First AR-15 Build: Thoughts and Advice Needed

Been tossing around the idea of building my first AR-15 for a while now. Finally started diving into parts, and wow, there's just so much out there. It's a bit overwhelming. I'm leaning toward a basic rifle build and sticking with 5.56. I've read a few things about other calibers, but I think I'll keep it simple for my first go.

I'm curious if there are any parts brands I should steer clear of. I've seen some deals, but it's hard to tell what's actually worth it. Also, hidden costs… what should I be on the lookout for? I don't want to end up with a bunch of parts I can't even use.

Is it better to just buy a complete rifle to start? I don't want to waste my time and money. Would love to hear any stories about rookie mistakes, too. Anything that could help me avoid a pitfall. Thanks for any tips!

I think right now they are cheap enough that unless you want some special features and bells and whistles you are better off buying one new. Even with new there are some that are better than others of course, it depends on how deep your wallet is.

And, you might want to consider what you want it for, range gun, self-defense, just to have one, etc.. Hunting in our state will require a different caliber for big game than 556 and there are several good ones out there. As with all guns, you have to be careful of the addiction factor

Where I live I can call mine a method of predator control due to various critters wanting to eat my chickens (a Ruger 10-22 takes care of most of that) but in reality it is a fun gun and I like to try different ammo to see what the precision potential is. I don't reload these days, I just don't have the time.

rg115 said:

Been tossing around the idea of building my first AR-15 for a while now. Finally started diving into parts, and wow, there's just so much out there. It's a bit overwhelming. I'm leaning toward a basic rifle build and sticking with 5.56. I've read a few things about other calibers, but I think I'll keep it simple for my first go.

I'm curious if there are any parts brands I should steer clear of. I've seen some deals, but it's hard to tell what's actually worth it. Also, hidden costs… what should I be on the lookout for? I don't want to end up with a bunch of parts I can't even use.

Is it better to just buy a complete rifle to start? I don't want to waste my time and money. Would love to hear any stories about rookie mistakes, too. Anything that could help me avoid a pitfall. Thanks for any tips!

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It's a fun project and building one from scratch will teach you a lot. Most of the part kits are ok to start out with, then you can upgrade later on down the road. My first one I bought complete because They were on the verge of out lawing them at the time and I wanted one. That same day I bought my first lower, a lower and upper parts kit, and a good barrel.
One thing you will need to get if you decide to go the build route are the tools needed to do a successful build. You will also want to pick up a good book showing how to do all the things you need to do with the build and in case you ever need to make a repair. They are not that expensive, and they are good to have in case you ever need to work on the one you bought whole.
That's the great thing about the AR platform you don't have to buy a whole new gun you can change the barrel and furniture and you will have a whole new weapon and still go back original if needed. Don't worry about extra parts piling up it's a good idea to have some spare parts on hand in case something ever breaks or in case you do decide to build one from the ground up. You may want to upgrade to a better trigger system, but that can wait until you get your feet wet and decide if you really want to keep adding on.
One thing though, this project is very addictive, and one is never enough you will want another sometime in the future. I have one just for hunting chambered in 6.9 with a nice scope. I have one as a beater that I use to just mess around with. I can throw it in the back of my pickup and not worry about getting a few scratches here and there for when I hit the fields ground hog hunting or other varmints. I also have a couple more that I keep in my gun case just for good measures.
I could go on for 10 pages or more but on this subject, but This will do for a starter. As I said this is a fun project but very addictive so go slow and enjoy the ride.