first off, welcome, lets see if we can get you straightened out. I have a Larue, it's the cats ass, but 3k is the entry price. The Lmt is a little but not much less. Now about building. With some mechanical knowledge and a couple tools you can build a sweet rifle for less than the above, maybe even have enough left over for optics. I would suggest using a Mega machine matching receiver set, they are so nice and will allow you more flexibility in your build. Why don't you read up some, check out some pictures, get an idea of the barrel length, rail, and stock you may want to use and we can go from there. Also keep in mind where you live may restrict your choices.