Part of me thought I’d never see it, and part of me thought that it would eventually happen: the sub-$400 AR. Let me put this i perspective..a new AR for the price of a used Glock.
I probably wouldn’t have it as my primary gun for the zombie apocalypse, but I’d have no problem sticking a couple in a closet and reselling them to people who were too shortsighted to think that the ‘assault weapons’ hooplah wasn’t gone for good.
MGE has an interesting mix of trash and treasure. Impressive selection of Hi-Point carbines, for example. Do you need to be an FFL to gain access?
I think so, but Im sure you know an FFL or two who can look stuff up for you.
I have been using an Anderson barrel on my built upper and have no complaints…Spikes lower probably helps…don’t know if I would trust my life to the complete $399 rifle…but if that is all you can afford I guess it is better than nothing…or is it?!?
In the land of the gunless, the man with a $400 AR is king.
I’m pretty sure Anderson is the manufacture of bushmaster lowers as well as others. I have a few Anderson parts and have no complains. I would much rather have this rifle and 2000 rounds of ammo set back for $1000 than a $800 at and 500 rounds.
https://www.slickguns.com/product/wolf-gold-223-fmj-55-grain-2000-rounds-56904?mobile=true. ( link is for 2k rounds brass ammo for $550)
Jason
Not all brass ammo is created equal. Wolf Gold is junk, in my experience.
I’d rather have 500 rounds of quality Hornady or Federal 5.56 than 1000 rounds of low pressure inconsistent .223.
Poking around online that seems to be the only sub $400 AR. I saw no shortage of fairly nice AR’s for sub $600. A few that were sub $500.
I’m not sure there is much of a market for an AR in the sub-$400 range, other than people looking to store them away for price-gouging at the next panic. Most serious buyers have the wits to realize that what you’re getting at that price point is not very good.
“Nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American public.”
-H. L. Mencken
I’m not faulting you one bit! That’s the power of the free market. My only point is that, in a market not influenced by a panic, my hunch is that very few informed buyers other then speculators will be buying the cheapest possible AR.
Just the beginning.. Gun and ammo prices have been retreating since the election.
don’t be gun snobs. that 400 dollar ar could outlive you if taken care of and fed properly. i have put sub 400 guns together for 30 years and still have the first one, that i’ve shot thousands of rounds thru. still ticking. if you have to be a gun snob, remember that these guns will work long enough to get yourself a daniel defense off the ground, if you dare. truth is most of the snobs never served, nor fired one in combat nor ever will. and a 10 cent bullet will bury you just a well as a 50 cent one too. quit with the snobbery and get down to business, be that speculating or arming up our less fortunate brethren.
Well Said ! Not everybody can afford top of the line… especially for their first AR.
Yawn. If wanting the best gear that I can afford, and being well-informed enough to know and appreciate the difference between entry-level gear and top-tier equipment makes me a snob, then I guess I’m a snob.
And spare me the tired hogwash about how only combat veterans are entitled to have an opinion about firearms. The military is a fine way to learn about guns, but it’s hardly a guarantee of expertise.
Be well-informed and train as often as you practically can. Buy the best gear you can–guns, ammo, or otherwise. This is stuff on which your life may depend, and there is a correlation between cost and quality.
Cerro forge (keyhole symbol) makes most of the upper and lower receivers on the market today (DMPS, Anderson, PSA, Spikes, etc etc etc). Barrels and BCGs are made by a handfull of manufacturers. There’s no reason to pay top dollar for any of these. If you want the bang for the buck in your rifle then drop a nice trigger in it.
Correct. The “snobs” are deluding themselves much of the time. The only real differences between a $45 Anderson upper or lower receiver and the $200 “top shelf” uppers and lowers are the markings stamped or milled into them and minor cosmetic touches.
All of the “forged, mil-spec, 7075-T6, etc” uppers and lowers are made from forgings produced by a handful of manufacturers: Cerro Forge, Anchor-Harvey, Brass Aluminum Forging Enterprises, etc, from the same quality alloy. They’re machined by another handful of companies — most AR “manufacturers” outsource this and simply have the physical manufacturer stamp the legal manufacturer’s name on the lower. So, for example, Lewis Machine Tool does (or has done at some point) the machining for lowers marked LMT, DS Arms, Armalite, Barrett, and some others. Even Colt outsources at least some of their lower receivers. They’re cut on CNC mills using software that has long since been debugged; the holes are in the correct places for quality parts to drop-in without issues.
Functionally, they are identical. You might get a prettier finish or fewer tooling marks on the “top shelf” parts. Or you might not. LMT, for example, leaves a very noticeable “flash” from the forging dies on the inside of the trigger well and the rear over the grip. Doesn’t detract from function, but some folks might not like its appearance.
I will continue to pray for $0.10 a round 5.56 ammo…
2/21/2017 posted today
http://grabagun.com/american-tactical-imports-tactical-imports-19.html
$399 for a AR from ATI.
I do not know how they run but here is another one for less than 4 bills. When I buy one, probably not but for somebody looking for a cheap AR with good customer service I hear ATI is pretty good in that department.
A member at my club has an ATI he’s had for a couple of years when he wanted to explore the world of man Legos. He now has four including two is built and he still shoots the ATI regularly. He put a cheap Bushnel AR scope on it and it averages about 2 inches at 100 yards. When his bolt broke ATI had a replacement for him by the next week. Can’t beat that for customer service.
The fit IMO is a bit lose but on par with Delton or Anderson.