As any gun enthusiast will tell you, stocking up an arsenal of firearms can be a costly endeavor. Most gun owners live by the creed that you get less than spectacular results if you’re unwilling to pay more than your fair share of the money for your firearm.
However, staring at a brand new AR15 with a sleek, fully accessorized upper receiver can make a gun owner’s mouth start to water. As it so often happens, thoughts of staying on budget magically disappear when you get the opportunity for an up-close and personal inspection.
That’s when many of us whip out our debit cards faster than a gunslinger at high noon.
You may even begin to believe this stellar-looking AR15 in your hands is coming home with you. That is until you discover the price will not only put a dent in your pocketbook but entirely crush it.
Sure, you could hand that beautiful AR15 back and stand there crying inside as the shop owner puts it back on display. Or you could sulk and start feeding your piggy bank until you have enough to purchase the rifle finally.
Or you could purchase a budget build completely assembled AR15 or even build your AR15 from the ground up and get the best of both worlds. Not only can you either find one or make one less expensive, but you get the opportunity of rigging the rifle to operate to your style of shooting.
Purchasing or Building on a Budget
The first thing any firearm purchaser or builder needs to do is establish a budget. That brand new rifle you saw at the shop would have cost you over two grand to bring home. Since two thousand dollars was more than you could bear, then what’s the lucky number?
You need to be realistic when you set your budget for acquiring your AR15. In this situation, free is not only improbable, but it’s one of those four-letter words. Setting a realistic build budget means doing plenty of research.
The firearm market consists of a plethora of stripped or complete upper receivers and lowers, barrels, stocks, bolt carrier groups, and triggers.
You’ll want to shop around until you find the rifle that is better suited to your liking or parts and pieces you’re comfortable with putting together that also fit your budget.
One good thing about shopping these days is that you can find everything you’ll need to build an AR15 in the comforts of home, and most of it will ship to you these days. The internet is simply a fantastic way to shop.
DPMS AR15
If you’re not into building your own rifle, there are still several budget build rifles on the market that may be right for you. First thing you’ll want to do is check out the manufacturer’s reputation for quality. Remember, you’re looking for an inexpensive product not a cheap one.
DPMS makes a great standard quality AR15 that although doesn’t have all the bells and whistles, will provide you a satisfied day at the range or during a hunting expedition.
The entirely assembled AR15 weighs in at just under $600.00 and sports a curved magazine and ruggedized pistol grip trigger and collapsible stock. If you want to add to your arsenal without breaking the bank, a DPMS AR15 is fantastic purchase.
Radical Arms AR15
For a few dollars more you can upgrade to a fully assembled budget build AR15 made by Radical Arms.
Complete with a full-length Picatinny rail for the more popular accessories, the Radical Arms budget build also sports a ruggedized pistol grip lower receiver and trigger assembly and comes out of the box ready for a loaded magazine and also sports a collapsible stock.
Hovering in the range of about $530.00 dollars at the time of this writing, the Radical Arms budget build AR15 will prove to be any gun enthusiast’s inexpensive solution to adding to the arsenal.
Of course, another great way to add to that arsenal without spending a ton of money is to build your own. Here are a few things you need to know should you decide to go down the budget build assembly route yourself.
Stripped or Fully Assembled
Depending on just how much building you feel comfortable with, you can lower that budget in a hurry by purchasing stripped upper and lower receivers and the associated parts they need separately.
Complete low-cost uppers usually cost around two to three hundred dollars, but you can find stripped uppers for less than a hundred if you have confidence in your build capabilities and need to keep the cost down.
Of course, if you choose to purchase a stripped upper receiver, keep in mind that stripped is the operative word. You’ll need to buy a barrel, an adjustable gas block, a forward assist, a gas tube, an ejection port flap, a complete bolt carrier group, and a charging handle.
You’ll also need a handguard and will want to attach a muzzle brake or flash hider on the end of whatever barrel you choose.
How Affordable You Go Depends on You
Although it may seem like you’re spending money right and left, believe it or not, you can purchase each of these dependable rifle parts, including your receiver, and build a complete AR15 for less than seven hundred dollars in many build scenarios.
Here are a few products you may want to shop for that will meet your budget and still give you the expected performance.
- Magpul MOE handguards – $35.00
- PSA – Stripped Lowers – $40.00
- Davidson Defense Budget Build Upper Receivers – $200.00
- Magpul MOE Stocks – $37.00
- Magpul MOE Grip – $19.00
- DPMS AR15 Lower Receiver Kit – $65.00
- Rise Armament AR15 Trigger – $120.00
- Faxon 16″ NATO 5.56 Mid-length Barrel (If you’re working with a stripped upper) – $175.00
With a Davidson Defense Budget Build Upper Receiver included the price point for building your budget build AR15 is just a little over $500.00. A real bargain for a cost-conscious gun enthusiast.
Building a dependable and fully functional AR15 at a price point that’s more than half the cost of buying one off the shelf is worth the effort it takes to make it.
As you can see, at these bargain-basement prices, you can either purchase a budget built AR15 or build your own and still have enough money left over for spare magazines and extra ammunition.
Now there’s a bargain if you’ve ever seen one.
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