is it legal

[mrglocks]

ok here's the question is it legal to build my own AR? or a variant of an AR.
I dont have the money upfront to buy one outright and wanted to build one from scratch, I'd make it a 6 month or so project perhaps. now granted i've never built a firearm in my life what am i in store for? any opinions and information would be helpful.

[cactusman]

If you are talking about buying a receiver and all of the parts and putting it together, in a word, yes. As long as they (in the configuration you are wanting to build) are legal in your area. The one thing to watch out for is M16 parts -- they are readily available and it's easy to mistake some of them for AR-15 parts. The mere possession of them in conjunction with an AR-15 constitutes illegal possession of an unregistered machinegun. -- NOT something you want to be caught with!

As for the actual building, I haven't ever done it (yet), so I will leave that part up to the experts to help you with. I'm sure that they will turn up shortly. -- Lots of really knowledgeable and quite helpful users here.

[RMTactical]

Build from scratch, or build from parts? I have thought about doing an AR from an 80% receiver, but I can't bring myslef to do it without the ability to do the anodizing process. If you're interested in that, I know the GT member Kestrou has built AR lowers from that.

As far as putting one together from parts, that is easy and would take a few hours work, assuming you had all the parts on hand.

[mrglocks]

Originally posted by GoreLicks
Build from scratch, or build from parts? I have thought about doing an AR from an 80% receiver, but I can't bring myslef to do it without the ability to do the anodizing process. If you're interested in that, I know the GT member Kestrou has built AR lowers from that.

As far as putting one together from parts, that is easy and would take a few hours work, assuming you had all the parts on hand.

Gorelicks, i'd be building it from parts i should have stated that in the first place.
where should i go for parts and which part(s) should i get first?

[sp3worker]

Originally posted by GoreLicks
Build from scratch, or build from parts? I have thought about doing an AR from an 80% receiver, but I can't bring myslef to do it without the ability to do the anodizing process. If you're interested in that, I know the GT member Kestrou has built AR lowers from that.

As far as putting one together from parts, that is easy and would take a few hours work, assuming you had all the parts on hand.
What kind of machining is required to finish an 80% receiver? I would like to finish one of these recievers if they only require holes to be drilled. Any kind of heat treating required?

[RMTactical]

Start out with a stripped lower. www.eaglefirearms.net has Stag stripped lowers for $85, great quality and a great price.

Buy a lower parts kit and choose the stock you want for the complete lower.

The cost of the complete lower will go for around $200+, depending on what parts you choose buy (stock, LPK, they all vary in price and quality) and from where.

This is to get you started. You will need some tools to do the job completely, most esspecially the upper.

Oh yeah, and while you buy some stuff at eagle, look for other good buys like their CMT complete bolt and bolt carriers. Best price I know of, and excellent quality.

[RMTactical]

Originally posted by sp3worker
What kind of machining is required to finish an 80% receiver? I would like to finish one of these recievers if they only require holes to be drilled. Any kind of heat treating required?

I don't think it require heat treating or anything. Mostly just drilling holes. I'd get in touch with the GT member Kestrou, as I know he has experience with machining 80% receivers into 100%. He even has a web page on it.

[mrglocks]

gorelicks,
more or less i can buy a complete upper and lower put them togeher and have an AR?

[RMTactical]

Originally posted by mrglocks
gorelicks,
more or less i can buy a complete upper and lower put them togeher and have an AR?

Yessir.

You can legally do all the assembling, it doesn't have to be assembled by a 'smith.

[mrglocks]

NICE!!!!!
now should i go with the flat-top or a carry handle?
one more question if i get a flat-top can i add the carry handle later? i'm leaning towards arock river arms setup although....stag looks resonable,
i'm so confused now!! BTW thanks for the link to the site GL!

[Glocks&Ducs]

I too was looking into getting the parts and building my own, but I just am not seeing much of a savings. If there was one place that had everything you needed with great prices it might be worthwile. But as it sits right now, after all the shipping charges and tools buying, you are spending near the same money.

I think building AR's is more for people that just like to do things on their own, and not really a way to save loads of money. Feel free to correct me if I am wrong and just not seeing great prices on parts.

[RMTactical]

Originally posted by mrglocks
NICE!!!!!
now should i go with the flat-top or a carry handle?
one more question if i get a flat-top can i add the carry handle later? i'm leaning towards arock river arms setup although....stag looks resonable,
i'm so confused now!! BTW thanks for the link to the site GL!

I'd go with the flat top all the way. The military has/is going to the flat top. You can always throw a detachable carry handle on there.

RRA is good. My first AR was all RRA with a Bushy barrel.

CMT (the makers of Stag) makes almost all of the parts for RRA (as well as Colt), so quality is very similar. My second AR was made from a Stag lower, mostly RRA parts(bushy two stage trigger), and a Colt barrel.

My 3rd (which I am in the process of building now) is the most bastardized, with parts from DPMS, Bushmaster, Colt, RRA, and CMT/Stag.

[RMTactical]

Originally posted by Glocks&Ducs
I too was looking into getting the parts and building my own, but I just am not seeing much of a savings. If there was one place that had everything you needed with great prices it might be worthwile. But as it sits right now, after all the shipping charges and tools buying, you are spending near the same money.

I think building AR's is more for people that just like to do things on their own, and not really a way to save loads of money. Feel free to correct me if I am wrong and just not seeing great prices on parts.

Well, the tools are worth it if you plan on building several AR's. With my tools, I have worked on 20-30+ AR's in the past two years.

Building your own AR can save you money on the weapon itself, but you have to be patient and hunt them down like a dog, alomost one by one. I can build a completely brand new gun for about $600 depending on what I want to build and which specific parts I want to get.

The beauty in building your own AR in the knowledge of how the weapon works, how it is assembled (this will help with troubleshooting and dealing with fixing possible future problems), but almost most importantly, you get it exactly the way you want it.

Well, truth be told, I have built guns exactly how I thought I wanted them... later on only to find out that I hate super heavy barrels, or that I wanted a longer/shorter barrel, or changing out whatever else I don't like about it. You can't do that if you just buy a gun and don't know how to work on it or have the tools.

I also refinish my guns myself.

I would only ever build an AR, personally.

[Sierra]

One of the benefits to assembling/building your own AR is that you save about $100 in excise taxes because it is not considered a rifle unless you purchase the assembled product.

[RMTactical]

Originally posted by Sierra
One of the benefits to assembling/building your own AR is that you save about $100 in excise taxes because it is not considered a rifle unless you purchase the assembled product.

Yes, and that works even if you just buy a complete upper and complete lower and mate them yourself... ;)

[Sierra]

Correct.

[maxxx93]

Originally posted by sp3worker
What kind of machining is required to finish an 80% receiver?

Quite a bit, You will need a mill.
But the big draw back is the price of the tooling and jig, plan on a couple hundred bucks, on that alone.

You would have to plan on building several. to make it worth while.

[RMTactical]

Originally posted by maxxx93
Quite a bit, You will need a mill.
But the big draw back is the price of the tooling and jig, plan on a couple hundred bucks, on that alone.

You would have to plan on building several. to make it worth while.

Or happen to have the tools anyway... I mean, we should all have these tools regardless... ;f

[AntiOsama]

Originally posted by mrglocks
ok here's the question is it legal to build my own AR? or a variant of an AR.
I dont have the money upfront to buy one outright and wanted to build one from scratch, I'd make it a 6 month or so project perhaps. now granted i've never built a firearm in my life what am i in store for? any opinions and information would be helpful.

It's legal as long as you follow the gun laws of your state and also you must register the lower reciver but the rest you can get online. You go to model1sales.com buy a kit for like 470 or what ever you want then go down to your gun store and buy the lower reciver. Then you go to ar15.com and get the instructions for free on how to put it all to gether.