[aa1911]

took me 2 years to build my first one but I did it for $300 including an Eotech optic! 10.5" shorty (oly arms) and a mega arms lower with DPMS guts. (the eotech was free, so doesn't count...)

lowers are stupid easy, roll pin punch set, a nice size brass hammer and a block will do it.

Uppers are a different story; much more tools required, you need an upper vice block, wrench, chamber reamer, go/no-go gauges and preferably a torque wrench (inch pounds) as well as a little gunsmithing know how to get correct headspace. It's fairly easy though, I learned from a guy that did it for a living so I never had any good references/books/DVD's to recommend.

I would buy a completed upper as said above and build your own lower, too easy.

happy buildin' to ya!