Inexpensive AR carbine...whats out there?

I'm pretty well satisfied with my psa upper, ept lol, and Anderson lower. I just put an optic, a Bushnell take off that I bought for 10 bucks, put 30 rounds into 1.5 in at 100 with fiochi 55gr fmjbt 223 ammo.

It's a 556 chamber 1in 7 twist barrel..

Random 8 said:

Looking to pick up one or 2. Not looking to set the world on fire accuracy wise or do a build, just a basic carbine, optic compatable, for shorter range use, general shooting, and "stuff" good to go out of the box. My only hard requirement is 5.56 chamber and 1:8 twist or faster to stabilize the 75 HPBT loads I favor.

Who makes a good bare bones model these days for a reasonable price?

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Random 8 said:

Looking to pick up one or 2. Not looking to set the world on fire accuracy wise or do a build, just a basic carbine, optic compatable, for shorter range use, general shooting, and "stuff" good to go out of the box. My only hard requirement is 5.56 chamber and 1:8 twist or faster to stabilize the 75 HPBT loads I favor.

Who makes a good bare bones model these days for a reasonable price?

Click to expand...

I am with you, better pick up a couple, can always quadruple your money when the ban comes back or a panic. Right now the best deal is a PSA upper and lower, for chrome lined uppers look at CDNN they have one for 179 right now less bcg.

Maybe take a look a bear creek arsenal, I have one of their uppers in 7.62x39 and love it. I am thinking of picking up a complete rifle. $365 for a free floated upper seems like a steal!

https://www.bearcreekarsenal.com/bc...our-barrel-5-56-nato-1-7-twist-w-15-mlok-rail

I've been very happy with my PSA Freedom. It's a Freedom upper on a classic lower.

https://palmettostatearmory.com/psa...-nitride-moe-upper-with-rear-mbus-bcg-ch.html

https://palmettostatearmory.com/complete-psa-ar-15-lower-classic-edition.html

$410 for the whole shebang, plus shipping and whatever transfer fee you have to pay for the lower.

For $20 more, you can bump up to a free floated handguard.

https://palmettostatearmory.com/psa...13-5-lightweight-m-lok-upper-with-bcg-ch.html

Gilbert's Guns is selling an Anderson lower with the parts kit installed for $80. Midway has their AR Stoner completed uppers for $219 on sale. All you need to add is the buttstock and tube/buffer of your choice ($40 or thereabouts) plus the transfer fee and you have a gun. Assuming a $25 transfer fee that gets you a rifle with an upper from a company you're heard of for $365.

Edited to add links:

Upper: https://www.midwayusa.com/product/102079959?pid=768529
Lower/LPK: https://www.gilbertsguns.com/anders...lpk-installed-w-ambi-safety-b2-k401-a0b1.html

If I'm picking up what you're putting down, I'd buy a couple Anderson lowers, GI type LPK's and some PSA uppers to match. I'd also grab a few spare parts, extra springs and a bolt or two.

Building your lowers will familiarize yourself with the inner workings if "stuff" happens and a gun needs maintenance.

If you've got a couple extra bucks left over, I hear good things about the various "improved GI" type triggers like the ALG.

I agree with the PSA ar15's. Can pretty much build what ever you want for cheap. I built a 20" rifle for a camp/beater. After lower and carry handle. It was under 400 and has been flawless. Also built a M4 carbine from there rifle kits. Again, for under 400.

Been debating on building another to keep on hand.

Some form of PSA or BCA if building.

S&W or Ruger if buying.

Because of the elections and the possibilities that could potentially bring there’s been some people I’ve known who’ve always kinda wanted an AR, but just hadn’t jumped off the fence to get one who are either buying or building.

In the past few months I’ve helped three friends or co-workers assemble one and all have used PSA rifle kits and either Aero or Anderson lowers.

The couple who’ve bought mostly went with S&W.

With the builders I have the tools and I’ve just turned on a video and provided occasional suggestions.

For instance here’s one ...




They’ve also all had 16” inch barrels with a 1/7 or 1/8 twist, MLOK rails, MagPul MOE stocks, MagPul MBUS sights to start off with (one got a Sig red dot a short while after) and they’ve all gotten the slightly upgraded EPT trigger. Then they all either generally gotten one of the 6 pack or 10 pack of D&H or MagPul M2 Pmags mags.

For 1:8, I think Smith and Ruger run those in their budget guns but you'd have to look.

Most PSA stuff is 1:7. But I've had good luck with PSA for budget builds

If you don't want to build, I would look hard at the Ruger AR 556.

But since you said you want a couple, I would look hard at some of the build suggestions here.

It isn’t building. It’s just putting two halves together and pushing in two pins.
Buy an upper you like.
Buy a lower you like.
Be more satisfied than with a...

Random 8 said:

bare bones model

Click to expand...

... and most likely save money as well.

If you favor heavy bullets, you should favor a free float tube as well, something that is not synonymous with a "Basic Carbine”.

@Random 8, your post has me incredibly confounded at this point and here’s why: the bullet you favor would normally call to mind hunting, either varmints or deer, and is, relatively speaking expensive. Adding to that the carbine requirement means either a short gas length making follow up shots more difficult or a short barrel making for decreased velocity thus loosing some advantage for the higher BC bullet.

Your chamber requirement means diminished accuracy (generally speaking) as will most aspects (cheap barrel, harsh trigger) of a bare bones AR.

Were it me in your shoes and not wanting to “build” I would suggest an Aero Precision 16” mid length upper with Wylde Chamber (~$400), an PSA Magpul STR EPT complete lower ($200) and BCG/CH of your choice ($70+).

That’s roughly $70-$100 more than a basic Ruger or Smith but with a better handguard, better stock, smoother recoil impulse, probably more accurate and probably better trigger. It may not have the resale value of a major brand but if it works for what you want at relatively equal weight and length then who cares.

Better still, buy the upper as an 18” rifle gas and accept the small penalty in weight.

A couple of years ago I bought a complete upper from PSA with an 18" barrel and rifle gas system, 1:7 twist, 223 Wylde chamber, and a free-floated aluminum hand guard and mated it with one of their "universal" lowers with their two-stage trigger. Total cost was right around $600.

Ruger AR556 MPR has been available for around $600 and would be another good option with free floated handguard, 18" barrel with a 1:8 twist rate and a 5.56 NATO chamber.

Ruger AR556 carbines are also available in an "optics ready" version with a low profile gas block, 16" barrel, 1:8 twist, carbine gas system and 5.56 NATO chamber. The Smith and Wesson M&P15s now have 1:9 twist barrels so you probably don't want one of them,

Have had good luck with my Anrdo Corp stuff. They had a sale a few weeks back, buy 2 for $800 I think.