Budget AR build, any tips or suggestions?

[lucifermonkey]

Back in stock at PSA:

<broken link removed>

Then grab that Primary Arms Anderson lower for $50 to go with it and rock & roll.

 

[Diamondback]

Here's my build-budget so far, adjusted:
$80 Anderson lower (technically $135, but I wrote off the mark-up as a contribution to NWFA; you can find these for $50 if you shop around)
$50* PSA LPK
$50 M4 telestock/buffer kit
$100* AIM nickel-boron BCG
$10-20 charging handle
*prices including shipping

So basically that's around a $275 bottom half, plus whatever your favorite upper costs--I've seen some for the low $200s.

 

[Brutus57]

Bushnell TR-25 is a great optic. I paid $69.00 from a sale at Opticsplanet.

Brutus Out

 

[Brutus57]

If you still don'y have a lower...get an Aero Precision, blems can be killer deals for a very good for the money lower.

Brutus Out

 

[Diamondback]

Bushnell TR-25 is a great optic. I paid $69.00 from a sale at Opticsplanet.

Brutus Out

Paid $56 for mine--Jet.com fulfilled by OpticsPlanet. Risers are about $5-10 at Amazon if you're okay with Leapers UTG, and depending what height you need. (Numbers I've been hearing are 1" for Lower 1/3 co-witness, 0.83" for Absolute--those right?)

Also got a set of Diamondhead BUIS for $75--though I should note I had a 15%-off coupon I used on both. That "First Three Orders 15% Off" coupon code can go a LOOOOONG way with a little patience... (Pro tip, try to cluster things as close to $200 at a time as possible--they cap it at a flat $30 discount above that. Still hard to argue with $90 off $600 in parts and tools, even if you never buy from 'em again after...)

Also, DO haunt Slickguns.com (NWFA Supporting Vendor) and don't forget Gun Deals - Deals for firearms, ammunition, and accessories • /r/gundeals .

 

[lucifermonkey]

Primary Arms has the Bushnell on sale right now for $59.99:

Bushnell Trophy TRS25 1x25mm Red Dot Sight - 3 MOA

Their $89.99 red dot (2 MOA) is great as well:

Primary Arms Micro Dot With Removable Base

Bushnell TR-25 is a great optic. I paid $69.00 from a sale at Opticsplanet.

Brutus Out

 

[Diamondback]

White Orca Tactical has Anderson lowers (marked for cal. 6.8SPC) for $43 too.

Nothing to stop you from using it in a 5.56, all the caliber-specific stuff's in the upper assembly and BCG anyway.

 

[Gene Rojas]

No love for the Vortex SPARC or SPARC II?

Geno

 

[Caveman Jim]

Definitely a fine looking rifle, what are some suggestions for a lower budget optic, the plan is a red dot with BUIS.

I have used and love my Vortex Strikefire red & green dot optic. The green dot shows up best in sunny conditions.

 

[Raidingtime]

Aeroprecision makes really high quality stuff for a reasonable price. They're also a local owned company (Tacoma, WA). I would recommend a lower or really any other part manufactured from them.

Curt's Discount Shooting Supplies is a fantastic business that sells loads of quality AR supplies for cheap. I recently picked up an Aeroprecision 556 lower there for $100 with NICS check included. Buying an Anderson lower off the internet for $50 will eventually lead to approximately $100 out the door when you factor in the shipping and transfer costs. In my opinion the Aero is a nicer looking lower and it's nice to buy local. They also make a good complete rifle if you'd like to go that route:

Aero Precision AC-15 Complete Rifle

Mega Arms is another high speed local (Tacoma, WA) AR parts manufacturer. Their prices are much higher than Aero's but is reflected in their build quality (they're pretty and are as tight fitting as a black football player and an asian gymnast). I used one of their 18" .308 barrels on my 308 build (upper, BCG, and lower was an Aero). Good to go.

Primary Arm optics are good quality for the money- they're not junk and usable. I don't have any experience with Vortex stuff but many people like them and I'm sure they're good to go as well.

If you want to avoid spending a ton of money on a good trigger but still want a good trigger then I'd suggest a PSA enhanced (Nickel Boron) fire control group with an adjustment screw from JoeBobs. This combination makes a good and reliable trigger for a low cost. I've installed this set up on my 10.5" 556 and 7.62x39 (aka StormTrooper). The break is about as clean as you'll get without spending over $120. Below is the product:

JoeBob's Trigger Adjuster

Camo paint jobs are cool and potentially utilitarian. I've painted my .308 and storm trooper with rattle can Rustoleum over their existing finishes. Painting in any other fashion is a silly waste of money. I can give you some advice on this down the road if you're interested in doing this.

 

[Newbuilder223]

Definitely getting awesome response everyone, due to some budget constraints I'm probably going to have to wait on the CHF upper on PSA, but as soon as another is available (hopefully sometime late next week) I'm jumping on it. As for the optic, coming from those of you who've used both, from a compare/contrast standpoint what differences are there between the PA sight and the Bushnell, I've noticed at the very least different control layout for adjustments. Other than that is there any difference that stand out, construction quality, anything? Also just for a bit of fun I take it there are plenty of budget builds among the collective posters here, let's see some pictures of your budget builds, (even if the budget part of it is out the window at this point) and hopefully come early Decemberish mine will be joining in as well.

 

[nwslopoke]

Some of my parts came in today. The Radical Arms upper. Just for a mock up I matched it with the Anderson lower and the colors were a little off. Beyond that things seemed to look fine. PSA just shipped their stuff today. The other two companies stuff is here. Delta Team Tactical & Primary Arms.

 

[CamoDeafie]

I have a Primary Arms 1-4x25mm with 30mm tube on my Hi Point 995 currently; its a decent variable scope with a modified German Duplex reticle plus red dot, as opposed to the newer Bullet Drop compensating versions calibrated for various calibers. The 1x setting isn't a true 1x, its closer to 1.25-1.5x, but it works decent. Also have an old Tasco ProPoint 25mm red dot(came on the Hi Point when I bought it), it works good but right now it's sitting on my .22LR Remington Nylon 66 rifle.
The Primary Arms is a better scope than the Tasco red dot sight, more useful for my needs.
It does depend on what optics you prefer; straight 1x red dot, variable, fixed power, or combination RDS plus magnifier plus BUIS?

 

[Raidingtime]

Definitely getting awesome response everyone, due to some budget constraints I'm probably going to have to wait on the CHF upper on PSA, but as soon as another is available (hopefully sometime late next week) I'm jumping on it. As for the optic, coming from those of you who've used both, from a compare/contrast standpoint what differences are there between the PA sight and the Bushnell, I've noticed at the very least different control layout for adjustments. Other than that is there any difference that stand out, construction quality, anything? Also just for a bit of fun I take it there are plenty of budget builds among the collective posters here, let's see some pictures of your budget builds, (even if the budget part of it is out the window at this point) and hopefully come early Decemberish mine will be joining in as well.

Here are the 4 builds that I've completed. From left to right is the following: .308, 7.62x39 (stormtrooper), 556 (Hilary Clinton's AR), 556 (MK18-10.5" pistol). My Colt is my favorite one out of all of them but I didn't build that one. Camo paint was done with Rustoleum, bailing string, paracord, masking tape, and wire.



Obviously I enjoy talking about ARs. Any questions about any of this builds are welcome. Note: the .308 is missing it's FCG. Larue is shipping one of their high speed FCG that I ordered for a screaming deal at $99 nearly 2 months ago. The cheap price was due to the long wait.

 

[Newbuilder223]

Those look amazing, when I get to that point I will definitely ask you for some tips on doing some rustoleum camo.

 

[Diamondback]

DSArms has a lightweight titanium M4-type stock on sale right now for cheaper than their "normal" M4 model, if anyone's interested.

 

[3MTA3]

DSArms has a lightweight titanium M4-type stock on sale right now for cheaper than their "normal" M4 model, if anyone's interested.

It's actually titanium and aluminum hardware, the rest of the stock is plastic. I used to work with titanium and it's not very salt resistant (we had to wear gloves when we handled it and not for cosmetic reasons) - just something to keep in mind especially if you live near the coast.

 

[Diamondback]

Thanks, 3M. I knew that for building the Blackbirds the Skunk Works had to use distilled water in tanker-truckloads because the chemicals in Burbank's water supply adversely impacted the metal...

 

[Diamondback]

Palmetto has a complete Just-Add-Lower kit on sale for $380, expiring at noon tomorrow.

If you're trying for quality-on-a-budget, you really do need to subscribe to their Daily Deal emails...

 

[Newbuilder223]

I am on their emailer, unfortunately for me budget says no until late this week. Been killing me to see these deals pass by.