AR guys: is this a good deal? Good quality?

http://www.aimsurplus.com/product.aspx?item=XCBC130900&utm_source=AIM+Surplus+Main+List&utm_campaign=a9872e90aa-072920167_29_2016&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6870497a6a-a9872e90aa-17927673

My son wants to build an AR with me. Money is tight. Is this a good price for the quality or can I put together a kit for less? Just for the experience I'd prefer the upper be stripped but will consider all. Anyone else sell unassembled kits for a similar price?

 

Thanks. I don't suppose you have a parts/price list handy?

 

i think its a good deal

 

We have a local manufacturer that was offering complete AR's for $529. These had full auto mil spec BCG, etc. all top shelf stuff. Guaranteed to shoot 1"

So no, that's not a great deal IMO for most guys. Key mod adds cost and unless you really want it, probably not worth the extra dollars.

 

I just got a complete enhanced lower, freedom 4150 melonite barrel upper and bcg from PSA for $485 total for everything. Just took it out today **** great! They have the FN chrome lined barrels for a little more as well

 

I'd do the PSA over that other kit.

 

It really depends on what you want in your build. You could just go basic for around $460 or spend a little more and have a nicer looking rifle.

The rifle on top is a CBC upper and complete PSA Blem lower that came with Magpul furniture added a BCG and charging handle. $540
The upper in the middle I built for $370
The lower rifle was a PSA PTAC build kit and an Anderson lower $449.
If you shop around you can find good deals.
These cost a little more to build but still cost less then $1000 each.

 

It's certainly not a bad value, but it wouldn't be my first choice. It is just one more option in a sea of options for a budget AR. It really has one feature that brings to price up, which is the 13" rail. It also has a bunch of things missing from the description which I like to see, such as the material the bolt and rail are made of. It is also carbine gas, which is pointless when there is a 13" rail on there anyway. I'm not saying carbine gas doesn't work, but mid-length offers an advantage for free. It might be a great buy with poor advertising, or it could be a flashy deal with some cut corners. It could be a good gun even if it is the later. The marketing in the AR world is so strong that people want to call it awesome or garbage just by looking at the published specs, without regard to the actual execution.

However, I would also recommend a PSA kit over the one you have linked. There are a few things that are a better investment than a free float rail at that price, such as mid-length gas, C158 Bolt, and a chrome lined carrier. All of which can be had at that price range with a PSA. Plus, if you plan on shooting iron sights, a FSB is a huge plus as it is cheap and indestructible compared to a flip up front sight.

For my recommendations:

Every penny counts: http://palmettostatearmory.com/psa-16-stainless-mid-length-1-7-freedom-rifle-kit.html
A little more to spend: http://palmettostatearmory.com/psa-16-midlength-5-56-nato-1-7-melonite-acs-l-rifle-kit.html
You don't mind your hand having no where to go: http://palmettostatearmory.com/16-m4a1-chrome-lined-mp-tested-rifle-kit.html

 

I recently saw a screaming deal on one of the websites...AIM or joebobs I think...that was a rifle kit where you assemble all of the parts yourself, only thing missing was the lower. I think the kit was 329 with free shipping, which puts you right at 400 for a complete rifle.

 

On a recommendation of a local gunsmith I tried these guys. Good kit, rifle runs flawlessly.

http://outdoorsportsusa.com/



.

 

I assembled a PSA rifle from components, this past Memorial Day. With the freedom upper, blem lower, freedom BCG and a magpul rear sight.....total cost is right at $500.

I'm up to 700 rounds out of it and its been flawless.....very impressed.

 

Before I ordered that I'd want more specifics on the barrel and the bolt.

An AR-15 is like any other rifle at its core is essentially a barrel, a bolt, and a trigger/ignition system. If those parts are of good quality then the rest of the gun will most likely be acceptable as long as everything is dimensionally correct and is not otherwise garbage.

The kit in the add mentions a grade of barrel steel, being CM 4150 which is a good sign, with a 1:8" twist which is perfectly acceptable and will handle a wide range of bullets. What they don't specifically address are some crucial details.

1.) Is the barrel chrome lined, or salt bath nitrocarburized? If yes, then great it will give a very long service life and be easy to maintain. If not, then I'd pass.

2.) What is the chamber actually cut for? .223 or 5.56mm NATO? The chamber specs are not the same, the 5.56mm NATO chamber is far preferable if you want a general purpose carbine that can digest both commercial and surplus ammo. Remember 5.56mm NATO is loaded quite a bit hotter than commercial .223 Remington, and the NATO spec chamber is more forgiving of this higher pressure.

3.) What inspections has the barrel been subjected to if any? High pressure testing is standard, and desireable. Same for magnetic particle inspection. Some barrels even get multiple x-rays taken like those offered by SIONICS Weapon Systems.

Also need to know more about that bolt...

1.) Has it been HP tested and MP inspected?

2.) Is it at least Carpenter 158 steel or a better grade?

3.) Was it shot peened like a good quality bolt should be?

I would also like to know if the gas key on the bolt carrier group is already installed and properly staked. If not the end user can do this, but it is important.

The GI trigger at least is a known quantity.

Generally if I were building to a strict budget I would put my hard earned $$$ into a barrel of good quality ready for a long time of hard use, and a good quality bolt. If that meant no fancy hand guards or free float rail at first then so be it. Start with a solid core and get a reliable durable rifle first, then worry about personal preferences on furniture etc.

 

As others have said...PSA is great choice for a lot less. The only downside is that PSA may take a while to deliver.

For $550 you can skip the build and just buy a S&W M&P series rifle brand spanking new. The plus side is that a factory built rifle will usually be worth more in resale if a giant panic hits or Hillary wins. At the minimum you have factory documentation of the manufacture date. You can also prove a date with a kit rifle, just keep your receipts and take a dated pic of your completed build.

 

Check Palmetto State's Daily Deals every day. This is up today.
http://palmettostatearmory.com/ptac-16-m4-5-56-nato-slick-side-1-7-nitride-rifle-kit.html
I try to catch them when they have free shipping. PSA will kill you with their shipping charges.

 

Anyone like/use Model 1 Sales kits? Thanks to all for recommendations.

Gunny what's the difference between PTAC and PSA stuff, if anything?

 

anyone have a PSA free shipping coupon code or other discount code? I hate to be that guy but when I say money is tight I mean squeezing every penny until Lincoln's face is blurry.

 

Another vote for Palmetto State

 

Coal Dragger brought up good points, unfortunately AIM may not provide the answers. Still, most entry level ARs fall short of an $800-1000.

The AIM kit does give you a $600 AR (after you add a stripped lower and PMAG) with a KeyMod floating rail. That's a pretty good deal. I doubt the barrel is chrome lined or nitride treated but it should be quite serviceable as long as you clean and lube the chamber and bore. The BCG won't be as good as a Colt or BCM, but overall BCGs today are better than what we saw years ago.

Buy a nice stripped lower with a rollmark you like and I bet you'll be proud of this rifle. Personally, I'd throw in a couple hundred more to build exactly what I want but at the $600 price point you're getting a good AR with a nice rail. (I prefer M-LOK over KeyMod but KMod isn't going away soon.)

Now if you catch a good PSA sale, you might get better parts for about the same price.

 

PTAC doesn't exist anymore as a separate company, they are owned by PSA and used as a budget line below PSA Freedom. People report cosmetic problems with them, but not much else these days. There were reports of possibly being sold used uppers as new, but those are years old.

 

With money being tight and an election coming up that I think our side is going to lose, it might be more savy to worry about getting the lower first. Then focus on a good barrel, and a good BCG. I'd also pick up magazines while they're still readily available. If you have the serialized part, the feeding devices, and the core components everything else can follow as your budget allows until it's assembly time.

 

I haven't seen a free shipping coupon/offer in over a year, as in "spend $X and get free shipping", but almost weekly, if not daily, at least one of their lowers and one of their uppers qualify for free shipping.