I initially went shotgun since I was more familiar with shotguns than AR-15s. My first choice was a Benelli SuperNova Tactical. I started looking around the gun shops in the area and on the Calguns Marketplace. However, I couldn't find the exact model I wanted.
All the local shops had a ton of Remington 870 shotguns, but not the SuperNova Tactical. There's nothing wrong with the Remington 870, it's a fine shotty. However, it just did not fit me. I previously shot a SuperNova Tactical at the Raahuages Gun Show last year and it just felt right in my hands. Since I couldn't find it local, I decided to learn more about AR-15s just to keep my options open.
I did a ton of reading (this is my favorite) and watched a ton of videos on YouTube. Let me tell you, I learned a lot about the AR-15. If you're interested in the videos, I can recommend the videos by Midway USA and Brownells (see below for a sample).
What really appealed to me is that I could build my own - I didn't have to purchase a "complete" rifle. I could buy parts piece by piece and slowly put it together. And if I was able to find good deals on quality parts, I could comfortably put together a high quality AR-15 for less than what I would have spent on a complete rifle.
I was sold and decided to try my hand at "building" an AR-15. The next few posts will detail the parts I've acquired and the progress on my build. Stay tuned!
