Reliable and accurate enough you'd be comfortable using it when things go south?
Actually, I like the idea of giving her one of your & then replacing it.
I'd be fine with building a "low cost" rifle, as "low cost" doesn't have to mean either bad or junk...................how fine of accuracy you want mostly depends on the barrel & how much you want to spend there.
But I've gotten top notch SS barrels more for as low as $150 one sale at the right time & they shoot better than good.
Good triggers are plentiful today & so are good quality BCG's at very reasonable prices.
But if I wasn't going to build it, for sure I'd buy something from PSA at the highest price point that you want to spend. Pull the handguard, confirm the torque on the barrel nut & rock on.
Regardless of some here singing the praises & magnificence of BCA & even Radical, I have no intent of ever owning one of those............ever. They fall well below my threshold for a gun I would want to depend on.
We have 3 of the 14.7" PSA pinned & welded uppers with their premium FN barrels & upgraded handguards that we added BCG's to, & they are stone cold reliable, gassed well & more than accurate enough for any intended purpose with a red dot sight.
And they have a configuration in both uppers & lowers to fit any budget.
MM
