I've done some reading and researching and watching of other's builds (internet not first hand). I'm on hold with anything new now anyways. I've spent so much the last two years on the new reloading stuff.....AP Press, dies, powder measures, plates. brass, bullets, powder, PRIMERS!!!, etc. etc. I have a spreadsheet of every nickel I've spent and I'm at $4600. Sounds like a lot, but I have materials and such for thousands of rounds of six different calibers. I bought frugally where I could with a lot of clean once fired brass and bought the whole stock of a guy selling out for other interests (lots of shells, bullets for .45, 9mm, .223)
I splurged on the recent upper & lower only cause they were super cheap on sale and I wanted a different upper to experiment with optics on (my A2 has carry handle) so...
Everything I have purchased is mid-length and that's where I will stay. I am not really interested in the SBR or AR pistols. And I love to shoot, but I'm not up to a competition guy so it will take me years to shoot 10,000 rounds. Love to, but time and money...and time.
Anyway - I have every component I need except for the Hornady AP shell plate #1 (.308 Win). It's a damn $26-29 part and I haven't been able to get one for 18 months. I'm on everyone's wait and email list. I saw some asswipe vendor on Amazon had it "in stock" and selling it for $159. I hope buyers remember these jackwagons when shit normalizes again and never buy anything from them again (ahem....Cheaper than Dirt, cough, cough)