I was looking for good recommendations on what manufacturers everyone recommends for someone looking to build a decent home defense ar?
Getting into building my first AR
- Thread starter AfroShark79
- Start date
I really like the GGP (Grey Ghost Precision) stripped upper and lower I got from them about 18 months ago, I also purchased a set from Wilson when they had some blemished ones on sale for super cheap - couldn't find a mark on them and were very nice.
Cant really go wrong with BCM either, they frequently have blemished ones for sale as well at a good discount.
Cant really go wrong with BCM either, they frequently have blemished ones for sale as well at a good discount.
Does that include optic, irons, sling or any other accoutrements like a light?
I was planning on basic optics for now. Maybe even iron sites or just a red dot. No light right now. I actually have a sling.
I just put this list together from Primary Arms, it comes to $1,260 with a decent weaponlight, decent red dot, a pretty good rifle that'll be sufficient for home defense with money left over if you want to upgrade furniture, add sling mounts, BUIS, whatever. You can try to buy everything piece meal but a home defense rifle should really have a sighting system and weaponlight.
The AR that sits in my closet was a build.
It is a 16" carbine with an Aimpoint Patrol Optic (about $350) on it with a Magpul back-up rear iron ($45). The barrel is an FN chrome-lined govt profile that I got for about $260. Bolt carrier group it a Tool Craft carrier using BCM parts to finish. About $180 in total. The upper receiver is a BCM blem that was about $60 at the time (it comes with the parts to complete the upper). I had an A2 front sight/gas block mounted as I had it around and was thinking simple yet bullet proof set-up. A BCM medium sized charging handle which was about $70-75. A2 muzzle device about $9. BCM polymer hand guards (about $50) with a traditional AR15 D-ring/barrel nut combo (about $40).
Lower receiver is a 17 Designs billet lower (about $70 at the time) and no longer made. I used a Spikes Tactical Premium lower parts kit for most of the lower parts (about $130). A Hiperfire EDT Sharp Shooter duty trigger (about $95). An Odins Works Ambi safety (about $45). Magpul grip ($35). BCM B5 stock with BCM stock kit with H2 buffer (about $115). An Edgar Shermane Designs sling (about $75). A Streamlight Pro Tac HL-X flashlight (about $115). About $1749 in cost for parts. It is a proven reliable and accurate enough carbine.
It is a 16" carbine with an Aimpoint Patrol Optic (about $350) on it with a Magpul back-up rear iron ($45). The barrel is an FN chrome-lined govt profile that I got for about $260. Bolt carrier group it a Tool Craft carrier using BCM parts to finish. About $180 in total. The upper receiver is a BCM blem that was about $60 at the time (it comes with the parts to complete the upper). I had an A2 front sight/gas block mounted as I had it around and was thinking simple yet bullet proof set-up. A BCM medium sized charging handle which was about $70-75. A2 muzzle device about $9. BCM polymer hand guards (about $50) with a traditional AR15 D-ring/barrel nut combo (about $40).
Lower receiver is a 17 Designs billet lower (about $70 at the time) and no longer made. I used a Spikes Tactical Premium lower parts kit for most of the lower parts (about $130). A Hiperfire EDT Sharp Shooter duty trigger (about $95). An Odins Works Ambi safety (about $45). Magpul grip ($35). BCM B5 stock with BCM stock kit with H2 buffer (about $115). An Edgar Shermane Designs sling (about $75). A Streamlight Pro Tac HL-X flashlight (about $115). About $1749 in cost for parts. It is a proven reliable and accurate enough carbine.
For a complete 16” home defense gun and optic for a $1500 budget, Colt 6920 and an Aimpoint PRO. You’ll have enough cash left for some ammo.
Colt EPR’s are about $1300 and come with Magpul pro sights if you want a free float handguard and plan to use a cheaper optic.
While the 6920 is dated with its carbine length gas system, it has a long track record of being a reliable milspec gun.
Colt EPR’s are about $1300 and come with Magpul pro sights if you want a free float handguard and plan to use a cheaper optic.
While the 6920 is dated with its carbine length gas system, it has a long track record of being a reliable milspec gun.
A simplistic approach.
Clyde armory sells OEM1’s for $799 and they’ll give you a set of handguards and a waffle stock. Hed need to install a trigger guard too. Lol build’ish?
Which manufactures for Home Defense you ask?
Magpul for your stock, grip, magazine, vert grip, sling, buis
Palmetto State Armory has good stuff on the cheap. So you could get their mil spec buffer tube kit, a stripped lower, & lower parts kit from them.
Bravo Company USA for a complete upper including their BCG & Charging handle
LaRue for a nice 2 stage trigger
or
HiperFire for a nice single stage trigger
fwiw: For my home defense AR I went with a Ruger AR15 10.5" pistol from budsgunshop because it was within my budget ($550) and slapped an eotech, fostech echo II trigger, & streamlight on it. 1200ish rounds later and it still runs like a champ.
For HD I'd suggest getting a Ruger, Smith&Wesson, Sig, Colt etc
Then you can have fun building your own AR15 that you can be proud of
Keep us posted on your build.
Magpul for your stock, grip, magazine, vert grip, sling, buis
Palmetto State Armory has good stuff on the cheap. So you could get their mil spec buffer tube kit, a stripped lower, & lower parts kit from them.
Bravo Company USA for a complete upper including their BCG & Charging handle
LaRue for a nice 2 stage trigger
or
HiperFire for a nice single stage trigger
fwiw: For my home defense AR I went with a Ruger AR15 10.5" pistol from budsgunshop because it was within my budget ($550) and slapped an eotech, fostech echo II trigger, & streamlight on it. 1200ish rounds later and it still runs like a champ.
For HD I'd suggest getting a Ruger, Smith&Wesson, Sig, Colt etc
Then you can have fun building your own AR15 that you can be proud of
Keep us posted on your build.
I’ve built 4.5, with that .5 being a complete upper going on a built lower, but having been modified quite a bit since then.
As long as you use quality parts, and you do it right with the correct assembly processes, it’s pretty easy.
All of my builds run flawlessly. The receiver set that had the best quality and fit was solgw. BCM, Daniel Defense are high quality as well. These are basic milspec type options without proprietary features.
As long as you use quality parts, and you do it right with the correct assembly processes, it’s pretty easy.
All of my builds run flawlessly. The receiver set that had the best quality and fit was solgw. BCM, Daniel Defense are high quality as well. These are basic milspec type options without proprietary features.
You can get some pretty good deals on parts from Primary Arms and AR15 Discounts. You can get Microbest chrome-lined BCG's for around $130 from AR15 Discounts and Primary Arms at times. Microbest are good for the money.
I’m a huge fan of the Aero setup and I added the ATC Trigger. It’s really as good as my Norveske, maybe even better. I certainly prefer the trigger. Just as accurate.
The Sabres are absolutely good to go. I plan to run mine at work. The value you get for the price is really good.
For “home defense” are you thinking of “in the house” defense or “running around the backyard popping caps” defense?
For “in the house”, get an semi-automatic shotgun (Beretta 1301) and load it with target rounds (8 shot, low velocity). That way you won’t take out the car or the refrigerator as you are sending rounds down the halls of your home.
For outside, build a 300 AAC. Load it with heavy, soft-nose bullets.
For “in the house”, get an semi-automatic shotgun (Beretta 1301) and load it with target rounds (8 shot, low velocity). That way you won’t take out the car or the refrigerator as you are sending rounds down the halls of your home.
For outside, build a 300 AAC. Load it with heavy, soft-nose bullets.
Shotgun with birdshot is not a good idea.
No shit. It’s really time for the mythical “stopping power” of dove loads to be put to rest. Low velocity target loads? FFS, are we trying to season a home invader?
We have a cop on our deer lease that took a bird shot round in the line of duty. It was basically hallway distance. Knocked the pistol out of his hand. Blood streaming into his eyes. Didn’t even knock him down. His treatment was about 1 step above out patient. He does have some nerve damage in his hand, but in no way is bird shot a man-stopping load; especially low velocity 8 shot.
What’s your mechanical aptitude and do you have a bench with a vice?
For a complete build, you will need several different tools that will cost between $100-$300 for bare bones punches, wrenches, and some basics.
I have thousands of dollars in tools that I take for granted when approaching this topic, and have to think back 30-40 years to when I started accumulating firearms-specific tools.
For me, after having spent decades in shoot houses, running high-volume shoot courses in and out of the house, and doing private home defense courses for couples, I lean towards a shorter AR-15 from a proven reliable company who has cracked the code on making shorter guns that work.
There are differing opinions on going suppressed vs unsuppressed for HD. My tinnitus says go suppressed, whereas some value the shock factor of muzzle blast helps convince invaders to sprint away from your place at breakneck speeds.
I like 10.5” to 14.5” guns for that, with a particular leaning on 11.5” when talking 5.56 NATO.
You need a good Weapon Light with easy and instinctive interface mounted at 12 o’clock.
Small reliable Red Dot Sight on a mount that is high enough for you to easily acquire naturally.
Good quick-adjust 2-point sling
You can build out your lower receiver rather easily or get a deal with it all assembled.
Top it with a BCM upper for starters. I would not roll the dice as a beginner until you see what “right"
looks like.
I would get the BCM 11.5” upper and go with a pistol lower with one of the better pistol back-end furniture options from SB Tactical.
Something like this:
That will fit your budget quite well and not leave you with mediocre or questionable parts focused on budget instead of performance. Those complete uppers are $785 right now.
Get some PMAGs and Winchester white box M193, and get some training.
Ok. Well, PSA is a shit tier company that has a track record of nonexistent qc and sub par parts. They work off the Vortex optics business model. They put out a shit product, if it breaks, they replace it because it’s cheap enough to just replace a few broken ones. Most won’t get enough use to fail. A FN barrel and social medial influencer campaigns don’t change that.
You seem intent on singling out my posts. It’s funny that I was a rube for suggesting a 6920, aimpoint PRO, and ammo yet you posted up a frankengun M4 and stated that you had over $1700 in it. Isn’t your gun essentially a home built version of a 6920 with an aimpoint, sling, and a light?
PSA was in the top 10 of all firearms production in 2022, and likely in the top 3 or 5 for 2023. They are hardly “shit-tier”. Have they had some QC issues? For sure. They are not alone in that, however. Their Sabre line is not only quality parts, but mine appears to be well built, too. There was a white dot inside the lower receiver, underneath where the safety sits, that I assume was an inspection mark.
So they’re producing alot of shit. Doesn’t mean it’s any good.
ETA: I understand brand loyalty. I’m heavily invested in LMT monolithic ARs. I have several large and small frame guns. I believe in the products and the company. Since about 2021, they’re letting product out into the market that shouldn’t be. It’s to the point that I don’t really recommend them anymore. I hope they unfuck themselves asap and I’m glad all of my stuff is from the 2009-2015 time frame with the exception of 1 lower and a couple barrels. They’ll have to prove themselves again. Just because I’ve spent a lot of money on their products doesn’t mean that I can’t acknowledge the problem.
Last edited:
