AR guys: is this a good deal? Good quality?

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Here is what PSA says about the PTAC series:
"PTAC products are ready for duty, and are meant to be used. As such the finish may have some cosmetic irregularities which include, but are not limited to, scuffs, scratches, and dings or dents in the forgings that do not affect function."
Here is the PTAC Mid-length upper with free shipping. $209.99
http://palmettostatearmory.com/ptac...1-7-upper-without-bcg-or-charging-handle.html

And a PSA complete lower with Magpul furniture With free shipping. $169.99
http://palmettostatearmory.com/psa-...wer-magpul-moe-edition-black-no-magazine.html

AIM Surplus black nitride BCG with free shipping. $89.95
http://www.aimsurplus.com/product.a...tride+9310+MPI+Bolt+Carrier+Group&groupid=723
And charging handles for $15.95

You will need a rear sight. Joe Bob Outfitters has the Ruger rapid deploy rear sight for $34.95.
http://www.joeboboutfitters.com/Ruger_Rapid_Deploy_Rear_Back_Up_Sight_90415_p/rug-90415.htm

There you have a nice AR for $520.83 that already has the Magpul furniture on the lower. And you don't need any tools to put it together.

You could just buy the lower and wait a week or two to order an upper. Take your time and have fun.
 
Doing a bit more digging I notice that Brownells has the same kit the OP linked to for less money. Also Brownells has a better site so I can cross reference the barrel description with a non chrome lined Anderson Manufacturing 1:8" 5.56mm NATO chambered barrel. The parts in this kit are cheap and budget oriented, you'll get a functional rifle with proper assembly but not one that is anywhere near a duty grade hard use firearm.

I don't want to come off as a snob, but I am going to suggest being open to spending your $500 on getting a solid core for your rifle and getting the rest of the parts as your budget allows to build a really good AR. By really good I mean drop dead reliable, durable, and practically functional. That doesn't mean it has to have doo-dads hung off of it and a bunch of other bull-mess.

So as an exercise in the most functional bang for your $500 I will submit a parts list. Others can disagree and chime in if they find a better deal. Let's help the OP and his son explore their options!

Here is my $500 plan to get a solid core for a real duty grade carbine you can build together, notice I said core so that is barrel and bolt first and foremost! Put your $$$ where it will count. Some of these parts may be out of stock, don't be discouraged this is a guide and you may find some like the lower receiver locally available.

1.) Get a lower, we have an election coming up so just do it. It doesn't have to be fancy, just dimensionally accurate and made of forged 7075-T6 aluminum. http://www.brownells.com/rifle-part.../ar-15-stripped-lower-receiver-prod75094.aspx

2.) Obtain an excellent quality barrel. For example this is a good value for what you get since the barrel includes a low profile gas block and it it already dimpled for the gas block. http://sionicsweaponsystems.com/store2015/16/27-5-chrome-lined-w-low-profile-gas-block.html

3.) Pick up a good quality bolt, and might as well include the bolt carrier with this as well. Brownells is offering a mil-spec and mil-spec plus option for a reasonable price that represents a good value. http://www.brownells.com/rifle-part...spec-mp-hpt-bolt-carrier-group-prod78714.aspx

4.) Spend the remaining $70 on Magpul P-Mags. The above parts will total out to $429.93 before shipping, spend the rest on magazines.

You will now have a solid foundation for your carbine. You'll still need an upper, a lower parts kit, and furniture of your choice as well as a barrel nut and a few other parts. However the core functional components will be excellent. Not gucci luxury quality boutique stuff, just rock solid functional.

Look at it like buying a used car that you will have to fix up either way. One you can buy with a shiny outside and a bunch of options that is of marginal quality with an engine close to having ring land failure in 3 cylinders, and a slipping transmission. Yeah it looks nice and doesn't cost as much up front, but in the long run is going to be less than reliable. Or you can buy a basic looking used pick up with crank windows, no CD player and a bench seat... but it has a well built fresh motor and transmission in it and all the other running gear is good to go. Not as pretty but it will work every time.
 
Thank you sir. I'm sure that for a "serious use" rifle your method is by far the most intelligent one.

I got two Anderson lowers today for $60 per and I figured it was a good deal since I didn't have to pay shipping or FFL fees. I will mull it over and decide what my son would actually want. My gut feeling is he would want a shootable, complete build regardless of quality, but Coal Dragger's approach does make a lot of sense particularly if a long view is taken.


Gunny thanks for your research and time, but the objective here is primarily to spend some time with my son and assemble the rifle from pieces. I have rifles I could just give him if he just wanted a rifle. He wants to "build" one.

There has to be a market for a "quality," completely stripped upper and lower build kit. Maybe they figure people either want a cheap fully assembled upper and let them assemble the lowers, or they want to piece it all together in the exact way they want.

I may end up going that route... I just don't have a lot of money to play with. and my previous experiences have shown me that buying a complete quality rifle, or complete assembled uppers and lowers is cheaper than piecing one together and building it yourself. At least in my limited experience.
 
That barrel looks like a solid deal. Machine gun rated ordanance steel, salt bath nitrided inside and out. I will also note that the barrel contour makes more sense than the silly gov't profile, should make for a good shooter. I have a Colt SOCOM II with a SOCOM contour medium weight barrel and it has given me 10 shot groups that stayed sub MOA. I like the nitrocarburized finish too, easy care inside and out, I have 2 Daniel Defense salt bath nitrocarburized cold hammer forged 18" barrels and they're fantastic.

Midlength gas system is also good to go, glad the gas block is steel and the gas tube is included.

That barrel kit is frankly a much better barrel than the one in that kit you originally linked to. I'll bet if you pare it to a good BCG your build will run like a raped ape as long as you assemble everything right.
 
the description says carbine length gas tube but I assume that's a misprint...

" Included in the kit is a .750" low profile gas block, carbine gas tube, and roll pin."
 
PSA overall makes a pretty decent rifle. They do have some QC issues sometimes. For a fun gun I'd have no problem with PSA. For a serious use gun I'd go over it with a fine tooth comb first.
 
Why does everybody think PSA makes guns?

My understanding is they assemble parts kits from various suppliers like all the other parts companies do (same suppliers).

I've got a couple of rifles I have used their parts exclusively for and they don't seem all that special. What was special was the pricing at that time.

Kits are getting stupid cheap right now. I have little doubts that the parts manufacturers are supplying a lot of parts now to a vast number of companies putting them together in boxes to sell as deals. Smiths I talk to can't see the difference between a lot of them as far as quality, and are reporting their suppliers are able to ship them complete basic kits for $<300.

I admire brand loyalty to a certain point, but.......................



.
 
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Aero Precision, top quality rifle at Brownells for $559 minus stock and forearm so you can add what you want. Aero owns Ballistic Advantage barrels which are very good.
 
How good is this PSA upper? This and their $150 blem lower deal have got me thinking.

http://palmettostatearmory.com/psa-1...ng-handle.html
Click to expand...

The stainless freedom uppers are good to go. I've built several, all have been totally reliable and surprisingly accurate. On the lower price spectrum, 416 SS barrels often shoot better than chromoly tubes, which has a lot to do with the metallurgy making it easier to produce clean and consistent dimensions in free machining 416 stainless than stringy, springy chromoly. It suffers less dimensional alteration from heat treating and less distortion from cold working, meaning that dollar for dollar, you'll get better consistency down the bore of a 416 tube than 4140 or 4150. Is why so many match grade barrels are SS.

I have no experience with the melonited Freedom uppers, but I'm sure they're fine, too.
 
MachIV, I have both the PSA Midlength Freedom Stainless and the Melonite complete uppers with 1:7 twist.

They are both excellent for the value. Stainless comes to $287 shipped with BCG/charging handle, and the Melonite is $200 for the upper (another $100 for bcg/ch).

Shipping takes about a week which is ridiculously fast, as their website says 15days. I've gotten them shipped as fast as 5days which is unheard of.

Quality is 9/10; I've owned 2 Stainless uppers and one Melonite. All came basically perfect in the box. I can build complete lowers for $125, so for an full rifle that totals $425 that cannot be beat.

Even the Smith and Wesson Sport2 cost $550
 
20160923_214628.jpg

This is the Freedom stainless upper. The stock and scope are extra parts I had laying around (not included in total price)

Brand new AR for $425!
 
If you stick to a budget you can build one cheaper. If you're like me and decided to buy upgraded parts as you went along you end up spending more. Every part I bought was on sale at the time. But it all adds up in the end. Last go around I built three rifles at once. It would have been cheaper to buy the kits and swap out the furniture. Live and learn but I have exactly what I want......until I decide to change another part ;)
 
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If the plan is to build it from the ground up with your son, here is a deal.

Ar-15 AR 16" Complete Upper Kit 5.56 .223 Nitride Mid Length Socom Barrel ,15 Super Slim Keymod Handguard NO Bcg $259.99
http://www.deltateamtactical.com/Ar...uper-Slim-Keymod-Handguard-NO-Bcg_p_4508.html

Crosshill Technology 5.56 .223 .300 blk BCG Nitride finish $79.99
http://www.deltateamtactical.com/Cr...t-Carrier-Assembly-Nitride-finish_p_4522.html

Omega Mfg Complete Mil-Spec LPK $43.99
http://www.deltateamtactical.com/Omega-Mfg-Complete-Mil-Spec-Lower-Parts-Kit-Lpk-_p_4470.html

Alpha Combat Mil-Spec Carbine AR-15 Complete Stock Kit (Buffer Tube Kit & Stock) $34.99
http://www.deltateamtactical.com/Al...-Stock-Kit-Buffer-Tube-Kit-Stock-_p_4791.html

That will put you at $418.96 plus your lower. :cool:

I have built five rifles with their kits, two 300 Blackouts and three in 5.56. The only trouble I had was that one of the 5.56 kits was shipped with a 308 hand rail. I contacted them and they shipped me the correct rail and covered return shipping on the 308 rail.
Now they are not the fastest shippers but they give you free shipping on orders over $100 and a lifetime warranty and cover return shipping.
 
If the plan is to build it from the ground up with your son, here is a deal.

Ar-15 AR 16" Complete Upper Kit 5.56 .223 Nitride Mid Length Socom Barrel ,15 Super Slim Keymod Handguard NO Bcg $259.99
http://www.deltateamtactical.com/Ar-...cg_p_4508.html

Crosshill Technology 5.56 .223 .300 blk BCG Nitride finish $79.99
http://www.deltateamtactical.com/Cro...sh_p_4522.html

Omega Mfg Complete Mil-Spec LPK $43.99
http://www.deltateamtactical.com/Ome...k-_p_4470.html

Alpha Combat Mil-Spec Carbine AR-15 Complete Stock Kit (Buffer Tube Kit & Stock) $34.99
http://www.deltateamtactical.com/Alp...k-_p_4791.html
Click to expand...

I can't comment to their kits as a whole, but they list Trinity Force parts in that kit, which I do have experience with, and they are imported junk.
 
I'd be careful with the cheap imported junk. In my experience buying some from ebay and other cheap websites, many of them are not in spec and can break easily (optics, sights, castle nuts, etc)
 
Meh. Just buy a Ruger AR556 for $550-600 and the gun is ready to go.
 
Or you could read the OP. Gunny thanks for taking the time. That's exactly what I want. I'll consider it based on the reported lack of quality. For the price I think I might take the chance. I really prefer starting with completely stripped upper.
 
Redlg155 wrote:
For $550 you can skip the build and just buy a S&W M&P series rifle brand spanking new.
Click to expand...

I was thinking the same thing.

I just bought one for my son to introduce him to center-fire. I've been very satisfied with it.
 
I've been looking at the PSA website everyday. Primary Arms as well. Lot of great points mentioned. I understand that it's a good plan to put the most of your money into the bcg and barrel. But with the election coming (and I don't think our guy wins) the prices and availability of everything could be a problem. I figure in the first three months she will push the assault weapons ban. So maybe the better option is to get the most rifle for what cash you have. In that case the cbc kit might be the better option.
 
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