AR Upper Question

[bigdaddy590]

I have a few questions regarding AR uppers.

Build or buy? Is it cheaper to build or to buy?

If buy, what uppers would you suggest under $600? Id like a low profile gas block. I'm not picky on handguards as I will probably change whatever is on it to a Troy Extreme or a key mod rail.

[Chuy]

I prefer building, because you can build exactly what you want from the get-go. I tell people to decided what you want to do with the gun first. Is it a bench gun? Carry and stalk gun? truck gun? SBR? Then select the barrel you want (accuracy/ price/ weight) and go from there.

My reasoning behind building vs buying is that you would spend more buying an upper, getting it on the bench, taking stuff off and replacing it with what you want. Hence, you get take that savings and put it into the most important part, the barrel and optics.

thats just my $0.02 anyways

[r_u_sharp_2]

I'm looking at that right now. Easier to buy it and slap it on. But then I have to deal with the parts that they wanted. Or build it and choose ever part that I want.

If I didnt know what I wanted, I would buy it and change as I go.

[Mike D]

Building definitely gets you exactly what you want but if you use high quality parts you won't save any money.

[Outback]

You can get the dust cover and forward assist cheap ($25) and a free float handguard that works fine on Ebay for $50 or $250 for the latest fancy one. The low profile block and gas vent are less than $20 and a stripped upper for $50-75 or $150 for a fancy one that works the same. Spend your money on a nice match grade barrel for it is where the accuracy resides. Expect to pay $300-500 for the barrel alone if you need sub moa. If you just need minute of hog, then $100 will get you a cheap chrome lined one that works fine.

[JustinJ]

You can get the dust cover and forward assist cheap ($25) and a free float handguard that works fine on Ebay for $50 or $250 for the latest fancy one. The low profile block and gas vent are less than $20 and a stripped upper for $50-75 or $150 for a fancy one that works the same. Spend your money on a nice match grade barrel for it is where the accuracy resides. Expect to pay $300-500 for the barrel alone if you need sub moa. If you just need minute of hog, then $100 will get you a cheap chrome lined one that works fine.

What he said. Spend your money on a Barrel and BCG (and maybe a hand guard if for nothing else than a quality barrel nut) and cheap on the rest. A billet upper, a noveske gas tube or a fancy charging handle won't make the gun shoot any better. So I'd say if you want an accurate gun you can save money on building an upper because you won't have lots of money tied up in parts that don't matter.

[Mike D]

What he said. Spend your money on a Barrel and BCG (and maybe a hand guard if for nothing else than a quality barrel nut) and cheap on the rest. A billet upper, a noveske gas tube or a fancy charging handle won't make the gun shoot any better. So I'd say if you want an accurate gun you can save money on building an upper because you won't have lots of money tied up in parts that don't matter.

A lot of the difference you will gain in a billet upper depends on your barrel length/weight. If you are building with a long barrel or heavy barrel, a billet upper can affect accuracy. As to the charging handle yeah they all do the same thing but some are more functional than others depending on your setup.

[Balcones_Walker]

PSA makes excellent prebuilt uppers for a great price. Make sure to get the ones with the CHF barrel by FN.

If you want "perfection" (whatever that means to you) then you should build your own. More specifically you should collect your own parts and then pay a gunsmith to assemble it for you, unless you plan to build a lot - there are some specialized tools you'd otherwise have to invest in.

Lowers, on the other hand, are best built by hand. Kits come in all shapes and sizes so you can venture out only on the parts you care about customizing.