Primary Arms had a pretty good sale going right now. Several completed rifles under $600. Lots of other parts that I believe to be a decent deal as well.
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Realistic cost of a 'budget' build-your-own AR?
- Thread starter cobber
- Start date
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Primary Arms had a pretty good sale going right now. Several completed rifles under $600. Lots of other parts that I believe to be a decent deal as well.
I'll have just a little less than $500 in mine. $40 for an Anderson lower and $420 for a PSA Freedom stainless MOE rifle kit. All I need to add is a rear sight.
The lower is bare in this picture so I just quickly slapped the buffer tube/stock, grip and lower on just for a picture.
Sign up for the emails for the PSA deals. That's how I got my upper kit cheap and shipped free.
The lower is bare in this picture so I just quickly slapped the buffer tube/stock, grip and lower on just for a picture.
Sign up for the emails for the PSA deals. That's how I got my upper kit cheap and shipped free.
99zhuggerz99
Marksman
Agreed on under $500. Be patient yet ready to buy. Most sites or email blasts dry up fast. Know what you want, do your homework, set your price range....as soon as you see it, hit buy.
I have missed many a deal by waiting even 15min.
I have missed many a deal by waiting even 15min.
Depends on what you want. Last summer we built a few for just under $400. We got PSA complete uppers with bcg and charging handles for $280 shipped. $45 for Anderson lowers locally. $40 for Lpk's. $20 cheap buffer tube kit, and $7 butt stocks. Throw a rear right and nah on there and were ready to go. The PSA freedom uppers are probably the best hang for the buck in my opinion. Those prices are a little higher now but easily under $500. Most of the ones I've built end up around $600 and love them a little more than the cheap ones because it's exactly what I wanted.
The whole idea of a kit seems self-defeating. Although decreases the hassle factor considerably.
[video=youtube;meP_Ufwj-FY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meP_Ufwj-FY[/video]
Thinking of this process. But with an AR...
[video=youtube;meP_Ufwj-FY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=meP_Ufwj-FY[/video]
Thinking of this process. But with an AR...
Not going to get the "Deal" from Brownells but they mark in stock and are mostly accurate.
Also I have never gotten a part from them that was questionable. Good pieces.
I'll have one built around my INGO lower for under 600 that will be a high quality rifle. I ordered a PSA cold hammer forged middy upper with FN's machine gun steel, double-thick chrome lining, a premium PSA bolt, a BCM Gunfighter charging handle, a Mission First lightweight stock, and mil-spec buffer/tube assembly and will likely have probably right at 600 bucks in it. The barrel and bolt are as good as most pricy AR's, so you can do pretty darned well for a reasonable amount of cash, if you are patient and pick things up on sale here and there.
I have just a wee bit more in my Ingo lower build. A wee bit.....
Sorry....this is a budget build thread.....
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Last ar I finished building for my son in law:
$359.95 - 01/13/15 Palmetto State Armory PTAC 16" Midlength upper 1:7 w/bcg, Charging Handle & Lower build kit
$34.99 - 01/13/15 PSA Aluminum Rear Flip Up Rear Sight
$44.99 - 01/13/15 PTAC Blem Lower
$25.50 - shipping from PSA
$15.00 - FFL Transfer fee
--------------
$480.43 total
$33.63 +tax to uncle sam after the fact
$514.06 total total
Barebones... entry level ar... Built in an hour... still shooting today. I'm sure he's upgraded components since (grip, stock, ect. functions fine)
$359.95 - 01/13/15 Palmetto State Armory PTAC 16" Midlength upper 1:7 w/bcg, Charging Handle & Lower build kit
$34.99 - 01/13/15 PSA Aluminum Rear Flip Up Rear Sight
$44.99 - 01/13/15 PTAC Blem Lower
$25.50 - shipping from PSA
$15.00 - FFL Transfer fee
--------------
$480.43 total
$33.63 +tax to uncle sam after the fact
$514.06 total total
Barebones... entry level ar... Built in an hour... still shooting today. I'm sure he's upgraded components since (grip, stock, ect. functions fine)
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I've not been under $800. By the time you add some sort of optic, and anything other than a mil spec trigger.
Its to cheap to build a lower, cheaper to buy an upper already built. My last build, I built it all from the ground up, and the upper was more expensive than had I bought one assembled.
My first build was $800, second around $1300.
I won't start a build unless I have $800 to throw at it.
Its to cheap to build a lower, cheaper to buy an upper already built. My last build, I built it all from the ground up, and the upper was more expensive than had I bought one assembled.
My first build was $800, second around $1300.
I won't start a build unless I have $800 to throw at it.
I can not put one together on the cheap. Just never happens.
To each as they see fit of course.
Same here. IMHO, a firearm is a lifetime purchase. For something I'm going to have for the rest of my life, I'm willing to spend a couple hundred more to build it exactly how I want.
Learned my lesson the hard way. When I don't build it like I want the first time, I end up swapping components eventually, and it ends up being more expensive in the long run.
But my AR's are pretty sweet at this point.
Learned my lesson the hard way. When I don't build it like I want the first time, I end up swapping components eventually, and it ends up being more expensive in the long run.
But my AR's are pretty sweet at this point.
I have two I am building that I will most likely sell at some point. I am a little over $600 for each one. SS barrel, free floated M-LOK handguard, ALG ACT triggers, fixed stock, no sights. Both should make good guns for plinking, competition or SHTF scenarios.
I have one that is my "keeper" that I built awhile back. I have close to $1K in it. But it's nice...
I have one that is my "keeper" that I built awhile back. I have close to $1K in it. But it's nice...
This is the reason why I currently feel you can get a better deal on factory then home built. If I were to get a budget AR, I would just buy one.
All said and done you will spend more then this on a budget build. Lets say $100 for a lower, then another 400 (waiting for sales from PSA) for a complete build kit, then another 60 for some mbus and you are basically at the same place....
All my AR builds cost a lot more then that, because I am not skimping on parts. I normally end up spending more then what it would cost to buy a DD.
Looking around, I basically agree. The one exception is for speculative purposes. I think the prices will go up in a month, so I may try to grab a couple extra lowers if there are any more good deals. But that may be for a different thread.
I agree with this and buying a complete rifle if looking for a budget gun. I just enjoy building them and the two I am building are really purely speculative. I did a buy well over a year ago on 5 lowers that brought my average price down into the $30 range and with the way things are in our nation, I figure it will be better to have complete firearms vs. extra lowers sitting around.
I still think building your own is better in the long run if you are a discerning AR owner and you want a specific configuration. I was never able to buy exactly what I wanted off the shelf and if I was to buy something close,start changing out parts and trying to sell the take-offs I figured I'd end up spending more in the long run. When I compare my quality builds to the higher end factory rifles, I spend less money.
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