Ok help me
I have a Palemetto lower and complete lower kit
Do I buy and upper and stock to finish for another ar or just go buy a complete one while I still can
Thanks

Too many variables. If you find a complete rifle you like you might be money ahead but I like to build mine so i don't mind spending a few more dollars. If I get back to work with a little more regularity I think I might venture into something with a free floated barrel. But, to each their own. You have to let us know what you want one for and what are your expectations of accuracy. How handy do you want it to be ? Short barrel ? 16" ? 20" ?

kwg

Yes and yes

I'm a trigger snob, so I would buy a quality match trigger for that lower, and get a quality name complete upper.
I was looking to do that myself, but it is very hard to find uppers now.
My desire was a complete BCM upper, but I can't find one.

Good post. Im always looking at the gunshops in my area. Sometimes you get lucky and find the exact rifle you are looking for. Add up the sum of parts on that rifle and if they equal way more than the asking price, you found yourself a deal. For the op case, id probably just build an upper, if complete uppers are hard to find right now.

I’m just wanting a short sh__ hit the fan truck gun
I have a varmint ar and not really and ar fan for hunting just thinking out loud while I can still get one. Might be useful trading material in future as well
I prefer my 25-06 for anything bigger than a fox ,,,reach out and touch it

Get a good base model & rat hole your lower. Having a decent rifle, annnd a spare lower is never a bad thing come election time.

Use the new one & decide if you'd want changes & save that info to gather upgraded parts for the stashed lower.

Is the Smith Wesson MP a decent one?

That depends.

How much are you looking to spend, and how do you plan to use it?

Yes, I believe Stag Arms was building them or they used Stag parts? Not sure if this is still the case?

I am not an AR expert,but I do own a bare bones DPMS, with a 1x4 scope. I reload for it, and it consistently shoot 3/4" to 1" 100 yd groups. The factory trigger is not great, and I plan on switching it out sometime. I have had it for about 10 years and for $500, it has been hard to beat.

Recently i saw a complete DPMS rifle at a lgs for $500

Depends on what you want.
Good enough accuracy to hit what's needed at 300 yrs?
One that most likely will function fine. For... up to...1000 rounds. More or less?
Trigger that works, but you can deal with it sucking?
You DGAF about impressing people?

Buy a Palmetto or other cheap brand. upper/lower. Or lower kit for yours.
No way you can build it for the money.

Want great accuracy?
Want military+ dependability? (Of course, every gun is an example of one)
Want top notch parts?
Want to be able to say, "I Built it"?

Build it. You can build cheaper than the premium brands.

Pride of ownership is very important?
You have to buy the top brands. (This topic pisses some off. Mostly because they
don't want to be accused of high mindedness. That's their problem, or not. But to
many it's real. If you won't be happy with less than the "Best" buy it."

Buying or building right now is getting difficult. Low budget ARs have really increased in price, parts for building are becoming increasingly short supplied...compare todays PSAs kit prices to where they were 60 days ago.

That does suck that prices are going up on parts kits. Here locally, I've found 3 good AR's for $500.00 each. One a barely used Ruger 556, the other the DPMS I mentioned previously and the other a Delton. I wound't touch the Delton, but the Ruger is probably a good buy for a complete rifle.. I'm still not seeing where "low budget" AR'S "have really increased in price". I might be looking in the wrong places though..

Fixed iron sights or a scope ?? The Smith may be your rifle if you can get the right sights. Only you can decide what the right sights are. Look at a mid length Springfield Saint while you are looking at the Smith. Compare them. I prefer a mid length but I do have some carbine length rifles.

If it's a truck gun and you plan on leaving it in your truck get one cheap enough so when it gets stolen you can take the hit.

kwg

If you are looking at PSA, their prices are going up weekly. Three weeks ago, a stripped lower was $49.99, today the same one is $69.99 on their website. I can actually buy them locally now for cheaper than buying them through PSA. I'm not seeing a huge price increase anywhere else, but PSA. Yeah, they are going up a little and are in short supply on many websites and stores, but no huge increases like I'm seeing through PSA for the most part.

Building is easy, and you get exactly what you want without buying parts twice. Though it really depends on the use, a range queen, and hunting only, function is not as critical. For a two legged critter rig I would only go with Colt, LMT, or BCM if I was to buy a complete gun.