Realistic cost of a 'budget' build-your-own AR?

[Hookeye]

My last build.............700 bucks.
Franken gun, shoots fine......a little funky look (what I wanted).
Anderson lower, Stag upper, DPMS XM177 style bbl.

Parts probably cheaper since then. Oh well.

 

[aaron580]

I did one up just to see how cheap I could with decent parts and hit 450 for all of it, psa premium bcg, polished trigger build kit, middy upper, aero lower. Could have saved 20 or so going with an Anderson lower, but no thanks

 

[Ggreen]

I built my 300blk deer rifle for around 480 before optics. It shoots just under 1" at 100 yards and has fired everytime I've pulled the trigger. I don't mind polishing my own trigger and feed ramps. I also don't mind what logo is etched into the lower.

 

[Icarry2]

https://www.tombstonetactical.com/catalog/anderson/76874-am15-223rem-5.56mm-16-orc-non-rf85-treated/

 

[public servant]

Two 7.5 inch pistols using these uppers/kits:

https://www.deltateamtactical.com/A...DE-1-7-TWIST-MINUS-LOWER-AND-BCG-_p_4891.html

https://www.deltateamtactical.com/D...ol-Upper-W-Flash-Forwarder-No-BCG_p_5152.html

I got a really good price on lowers in the classifieds and caught great deals on a couple of PSA BCG's. ($98 each including 4-40 rnd. P-Mags)

I'm under $425 each.



That upper is now on this lower.

 

[Midskier]

My latest:
PSA AR15 18" Rifle Length .223 Wylde 1:7 Nitride MOE Upper - $229.99
Palmetto State Armory 5.56 Premium Full Auto Bolt Carrier Group - $89.99
PSA AR-15 Complete Blem Lower Magpul MOE Edition - $149.99 + $25 transfer
Charging Handle - already had one - $15.00
UTG rear flip up sight - $22
-0- shipping

This should be a pretty soft shooter, plus all Magpul furniture @ $532 ready to fire

Midskler

 

[antiwheeze]

I built my 300blk deer rifle for around 480 before optics. It shoots just under 1" at 100 yards and has fired everytime I've pulled the trigger. I don't mind polishing my own trigger and feed ramps. I also don't mind what logo is etched into the lower.

Isn't an ar10 in ak 7.62 now an Indiana gun on private land? Wonder how much that build would be? Lots of cheap ammo and a better deer stopper.

 

[Iurobz]

My latest:
PSA AR15 18" Rifle Length .223 Wylde 1:7 Nitride MOE Upper - $229.99
Palmetto State Armory 5.56 Premium Full Auto Bolt Carrier Group - $89.99
PSA AR-15 Complete Blem Lower Magpul MOE Edition - $149.99 + $25 transfer
Charging Handle - already had one - $15.00
UTG rear flip up sight - $22
-0- shipping

This should be a pretty soft shooter, plus all Magpul furniture @ $532 ready to fire

Midskler

I've been looking at a similar setup for my first AR. How do you think it compares models like the S&W M&P 15 Sport or the Ruger AR556?

 

[bradbler]

If you want to put in the work and time in finding parts I know you can come in under 500 for a decent ar.

 

[Tactically Fat]

Isn't an ar10 in ak 7.62 now an Indiana gun on private land? Wonder how much that build would be? Lots of cheap ammo and a better deer stopper.

AR-10s are never cheap.

 

[INgunowner]

AR-10s are never cheap.

Or reliable.

 

[Tactically Fat]

Or reliable.

No idea.

But I'd bet my life that a DD5V1 or a DD5V2 wouldn't let me down. Those are sweet sticks.

 

[Midskier]

S&W and Ruger both have a fine enough entry model that can be found around $500 and both will serve well as is, if that's what you want ........ do you want a carbine(?) with standard hand guard and stock ?
There are dozens of other preassembled rifles as well @ the same price point. My first AR was 16" carbine with standard hand guard, grip and stock add another $100 for furniture kit, $45 for rear sight, and
topped it off it with a $200 dot (over $900 total in that one), next was an 18" CHF mid length, purchased each piece separately $700ish plus glass in that one, last year I did a 300 blackout with custom assembled upper stainless 16"
free float guard hogue grip and stock, I really like this rifle and it shoots really nice even though it has a pistol length gas tube (so I can use any ammo 110gr - 220gr) if I did a 300 over it would be carbine length tube since I shoot supersonics.
The PSA I just snapped together has all Magpul MOE furniture (rifle length hand guard, Stock and grip) spit 100+ rounds of 55gr to 75gr through it today and I'm extremely pleased with how it ran and for an AR it shoots very soft. (compared to #1 Carbine)
a note on the blem lower - yes it's a blem and I can see it, though from the reviews you'd think they're all perfect or the reviewers are all blind - structurally it's perfect, cosmetically it's not, would any one else notice - probably not, unless I pointed out the flaw(s)
additional note - Assembled blem lower - I didn't find it in the product listing but the trigger is noticeably lighter and smoother than my other "stock" mil spec triggers
So - as all AR owners will say - buy on off the shelf the way it is save $$$ now and spend $$$ later to change out a few pieces or put one together with the parts you want from the get go - I'd certainly pick my latest $532 PSA over either the entry Smith or the Ruger

Good Luck
Midskier

 

[Trigger Time]

Realistic cost of a budget AR?

answer: Your Soul

 

[jk1229]

You can get a decent quality complete upper and lower from PSA for under $500 total.

 

[THE BIG SITT]

Under $400 is easy nowadays:

AR-Stoner AR-15 A3 Upper Receiver Assembly 5.56x45mm NATO 16 Barrel

PSA AR-15 Complete Blem Lower - Classic Edition - No Magazine - 37202

 

[Hohn]

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.

This. Kind of a variation of buy once/cry once. I can tell you exactly when I learned this lesson though-- May 28th, 2008.

I had left my former career with a severance and not a penny in debt. No mortgage, nor car payments, nothing. I figured if I was ever going to be able to afford a once-in-a-lifetime thing, this was it.

I happen to be at a very high-end guitar shop in Chicago. I went there are tried several stunning guitars. But only one was "it". Not only did it look amazing, but it let me play better than I ever had before, way over my head. Guys were ducking into the booth and complimenting my playing and the sound, and I was turning to look who there were talking to. It sounded so good to my ears that it simply could NOT be me. It was cognitive dissonance, knowing both that it *can't* be me playing, yet here I was wearing that guitar and controlling the sounds I heard.

I bought the guitar. While almost all of my other guitars have been tinkered with to no end, swapping pickups and parts, fiddling with setup, etc-- this one only sees fresh strings and some cleaning. Instead of trying to "improve" it, I just try to preserve it and not screw it up. It's perfect out of the box and always will be until the frets or nut wear out.

It cost as much as a nice used car, like a 4-year old Civic or something. My hands are getting stiff and my playing is suffering. But I'll be able to play (and enjoy) that guitar until I basically can't move anymore.


So when I went AR shopping, I found exactly what I was looking for in a factory build rifle. It was NOT cheap. But since I couldn't have built it with the same parts for any saving at all, it was actually a good value.

And I learned I really like Daniel Defense.

 

[sig1473]

Or reliable.

My LMT MWS 308 is 100% reliable. You generally get what you pay for in the AR game.

 

[Floivanus]

Got an email offer last weekend for a $399 AR-15 chambered in 5.56, it may not be 'do it yourself' (as do it yourself as putting in 2 takedown pins, what most people call 'building' an AR) but it's only $399.

Either prices keep going down or everyone is just dumping overstock right now

 

[IndianaSoloMcfly]

So more exspensive to buy all the parts seperate or buy a kit? I understand i can get a nice rifle for not much right now but ive gotta build..