Because the ATF regulates the lower receiver of an AR15 as the actual firearm, it is a lot easier for most consumers and shooters to buy, trade and alter AR15 upper kits to make customizations to their rifles. Also, an AR 15 upper kit will typically come with an assembled AR15 upper receiver and will include a barrel, an ejection port cover, ejection port pins and springs, charging handles and forward assist components.
What you’ll need to do to complete a full custom build of an AR 15 is to mate an AR15 upper kit to a lower receiver kit, which will contain the remainder of the components, as well as the lower receiver which is stamped with a serial number and considered a firearm.
That matter of what is contained in them is fairly straightforward, but what remains to be investigated are the reasons you might have for building your own, which may follow.
- Develop a better working knowledge of the platform
When you put together your own firearm from a kit, you get a lot closer to the inner workings of the platform. Let’s face a weird truth: a lot of gun owners, even proud ones, don’t know much more about how their firearm works besides loading the mag, pulling the trigger and then swabbing out the bore later to keep it clean. A lot of firearm owners are in the dark when it comes to the minute inner workings of their firearms.
That just doesn’t suit everyone – which is why some people build their own from kits. It’s an enjoyable, and an educational, experience.
- Learn how to fix issues before they arise
When you’re putting everything together from scratch, you learn where things go, and when something fails you will inherently know where it is located and how to replace it. Also, if you keep parts kits on hand, which is a good practice, you’ll have spares of everything you need, all the time.
- Keep spare parts on hand for making fixes
On that note, if you make it a habit to keep spare parts on hand all the time, you’ll be ready to make repairs when your bolt carrier group needs to be replaced, your firing pin breaks, or your ejector starts acting up. That, and you’ll know exactly how to replace them since you built them in the first place.
- Install custom parts for smoother, faster cycling, better accuracy or improved performance
Finally, the best reason for making an AR15 from an upper and lower kit (or from a complete kit) is because you have complete control over what parts you use. Do you want to install a new BCG with permanent dry lubricity to extend its lifespan and speed of cycling? Do you want a higher quality barrel that produces tighter groups? Perhaps you’re interested in installing a new keymod handguard (or another hand guard) or gas block. Dealing with a mushy trigger? Swap it out! An AR-15 build kit makes all of these things possible – even easy – as customizations.
Still interested in assembling your own AR15 or M16 variant using a built kit or an upper and lower kit? We don’t blame you, but first you’ll need to get the parts. Then you can get onto making whatever customizations are attractive to you.
Visit Sarco, Inc., at SarcoInc.com and investigate their upper and lower kits, as well as their complete upper build kits and lower kits and complete build kits for AR 15 rifles and other popular sporting variants. They also have build kits for other iconic platforms, including the M1903 and M1911. They’re actually one of the best sources for parts and kits for these historically significant firearms.
Plus, they know their trade like no other. If you have questions – and first time tinkerers always do – they’ll answer them. Just call them at 610-250-3960 and they’ll be quick with an answer or with the part you need.
