Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles If you had $650 to spend

On a new AR, what would you buy. Off the shelf or assemble. I saw the thread on assembly and gleaned a lot of good info off that if I decide to go that way. This would be my first AR. what would you buy/ Build. Want it for a Coyote, defense, truck gun. Will put an optic of some sort on it and probably a bipod. Discuss.

I've not seen an AR yet that I'd be happy with for $650 or under.

There are plenty of them that can be bought for cheap but that's what you're buying, cheap. You'll wind up replacing the trigger first, then the barrel, maybe a hand guard, furniture and such. Look around and see what you want then buy it, don't limit yourself. You could do worse than looking at a LaRue kit.
https://www.larue.com/products/larue-ultimate-ar-15-upper-kit/

Now there will be plenty of souls along to tell you their best buy is all that and a bag of chips, be careful who you listen to...

Some will give me hell about my recommendation but it worked for me and still is. You should be able to find a new DPMS Oracle for less than $500. It's a flat top so Irons ,scope red dot whatever suits you and the gas block is picatinny to for a laser sight. Shoot fine stock but all AR's benefit from a good trigger. goodluck MB

If you eliminate the "defense" part a lot of inexpensive options open up.

But if you're serious about defensive use for it you won't be able to get it done for $650.

If that budget includes your optic, I think a free floated PSA kit is your best option.
Otherwise, browse gun.deals and reddit r/gundeals, pickup a nice aero handguard, upper, lower, balistic advantage barrel, toolcraft BCG from armorally, and a larue 2 stage trigger.

save up some more money and buy a Daniel Defense, or a Bravo Company gun. You can piss $650 away right now or you can save up $1500 and get a decent gun. Next you need to buy an optic like the trijicon MRO, you can get yourself a reliable gun and an optic for about $2200.00. Don't save money on life jackets, parachutes or firearms.

I recently bought a PSA 6.5 Grendel complete assembled 12" pistol with adjustable brace and I can't tell you how impressed I was with the fit and finish. I've bought RRA, DPMS ect. complete rifles before at much higher cost that didn't come close. I'm sure you can find a complete rifle in your budget from them. They often have sales that are un beatable by the much larger shops. They say they produce rifles for the working man at a price point they can afford and that's an absolutely honest statement . Real quality at a reasonable price! Check them out
Good Luck and Good Hunting
Lj

https://palmettostatearmory.com/psa...c-ar-15-rifle-13-5-m-lok-rail-black.html

Opinions on PSA rifle

I don't have any complete PSA rifles, but I do have five of their uppers, and have built a few lowers from their stripped lowers.

Mine all work fine. I'd buy the rifle linked above without hesitation.

Here's a 5000 round test/review of a basic PSA Freedom carbine,

The thing about ARs (IMO) is that as long as you don't go bottom shelf junk (psa and up is safe), you're going to be 95% of the way to a $3000 gun.

Yea sure, a PSA. is not "just as good" as a daniel defense, noveske, bcm, etc, but those guns that cost 5x as much defiantly aren't 5x better.
This isn't like a smith vs a taurus revolver where spending 40% more gets you twice the gun.

You're certainly not guaranteed any better accuracy out of those high end guns either.

Just be realistic about what your needs are. If you're not kicking down doors or spending time on a two way range, no reason to go top shelf IMO.
Just get a decent barrel, bolt carrier group, and that larue trigger, and you'll be set.

Also, if we were truly in TEOTWAWKI kinda deal, I'd much rather spend 3k on 6 PSAs for the homestead and loved ones, than spend that cash on one top shelf gun.

Optics, OTOH, are a bit different story. You get what you pay for (except for with SWFA, then you get way more than what you pay for :)).

Do put it together yourself, or at least buy assembled upper and lowers.
That saves the manufacturer on taxes, which translates to money in your pocket.

Also, with very few exceptions, ARs don't hold value like other guns, so don't expect to make an "investment" purchase like you might with a nice bolt gun or revolver.
You're not getting your money back if you need to sell it.

Ruger MPR is tough to beat for the money

I'm no expert but after researching similarly, a simple Ruger AR556 with a Sig Romeo 5 on top will be in your budget and do 95% of what any other AR will. But, I'm not special forces or expecting to be in a prolonged running battle in the streets of some ME poo-hole.

Trufe.

I think the PSA or Ruger 556 is a nice starter/fun gun. Shoot the heck out of it and it something breaks or you need better then upgrade as needed. If you wanted to start higher on the ladder, I'd go for a Stag, RRA or for personal defense the Colt 6920 is always a safe bet.

I wish you guys would clarify what you mean by “it’ll do 95% of a more expensive gun” or “its 95% of the more expensive gun”. AND let everyone know what sample size of high quality and budget guns you’re basing that off of.

95% of the accuracy? Or 95% of the features? Or 95% as reliable?

Let’s put 95% reliability in perspective.
In my opinion and experience firing 1,000 trouble free rounds from an AR should be a given. A gun that is 95% as reliable would have had 50 malfunctions in those 1000 rounds. FIFTY. Load up 33 magazines and every single one of them could have a malfunction. 17 of them would have two malfunctions. That’s not worth saving $300. That gun is trash.

Or is it that if BCM builds 100 quality rifles, PSA will build 95 good guns and 5 that are garbage? Which is more likely the case IME.



I understand that if you’ve only got $650 to spend then that’s all you’ve got. And adding $300 to that $650 just isn’t doable. I get it. I’ve been there. The solution is to acknowledge the potential limitations of what you’re buying and accepting that you might need to cross “and defensive use” off your list of uses.

I have 2 builds on Anderson lower. I used CBC industries Rifle kits. I have one in 556 and 76239. No problems so far. They are not the most accurate ARs out there. As in Moa, I am sure if I spent more time and better ammo and maybe higher magnification scopes. I could be better, but I don’t care about sub moa on plinking AR.
For the price they are money.
I put a refurbished Nikon M 1-4.5 and their rings on and still under 600$
https://www.cbcindustries.com/collections/rifle-kit/

Dre, would you stake a contest hunt or trust your life on it?

I see guys shoot pistol competitions with high dollar custom guns and others who choose fake Chinese C-More red dots. How serious are you about it? Maybe that's a better question.

I would watch proxibid.com I’ve bought a lot of guns there recently including this Aero Precision 6.5 Grendel cerekoted in burnt bronze brand new for $650