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How much was your AR?

Monkeys

Monkeys

Redhead weakness.
Joined
May 19, 2021
Member Number
3922
Messages
28
I have been wanting an AR for quite a while, but its one of those things, I don't NEED one, and I have other calibers at home now so....

I found one I could buy for $800.

I will find out what it is specific this morning (I cannot for the life of me remember what make it is šŸ¤Ø)but it isn't a lower end build as far as I know. I believe the original price was above the $1200 mark.

I'm not a huge gun guy, I bought a few that I really like for their specific purposes, but I don't hunt so it would literally just be a neat gun to have.

With all the new gun stuff constantly under the microscope I keep thinking I need to get one while I can and stop being cheap šŸ˜†
 
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(Romeo5 optic added a week after photo)

That setup and 1000rds was $1000 OTD in 2019. Nothing fancy. My first time building one. I'd like to do a Larue setup next. 6.5 Grendel with a 24" barrel. Can't explain why, I like the looks of longer barrels.
 
PSA mid length 16" carbine kit $450
Lower of choice ~$100

Add flip up sights, sling, mags, ammo <- bare minimum items for a good rifle

First upgrade is a quality light and mount
 
Stag is good, my dad is a southpaw shooter, I helped him with his first AR build, Stag lefty upper on PSA lower.

I bought him a longer .223 Wylde barrel to go in it some years later, and he decided instead of upgrading, to just build another AR. Bought a Stag lefty stripped upper and bolt carrier. Used another PSA lower.

I've got a stripped Stag lower in the safe, I got cheap when they were blowing out old rollmarked inventory, before they moved and updated their rollmark, that's going to be a Grendel mutt build, PSA, AR Stoner, bunch of other random junk.

No complaints with Stag.

I've never bought an AR outright, I've assembled them all from parts, hard to answer your question, because stuff costs a lot more now, than when I built any.

I've got a spread sheet for the parts list for a couple builds, I've got $750.58 in my .50 Beowulf not counting mags, parts bought between '17-'20 as I came across deals. That file was last updated 3/16/20 though. Trying to put the same parts together today, I'd expect the cost to be close to double that. I paid $58 for a large ejection port Aero upper, $49 for a PSA lower, and $68 for a BCG, try doing that now. $46 for a Chinesium 15" M-lok eBay handguard, can't even buy handguards on eBay anymore.

My original ARs are Mostly PSA, with some RGuns, JSE, and Gun Show parts, I built them in '12-'13, but didn't keep records.

I do have spreadsheets for my Grendel and 7.62x39 ARs though if you're interested, I collected most of those parts over the latter half of 2020, they're just not uploaded to Google Drive and easy to access as the Beowulf file is.
 
Which AR do I price out? Do people really not have at least one in AR in their possession?

Mine have ranged from $400-$1800. My current 458 build is very close to completion and is the most expensive one Iā€™ve built so far. Just needs optics and a suppressor possibly. The most I paid for a complete rifle was $950 post Sandy Hook. All others have been built from parts.
 
Monkeys said:
Its a Stag arms they say.
Click to expand...

Depends when the lower was made, they've had a few times where the lowers were out of spec, axis pins, pivot pin locations, magwells etc. Shoot it and if it works, it works.

A lower is just a lower no matter whos name is on it. It comes down to aesthetics.

Barrels and triggers are where you should spend money, imhop.

I have NFA lowers and uppers, simply because I like billet parts and love the styling they have. They make shit loads for others under a variance and more often than not, they cost a lot more.
 
cheapest one i build was around 350.
the most expensive about 700 in 45 acp.
but that is when things were pre covid bu shat. also never bought a complete one. built them all..
 
Spending more than $6-700 on an 5.56 AR is like spending $50k on a mall crawler jeep that never leaves the parking lot. Every single 5.56 build Ive done has been less than $650 and they all shoot sub moa groups with 62g or heavier ammo(twist rate) . The only above average part that I use are a timney trigger. I get a kick every timeI completely out shoot someone talking up their $2000 gun with one of my $500 PSA beaters at a 3 gun match or a tactical only PRS match.
 
Paid less than $400 for my SP1 :flipoff2:. Last one I built a few months ago was expensive for me at ~$800 but the lions share was for the barrel, BCG and FCG. The rest, something like $275, was for the remainder plus what ever spares I had. I also built one that I only have $60 out of pocket because I traded with stuff I just had laying around (and not even gun crap). I freely admit most of my builds have poverty pony lowers :laughing: (I bought a bunch when they were $32 apiece at AIM, IIRC, years ago). I personally have never had a issue with them but a friend did have one that the take-down pins were REALLY tight. So YMMV...
 
AR #1 is an original ā€˜73 Colt SP1, free from my dad.

#2 Is a cooperative parts box build. Everything but the BCG were gifts from my brothers. Either factory parts from their guns they replaced, and threw in the parts box, or for the lower and barrel, birthday and Christmas presents. I spent $74 (with shipping) for a blem BCG from PSA.

#3 is an AR10 I built in .338 Federal. Iā€™m into it about $700, using a free lower (brother drunk ordered it, decided he didnā€™t want an AR10) and buying parts on sale over the course of about 2 years.
 
Crankylove said:
AR #1 is an original ā€˜73 Colt SP1, free from my dad.

#2 Is a cooperative parts box build. Everything but the BCG were gifts from my brothers. Either factory parts from their guns they replaced, and threw in the parts box, or for the lower and barrel, birthday and Christmas presents. I spent $74 (with shipping) for a blem BCG from PSA.

#3 is an AR10 I built in .338 Federal. Iā€™m into it about $700, using a free lower (brother drunk ordered it, decided he didnā€™t want an AR10) and buying parts on sale over the course of about 2 years.
Click to expand...
Ok I will say my above post does not apply to AR10s or collectibles like certain colts.
 
I did my first build back in the mid- 2000s when parts cost more and it was right around $1K.
My next 2 builds were more recent and they both were around $600 - $700 each.
 
My beater AR T-91 clone I have about 700 into, need to resist the urge to dick with it further.

The 2 6.5 Grendels are both 1,500 to 2K, but have a lot of fancy parts odin works bbls and bcg, triggers, ect.

My Diemaco A3 I paid 800 for, was intending to use as a beater, but now they are selling for 1,800+ on gun broker.

The AR-10 in 6.5 CM jumped the shark a bit and was 2,200, Faxon match barrel and bolt, ELF trigger, Aero precision upper lower and handguard.

Built a PSA for my old man for about 550 and it does well, he wants to put a scope on it and replace the red dot.:grinpimp:

Probably going to build big bore AR with one of my extra lowers and a WWSD ish carbine with my KE arms lower.
 
First one I bought, standard Spikes Tactical carbine, I sold after after a couple years when everyone thought Obama was going to take all the guns, paid under 500 for it, sold it for 950 with a couple mags.

Took an AK47 in on partial trade when I sold my buggy, then traded it to a guy in the parking lot at Bass Pro for an Aramlite M15 with a TA31 ACOG on it, a couple slings, a case and some loaded mags.

Bought a Robinson XCR folder for about $1100, put a 3x ACOG on it and still have it, it's my truck gun.

Bought a 24" bull barreled Les Baer upper for $800 back when they were in the AR game, put it in with a Timney trigger and a Magpul precision stock, so I'm in it under $2k even with optic and mount. Thing is a serious laser.

PRS rifle started out as a National Match, put a flatop upper on it, a Seekins handguard, Timney, 5-25x Scope, 20" BA heavy barrel. No idea how much I'm in that one, but I'm sure it's over $2k as it sits.

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My Sig in 13 was almost 800$. With the scope, Aero hand guard , trigger and new stock I'm 1400$.
My pistol is a PSA kit with a run of the mill lower and a Bushnell knockoff by Cabela's. Probably have a little over 600$ in it .
Built one for a buddy this time last year. Covid fucked every thing up for affordable builds. Was just going to do a PSA kit with Anderson lower but they were always sold out. Ended up with a Anderson lower, PSA lower parts/Magpul kit. Rock River upper and bolt carrier. Aero handguard and Wilson Combat Wylde barrel. He's left handed so did as much ambidextrous stuff as I could on it.
Ended up a super nice gun with a really nice barrel but blew the budget out of the water to almost 1000$.
 
mine, fuckifIknow...
prolly 150 into the lower and lower bits, 300ish into barrel and hg, 100 into the upper and upper bits, still haven't bought a bcg 4 years in, just borrow a friend's whenever it comes out to play haha
Been meaning to, but probably won't until I see chromed ones for $100 again lol
Roc Doc said:
First one I bought,
Click to expand...
heh I see a vulcan arms lower
always liked seeing their AR-15/18/FAL conglomeration at the local gunshows
funny looking mishmash
 
I honestly have no idea. I just buy a piece here and there when I see a good deal. Kind of knew what I wanted and usually have a couple different builds going.

My son just bought a custom 5.56 for $900. Couldn't tell you all the parts on it. But it has been flawless.

Like others have said, probably none of us here will ever wear one out. Even with the cheapest components. I focus on cycle and feed. If it does that the rest is easy.
 
[486] said:
mine, fuckifIknow...
prolly 150 into the lower and lower bits, 300ish into barrel and hg, 100 into the upper and upper bits, still haven't bought a bcg 4 years in, just borrow a friend's whenever it comes out to play haha
Been meaning to, but probably won't until I see chromed ones for $100 again lol

heh I see a vulcan arms lower
always liked seeing their AR-15/18/FAL conglomeration at the local gunshows
funny looking mishmash
Click to expand...
I bought that National Match from a buddy, so presumably it was complete from Vulcan, I don't recall seeing any marks on the upper. I did the Rock Island free float conversion on the upper, but it was so damn heavy when I was done it only worked for bench or prone shooting. As it sits now, it's my PRS AR gun and has an ARCA rail on the bottom of the Seekins handguard so I can attach anything I want anywhere along the rail. 1:7 Ballistic Advantage barrel, Superlative Arms adjustable gas block, and tuned APA Gen 3 brake and the thing doesn't come off target when fired, it's awesome to shoot. I got an under 30 second split shooting 3 4" targets at 240 yds, two bowing pins at 315 yds, and a 1/3rd IPSC at 510, and then back down the hill, so 9 hits in under 30 seconds with varying distances just using the reticle. TTOD was 24.15 seconds :smokin: Can't do that if the muzzle is jumping around.
 
my AR cost as much to build as the optic i put on top of it :homer:

still haven't shot the stupid thing :sadpanda:

the .22lr pistol was under $600 i'm pretty sure, and it's a blast :rasta:
 
$250 for an uncompleted "kit" with a 80% lower... literally everything including a cheapie Amazon red dot and 300 rounds or so of ammo. Calguns marketplace... seller needed $$.
$2500+ for a Colt 6940 because work had a specific list I had to choose from.
several others that fall $$ in between..... they all go bang 100% of the time.
no reason to spend a ton of $$ unless you want to
 
the last complete ar I got was from bear creek arsenal. i ordered a pair and they cost me less than 400 each in my hand. and they are nice guns.
 
My first one was $400 28 years ago. I've shot at least $15k of ammo with it. Guns are cheap vs the ammo you feed em. The barrel expired a few years ago and I got a factory replacement and got it back to accurate and dependable. The anodize wore off the lower receiver and I had it cerakoted about 8 years ago when cerakote was new. Bent the buffer tube once mortaring, so I replaced that and the stock that busted with factory parts. I've bought it twice so far I'd say counting upkeep.
 
Assuming higher price = higher quality isnā€™t always correct with ARā€™s due to the gimmicky crap like Spikeā€™s lowers, many of the drop in triggers, and gold BCGā€™s, not to mention how much the market has gone up and down over the last couple years.

I used to assume that as long as it said ā€œmil-specā€, it was good to go, but thatā€™s not really true. There are plenty of BCGā€™s that have weak gas key bolts, arenā€™t torqued or staked properly, have rough machining where the gas rings seal, weak extractor spring, etc. Stuff like gas blocks being secured with a set screw on a non-dimpled barrel, and not even aligned with the gas port is common. I have a PSA build kit that came with a weaker grade aluminum buffer tube, not to mention a junk carbine buffer.

Iā€™m not saying you have to buy something over the top like a Noveske to have a quality gun, or that a $400 one wonā€™t work well for plinking or even home defense, just that there IS a difference when you start looking at details. Over the last year Iā€™ve been upgrading two main ARā€™s to make sure there isnā€™t a single junk part on them, due to crap like Antifa burning cities and the push for more gun control. Itā€™s hard to find LPKā€™s that donā€™t have MIM parts or suspect detents and springs.

If you want to geek out on it, check out School of the American Rifle on YouTube,
 
My 20ā€ A2 was a few bucks shy of 600.
My 16ā€ m4gery was around 650. Anyone remember aloharoverā€™s 2008 emergency election AR sale on pirate? That is one of them.
My Grendel was 12-1500. I donā€™t remember.
My Bushmaster was around 800 but might have just barely broke 1000. I donā€™t remember that one either.
My 2012 election carbine was maybe 800.
 
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