Originally Posted By: savagesupersniperBuilding a lower is over my expertise, I think! Caliber I'm thinking .223 but not at all sure!
It's not. Building AR's is child's play. They're like adult Legos.
For $1000, I'd recommend building. Be patient and watch for sales, and you can build a lot more rifle for the money. Get a great barrel, a good trigger, a stock that fits you (CHEEKWELD), a pistol grip that feels good in your hand, and a forend that you like looking at. An adjustable gas block is worth the investment - say again - an adjustable gas block is worth the investment.
There's really only about $100 in tools that you need - a set of vise blocks and a barrel nut wrench.
Now, if you don't have ANY tools - and I'm learning that a lot of men just don't have tools anymore and that's supposed to be OK - then it's cheaper to buy. But on the other hand, you should have general tools, so if that's your excuse to buy them, then I'd still recommend building, even though you'll have more investment in the tool set.