I owned an AR-15 some time back during the AWB. I didn't have much use for it and since it was a preban I sold it for some pretty good cash.
My interest has been sparked again and I thought it might be a fun project.

I was poking around at Rock River Arms and the Bushmaster websites and was doing some price comparisons vs buying a complete rifle or a kit.

There doesn't seem to be a big difference in cost considering shipping fees. Than again it seems like it would be a good learning experience to build one.

Anybody have any experience with this?

I know AR15.com has a looooooong section on assembling the various receivers. I know because I'm thinking just what you're thinking.

Once you get the hang of it - takes about 45 minutes to build one given that you have the tools....

Unskilled would take a couple of hours and some tech support.

I'm assuming that by the word "building" you mean from stripped receivers--not just "marrying" ann upper and lower receiver.

Yup

We did 65 in about 6 hours time a couple of years ago - ground up rebuilds - there were 4 of us working assembly line styl;e.

AR's are easy when you have the tools.

Assembling the lower receiver from a kit is easy. Most of the upper receivers you can buy are already assembled, but it is possible to assemble the uppers from scratch, too.

For my first one, I picked up an inexpensive set of pin punches as the only "specialized" tools I needed. Along with a small hammer, and some screwdrivers (including a small jewelers screwdriver for the front pivot pin retainer part) and the AR-15.com instructions, I was done in about an hour going very slowly and hunting for the occasional spring which went flying. (An old bedsheet spread around the work area helps to locate them) The second one went much faster and now I've got it down to under a half hour for the lower receiver. I've never built an upper receiver from parts, so I don't have any frame of reference.

It's a fun project, not hard at all if you have any familiarity with gun-related springs and pins and so forth, and you'll learn a lot about the rifle as you go...

Dirk

The upper is the easy part if you have the right tools and fixtures - you really must have the fixture that will hold the upper receiver in a vice without crushing it - a bbl wrench and a headspace gauge just to be sure....

AR's are just as simple as a hammer - there is only one way that they will work.

OK, here's a question I have which will come up whether I take the plunge and build or if I buy.

Barrel twist rate. This will not be a varminter, but rather target/home defense. Given the astonishing variety of ammo available for the AR, would a 1x9 or the rarer 1x8 be most useful?

1:9 is more than adequate.

Thanks, Pinnacle!

1:7 is the new military update for the 62gr Bullets if I am not mistaken - but most of us will shoot the 55gr. and the 1:9 will stabilize the heavier bullets - but the 1:7 is what the military uses if I am not mistaken.

Call DPMS and ask - i am sure that they will be more than willing to assist.

You know - "You can get a pretty good look at a T-Bone steak by sticking your head of a bulls ass - but wouldn't you rather take the butchers word for it?" (The late Great Chris Farley - Tommy Boy)