I've read different threads, been to several AR forums, etc, but with the vast knowledge on this forum I thought I would come to you guys for some advice.

I would mainly be using it to hog hunt, as well as range shooting.

Caliber?

Any and all advice is appreciated.

First off I wouldnt dare try to build a new AR in this current frenzy unless you want to pay through your teeth for parts and spend hours and hours even trying to find them.

As far as calibers go.......I am a sucker for the 6.8. I upgraded from the 223/5.56 this past season and couldnt be happier. It will flat knock the snot out of a hog.

Forget about anything now. You'll need to decide a number of things. Do you want a rifle or a carbine? The process starts with a stripped lower. Get one first.

I agree with JCB. I wouldn't even attempt it right now. Wait until the prices come back down, and parts become more available. I started building one right before the panic. I got everything except for the stripped lower, and the BCG. Wouldn't you know it, those are the 2 hardest parts to get right now. Originally I was trying to build this rifle for around $650.00. Now, that's the cost of a lower.

Just wait until things normalize.

Step one: build time machine.
Step two: call me and take me back in time 6 weeks with you
Step three: you buy all the AR parts you need, I buy a lotto ticket
Step four: return to present

You need a time machine. Good news is that you only have to travel about 2 months

I'm not in any hurry,just starting to look.

Worst timing ever

AG-parts can still be found, depending on how dedicated you are feeling. For example, palmetto state armory has had upper halves available about 4 times in the last week-I kept adding them to my cart then backing off when i looked into the future and saw my wife flipping out on me. As far as what to choose-you just need to figure out what you want to use the gun for. I have two setups i'm working on, 1 3gun setup with 5.56 caliber, 16" barrel for manuevering, and rails for support etc. My second will be a dedicated pig gun, in a larger caliber like 300 blackout or 6.8 spc. The easiest way to build your rifle will be to decide what you want to use it for then narrow down from there.

Enjoy your build! Coolest damn legos you'll ever play with

Getting away from the actual parts and just the tech data and know how.....go to Brownells website and find the AR builder link. They have some pretty good videos there. I own one, have not built one, so can't help there.

I, like you, started building mine before this mess started, I have my completed lower, but no upper. My goal was to get the best parts I could for the cheapest prices.

1 PSA Stripped lower $73
1 Vltor Imod stock $72
1 Vltor A5 buffer system w/ receiver extension $78
1 PSA MOE LPK $50
1 castle nut $8

$281 for everything I think was doing pretty good.

Spend the larger chunk of your budget on the upper. Don't go cheap on the barrel.

As far as the assembly, watching these videos is how i built my first. They are super high quality and very detailed. It's a whole series.

AR Build Series

Where to Start?

November 2012...

1) Get your paperwork in order, and order a CMP M1 Garand. $650 for a service grade shipped right to your door.

2) Call in a second order to the CMP for as much .30-06 surplus ammo you can stand. ($110/200rds shipped to your door)

3) Enjoy it for the time being, and wait out the hysteria.

4) When the hysteria is over, trade your M1 for 2 or 3 of these cobbled together garage gunsmith franken-AR15s.

5) Regret trading off your M1.

6) Repeat process if M1s are still available (they will run out someday)

Finally finished putting my wife's together, cmmg lower/ rra two stage trigger , spikes upper, yhm Todd jerrett forearm, Daniel defense lw 16" 1/7 barrel. I'm sure glad i found that barrel, it sure loves hornady 75 grain bthp match ammo. We're running a 1.5-4 leupold mark ar on it. Love that little, light ar!

6.8's a great round!! or a 300 blackout.
to get started, start with 3 things. Lower receiver, upper receiver and a barrel. those 3 things will get you going then bulid it how you want it to look

I would advise you not to start building AR's. If you do not heed my advice, then at least listen to me when I say this: NEVER leave spare parts lying around. It doesn't matter if it's just an extra crush washer; any spare parts are at extreme risk of becoming another AR15. You may not even realize that it's happening or you may tell yourself "I'm going to take this one really slow to spread out the costs". Then you buy a set of handguards or something seemingly innocuous like a delta ring assembly. It's like trying to make an 8 ball last for six months - not gonna happen. Before you know it, you've ordered $1,000 worth of six teat parts and you're gnawing your fingernails down to the quick watching UPS shipping updates.

A wise man will just buy a mini-14 and be content with it. An unwise man risks debasing himself with AR Madness and will, whilst trying to find a way to justify a .458 SOCOM upper build to his wife in spite of the fact that his .50 Beowulf upper never leaves the safe, wonder how he arrived at this crazy place surrounded by guns.

No spare parts. Seriously.

Alas, you will not listen to me. You will build an AR and it will be everything you thought it would be and your fate will be sealed. After about six months you will think "That GriffGruff was wrong, I'm not like all those junkies", completely oblivious to the eventuality that your second upper will be complete before your first build is a year old.

So griff gruff, are you seeking treatment for this horrible addiction? It might be best to quit cold turkey and sale everything to avoid the temptation

Griff is so right! I'm on my third build. I was lucky enough 2 horde a ton of pmags and I traded them off for parts I needed. It can be done now but not with out extreme patience.

Yup

The problem is that it's not just a simple addiction. It's like being a Matryoshka doll, only you're an addict inside of a hoarder inside of an addict...

You can still build cheap, just got to be patient and play the backordered waiting game. Bought a PSA LPK with M4 stock for $119.00 three weeks ago and a Tatical Machine lower from Brownells for $94.00. Lower still not in but I'm patient, while I gnaw my finger nails to the bone. It just took me three weeks for a instock PSA LPK to ship and as soon as my lower arrives, my RR 458 Socom upper no longer has to share a bunk bed with his 5.56 little brother. They each get their own beds to sleep in at night.

Mainly just find you a lower first... stripped or complete...then if you need to slow build your upper to make sure you use quality parts and get a good price even if it does take a little while...