$500 for an AR-15 could i do it.

[dbrown]

Everyone says its possible to build an ar-15 for $500. But every time i look for the cheapest parts and total up the price its always around 600-650 dollars.

 

[firesky101]

Prices have risen significantly in the past year. Maybe they will come down again after the panic.

 

[beex215]

with a polymer lower it can be had for a little over 500

 

[ZombieHorde]

I personally have built them for $620 at the cheapest. If you get stuff on super sale it may be possible.

 

[carbine85]

Maybe but it will be difficult and time consuming. If you buy all new parts it will be closer to $600 for a base model. It's the uppers that are getting more costly.

 

[greyling22]

$45 plastic lower http://www.joeboboutfitters.com/New_Frontier_Armory_STRIPPED_AR15_Polymer_Lower_p/nfa-stripped.htm
$470 delton kit http://www.del-ton.com/Rifle_Kit_p/rkt104.htm

complete plastic lower 110 - http://www.joeboboutfitters.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=NFA-LW15BLK

dpms upper complete $380 http://www.slickguns.com/product/dp...st-16-light-contour-barrel-chrome-moly-matte-

rguns upper - $400 http://www.aimsurplus.com/product.a...5.56/.223+Upper+Half&groupid=301&search=upper

surplus ammo upper w/ magpul handguard $415 http://www.surplusammo.com/surplus-ammo-arms-complete-ar-15-m4-16-upper-receiver-5-56-1-9/


dsa pieced together upper $365 http://www.dsarms.com/ZM4_AR15-Semi...ly---ZM485018509-A/productinfo/ZM485018509-A/

http://www.dsarms.com/DSA-ZM4-A3-Up...--M4---ZM4CBUM4PARK/productinfo/ZM4CBUM4PARK/

http://www.dsarms.com/ZM4_AR15-allo...dard-latch---ZM48517-A/productinfo/ZM48517-A/

add in a magazine, shipping, and a rear sight and you get up near $550.

or just buy a complete gun for $600. http://slickguns.com/product/dpms-rflpwcp-pthr-sptcal-223-flt-546-free-shipping

 

[waterhouse]

My cheapest came in around $470ish once I added a carry handle for a rear sight. Started with a $50 lower and added a del ton black Friday sale kit. I doubt I could do that again these days without a sale or some good deals on used parts.

 

[Mot45acp]

I did one for $465....total fraken gun outta used parts. It was ugly but it worked.

 

[Dr.Rob]

Doing it right I think you'd be closer to six bills buying all your parts from one place.

OR

Take your time, buy it psycho-billy Cadillac style (One Piece at a Time) and get closer to $500. Do some trading, wheel it down some more.

 

[mshootnit]

I did mine for 587 a few months ago. I think it could be done but would require leg work.

 

[WNTFW]

I did one on the cheap. The key was to only buy killer deals. LPK / Trigger, BCG & lower were new. I just didn't see any savings going used on them.
All other parts were pre owned. It took a little time. All work was DIY & all tools borrowed. The barrel was used but shoots just fine - how long will be the question.

Now may not be the best time.

 

[SwissArmyDad]

I bought mine piece by piece, the biggest cost being the upper.

If you find a well-preserved, taken-care-of used upper, for say $300 or so, You'd be @ the $500 mark easily.

I totalled out at right around $700.00, but I did it over about a 6-month period, and feel like I did not scrimp on anything. I got everything I wanted and as a result, am very happy with my build.

I'm shopping for a 1-4x scope to put on it, but with my iron sights, "Ginger" is already formidable within 50 yards, out of the box, having hardly sighted in at all.

 

[mljdeckard]

In my experience, the biggest corner you can cut is to go to a gun show (or other parts depository) and look for a used barrel, tube/FSB assembly. If you can finda decent brrel for scrap, it can save some cash.

 

[madcratebuilder]

When you can buy a new mil-spec PSA for $600 why bother? I've built a few with all used parts and you still have $500 in it by time you get to the range. Unless you are already sitting on a bunch of parts it's smarter to go with a new PSA or equivalent.

 

[kcshooter]

http://palmettostatearmory.com/inde...mg-16-sierra-wasp-low-pro-railed-22b7cc2.html

and as above

http://www.joeboboutfitters.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=NFA-LW15BLK

And there you go. $471 (before shipping and transfer).

 

[rdhood]

What everyone else has said. I have a lower... and have been looking at building out the rifle soon. While the Delton kits are $470ish, an additional $150 buys so much more its hard to justify going cheap. I'm looking at the PSA chrome lined, hammer forged barrel rifle kits, and they run about $650 (you need a lower).

$500 can be done, but you have to buy the rifle kit on sale AND its is going to be a very basic kit.

 

[SwissArmyDad]

To the OP, a few more thoughts.

As I said above, my financial situation is as such, that has to save up a bit at a time for my bigger purchases, and don't usually have the disposable income for my firearm sickness. So, I absolutely feel you on the fact that some of us have to adhere to a budget.

Now that I'm sitting with the rifle of my dreams, with everything excactly how I want it, having spent the hard earned cash, I DO NOT regret waiting the extra few months and saving a bit more, because now I know I've got the best rifle I can afford in the configuration I prefer.

Please don't take offense, but if $500.00 is a hard and fast budget, maybe another longgun is a better choice? Depends on your uses, but maybe you'd end up preferring to have something like a 10/22 and tons of cash left to mod it, or maybe really nice bolt-gun...rather than having "part" of a gun sitting around.

Personally, I was SUPER stoked to have my lower sitting under the Christmas tree last year. It meant that I was then able to seriously start shopping all the options, and making decisions about the direction of my build. But that's just me.