Who here has built guns from a parts kit?

[Bingo9991]

The idea is very interesting to me, what are the easiest and least costly kits I could put together with YouTube, the internet, no building experience, a drill press and dremal and a welder

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[DrScaryGuy]

AR15.
Spend anywhere between 400 and 1500 on your parts. Buy under 100 in new tools.
Done. Though I'd say follow the AR15.com guide rather than a YouTube video.

[oldmann1967]

An AK is a fun, challenging, and rewarding project. An assembled, headspaced barrel and Trunion, as well as a receiver with rails installed make for a fun project that isn't too technical. A shop press is all that is really needed that requires much cost. A good black parkarizing kit probably is the expensive part.
https://ak-builder.com/index.php?dis...ategory_id=231

Assembling AR15 lowers is also rewarding. AR15.com has a great guide.

https://www.ar15.com/guides/files/tu...x.html?gid=183

[dirtmcgirt76239]

Fal is pretty easy, will come out nice. Not as technical as some other builds.

[Bingo9991]

An AK is a fun, challenging, and rewarding project. An assembled, headspaced barrel and Trunion, as well as a receiver with rails installed make for a fun project that isn't too technical. A shop press is all that is really needed that requires much cost. A good black parkarizing kit probably is the expensive part.
https://ak-builder.com/index.php?dis...ategory_id=231

Assembling AR15 lowers is also rewarding. AR15.com has a great guide.

https://www.ar15.com/guides/files/tu...x.html?gid=183

You just mean a way to get the rivets in right

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[Kev_lar]

I've done a handful of AKs back when RomyGs were cheap and plentiful and had intact barrels. Started out with Tapco flats and folded them up, heat treated the rails and the trunion holes. Some say you have to treat the whole receiver, but just the stress points seems to work. Tapped the rivets and used screws to assemble them so I didn't have to re-headspace. Ended up trading the flat bending break for a shotgun when the parts kits stopped coming in with barrels. I later stripped them back down and sold the parts kits before the election...made off quite well from what I initially paid during W's term in office.

[Flash-hider]

With an imported parts kit make sure you assemble it with the correct number of 922R compliance parts, they will vary somewhat between guns. Not a deal breaker just be aware.

[oldmann1967]

You just mean a way to get the rivets in right

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No, the rivets are easily conquered with a press, but the important part is pressing the front Trunion off the barrel and pressing it back into the reunion once it is riveted in place. Just a cheap harbor freight shop press works wonders.

[BOSS302]

M14 from a barreled receiver w/ head spaced bolt was super easy. It won't save you any money these days though. AR lowers are easy. Never did an upper. It was cheaper to buy one assembled since I didn't own the necessary tools.

[BuddyChryst]

Well it's kind of a bad time to build. AK kits have been smacked around with regulations so supply isn't great, kits have gone up significantly in price and original barrels are chopped. By the time you've bought the kit, receiver, barrel, 922 parts, all the tools and jigs, you could've bought two completed rifles.

FAL kits kinda dried up too. They were never as popular as AK builds anyway.

As for ARs, they're so cheap right now, there's no savings in BIY.

If you're looking for a fun tinker project relating to firearms, I think I might recommend doing a 1911. No major tooling needed, but it'll likely require some fitting. There should be just enough frustration at times where you actually feel like you accomplished something at the end.

ETA: pics make threads more fun right?

I built this knowing it was a money pit. The idea was for it to be a project with my FIL, but he ended up not being interested. So I did it myself. Had fun with it, so I snagged a few other kits when awesome deals popped up. When I'm done building 4 rifles, the tools should have finally paid for themselves and maybe I'll have saved some money. Maybe.