So I've never built a AR from scratch.  I've swapped out triggers, lowers, messed with other stuff, but never actually put all the parts together on a stripped lower.  I want to do that.  I would also like to have a quality rifle afterward, not necessarily a top of the line, but something that is reliable and fairly accurate.

Eyeing this kit.

http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.php/psa-16-mid-length-5-56-nato-1-8-stainless-steel-freedom-rifle-kit.html

A PSA Freedom with a SS barrel

I've bought stuff from PSA before, no issues, but I've never bought one of the Freedom Uppers or Rifles.   Any input?   Are these GTG for a learning build, and will it generally be a quality rifle?

Thanks

Yes they are gtg

I agree -GTG - I built this one...its good...no issues.

I have some premiums that have been great. Know nothing about freedom but wow are they cheap in price. How could one go wrong?

What the barrel lugs on a Freedom upper I had looked like after 210 rounds.

I have two Freedom uppers, one 8.5" and a 16" carbine both are nitride/melonited and they work just fine. You are going to get much better barrel life IMO with nitride over SS. Both of mine have issues with Tula at first but run Silver Bear and brass case no issues. The 8.5 runs Tula now that its broken in several hundred rounds now trouble free but the 16" I just took out to the range today for the first time and had some stuck cases with it so YMMV. Bring an 18" brass rod they tap right out.

I've got an m4 style freedom upper (phosphate coating on the barrel, not nitrided) that has over 500 rounds through it, 75% steel cased ammo. No issues at all

I just built one of these kits on a anderson lower but i got the MOE furniture.  Kit was $399 free shipping.  I have 300 plus rds of tula steel down the pipe with no failures of any kind.  I ran it through a carbine match in the rain this past weekend with no issues.

I went with this kit cause it had everything i always wanted in an ar being a a2 traditional kind of guy.  It has moe furniture, midlength gas and stainless barrel.  And, i'm only $450 into the rifle.