Quote Originally Posted by Jer View Post
Your checklist is exactly why Palmetto State Armory exists. Buy an inexpensive stripped lower receiver. Blems can be had for ~$40 plus shipping & transfer fee. Then get a cheap lower build kit or you can splurge a little on a LBK w/Magpul MOE furniture. Then watch YouTube videos that walk you through building it step by step. When you're done you'll have the cheapest lower half you can find & maybe more importantly you'll know know every single part it contains & can service it yourself. It seems intimidating but believe me when I say a caveman can do it w/video instructions.

Now just wait for a deal (possibly another blem?) On a midlength upper. Your complete rifle will be around $400 & you'll learn so much about it that you'll gain even more respect for the system.

Everything I mentioned can be had inexpensively through PSA's website & their sale items rotate daily. Don't get paralysis by analysis and think you need to spend a fortune on every little component. Before you know it years will pass and you'll be left with a rifle that isn't any better than the one you could build this month for $400.

With the money you saved invest in lots of ammo and range time and possibly even some training and your rifle will perform better than the one you would have bought two years from now for $2,000 that you can't afford a more training for. after you run a few thousand rounds through it you can reevaluate what components you want to replace and why but most importantly you'll know at that point exactly why you want something different.
That’s also a good idea. I appreciate it