Cheap Intro AR 15

[chiltech500]

Howdy,

Not a rifle owner yet. Have considered PCC's because I reload 45 and 9mm.

What is a basic inexpensive AR to consider? (I did search cheap AR and found nada)

I saw that S&W does an M&P sport for around $900 msrp. Looks like the magazine on it is limited... I don't know a thing about AR's and magazines, but I live in PA where it's not restricted. Can that M&P magazine be modified?

Sorry about my ignorance and thanks for the help in advance.

 

[redneck2]

There's a thread that just ran a week or so ago about this. Short answer is PSA (Palmetto State Armory). Type AR into the search box. You can fifty answers already waiting

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=742826&highlight=AR

 

[gotigers]

M&P sport is a good value, but not at $900. Around Memphis, Sports are under $700, usually closer to $600.

PSA has great options for intro ARs, but shipping time and customer service is spotty at best. If you are patient, check them out.

Otherwise, check out Walmart. Around here Walmart carries Windham weaponry, Colt, DPM and Bushmaster.

 

[paintballdude902]

i would go with PSA keep your eyes peeled and they have had complete uppers and complete lowers selling for dirt cheap. i think like 299 for upper and 160 for lower so you are looking at 500-550 with shipping and transfer

 

[greyling22]

Ar's are like Lego's. Parts are all interchangeable. Any at mag will fit any ar. You want a 10, buy a 10. They also come in 20, 30, 60, 120, you name it. Some ar's are built better than others, but they are all pretty much the same for your purposes.

 

[dagoread]

Everyone here has given you good advice. I am new here, but not to AR's.

I would suggest to buy the best you can afford. $900 is way too much for a Smith. I paid $970 for my Colt. The PSA is a better value IMHO.

 

[greyling22]

keep your eyes peeled here. http://www.slickguns.com/ar-deals for example, there is a smith mp sport there for less than 600.

 

[chiltech500]

Thanks guys. I went shooting at my indoor range which is also a good sized dealer and the S&W sport was around $650. Very doable at that price.

How's the availability of used brass?

Thanks for all the info and your time.

 

[Armybrat]

I just bought my S&W Sport (my 1st AR) from this place online - $579 plus $5.99 shipping:

http://grabagun.com/catalog/product/view/id/11888/category/70/

These are nice little rifles.

 

[cowtownup]

Used 5.56/223 brass is going to run you about $70 per thousand.. I have been buying it already cleaned and swaged for $100 a thousand. I saw a place the other day that had it trimmed, cleaned and swaged for $100... Thankfully, I've got my brass supply built up now, but your almost better off to buy a case of brass loaded ammo and just start that way... Extreme bullets has a pretty smoking deal on 55 GR FMJs... Powder, well thats a different story... LOL...

 

[W.E.G.]

...and to think people were paying TWO GRAND for M4geries this time last year.

 

[greyling22]

...and to think people were paying TWO GRAND for M4geries this time last year.

........and if it had shaken out differently politically they might be selling for 3500. It's easy to to be critical when looking at the past. Fortunately it didn't pan out that way.

 

[pretzelxx]

You can get a cheap version ar for 600-650 or so. Quantico tactical has sales pretty frequently for the M&P series.

 

[goon]

If your budget is a solid $900, save another month or two and get a Colt or BCM.

If you're looking for a budget gun, seek out an M&P Sport at $650-$700 or look for a PSA.

 

[chiltech500]

The powder situation will improve this summer. Timing is everything with powder, everybody wants to reload in winter.

We have a local reloading shop who had lots of rifle powders my last visit - he doesn't do online anymore. A buddy visited recently and said he had no pistol powders. Luckily I grabbed 4lbs each of pistol powders for 45acp and 9mm in October. At that point you had your pick of rifle powders.

 

[henschman]

Check out this Arfcom thread... dude put together a PSA rifle for $435! http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_3_4/63...grades__More_Pictures_Page_2__56K_sorry_.html

I don't think you are going to find an AR cheaper than that anywhere... and that will have better quality and more features than anything else that is even close. It is their PTAC upper, which is somewhat lower grade with the slower twist rifling and no chrome lining... but like I said I would prefer this to any of the other "entry level" ARs like DPMS, Del-Ton, S&W Sport, etc.

 

[HexHead]

S&W M&P 15 Sport can be easily gotten in the $600-699 range. Lifetime warranty from a company that's already been around for 150 years. Much better rifle than a PSA.

 

[henschman]

I can't think of a single feature on the S&W Sport that is preferable to that of any rifle PSA sells.

When the Sports had the 1/8 5R melonite barrels, that was actually a feature that made them worth buying. Now they are just another 1/9 chrome moly overweight heavy-profile 16" carbine length m-4gery with no dust cover or forward assist.

 

[chris in va]

3500 rounds through my Sport, no issues. I don't need not want a forward assist, dust cover, M203 barrel cutout or removable trigger guard.

I did however replace the hand guard with a Colt shielded version. The new versions have the spiffy flip up rear sight.

 

[mac66]

"S&W M&P 15 Sport can be easily gotten in the $600-699 range. Lifetime warranty from a company that's already been around for 150 years. Much better rifle than a PSA."

First, . Saying S&W has been around for 150 years is not accurate. The name has, then company hasn't. S&W of yesteryear isn't the same S&W of today. Not even close

Second, for less than a stripped down Sport (no dust cover, no FA) you can get a fully functional AR by building one from PSA plus add sights/optic.

I have a S&W M&P OR (optics ready) and it is a great rifle. I've built 6 ARs from parts going back 20 years when parts were just parts. I've also built a couple PSAs with friends and family and they are the best bang for the buck going today. If I was looking for another AR, I would build one from PSA.

I also just upgraded a couple old frankenstein ARs (one with a A2 upper, one with a A1 upper) to flat top A3 stripped uppers from PSA.

PS. I have a couple Colts, a Bushmaster, a S&W, couple Stags and several other frankenstein ARs.

 

[wally]

Saying S&W has been around for 150 years is not accurate. The name has, then company hasn't. S&W of yesteryear isn't the same S&W of today.

I don't believe the company ever stopped producing guns, just like Harley-Davidson has never stopped producing motorcycles, the ownership and management has changed. Unlike Charter Arms or Winchester which are just names purchased from their previous owners after they stopped making firearms.

The current incantation of S&W is far superior to one that went through multiple ownership/management changes 20+ years ago.

I believe the longest continuously running business entity is Beretta -- over 300 years of making guns.

I don't think the OP mentioned "building" an AR, as a first time rifle owner, this may not be the best time to try unless he is highly motivated to do so.

 

[henschman]

Chris, do you have the old Sport with the 1/8 5R melonite barrel, or the current one with the 1/9 chrome moly barrel? There is a big difference.

The original Sport got a great reputation for a low cost AR option, because it came with such a nice barrel for such a low price. Then S&W tried to pull a fast one and switch the nice barrel out for a cheaper one, and trade on the former Sport's reputation, since they figured the Sport is directed mainly at new AR buyers who wouldn't know the difference.

 

[chiltech500]

Wally is right, I wouldn't build an AR, I don't give a <removed> about a dust cover as I don't live in the desert.

What is so superior about the melonite barrel vs chrome molly?

 

[henschman]

Actually I have misinformed you... it appears since the term melonite is trademarked, S&W is now calling their nitriding process "maximum corrosion resistance." It is the same thing, and it appears the new 1/9 Sport barrels still have it, at least according to S&W. So really the only thing they changed was the rifling -- 1/9 instead of 1/8 5R. The main difference there is that you won't be able to accurately shoot some of the heavier bullets like the 75/77 grain out of the 1/9 barrel. That might not be a deal breaker if all you're going to shoot is the cheap 55 and 62 grain stuff.

And to answer chiltech's question, melonite/nitriding is a treatment that makes steel much harder and gives it a much slicker surface. When done to the bore and chamber, it more than doubles barrel life over a regular chrome moly barrel, doesn't foul as easily, aids in extraction reliability, and makes it he barrel quicker and easier to clean. You also pick up some bullet velocity.

 

[verge]

Look, buy one, build one, do what makes you comfortable for your first AR. Soon enough you will start tinkering and then you will have 2 ... 3 ... who knows how many.

No really, once you get into the platform you will start upgrading parts over time. Maybe a better trigger then hand guard, grip, upper ... heck now that I have all of those take-off parts I only need a lower and parts kit for $150 I will have another ... rinse and repeat as often as possible.