Mikesull415
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- Jan 2, 2011
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- 13
+1 for palmetto state armory. I live about 20 minutes from the place and just built a rifle using mainly their parts. (found a great deal on a bcm upper) but everything else came from palmetto state
AR-15 on a shoe-string budget
- Thread starter Mr.Barty
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LiquidTension
Member
I'd go with either an M&P or PSA. PSA gets a lot of their parts from quality manufacturers. Their hammer forged barrels come from FN. Their LPKs come from the same place FN gets theirs from. They have two different kinds of lower receivers, the one I got from them is an Aero Precision. I just picked up an upper kit that came with a Wilson barrel. They are also good guys to deal with.
scbackpacker
Member
I've put together 2 PSA rifles. I couldn't beat the prices. The 1 below I have $610.00 in it not counting the MI backup sight and the Lucid HD7. The rifles seem to be of very good quality. My next purchase will be a chf FN upper from them.
Works2Shoot
Member
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- Oct 29, 2010
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- 16
courtgreene
Member
SCbackpacker, does the front sight interfere in anyway with your scope? I'm considering a very similar set up to the picture you just posted. Thanks.
scbackpacker
Member
The Iron sights are in the lower part of the optic. I leave the rear sight down when using the optic sight and they co-witness very well. The Lucid is parallax free so I just bring the red on target and pull the trigger. Check out the Lucid.
It seems to be a very good option to other red dot sights.
http://www.mylucidgear.com/reddot.php
It seems to be a very good option to other red dot sights.
http://www.mylucidgear.com/reddot.php
courtgreene
Member
Thanks. Ive already got a few red dots laying around, so I can't justify another. I appreciate the feed back though.
RebelRabbi
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- Jan 22, 2010
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- 78
Del-Ton in Elizabethtown NC makes CUSTOM AR's for about your price!
mustachio
Member
Here is my PSA upper mated to an AeroPrecision lower. It is 14.5", CL, MPI, 1/7 twist, 4150 steel etc. It shoots great with the 300 rounds I have put through it thus far.
I just put this AR together, I hunted around locally and found a separate but complete, unfired upper and lower. The upper is a Rifleuppers Honey Dipper that came with a set of Magpul MBUS sights and 5 30r mags. The lower is a STAG-15. I added a Magpul enhanced trigger guard and rail covers.....for a grand total of $750 
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Mike1234567
member
Wow... these prices are about 1/2 of what I've seen. IO had no idea AR's could be had for such low prices. Looks like I'm gonna be spending more money soon.
If they're "not the best" there is something that makes them inferior.
A rifle from BCM or Palmetto can be put together on a budget and no one says "not the best, but-"
Look at this deal- Everything but a stripped lower for $479
http://www.palmettostatearmory.com/2252.php
Or upgraded with Magpul MOE furniture for $529
http://www.palmettostatearmory.com/2253.php
Just add lower for $80
http://www.palmettostatearmory.com/AR-15-lowe-receivers.php
That's $610 for all the parts you need to build a good starter AR (not counting tax & shipping) with MOE furniture!
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madcratebuilder
Member
What parts do you see problems with? I get a lot of inquiries from guys about buying AR's here local and many are DPMS. Other than a few gritty triggers and weak extractors the ones I have tweaked seem OK. The LPK parts are pretty much the same as the ones in their .308's. I have seen some pretty loose butt stocks on what seemed to me to be undersize RE's. I haven't seen any one thing on them that's really that bad. Barrels seem to shoot good. I've shot a couple of the Stainless 20" barrels that were damn good.
ugaarguy
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- Mar 19, 2006
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- 13,828
Some of it's the parts, and much of it is the assembly. They seem not to know what staking is. DPMS & Bushmaster are the two brands that I consistently saw undersized chambers on when I sold guns. DPMS' more basic models have cheap stocks - pardus buttstock & glacier guard hand guards. RE castle nuts not staked, carrier keys not staked. No HPT/MPI on bolts, nor barrels - not a big deal a few years ago, but now other companies do this at competing prices. You've posted several of the other issues I've seen such as:
Are you kidding? If it wont extract, and I have to tap brass out with a cleaning rod, I might as well be shooting a muzzle loader. What's the point of a semi auto that won't extract? I don't want an OK rifle, and especially not at $600+. I want good at least. Is a chamber that's cut correctly, and an extractor that works too much to ask for in any rifle?
Seen that too. You go to replace their cheap stock with a standard M4 style stock, or a nice aftermarket stock, and both mil & commercial ID stocks are loose. Is using a correct RE - either of the two established standards - that much to ask?
So, other than the fact that they often don't work properly, DPMS AR-15s aren't so bad.
Like I said, I like my LR-308. I never saw the problems with the DPMS LR platform guns that I saw with their AR-15 platform guns. If they'd apply the same build quality to their AR-15s that they apply to their LR-308s, DPMS AR-15s would be solid rifles within their price points.
"Inferior" only has meaning when a direct comparison is made. I'll come out and say that Colt, BCM, Spikes and other very good brands are "not the best." Mil-spec is not the best.
If the rifle functions correctly and is accurate enough to hit the target, the rest is gravy.
I do completely agree that there are options in the OPs price range to which the DPMS is an inferior product. If he has some basic mechanical skills, assembling an AR-15 is boringly simple and requires minimal tools, though there are some specialized tools that make it much easier. Palmetto State is, and has been, one of my "go-to" sources. For example, other than optics and the lower that I sourced elsewhere for $59, my 6.8 rifle came from PSA and I only spent about $800 including the lower. That included 7 6.8 magazines and 40 rounds of SSA ammo as well.
Another option that has been slightly touched on is the used market. Lots of ARs for sale out there and getting one gently used for a good price isn't that difficult.
I don't have a complete DPMS, but............... i have a DPMS MK12 barrel on my 3 gun set up. It is a nice barrel. I buy plenty of DPMS parts from MidwayUSA and Brownells to finish off builds. I have not had any issue with any of my DPMS parts.
wkumatt
Member
I have this DPMS with a Bushnell red dot, no paper is safe from it and chews brown bear like a champ. Total investment 700 including 250 rounds of aforementioned ammo.
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