newfrontierarmory.com has awesome deals on custom uppers. I got mine there. BHM barrels are the awesome sauce.

 

If I ever decide to build an AR I think I'd have to ask R3d to pick out all the parts for me. I've been trying to look into building one and I've come to the conclusions that there are just way too many different brands and parts for me to build a good one. I'd also like to make it eject the shell on the left side of the gun, for a left handed person. I don't know if they make that.

Edit: Had to google left handed AR. I'm liking the Stag Arms 2HTL upper.

 

that feature doubles the price from an entry AR to a tacti-cool gun. It's hard to find plain jane ar's that are left side ejection.

 

I had considered that. I like BCM a little better then Spikes actually but they cost more unless you get an upper and order a Blem lower receiver. I am trying to decide between an AR and Bullitt scoop deletes, sail panels and quarter glass. Hmmmmmmm decisions . lol

 

Spikes, BCM, YHM, Larue, Wilson, etc... are all just taking an otherwise hard to screw up platform and making it absurdly expensive for no good reason. A few tips I learned recently while building my AR's:

1. build it, don't buy it. Buy the upper and lower separately or you pay a premium.
2. Steer clear of tacti-cool crap. Collapsing stock, back-up iron sights (on a scoped rifle) = ok. Forward handles, crap hanging off it = fail. Keep it clean and trim. The bullets and the trigger do the real work.
3. High end brands provide little value. All the castings are made in central forges. They're machined to MIL-SPEC and then any custom bits. Only left side eject are different.
4. Piston guns are still full of fail. Most fail to cycle properly on some regular basis.
5. Piston conversions are pure fail. Almost none of them are even remotely reliable despite the advertising.
6. guns is just like cars, the mods usually do little and cost a shitload.
7. Barrel length is your deciding factor. 16" is ok but short for most things. 20" makes for a pretty long gun. 24" makes for a really long gun.
9. 6mmx45 (223 necked up to 6mm) is stupid easy to deal with and a better solution than 6.8 and holds more bullets than 6.5.
10. The cheapest price for highest quality components for uppers is at newfrontierarmory.com
11. New Frontier also has polymer lowers that are awesome for hella cheap.
12. The only really good aftermarket triggers are Timmney, Jewel and JP. Gieselle are just stock with messed up parts.