It’s time for my first AR

Got a $700-$800 budget for an AR. Going to build it. My boss has the vices and all the tools to put one together. I know some of what I want. I intend for this to be a target rifle. Thinking 20” heavy barrel (prefer stainless). No quad rail, but I like the key mod style hand guards. It will be a .223. Good trigger.

Can you build a sub moa rifle length AR like I want for under $800? That doesn’t include optics.

I think you can, based on the fact that for half that much you can buy an assembled upper and lower. Surely your budget has enough room for a better barrel and trigger...but then again, believing ain't the same as knowing.

looking at match barrels right now. There are a lot of brands, not sure which to look at most. I’ve been recommended criterion on another site, but there are lots of match grade barrels out there. White oak armament is one that caught my eye. What do y’all prefer?

sure you can, as said before get a good trigger and good barrel with a target crown. Build your loads to the chamber of the barrel you get. Definitely use a free float forearm/handguard!

Check out CDNN. They have some great deals going on right now on AR stuff.


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I've had good experiences with ballistic advantage barrels. I would not go heavy bull barrel in 20" it will be very front heavy unless you go with something like the MagPul PRS stock which is heavy itself but even then it will still be front heavy and you'll have a 18 pound rifle before you know it.

Look at VLTOR Freedom rails they're my new go to for keymod.

Geiselle trigger for 2 stage or CMC drop in for single stage. I have both and both are great.

White Oak makes a great barrel too.

I've solved your barrel dilemma

https://www.larue.com/products/5-56-stealth-barrel-k/

If you want whole kit:

https://www.larue.com/products/larue-ultimate-ar-15-upper-kit/

You still need a lower.

I'm a big fan of Shilen barrels. But a 20" .223 Wylde will set you back at least $400 and maybe $480 depending on what you order. If you get the $400 barrel and go with about as cheap as you can find parts for the rest of the gun, have a crappy stock trigger I figure you end up at about $860 for the build. And you still need to spend another $150 to get a decent trigger.

That should pretty easily shoot sub MOA, but with a milspec trigger you will have to work for it.

Realistically I think you need to up your budget a bit and figure on at least $1,000 for the build.

That Larue Ultimate kit that tenyearsgone posted above with a 20" 5.56 barrel comes in at $792, figure $75 for a stripped lower and that's a pretty decent rifle that is just over your price point.

White oak, criterion, kreiger barrels is what I’d look at. WO will run $275, the other two are $100 more. Figure $150 for a trigger and you’re at $425-$525. I’d say your budget is perfectly attainable.

I really like that kit. My biggest hang up is the barrel isn’t stainless. Which I know is silly, but I guess we want what we want.

Just broke t to my wife that my dream rifle will be closer to $1100-$1200 and her response was, hey, as long as it’s the one you want, and you buy it in stages, that’s fine.

That’s a good wife gentleman.

Dude, don't pass up such a good kit on a technicality. It is made out of steel though. Rearden Steel to be exact. I've used three of them, and easily get 1/4 moa.

Check out ARP for your barrel http://www.ar15performance.com/5_56_223_wylde

Rearden steel? Mmmm...read Ayn Rand much?

They were out of unobtainium.

The joke was meant. I know it says it on their barrels. I get a laugh out of it.

x2

As would I! Didn't know that.

I’ve heard really mixed reviews on ARP on other sites.

Do y’all currently use them on your rifles? I trust THF recommendations over Reddit.

Put a beauty on layaway today.

SOTA billet side charging upper
SOTA billet lower
Trinity Ordnance 16” handguard
Bear creek arsenal 18.5” fluted barrel (factory MOA guarantee)
Timber Creek brake
LuthAR stock
Magpul grip
Nikon m223 scope with mount

$899

The only thing it doesn’t have is a quality trigger. I’ll replace that eventually, but whoever built this must have built it for me, because it’s exactly what I wanted.

I have 3 arp barrels 6.5 Grendel, 224 Predator , 6mm predator all are great shooters. The arp 200$ grendel will out shoot my 500$ shilen barrel . I personal never heard a bad word about arp barrels now the owner does at times seems to have a bad attitude.

You can absolutely build one for that budget. Be careful because it is addictive. I'm working on a second build and making plans for a third!

I'm on number 6. It is very addicting.

I’m sure I’ll build one eventually, but I picked that one up that I posted a picture of. It was EXACTLY what I wanted and it was about $200-$300 less than I could put it together for.

Plus, the scope is mil dot and MOA turrets, so it’s the best of both worlds!!!

This one is a good buy for your first too.

http://palmettostatearmory.com/psa-16-5-...-516446484.html

No interest in a 16” mid length or in PSA. I knew what I wanted, and found it.

Not only that...don't go thinking you can pick up a spare upper so you'll have another caliber---it just doesn't stop there. You'll start having these nagging feelings that you can't quite identify for a while, then you'll realize you can't stand to see an upper just laying around. And then another lower will find it's way into your house, and before you know it you've got some 'splainin to do if the better half figures it out.

Next one will be FOR the better half. Trinity Ordnance has an upper/Lowe/ and handguard in turquoise battle worn cerakote that actually looked amazing. Don’t usually like batteworn, but with the added color, it was sweet.

I have a 12.5" ARP in 6.8 SPC II and it has been sub-MOA with everything I've fed it. From my foxhole, I think it's the best bang for the buck at half the price of other "match-grade" brands. Unless I was shooting bench rest (is there such a thing in AR?), I'd have no issues running an ARP. And honestly, I've never read one of those "mixed reviews" for ARP barrels you mentioned.

The trick is to build your wife her own



This was her XMas present. There might be barely $600 in this with the LaRue barrel and Diamondhead handguard. I want my Aimpoint she’s “borrowed” back though.

You are right about the whole “I’ll just get an upper to save money”. That only lasted a few months before the other caliber became its own rifle.

Already cashed that check when I built number two. It's number three and four, already in the safe, that I'm fretting.

Been happy with my Faxon 16" 223 Wylde Gunner profile barrel. Light and accurate. Part of a lightweight, good quality build I did for just under $1k before optic and mount. <6lbs w/o optic and mount. 6lbs 14ozs with optic and mount.
Aero upper and lower
Geissele SSA-E trigger
STNGR handguard (Texas company)
AIM Surplus lightweight NiB BCG
SLR Sentry adjustable gas block
SAA Dragon's Head linear comp
Primary Arms 1-8 scope
Aero scope mount
Minimalist Stock