Realistically how much for the cheapest reliable AR build?

[glock7]

Anderson lowers 49.99, gotta be on the look out. Also found this on PSA site

http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.php/catalog/product/view/id/1131/category/388/

http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.php/catalog/product/view/id/19411/s/ptac-16-carbine-length-5-56-nato-1-7-slick-side-upper-with-bcg-and-ch/

You're looking at a sub $500 build. Good luck.

[riderr]

Yes, cheap for occasional plink. What are my cheapest options for stripped lowers and complete lowers?

I've even considered one of those polymer receivers but not sure I want to to go that route.

Look around at your LGS. If you buy the lower online, you'll have to pay the transfer fee to your FFL, which ranges from $25 to $75.
There is nothing wrong with plastic lowers, other than those may occasionally break. Thus, it's not going to be absolutely reliable, which is the key factor for you. I wouldn't personally recommend using plastic lower on the only rifle you have. Usually, plastic lowers are used for super-lightweight configurations.

[dfletcher]

I'm used to firing AK rounds but have recently been introduced to the 5.56. I'm only going to shoot it once in a blue moon so I don't want to invest much into it; it just needs to be reliable and functional; I don't care if it isn't the most tactical and bad-*** looking rifle.

If I were to take my time in buying components, maybe wait for sales, blemished, or used. What is the realistic price I can build a system?

If you have friends who have ARs they have tricked out you could get nearly every part, with the exception of the lower, upper receiver and barrel, for free or almost. "Maybe" on buying a gas tube, no one seems to upgrade those.

An AR upper from PSA or SOTA is about $50.00. Barrels can be found for about $90.00, lower for $60.00.

I just put together an AR 10 where the big costs were lower ($99.00 from PSA) and upper ($74.00 DPMS from CDNN) and the barrel ($199.00 EBay) while everything else came from "Bag O' Spare Parts" (for example, a ground down AR 15 front sight makes a neat "low profile gas block") or was scrounged from friends.

I got alot of my spare parts by waiting and by helping friends with their builds. If you're in no hurry scrounging and waiting for deals should make it very cheap.

[gun toting monkeyboy]

You know, had you gotten in on that Diamondback Tactical black Friday deal, you could realistically have put together a decent complete AR for less than $400. If you aren't in a hurry, you can start putting things together as you find them on sale. As the others have noted, PSA has frequent sales on uppers. Primary Arms tends to have sales on lower parts kits and complete buttstock kits. The only thing you need to go through an FFL for is the lower. And you should be able to get one of those locally.

-Mb

[lightsunglasses]

I am devouring all the information you guys have gave me; anyone please feel free to post any more info you might think is relevant.

[TS77]

It can be the Kia of ARs, as long as it goes boom most the time when the trigger is pulled!

Perfect! My car's a KIA and my AR is built from a PSA kit!

[Jimi Jah]

I buy Anderson lowers locally for $49. It's $77 OTD with tax and DROS.

[stag6.8]

I recently built a PSA/Thordsen frs-15 featureless rifle with a m4 CHF 1:7 upper and PSA matching lower...And I can say that the build quality of the upper and lower is very good. By what I`ve read...the only complaints about PSA were the bolt carrier group regarding the staking of the carrier, but no complaints regarding the actual upper and/or lower receiver quality..so to avoid any issues that might arise, I installed a stag arms m-16 bolt carrier group which was one of my spare BCG`s and a bcm gunfighter charging handle....total price 1200$...which includes optics(aimpoint pro scope with American defense mount)and other additions, which is still a very good deal. The rifle`s performance has been remarkable. very satisfied. I`ll be building another PSA ar-15 for sure. If you`re looking for a quality AR at a decent price, PSA is a very good option.

[dtrump]

I don't recall saying anything was wrong with them. You can do much better and much worse. They certainly make the most options for front sight posts and GI barrel nuts and that's part of the reason they are so popular.

Id say step above chicom crap is pretty damn aggressive for MI. The gen 2 ss was light and slim and took rails where you wanted before people stsrted buying keymod for those reasons. I have never looked at my gen 2 ss and said man this thing is lacking, i really dont think there is anything wrong with it imo. For me there is no need to replafe it with keymod at all. Heck of a value for 170$ for a 15 inch.
and psa stuff is great. Get the premium or chf uppers and you have a solid setup. Fn barrels are great. Never any issues from psa, some people have shipping issues but as far as reliability and quality of product, it is definitely there. If you gave me 600-800 for a build I'd be looking nowhere else.

[desertjosh]

PSA seems to have changed their shipping procedures or something. A couple months ago I ordered a complete rifle kit from their daily deals and it was at my door in 11 days. Not too bad coming from across the country.

[soldier07110]

Seeing the words, "cheap" and "reliable" together makes me cringe...

There are people who buy cheap cars, cheap sunglasses, cheap whatever it may be, but the issue is, they tend to be not nearly as reliable as the mid-higher end product. Same can be applied to weapons, weapons accessories, optics, etc. When you're buying a gun, reliability sure be the concern at the forefront (I think).

I think LMT tends to be the cheapest I would go for a very reliable gun. Now, I wouldn't classify LMT as cheap, but they're certainly quite reliable and it would be money well spent.