I get asked quite often how to build a decent AR on a budget. Nine times out of Ten, when someone says “budget” they are referring to something under $1,000. There are lots of manufacturers of junk parts out there so its awesome to get to help steer people in the right direction. I typically go with the lowest build I would let myself do if I were doing a gun just for range fun but that would also work in an SHTF situation and let the end user do any upgrades they think are necessary. One trick that works is to try to buy all of your parts from one company to save on shipping costs. The info below is just one example that I was able to piece together for someone by looking for deals at Palmetto State Armory.
PSA has really been pushing some deals on their PTAC line of uppers and parts. Right now they have a deal on a complete upper with M16 BCG, M4 Profile barrel, Charging handle and a StrikeFire red dot for just $400. That’s pretty awesome if you ask me. They also have a deal for 10 PMAGs and a stripped blem PSA lower for just $170. The only thing left was to find the lower parts kit. By searching the site I found that their Black MOE Lower Build Kit was just $100, which is $20 cheaper than the FDE MOE Lower Build Kit, so I went with black kit. The total for the parts came to $670, add shipping of $29 to my house and you’re at $699 shipped.
Complete Upper with StrikeFire Red Dot – $400PSA Blem Lower and 10 PMAGS – $170PTAC AR-15 Black MOE Lower Build Kit – $100
http://www.ar15news.com/2014/01/03/700-complete-ar-build-red-dot-10-pmags-shipped/
