Haters: Individually Built ARs

[baldmax]

I like my ARs like my dogs... mutts. Not one of my ARs is a "pure bread", they are 100% dependable and fit me. They were not built yo fit anyone else.

 

[KJQ6945]

My first Frankengun will say INGO on the side.

 

[rmasters744]

I currently have a production gun but I plan on building one the way I want. I look for to having a Frankengun.

 

[6mm Shoot]

I was talking to my son about this post and he asked did I tell them about his factory rifle. I said no so now I will. My son bought a factory rifle and it blew up on him. It fired a shell out of battery. Now it was my understanding that a round couldn't be fired out of battery. So there had to be something wrong with the rifle to let that happen.

It took them two years to replace his rifle. So yes the warranty is worth something. Then if the rifle had been put together as it should have been he wouldn't have needed one.

The rifle co. claimed that it was the fault of the ammo and Winchester claimed it was the fault of the rifle co. My son thinks it was a round out of speck and it didn't go into battery and the bolt set it off when it tried to force it into the chamber. I have no idea what went wrong. I know the back of the case was blown out the side like a over charge.

Some one posted above that they wouldn't trust a home build to protect his family or himself.

I personally have more confidence in what I build than I would have in someone in a factory watching a clock that put one together. I have rebuilt cars, houses and guns to do what I needed them to do and I have never been worried about having my family use any of them.

 

[output]

Sometimes I wonder how many rounds some of these home builders have actually put through their build without issues. I know everyone on the internet shoots 1,000+ rds a weekend...but really. I don't think it is impossible to build a decent rifle, but I also don't think your first rifle should be something you pieced together on a budget.

There are specifications that should be followed when building, I know a few people that like to home build and they literally just slap things together in their garage and call it good. For example proper head spacing 1.464" to 1.4706" (off the top of my head), not to mention barrel nut, carrier key screws specs, etc. The devil is in the details...and frankly I think most people are too lazy to follow through properly.

When you buy a quality factory build you aren't just buying a pile of parts, you are also paying for the expertise of the builder. That does not mean every factory rifle will be perfect, like all things that are manmade, human error must be accounted for and factored in. I just find it funny that people squawk over a $1200 colt, DD, or BCM rifle but claim their 450 piece-mail job is better. Is it possible? Maybe...but if I had to bet my rear-end on your build or a BCM I am buying the BCM every day of the week.

My definition of a FrankenAR/Frankengun is the parts gun put together with LCD* parts, you know the ones, big bins at the gun show, dripping with concession stand chicken grease. If you use QUALITY parts you will have a QUALITY build, assuming you do your part. If your thread starts with "where can I find the cheapest", we are probably not talking about quality. Dollars don't always equate to quality, but lack of dollars always equates to lower quality. Noveske, BCM, Colt, DD, LMT, command higher prices, even for parts, because they have built a rep for quality.PSA and the like have built a rep on something for everyone's budget. The problem I have is when someone thinks that parts is parts, and since they have all the parts to build a complete rifle, now it's "custom" and just as good as a factory bulid from one of the above! No, your RRA, or Bushmaster factory build still doesn't equate to the above either!




*LCD~Lowest Common Denominator

I think this is pretty spot on as well and kind of goes hand in hand with what I wrote above.

 

[ROLEXrifleman]

So would my Beowulf SBR build be considered a Frankenrifle?

 

[seedubs1]

I'm not saying some people don't assemble their own carriers.....but most people buy a complete BCG. Not that properly torquing a couple of screws and staking a carrier would be that difficult, but most people who build their own AR's aren't doing that.

Barrel nut torque.....man that's a wide range of torque in the build manual. I'd personally be comfortable torquing without a torque wrench with that wide of a range. I've got a torque wrench, so I use it and make sure I'm within spec.

As for head spacing, Bolts and barrel extensions, as long as they are in spec, are plug and play. Should you check it????? Yes. Do you have to check it and would I be comfortable just dropping in a known GTG bolt (like a BCM, DD, LMT, etc...) into a known GTG barrel? Yeah, I'd be comfortable just dropping it in and going to the range.

As always, parts is not parts. Buy cheap / junk, and expect to have issues. Buy good components and assemble it correctly, and you'll be fine.

There are specifications that should be followed when building, I know a few people that like to home build and they literally just slap things together in their garage and call it good. For example proper head spacing 1.464" to 1.4706" (off the top of my head), not to mention barrel nut, carrier key screws specs, etc. The devil is in the details...and frankly I think most people are too lazy to follow through properly.

Buy what you like. I prefer my FrankenAR to a factory rifle. But if factory rifles are your thing, all the more power to you.

I'm not claiming that a $450 build will run with a BCM, DD, etc.....but my $800ish build sure will. Heck, most of the parts are from DD and BCM.

I just find it funny that people squawk over a $1200 colt, DD, or BCM rifle but claim their 450 piece-mail job is better. Is it possible? Maybe...but if I had to bet my rear-end on your build or a BCM I am buying the BCM every day of the week.

 

[gglass]

Am I the only person who read the title of this thread and see people doing exactly what they were complaining about? Instead of people "hating" on their home builds, they're "hating" on people who buy factory guns.

Frankengun is a general term for a parts gun, big deal.

I have a complete home build, a complete Spikes upper on a lower I built, several factory rifles; and if I were going to sell them, I'd expect to receive less for my parts gun, especially if selling to a gun store that has to resell it. There's no set value on parts, at least for a factory gun you can fall back on a bluebook or check gunbroker to get an estimate of value. Just because I built a rifle the way I wanted it doesn't mean it will be the way someone else wants it. I know people buy factory guns and alter them, that the factory built them the way they want them to be but it's just an accepted process.

Epic post. I could not have said it better and won't even try.

Good job! You won the Internet for the next 5 minutes.

 

[flatlander]

Don't tell him that, his head is big enough!!!
Although it is true

Bob

 

[M67]

Don't tell him that, his head is big enough!!!
Although it is true

Bob

Quit looking at my head, I'm a human being. I have eyes. Dammit Bob

 

[Vigilant]

So would my Beowulf SBR build be considered a Frankenrifle?

In a word, YES!

 

[10mmfan]

I am proud of my franken rifle. RRA lower and adams arms upper with a magpul stock and triggerguard and a Daniel defense rail. It does everything I want it to do and does it well.

 

[ROLEXrifleman]

In a word, YES!

Yet the line already had 6 waiting to buy it and it isn't even complete. Go figure

 

[Vigilant]

Yet the line already had 6 waiting to buy it and it isn't even complete. Go figure

You didn't ask if it would sell, you asked if it was a parts gun!

 

[BE Mike]

I think that this goes for anything built by an individual to be custom, i.e. motorcycles, cars, etc. Usually something custom is made specifically for the individual, opposed to the factory representation which is made for the masses. Custom pieces usually don't bring the money that was invested in creating them and they don't have as wide an appeal as factory. For one thing, the custom pieces are somewhat an unknown quantity. I'm sure that you were put-off by someone's less than stellar opinion of your baby. If it suits you and you plan on keeping it, then you are a winner and the resale value shouldn't bother you.

 

[lovemachine]

This thread makes me afraid of the 2 rifles I have built. I may have to sell them to get the evil out of my house.

 

[Tactically Fat]

This thread makes me afraid of the 2 rifles I have built. I may have to sell them to get the evil out of my house.

That's no way to talk about your wife, mister.

 

[lovemachine]

That's no way to talk about your wife, mister.

LOL

 

[17 squirrel]

That's no way to talk about your wife, mister.

Incoming + 4 rep to you Sir..

 

[SteveM4A1]

This thread makes me afraid of the 2 rifles I have built. I may have to sell them to get the evil out of my house.

Well they aren't worth anything anyway..but I will give you $10 for both since I am a nice guy.