AR Questions

[xedge2002]

I am looking to get my first AR in the next few months. I was thinking about trying to build my own but don't know what the cost difference is between just buying it assembled or doing it myself. I am thinking about going with a .308 to start with. If I buy a lower could I use that same lower for both .308 and .223 uppers? Can I buy the lower and assemble it now and then buy the upper and barrel later? I am thinking that I will go with DPMS. Any suggestions on anything? I have no idea on any of this so any help/comments/suggestions are greatly appreciated.

[picksbigwagon]

you are talking about two different models on the AR format. the AR-15 is a short action firearm for cartidges like the 223, 204, and some WSSM cartridges.

The AR-10 format was originally chambered for the .308 cartridge, but it has expanded out to other calibers like 243, 260, and others. THe uppers are not interchangable. If you want to go with the 308, you will be getting an AR-10.

SO, there is no lower assembly that works with both the ar-15 and ar-10 format.

DPMS is a good choice. There is a guy in the Bemidji area that does some really nice custom work and could build you an AR-15 in the small action calibers (i.e. 223, 204, 243 wssm, 25 wssm, etc) Not sure if he works in the AR-10 side, but it might be worth calling him....You would have a very accurate firearm from him. I know I do.......his business is Dedicated Technologies and his name is Mike Milli.

[Valv]

As a start and as Tom said a Ar-15 and AR-10 are completely different guns. You cannot use any part of one for the other.

Barrel, receiver, bolt, etc from a AR-10 are different, lower section has a larger magazine section.

The only thing it might interchange with an AR-15 is the buttstock.

The .223 is more economical to buy/build, the .308 is much more expensive.

I would start with an AR-15, build it , get familiar with it then try the .308. At least that's what I did, I learned a lot from the smaller caliber, and most of the parts are much more economical to buy.

[Notcho]

If you want to build a DPMS LR-308 expect to end up paying 25-30% more than buying a factory built rifle due to individual part costs. If you are a novice, the best way to get into the “308-AR” world is to buy a factory built rifle which includes 2 mags, cleaning kit, a warranty, hard case, ect. That way you know the rifle is built correctly, test-fired and ready to go. No wasting time and money on tools and parts and hoping it will work the first time. The nice thing with the DPMS is that if you get a .308 you can get uppers in .243, .260, 6.5 Creedmoor, 300RSAUM, and .338 Federal.

AR-15's (.223/5.56) are a different story, since the parts are not proprietary like the LR-308 you can get some good deals and build a rifle for much less than a factory built.

[Fullmoon]

I've got to say that you've gotten good advice here. I"VE built a few AR 15's but no 10's. Not worth the extra cost at this time. Even if you go with a 15, if you want to do a complete build, you're looking at more money than buying factory as you will need some special tools and at least a video or book to work from. Even as a dealer, the AR 10 parts make it more expensive than buying a factory rifle. You can buy uppers and lowers either complete or stripped. Sometimes the 15 is cheaper to build than buy even when getting complete lowers and uppers but it will take a lot of shoping and you'll still need a dealer so you'll end up paying for him. The .223 is a lot cheaper to shoot and load than the .308. If you go .223 or 5.56, read up. You can't always SAFELY shoot one in the other!!

[Tim_Anderson]

I don't have much experience, but have a couple of buddies who recently bought the DPMS AR-15 in a .223. They absolutely love them, and had no issues on a recent predator hunting trip out west. I saw them nail two yotes, one running full tilt at 250 yards, the other at 350 yards, while I did my best to keep up with a Remington model 700 bolt in a .22-250. Enough to convince me...I ordered one yesterday. Lo-pro with collapsible stock and 16 inch bull barrel. Leupold VariXII on top. Can't wait to use it!

One of these guys has had the same basic gun, only in a couple different manufacturers... bushmaster and Olympic arms, I think. He had trouble with both, I think mostly with it cycling ammo.

We go through a lot of ammo, so having the .223 is really nice. Bigger stuff is going to be a buck or more a pop. The .223 definitely did the trick on the yotes and fox, and I think bought in bulk, you can get the stuff for about .30 cents a round. Some of the other guys here could probably weigh in on this.

[xedge2002]

Thanks for all the replies guys! I am going to have to wait a few months to pick one up. I'll have to do some more research into them before I decide!

One more question does anyone know anything about a chamber that will allow you to fire both the 5.56 and the 7.62 rounds? I thought a friend this summer said something about that but can't remember exactly what he said about it.

[picksbigwagon]

X< I am positive that your friend was talking about 5.56 and the .223. Here ya go: you can shoot a .223 round in a 5.56 chamber gun, but you can't shoot 5.56 in a gun chambered in .223. The difference I believe is in the tolerances that each load is made.

The 5.56 chamber allows for more pressure than the .223 (I believe that is right, if not I am sorry, but I think it has to do with pressure) make sure when you get your AR that it is chambered for 5.56 you will be fine