Still cheaper to build?

[Doc45]

I'm not talking high end $1000+ items. There are some amazing deals right now on complete carbines anywhere from $575 (Aero AC-15) to $780 (FN model 36001), even a Colt 6920 for $850. Every time I've thought about building a pistol or carbine just to get a functional good quality item it seems to take $800 +. I'd like to get a good sd/home defense that goes bang everytime and won't blow up or fall apart at a couple hundred round range session. Thanks.

[Great-Kazoo]

The 6920's seem to be locked in that price for some time. You can build for a good price, or pick up low mileage used factory gun. Depends where you look and what web sites are offering deals. Outside the bbl, trigger group and bcg, IMO, everything else is merely a frame to build on.

[ray1970]

Haven?t checked prices in a while but I think you can still get a serviceable carbine for around $500. Something like a S&W M&P or something similar.

[Mazin]

PSA is even cheaper, $375-$400 for a good entry level carbine. Keep checking their daily deals. They were running a PSA complete moe lower for $129 and the matching upper for $229, that was about a week ago.

[Doc45]

Excellent, thanks guys. This will be for one of my sons, he just started a new job and doesn’t want/can’t drop a lot of money for something.

[Jer]

PSA is even cheaper, $375-$400 for a good entry level carbine. Keep checking their daily deals. They were running a PSA complete moe lower for $129 and the matching upper for $229, that was about a week ago.

I got a complete mid-length PSA upper a while back that was a blem on clearance for I think $169 or $179. When it arrived the handguard was busted up so they gave me a small credit to offset the damage so I could replace the handguard. they recently released a space force stripped lower for $39.99 so I got one of those because I thought it would make for a cool build. They also had their Urban grey Moe lower build kit on sale I think for $99, possibly less. I just need to source a rear sight and then it's ready to shoot for well under $300. If you're patient and shop enough it's a really good time to build some rifles.

[kidicarus13]

I got a complete mid-length PSA upper a while back that was a blem on clearance for I think $169 or $179. When it arrived the handguard was busted up so they gave me a small credit to offset the damage so I could replace the handguard. they recently released a space force stripped lower for $39.99 so I got one of those because I thought it would make for a cool build. They also had their Urban grey Moe lower build kit on sale I think for $99, possibly less. I just need to source a rear sight and then it's ready to shoot for well under $300.

Nice work

[Jer]

Nice work

I was just telling a buddy about this the other day and I'm still not sure why I even did it. It's like everytime I see something that comprises a rifle on sale I get this wild urge to build another budget rifle. One of these days I need to stop building budget rifles because I already have more than I know what to do with. It's just something about the chase of the deal that makes me think building another budget rifle is somehow saving me money when all I'm doing is spending more money.

[BigDee]

If you don?t mind waiting for their slow shipping PSA is always a good option. I?ve done several builds with their complete build kits plus a stripped lower. I?ve found MOE build kits during their sales for $300 and a stripped lower for $40.

I?ve got builds in my safe that I?m well into for a couple grand and to the average shooter they wouldn?t notice the difference between my big money guns and my PSA guns.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Grant H.]

Slow shipping?

On what?

I've never had a problem getting them to ship what I ordered in a timely manner.

Sure, they have to build what you order (assembled uppers), but I've never had that take more than ~2-4 days,

[Will1776]

If I wanted a really solid affordable rifle I'd go with the M&P 15 Sport 2 for $464 on gun prime.

[Mazin]

Personally I'd take a PSA over a Smith but that's just me. Also as far as shipping I've never encountered a crazy wait from PSA. Back during the panic of 2013 I waited 6 mo for an upper from Rguns....yea it was cheap but the wait was horrible with no updates at all.

[BigDee]

This would be a great budget build. Add another $40 for a lower and $40 for an MBUS site. All in for around $400 after transfer fee and BGC

https://palmettostatearmory.com/psa-16-midlength-5-56-nato-1-7-socom-melonite-freedom-rifle-kit.html

I wish I had known about that gun prime deal before dropping $600 on that same M&P AR earlier today. [emoji51][emoji51]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[clodhopper]

Slow shipping?

On what?

I've never had a problem getting them to ship what I ordered in a timely manner.

Sure, they have to build what you order (assembled uppers), but I've never had that take more than ~2-4 days,


I think many still carry the "PSA is a slow shipper" concept even though PSA has greatly improved the time to ship. When I first started ordering from them, it was a couple months to get it delivered, but there were few other options, so ya learn to be patient.

I can't bring myself to buy a "big money" rifle as no one sells exactly what I want. I am notorious for buying something new and immediately taking it apart and changing up the stuff I don't like. I generally start with a box of parts simply because it works out better for me in the long run, and my stock of generic pieces doesn't grow as fast. How many M4 stocks do you really need to keep anyway? I have always recommended to buy an economy rifle, use it and change the things that cause you discomfort or are inadequate for your style.

Expensive rifles always seem to have the parts that work well for someone else rather than me.

[FireMoth]

I'm not talking high end $1000+ items. There are some amazing deals right now on complete carbines anywhere from $575 (Aero AC-15) to $780 (FN model 36001), even a Colt 6920 for $850. Every time I've thought about building a pistol or carbine just to get a functional good quality item it seems to take $800 +. I'd like to get a good sd/home defense that goes bang everytime and won't blow up or fall apart at a couple hundred round range session. Thanks.

In my experience, the complete guns from Aero, S&W, and FN are superior to what you can build at that price. Really comes to quality of bolts and barrels, though other parts play in.
Building is cheaper than rebuilding, when you want specific thngs.
But building on a budget is no long that great of an idea, because barrel is almost always the cost sacrifice, and in spite of ATF oppinion, physics says the barrel IS the gun.
We have this discussion every day, because its our bread and butter.
The one thing thats not worth doing is buying a budget AR and then changing core components, because regardless of price, you paid for the parts that are there.

So, hard lessons learned by all of us, buy or build the rifle you want the first time. Thats the cheapest, no matter what you spend.
If an Aero or S&W meets your needs unmodified, youll have a hard time building yourself an equivelent gun at that price.

[Jer]

I got a complete mid-length PSA upper a while back that was a blem on clearance for I think $169 or $179. When it arrived the handguard was busted up so they gave me a small credit to offset the damage so I could replace the handguard. they recently released a space force stripped lower for $39.99 so I got one of those because I thought it would make for a cool build. They also had their Urban grey Moe lower build kit on sale I think for $99, possibly less. I just need to source a rear sight and then it's ready to shoot for well under $300. If you're patient and shop enough it's a really good time to build some rifles.

The finished product with an inexpensive handle for rear sight.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/s6faLK0jAOzIy8b2KtLesfjKmCBBoZy0ZtpzLkeVgjmW049hK-ATqS9NB21qvLa7kyCynX3Mhf1l2G6-pyUlxifs-X504CpQwE-z_29BQy2H41N7QlHnPsyVRh1FJShHbC-h1t_H_xs=w2400