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

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

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.

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.

I’m under 600 dollars serious.
Was the question About building the best money can buy or budget AR?

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.

A properly built budget gun is just as good as a high dollar piece.

What constitutes “properly built”?

If you want to roll your own, my two cents:

Aero lower, Aero no fcg lower parts kit with included Magpul MOE trigger guard and grip, and Aero carbine buffer kit;
Magpul MOE stock;
Rise Armament drop in trigger;
Spikes Tactical gas block and tube;
Ballistic Advantage or Faxon 16" 7 or 8 twist barrel, whichever is on sale the cheapest;
AT3 Tactical Spear upper and handguard combo;
Combat Armory generic charging handle;
KM Tactical bcg.

Should be right at 650 bucks. Spend an extra 25 and get a possibly better quality bcg at Right to Bear. Should be a good solid rifle either way. Save up for optic of your choice and mount, and an ASC stainless steel mag. Add a cheap flash hider or thread protector from whoever has them for ten bucks or less.