Economy AR

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ccaleb67

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I’m looking for a basic no frills inexpensive AR, like $600-700 inexpensive, what would be the best buy for that price range?
 
Dpms is a decent AR if ur looking for a cheapy....i also know m&p 15 can be had in my area for 600 if u can find one in stock....there are more than a few out ther under 750....tge dpms panther usually 650-750 range depending on what gun store
 
This is just an opinion, but I would look at STAG Arms. I have used their gear and it is good to go. Opinions may vary, but I like STAG. I know that Smith and Wesson and DPMS seem to be on the cheaper end, but have no first hand knowledge of them.
 
SW M&P fo sho. Probably the only AR I'd ever buy (if I ever actually decide to buy one).
 
Ha, the Sport is the only one I decided to buy. $599, free shipping from Gunbuyer.com
 
M&P Sport. Buy it and dont look back. Its way more gun than the price lets on. Dont let the lack of FA and DC scare you away either, youll never find yourself needing it!

The quality of the Smith is, to me, better than the other ARs I've owned, which are few, but I nonetheless expect great things from reputable makers. So I found the Sport. It's small, lightweight, and cost effective. Then i see it has no FA or DC. Who cares! My AKMs (just in case JShirley is watching me!) don't have that crap, and I'm not in a war zone. Besides, stuff can still pregnate the rifle. Run the hell out of it. My big beef is cleaning ARs, but that's another story.

If you just want a range toy, Sport. Hunting coy dogs or hogs, Sport. Deer with heavier bullets at moderate range, Sport. If it was a vehicle it would be the truck.
 
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Really can't beat the M&P Sport right now. I recently picked up mine for $599 incl.(2) 30round Pmags and a 10round factory mag.
Its turned out to be a fantastic shooter and a very good handling carbine.
 
Smith and Wesson M&P15 Sport, I love mine...outstanding gun, awsome price.
 
I also love my S&W M&P 15 Sport. Very accurate for a 16" barrel. Shoots bullets as light as 40 gr up to 73 gr with very consistent accuracy. Reliable, too.
My son likes his Palmetto State Armory AR, with it's 1 in 7" twist. (The S&W Sport has a 1 in 8" twist) Tough to beat the S&W though, especially if you can find one for the suggested retail price.
 
The PSA AR's well be much closer to mil-spec quality than any other budget commercial rifle. FN barrels, HPT, MPI 158 bolts. The BCG and barrel is the heart of the gun, the rest is just window dressing.
 
Another vote for Palmetto State Armory, PSA. I don't think there is a thing wrong with the S&W. They are a good gun from a major company with a well estabilished reputation. But when I look at feature for feature the PSA offers slightly better quality parts at about the same price.
 
The way I hear it is that the S&W is better then the DPMS, seems DPMS has fallen victim to the CCM curse. Everthing that CCM buys out goes to $#!^ in no time at all (Chrysler, Remington, and Marlin to name a few) Seems to start in the QC department and then materials start getting cheaper and cheaper. Let's hear it for venture capitalism :(
 
I'd also recommend looking at Stag also, I think you could find one for just over your top end price if you're willing to order one. If budget is your main concern you could check out getting a New Frontier poly lower and mate that with a DPMS upper from midway. With that combo you would be at about $525 + shipping.

DPMS and S&W are both in that price range and they will also both work fine.
 
Palmetto State Armory upper and whatever complete lower you feel like. If you are new to the AR, assembling a complete upper and lower is something you will do every time you clean your rifle. you can also assemble a complete lower from a stripped lower and a parts kit. This is very easy if you are at all mechanically inclined and requires no specialized tools.
 
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Building a stripped lower is incredibly easy i built mine off a step by step video on itstacrical.com and use no special tools just improvised..hammer covered in electrical tape..needle nose pliers...channel locs covered in tape and allen wrenches for punches..took about 30 minutes...i just ordered a complete upper because i didnt want to buy a vise block and barrel nut wrench...which wouldnt have saved me a lot after i bought the tools...i built mine all from mostly rock river and magpul...price came in a 1200 before optics...had i built a standard lower and didnt upgrade my upper i could have did it for about 850
 
Lets say I did want to build a highly reliable, long lasting dependable AR for under 900. Who's upper would I purchase to start this process?
I'll upgrade with magpul and all that down the road, but to start, just an AR that's about as reliable as the AKs.
I want something that I can run in classes in the dust and dirt without worrying about jam ups.

I've played with my little brothers AK and he'll drop it in mud, water, heck we've literally fished it out of swamps and fired it immediately without cleaning.

If the ak was anywhere near as lightweight, accurate and ergonomic for a guy my size, I'd be all over it. But the AR just seems more user friendly.
 
For 900 dollars thats probably not gonna happen....daniel defense would be a good place to start but ur looking at 2000 to get that kinda reliability as far as dropping it in swamps and stuff...what would be ur main purpose..hunting, plinking, paper punching
 
dang...that's a lot of money on one rifle.
The AK my brother has is a WASR he picked up for under 400. He's hitting man-size targets at 250 yards without much difficulty.

I'm planning on taking some carbine classes in the summer next year, maybe doing some hog hunting back home (Georgia, Bama), and of course, just having fun at the range.

I'm just the kind of guy who buys reliable first. (Glock 19, pump action for my shotgun, my only rifle is an old lever action Marlin 3030) It's just how I was raised, trucks, guns, boots, whatever, I buy long lasting and dependable usually.

Plus, I'm of the mindset that this fall doesn't bode well for gun owners. I want to buy something that is going to last a long time if need be.

If I won't be hitting really solid AR's until near 2k, maybe I should be looking at a top end AK for a little under 1k?

I don't really imagine a scenario where I'll be needing to shoot an AR in those kinds of terrible conditions, I just don't want a bottom-end jamomatic like I'd tried at the range. (not a knock on any particular breed of AR, just speaking from what I've seen personally. I know the AR is fully capable of being dependable and quality, that's why I want one.)

I'm not some special forces commando coming up out of the quagmire to fight terrorists. I]m just a guy with a limited income who wants a nice solid rifle I can count on for years and years to come.
 
palmetto state armory upper and whatever complete lower you feel like. If you are new to the ar, assembling a complete upper and lower is something you will do every time you clean your rifle. You can also assemble a complete lower from a stripped lower and a parts kit. This is very easy if you are at all mechanically inclined and requires no specialized tools.
Click to expand...


this. ^^^
 
You guys have purchased from PSA before? I've been eyeing them for a while now, seeing as they are based back in the South, but I haven't met anyone who owned one of their guns.
 
U can get a solid AR thats not a jammomatic for 900...u just can get one ready for war for 900....and an AR will hit a man sized target no problem....its effecetive range is 5-600 yards...i went with a RRA because its reliable and proven...garruntees 3/4 inch moa or betterand is resonably priced...u can build a lower with standard milspec LPK, standard milspec stock
, and use the grips that come with the LPK for around if not under 250...and can order an upper from many companies for 550 or less for a 16 inch carbine upper with aluminum free float tube or just a standard milspec forend...then later optics
 
The mid length A4 style upper fron RRA is 475...the entry tactical is 520....the have a few in the 550 range then thd varmint style ones run 600-650....then thers the tac hunter and NM upper i think they were in the 700s
 
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