles and mags have come down slightly,and more seem to be available.


So the problem isn't finding the parts or whole rifles, its the ammo.....if you weren't stocked up before the panic buys, good luck getting anything now. And, I feel its gonna stay that way till it can be taxed heavily and back ground checks are installed for every state. JMO.


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## 4Cody4 (Dec 24, 2012)

Lets hope not


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## prairiewolf (Feb 19, 2012)

It sure is "funny" how no AR's were around but as soon as the restrictions on them and mags got dropped they are back, and like said above as soon as something is settled on the rest of the gun bill everything will be back except what the law abiding customer pays !!!! IT"S NOT ONLY THE POLITICANS !!!!!!!! GREED IS IN THERE ALSO.


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## 4Cody4 (Dec 24, 2012)

I agree PW, it's a shame that the supply and demand in this market don't always directly correlate. 

Specially cuz I could use a crap load of bullets


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## JTKillough (May 4, 2010)

I did a phone search this morning for some reload stuff. It's pretty meager pickin's. Forget bullets of the .224 variety. Some powder, but the old stand-by's are non existent. Military reload dies such as .223 or 7.62 are gone. Even my go to shops that most people never even heard of are wiped out. If you didn't cache and stash, you are in the hurt. If you have some goodies, hold on to them. Hell, I may have to cut back the range time...... :gunshooting:


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## ReidRH (Feb 1, 2010)

prairiewolf said:


> It sure is "funny" how no AR's were around but as soon as the restrictions on them and mags got dropped they are back, and like said above as soon as something is settled on the rest of the gun bill everything will be back except what the law abiding customer pays !!!! IT"S NOT ONLY THE POLITICANS !!!!!!!! GREED IS IN THERE ALSO.


I agree man They are Charging Double and Sometimes 3 times the Price, This guy bought the Dpms at

Wal Mart, well I looked at them several times Before all the Stupidity, Out the Door $567 This guy told me he bought it just before all the STUPIDITY Then told me he wouldn't Take any less than 1500, I said NO THANKS Keep It, and Told him he was just Greedy!


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## ReidRH (Feb 1, 2010)

JTKillough said:


> I did a phone search this morning for some reload stuff. It's pretty meager pickin's. Forget bullets of the .224 variety. Some powder, but the old stand-by's are non existent. Military reload dies such as .223 or 7.62 are gone. Even my go to shops that most people never even heard of are wiped out. If you didn't cache and stash, you are in the hurt. If you have some goodies, hold on to them. Hell, I may have to cut back the range time...... :gunshooting:


I have an SKS but Really Want an AR and I WILL Get One Eventually I just cannot Stand the Thought of Some Jackleg taking advantage of People and I will tell them so when i feel this is happening! I can get the 7.62x39 fairly reasonable here at home but I usually Order Mine.


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## 220swift (Mar 2, 2011)

what are you paying for the 7.62X39?


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## JTKillough (May 4, 2010)

I have plenty of the steel case berdan, I was looking to try some reloads in it to see what it could do. But be darned if I can get the dies.


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

Are you looking for a standard 2 die set JT ?


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## JTKillough (May 4, 2010)

Yeah, just the standard 2 die in 7.62X39


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## youngdon (Mar 10, 2010)

I'll keep an eye out for a set.


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## ReidRH (Feb 1, 2010)

220swift said:


> what are you paying for the 7.62X39?


Not sure what I paid for the last ones I bought, I am Thinking about $5.25 or so Brown Bear I am not real sure about What Brand name is the Best on the 7.62 x 39 ammo any preferences or suggestions.


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