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Bargain AR

2056 Views 19 Replies 0 Participants Last post by  fastboy
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What would you all say is the best bargain AR and also just the cheapest AR???

I am in the market, ut with defintally limited funds.

Thanks

Please no: if you want anything good you have to spend $1000... you know what I mean

Thanks Again
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You can buy a stripped lower, and upper kit for around $600 -$700. I've seen Superior strippedl lowers for 80.00 give or take 10.00. You can get an A2 upper kit for around 460.00.
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Wow never seen this question before must be close to friday.
Stag Arms best bang for the buck.
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Del Ton has a full kit for $450, ISTR. All you need to add to that is the Stripped Lower at around $100.
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BBunin said:
Del Ton has a full kit for $450, ISTR. All you need to add to that is the Stripped Lower at around $100.
+1. I'm a cheap SOB but I'd like to get an EBR before the dems get a chance to remove that right. This is my planned route.
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Rock Island Armory has them for about $550 I heard.
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beardman2 said:
+1. I'm a cheap SOB but I'd like to get an EBR before the dems get a chance to remove that right. This is my planned route.
Oh, we'll still have the right. We'll have it every bit as much as we did over 200 years ago.
Unfortunately, evil people with guns are willing to shoot us for exercising that right, and would love for us to think they were actually taking it away.
Sorry to sound so glum, but it's been one of those nights.
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cheapest i've ever seen is the Olympic Arms at various stores. always seem to be cheaper than the Bushmaster, RRA, stag, etc.

don't know much about them. always hear that the Bushmaster/Colt/RRA/Stag are "better" but never how "bad" the olympic is. i'd do a search for "Olympic Arms"
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Stand around the door at the next gunshow and have cash in hand. Someone is bound to walk in with one and need some cash. Pay the few dollars to have a FFL at the show to do the transfer so your butt wont be in a sling if its a stolen gun.
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I've never read that Olympic Arms were 'worse' than other brands, just that other brands were 'better.' Olympic makes mil-spec stuff just like everyone else, but their finish may not be as pretty (not as yummy-smooth and seams may still be visible).

The only negative that I have read about Oly is that one guy had a Plinker Plus, ($595 MSRP, complete), dropped it, and the barrel snapped off. He wasn't happy, and I wouldn't be either. That was it. I've read a lot of good reports on the Plinker Plus, as well as other OA models. There is an OA-specific forum out there, too, if you really want to dig into Oly stuff.

I'd recommend checking at local gun shops. Not big box stores like Gander or what not, but actual real-life gun shops. There are a few guys in my area that do AR business out of their home shops. I found them on Google Maps. Anyhoo, local shops can usually do better than the MSRP. Online prices may be attractive, but keep in mind that the lower receiver will need to be shipped to a FFL dealer. The shop I frequent charges $45 to do a transfer (it may be $35 for a LR).

Be advised that the best deals aren't necessarily at gun shows. Although deals can still be found there.

Finally, a co-worker of mine built a flat-top M4 for about $650, minus the optic. I believe he acquired a complete Bushmaster lower and an upper from Model1Sales.

FWIW
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hikeeba said:
Olympic makes mil-spec stuff just like everyone else,
Not true. Most ARs are not 100% mil-spec. Bushmaster comes closest of those that sell to civvies.

Oly uppers have been known to crack. Perhaps they have improved their quality. I'm not willing to risk it to save a few bucks. Regardless of what other parts you use, get a good upper receiver, barrel, and bolt.
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Our local Gander Mtn. sells new DPMS M-4s for 799 bucks. Thats not that bad for a big box store. Most of our smaller gunstores think any AR is golden and I see questionable used ARs selliing in the 900 dollar range at many of our smaller stores. Anything with Colt or Bushmaster on it at our smaller local stores begins in the 850-950 dollar range and most are well over 1000 bucks.

I have also been weighing out buying a stripped receiver and building vs. just buying a complete rifle. The cost versus the time/hassle is pretty slim if you ask me.

I just worry about putting all of it together. WILL the lower kit work just fine? What if things don't line up right? Then, theres the cost of taking your cobbled together problem child to a smith and paying him to make it fly right. That could cost even more than buying the completed rifle...right?

I have a feeling that if you ARE going to biuld your own AR, you probably need to buy the more quality parts from the bigger, more reputable makers (Bushmaster, DPMS, etc.) than chance it with some off brand cheapo parts kits. That has NEVER panned out for me with my 1911s.

OR...I can buy the already assembled DPMS M4 and shoot right away without any hassles.

Its tempting to just buy the DPMS rifle rather than chance these budget receivers and parts kits made by small companies.

- brickboy240
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Brickboy240 said:
Its tempting to just buy the DPMS rifle rather than chance these budget receivers and parts kits made by small companies.
After looking at the options of building one vs buying one, I finally decided to find the best deal I could on a complete rifle from Bushmaster. YMMV.
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BBunin said:
Del Ton has a full kit for $450, ISTR. All you need to add to that is the Stripped Lower at around $100.
Same here. I just ordered my spike's tactical lower (I think it's made by the same place that makes the ones for STAG). Gonna order my Del-Ton kit before the end of the school year hopefully.

Gotta love work-study money :D
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Brickboy: from what I've seen to do the upper correctly it doesn't hurt to have some special skills and tools.

buying a stripped lower and a "rifle kit" from del-ton seems the best way to go. It includes everything but the stripped lower. The upper is fully ready to go. Just install stock, trigger etc on the lower and attach upper.
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I'll toss in a word for Arizona's own Ameetec Arms....

http://www.ameetecarms.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=11

A complete M4-style lower for $200, then add your choice of upper for another $450 or $500. They have great customer service, and many Phoenix-area AR nuts are happy owners of their products.
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Corey G said:
Wow never seen this question before must be close to friday.
Stag Arms best bang for the buck.
I love my RRA but I have to agree, from what I've heard, that Stag is a great bargain.
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I've never read that Olympic Arms were 'worse' than other brands, just that other brands were 'better.'

Thats straight from the John Kerry handbook. He said, "I was for it before I was aganst it". If the others are better, (and I don't know if that's true) then the Olympic Arms must, by definition and logic, be worse. Hello!!
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Rollerman said:
I've never read that Olympic Arms were 'worse' than other brands, just that other brands were 'better.'

Thats straight from the John Kerry handbook. He said, "I was for it before I was aganst it". If the others are better, (and I don't know if that's true) then the Olympic Arms must, by definition and logic, be worse. Hello!!
Yeah Rollerman, I see what you are saying. I didn't mean to emulate Senator Kerry. Eeesh! I meant that I haven't heard or read people say OA products were bad, but rather when making a comparison people instead state that Bushy, DPMS, Stag, (insert other popular brand here) are just 'better' but don't really state why. I was more or less referring to my observation that certain brands seem to be very 'popular' and are therefore 'better.'
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Bushmaster M4 can be had for approx. $850, which is what I would consider high quality with competitive price!:cool:
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