Should I Build or Buy an AR-15? Which is Better?

The AR-15 is obviously an extremely popular weapon, and as I’m sure you’re aware, there are thousands of parts available. Due to how easy it is to do, building AR-15s is an extremely common trend these days.

However, is it actually worth it to build your own AR-15, or are you better off just buying one? In this article, we will go over some of the pros and cons of building and buying an AR-15 and make some general recommendations about what we would do if we were in your shoes.

Buying an AR-15

The Pros of Buying An AR-15: 

• Easiness
• Guarantee
• The Warranty

When you buy an AR-15 from a manufacturer, it really couldn’t be any easier. You walk into a gun store and walk out with a completely functioning rifle. You don’t have to know each and every internal part, and you don’t have to make any decisions, other than which manufacturer you like.

When we say the guarantee, we mean the guarantee that everything will work exactly as designed. The internal parts will all fit together and work flawlessly.

Sometimes, internal parts from different manufacturers may not work together exactly as they should. Buying an AR-15 gives you the ease of purchase, since you know it will work. If you aren’t too familiar with the AR platform, it can be very nerve wracking trying to build an AR-15.

Another pro is the fact that most manufacturers back their products with some type of warranty, which you will not get if you are building your own AR-15.

The cons of buying an AR-15

• it is going to be very simple, and it may be a little overpriced

When you buy an AR-15, you are getting a very basic rifle. More than likely, everything about the weapon will be very simple. While this isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it is something to keep in mind.

Manufacturers tend to overcharge when they sell a fully put together AR-15. You could build a very similar AR-15 for much less money, but it is going to be more difficult and time consuming for you. How much is the assembly time worth to you?

What About Building an AR-15

The Pros of Building an AR-15:

• Customization
• Saving money
• Complete understanding of your weapon

Building an AR-15

When you build an AR-15, you can completely customize every single part of it. This allows you to fine tune it to be exactly as you like it. You can customize every inch of it to fit your needs.

Building an AR-15 may also save some money. When you buy the parts and assemble them yourself, it saves money as opposed to buying a full weapon.

It also will give you a complete understanding of your weapon. You will know each and every inch of the weapon, because you put it all together. You know exactly what parts are where, because you ordered all of them.

It is also worth mentioning that it is possible to get an unregistered weapon if you build an AR-15, if you start with an 80% lower receiver. Some states have laws preventing this, but it is worth looking into.

The cons of building an AR-15:

• Time consuming
• Requires a good understanding of the weapon system

There are some aspects of building an AR-15 that are great. With the exception of the lower receiver, you can buy any part online, get it shipped to your house, and put the weapon together in the comfort of your own home. However, you are going to have to put all of those parts together. It will take you some time.

If you don’t understand the AR-15 weapon system well, it may be a little overwhelming trying to build one. There are a pretty decent number of parts that are involved, so you really need to have a full understanding of the weapon before trying to build your own.

Building an AR-15 also requires some basic mechanical skill and a little bit of patience. It can be very frustrating, especially when parts don’t fit together the way they’re supposed to. scope for AR-15 is most important part when you build ar15

Recommendations

If this is going to be your first AR-15, we recommend simply buying one. Buying an AR-15 will give you a complete, working weapon that you can begin to shoot and understand. If you were to buy the parts to build an AR-15 having never seen the inside of one, it is going to be very difficult for you.

Buying your first AR-15 also allows you to figure out exactly what you like in your weapon. This will make an AR that you build even better, because you’ll have more experience with the weapon system. Buy your first AR-15, and build your next to fit you exactly.

If you are going to be doing any competitive shooting, you absolutely should build your rifle.

If you are just a casual shooter, buying an AR-15 will likely be good enough, but it may be more enjoyable and slightly less expensive to build one.

For the hunters and the outdoorsmen, either way will work. Building will allow you to customize the weapon more, but buying an AR-15 will be just fine as well. The choice is really up to you.

If you are trying to get an AR-15 as inexpensive as possible, you should build one.

If you’re short on time, you should buy an AR-15. Building one can be very time consuming.

Conclusion

Whether you buy or build an AR-15, you really can’t go wrong. It is a great weapon system that can do many different things.

Building an AR-15 allows you to fully customize the weapon while saving you a little money, but it requires some knowledge of the weapon and time to put it together. Buying an AR-15 can be slightly more expensive, but is a much easier purchase to make for most people.

It is also worth mentioning that if you buy an AR-15, you can always make upgrades and changes to it as you go. Or, if you take our advice from before, buy your first AR-15 to figure out exactly what you want your weapon to do, and then build your next one.