Best low budget, factory built, off the shelf AR-15

[ru44mag]

Rural King just had the M&P Sport II and the Ruger on sale for $457. I recently purchased a PSA off their daily sale "blem" listing. I paid for the upper and lower separately. The upper was shipped to my house and the lower to my LGS. I paid $380 + $25 for paper work. No tax. It had no mag and no sights. I already had 20 magpul mags and a scope to put on it, so I did have to spend about $40 for a scope mount. I am pleased with it.

 

[jd4320t]

I missed out on the Rural King deal.

Anybody know who currently has a good price on the M&P Sport 2?

 

[BehindBlueI's]

I missed out on the Rural King deal.

Anybody know who currently has a good price on the M&P Sport 2?

https://www.gunbuyer.com/smith-wess...mm-16-barrel-with-magpul-moe-m-lok-10305.html

 

[jd4320t]

https://www.gunbuyer.com/smith-wess...mm-16-barrel-with-magpul-moe-m-lok-10305.html

Thanks a lot.

 

[sgreen3]

As far as budget factory built ARs go, Im getting sent a Del-Ton Sport Mod2 to T&E for my channel, so we'll see how that goes.. Ive not really had any dealings with Del-Ton with the exception of one of their stripped lowers I got a few years back, no troubles with it. So I'm very interested to see how their full on rifle will hold up over a couple months of testing...

 

[sheepdog697]

If you find a deal on a COLT i think they could be had for close to $600... MAYBE

 

[BehindBlueI's]

If you find a deal on a COLT i think they could be had for close to $600... MAYBE

There's 16.5" Colts, brand new, with Magpul furniture and two p-mags going for $720 shipped. I've put it in my cart and backed out a couple of times because I'd rather have a 20", but there's temptation everywhere you look.

 

[seedubs1]

Yeah.....the market is so dang good right now.....I'm really having to exercise self control and not buy all of the things I want.....

 

[Hop]

As far as budget factory built ARs go, Im getting sent a Del-Ton Sport Mod2 to T&E for my channel, so we'll see how that goes.. Ive not really had any dealings with Del-Ton with the exception of one of their stripped lowers I got a few years back, no troubles with it. So I'm very interested to see how their full on rifle will hold up over a couple months of testing...

A buddy sells a lot of Del-ton parts and has had no trouble. I have tried their small parts kit and had no troubles either. I hear all the time about how Del-ton sells a lot of parts to other OEM. I wish I could substantiate that claim but I can't. Buddy said they shoot OK @ ~4moa or better. Meh....

 

[Rebel Jack]

I get the hesitation. Folks don't realize how easy it is to build and a rifle gone wrong is a terrifying prospect.

I agree with Slim that the vast majority of budget, entry levels are the same. You're paying for a rollmark in that price range. The parts may not be from the same people, but they're the same, basic quality. I've never owned one of these rifles but i've handled, run drill, and hammered steel with the vast majority. I typically use these as beater guns for testing products, and they're suitable for your average joe american that just wants a weekend plinker that seconds for home defense. The M&P Sporter gets the nod from me just for it's brand recognition. Keep it clean and learn to shoot it.

I disagree strongly with the concept that what makes a rifle better is the barrel. There's a lot that goes in to precision ARs. You're not going to build a mid range precision target rifle from a Sporter you slapped a proof research barrel on...

 

[Hop]

...
I disagree strongly with the concept that what makes a rifle better is the barrel. There's a lot that goes in to precision ARs. You're not going to build a mid range precision target rifle from a Sporter you slapped a proof research barrel on...

I plan to put this to the test as soon as I can save up some $ towards a Proof Research barrel for my Olympic arms AR.

 

[chef1231]

http://palmettostatearmory.com/ruger-16-ar15-5-56-adjustable-rapid-deploy-rear-sight-rifle-8500.html

 

[Rebel Jack]

I plan to put this to the test as soon as I can save up some $ towards a Proof Research barrel for my Olympic arms AR.

Currently looking at mortgage rates for my next build, including a proof barrel. Wanna race?

 

[Vigilant]

Hard to beat this deal!

https://www.gunprodeals.com/products/tactical-colt-mfg-le6920-098289020253

the OEM1 is even less.

 

[Hohn]

In class with Mike Pannone this past weekend (he may know just a wee bit about AR's) he mused that he couldn't figure out why people would build franken guns when there are so many quality reasonably priced AR's out on the market. He followed it up with mentioning that most home built guns he sees in classes have problems.

Because they aren't "frankenguns." Specs are specs. Parts are parts. Buy parts that meet specs, assemble, and presto magico, it works.


The problems come when someone tried to build a one-off that has no issue equivalent-- a 12" carbine, a 9" pistol, etc. THOSE are franken-guns, and they require some experience and tuning.


But the idea that a person cannot easily slip together a 14.5" carbine and have it be 100% out of the box? Frankly, that smacks of condescension. Millions of M4s have demonstrated what it takes to make 1.45" work. This is not science, it's just copying.

Now, whether the PARTS will be comparable in quality to the factory assembled (note, I didn't say "built" in this price range), that's a coin toss.


There's nothing magical about the building a company is in that makes their budget parts work better than some guy in his shop putting together the same parts.


And this coming from a guy who appreciates quality and bought the single most expensive 5.56 rifle Daniel Defense made for my first black rifle.

 

[Hohn]

I disagree strongly with the concept that what makes a rifle better is the barrel. There's a lot that goes in to precision ARs. You're not going to build a mid range precision target rifle from a Sporter you slapped a proof research barrel on...

Maybe not JUST the barrel, but once you have good barrel, a floating guard and a matched bolt, you are there.

I've seen otherwise mil spec rifles consistently capable of 0.6 MOA with just a WOA barrel and free float guard. So if you are heating down the path of arguing that you need a matched billet receiver set or a $300 trigger to be accurate, I would respectfully disagree. A nice trigger makes it more approachable to be accurate, but has no effect on the mechanical accuracy of the rifle. The trigger makes the shooter more accurate, not the rifle.

 

[seedubs1]

Agree. A Frankengun is different from a custom home built gun.

I ran 1k rounds through one of my custom home built ARs a few weekends back. Wasn't the first time, and it won't be the last. It runs flawless. I would put it up against any factory DD, BCM, etc... and funny enough, it has BCM parts in it.....

Because they aren't "frankenguns." Specs are specs. Parts are parts. Buy parts that meet specs, assemble, and presto magico, it works.


The problems come when someone tried to build a one-off that has no issue equivalent-- a 12" carbine, a 9" pistol, etc. THOSE are franken-guns, and they require some experience and tuning.


But the idea that a person cannot easily slip together a 14.5" carbine and have it be 100% out of the box? Frankly, that smacks of condescension. Millions of M4s have demonstrated what it takes to make 1.45" work. This is not science, it's just copying.

Now, whether the PARTS will be comparable in quality to the factory assembled (note, I didn't say "built" in this price range), that's a coin toss.


There's nothing magical about the building a company is in that makes their budget parts work better than some guy in his shop putting together the same parts.


And this coming from a guy who appreciates quality and bought the single most expensive 5.56 rifle Daniel Defense made for my first black rifle.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

Because they aren't "frankenguns." Specs are specs. Parts are parts. Buy parts that meet specs, assemble, and presto magico, it works.

nerd

Frankenstein's monster was built of parts from multiple corpses, presumably to spec and assembled in the traditional adult male human pattern. He also worked. I never took 'frankengun' to mean some oddball design, just that the parts come from multiple corpses...errr...brands.

/nerd

 

[sig1473]

Hard to beat this deal!

https://www.gunprodeals.com/products/tactical-colt-mfg-le6920-098289020253

the OEM1 is even less.

I'm resisting the urge. I just bought a factory Centurion RECCE upper a week ago then decided to drop a couple G's on a deck. My gun fund has been decimated. I do have a Centurion MLok rail that needs a home though.......

 

[sgreen3]

A buddy sells a lot of Del-ton parts and has had no trouble. I have tried their small parts kit and had no troubles either. I hear all the time about how Del-ton sells a lot of parts to other OEM. I wish I could substantiate that claim but I can't. Buddy said they shoot OK @ ~4moa or better. Meh....

Yea Ive heard the same thing as well, but cant find anything factual to back it up either.. We'll see how it does, so far its done well. I am however intrigued to see how it holds up through Run n gun and a few carbine courses as well as seeing some accuracy while being shot off the bench... 4moa is a bit rough but I would be ok with 2ish moa for what it is, just being a standard no frills carbine. Just have to wait and see I guess...