Working on one for my neighbor this weekend.
He came over a couple weeks ago asking about some production model AR's and what to look for. Had his eye on the S&W M&P-15 Tactical, but was open to suggestions. We talked through specs and after a while it was pretty clear I could build him what he wanted for much less than a factory model. I told him I could get it done for between $600-$700 and he handed me $650 on the spot. He'll probably only shoot this rifle a couple times a year, so it doesn't need to be a high end match grade by any means. It just needs to be tough and reliable. Spent a couple days pricing out the parts and with all the Christmas specials I was able to get everything for right at $580. A buddy at work gave me the heads-up on a pawn shop in town that does transfers for $10, so with that plus his $10 background check it'll finish out at $600. So all said and done I'll be handing him a rifle and $50 back. Here are the specs...
- Anderson AM15 lower w/integrated trigger guard (huge savings at $42.95 + $10 shipping)
- PSA 16" M4 1/7 Freedom Upper with no BCG/charging handle (Christmas sale for $199)
- Bushmaster BCG (Brownells Christmas sale for $79.99)
- PSA lower build kit (everything needed to complete the lower for $99)
- DPMS charging handle
- KNS Gen2 Anti-Rotation pins
- Magpul MOE Handguard + rails, MOE Stock, AFG2, rear MBUS, and PMags x2
Spent the afternoon degreasing and scrubbing all the parts, then applied Frog Lube to everything that needed it. The BCG and charging handle still haven't arrived but may be here tomorrow. I'll clean and lube them up too and bring the neighbor over to show him how everything is put together. Anytime I build for someone else, especially anyone new to the AR platform, I like to involve them in the process as much as possible. I find that it helps build their overall confidence in operating the weapon and hands-on experience with the assembly can help them with troubleshooting down the road. I'll post up some pics once it's complete...