Hi, everyone I need your expert opinion ...

C

carper1

New member
First off I am an old guy that has never owned an AR. I am looking for a coyote hunting AR rifle. I like the looks and description of the Rock River but am wondering ??
Can I build one as good or better for less money ? and what components would you suggest. I thank you for your time. Dennis
 
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I am no expert but....

I would recommend a 1st time AR owner to just buy a complete rifle from a good company.
If you like tinkering and learning, and are prepared to "go to school" on how everything works and such, by all means... Start buying up parts and pieces.

You may even consider an 80% lower.

The easiest and fastest way to get shooting is to just buy a complete rifle. Keep the chamber clean, and the BCG group oiled.

Easy...
 
If I had it to do all over again I would just get a Ruger MPR which has most of the bells, whistles, and accuracy at a decent price. There is a certain joy in building your own though. After spending time & $$ on uppers & triggers I now primarily use a Remington R-15 as my calling rifle. It was used @$700 but is a tack driver that shoots several handloads under 1 MOA into the same POI. I have read nothing but praise for the RRA rifles but they were too spendy for me.
 
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What complete guns you thinking ?? the RR price is as high as I would want to. I am thinking 223 20 in. BBl. I like rifles on the heavy side. I have nothing against buying a well cared for used gun either. Tks
 
I have good luck with Stag, my brother has a Rock River that shoots great, too. Not sure about current markets for them and what they are bringing.

If you have a little time and an inclination to tinker building one from parts is not too difficult. Spend the $$ on a good barrel and trigger and then you can build with various more budget friendly parts for the rest of the gun in my experience. The heavier rifles are a little easier to shoot seems like to me.
 
For the first time AR owner I’d buy a complete firearm. You can most likely assemble your own from parts for less, especially just a simple AR that fires. The expense that might make it the same or more $ would be in the tools you would need/want to get the parts together. My first AR was a Rock River, no complaints. ARs are heavier than bolt guns by nature, and can get pretty hefty if you aren’t careful.


I’d probably jump all over the DPMS linked above if I was in the marked for one. Heck I’m even considering it and have absolutely no need for it.
 
With exception of the last month or so, AR parts have been the cheapest I can recall. Some things have gone up slightly but all that seems to be settling down.

CDNN has some good deals on barrels if you're interested in putting an AR together, just a few tools is all that's needed and you get a rifle the way you want it.

Below is an upper I'm working on using one of CDNN's DPMS barrels, it's a 20" bead-blasted SS barrel and it looks very nice. It cost $79.99. The other parts I got from ARFCOM at great prices, the YHM Diamond rail looks new and was only $50 shipped. The upper will have a Vortex HST that I scored off ARFCOM for $250.00, I won't have much in this build.



Here are a few others I've put together including a Mk 12 clone (AEM5 suppressor not shown).





I have quite a few other builds chambered in various flavors, 6.5 Grendel, 6.8 SPC, 6mmx45mm. The AR really is an addicting platform and a great hunting rifle.
 
Tks to 204AR for the heads up on the

DPMS PRAIRIE PANTHER 223 20. I just bought one. I want to thanks everyone for their thoughts I appreciate it.
 
Originally Posted By: carper1Tks to 204AR for the heads up on the

DPMS PRAIRIE PANTHER 223 20. I just bought one. I want to thanks everyone for their thoughts I appreciate it.

Cool, I really want to know what you think of it when you get it.
 
204AR, I will let you know whenever I get it to the range.l see you are in Nebraska. I pheasant hunted around Republican City for 28 years. I really like the state and it's friendly people.
 
building an AR isn't hard, if you get to that point of interest. You will have to invest in some tools & learn how to do it.

Mostly it goes pretty easy. Sometimes parts don't play well with each other when by all rights they should LOL

The approach I've taken so far has been to build a few lowers and buy complete uppers to put on them, that's worked well for me.

Starting with a complete rifle, see how you like the platform, that's a good way to start. After you shoot this one for a bit you'll be better set to decide if you want to go farther with them.
 
In the mean time. Get a copy of Glen Zediker's book The Competitive AR 15 Builders Guide. It's worth having in your library. Me I,m not big on You Tube.
 


Rock River is hard to beat. They have built great rifles for a long time.
Windham Is a great place. They are the old Bushmaster company.
They sell rifles at a fair price and easy to deal with.
 
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Jim
Originally Posted By: willy1947

Rock River is hard to beat. They have built great rifles for a long time.
Windham Is a great place. They are the old Bushmaster company.
They sell rifles at a fair price and easy to deal with.

 
Due to price, from the very beginning I built my own. Have over a dozen AR's in all different calibers and configs now, and built and sold dozens of others. The only "complete" AR in my collection is the Colt I inherited when my father passed. It's a thing of beauty and the gun that started the craze for me. It sits in the corner of the safe now.

I say build your own. It's a learning experience and it's not hard. At all. Required tools are minimal. All the specialized tools just make it a bit easier. I'm fairly confident I could put together an AR with an armorer's wrench, a hammer, and 3 punches.

When you've built, handled, and sold as many AR's as I have, you'll see that most of the parts are the same. Yes, spend money on a good barrel and BCG, but these people that get all wrapped around the axle on what logo is on the side of their lower are crazy.
 
Originally Posted By: LipschitzWrath I'm fairly confident I could put together an AR with an armorer's wrench, a hammer, and 3 punches.


You are absolutely correct. All the "specialty" tools just makes things easier.
 
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