So, I'm looking at getting an AR-15. Nothing too crazy, just a solid basic rifle to learn on. In my inbox I got an email from PSA about their Memorial Day Weekend deals and these caught my eye.

Blemished PSA 16" Freedom Upper w/BCG and Charging Handle - $249

Blemished PSA Complete Lower- Magpul Edition - $149

Now, from what I've been reading all I'd need to do is buy those two and pin them together and I'd have a full rifle for $398 plus the cost of magazines? Or is there something I'm missing?

Optic, sight ?
Perhaps a sling if you know how to use it.

Yep... that will pretty much do it.


(The lower can't be mailed directly to you though... I figure you know that.)



ETA: your links are all jacked up.

Yup.  And you can post up in the BIY forum and get laughed @.  Not a bad deal @ all.

I just want to make sure I'm not missing some vital component. Because if I can get a full rifle for $400 that only needs to be pinned together (which I think even I can manage) then that leaves me a few hundred dollars to spend on extras and ammo.

Rear sight seems to be the only thing "missing" from it to not be a basic complete weapon.

Eh, I'm used to getting laughed at...

Awesome, Thanks. Sorry about the links.

When I get off work I think I'll finally pull the trigger. That'll leave me $300 for some sights, a sling, and some magazines.

Don't forget ammo!

Yes, it's just that easy

of course you realize you can't have that lower shipped to your door right?

It will have to go to an FFL dealer - He'll do your BG check, and then you can put your PSA blem together. 

Welcome OP, nice to see a new AR owner from Iowa join the site.

Like others have said, yes its that easy.

The upper can be sent to your home address.

The lower receiver( the actual serial numbered part) has to be shipped to a Federal firearms licence holder to complete your background check before you can take possession. I should mention that they usually charge a convenience fee to do this for you. $15-20.

Once approved put the upper on the lower and push your two takedown pins in and your good to go.

Of course you will need a rear back up site so you can aim and a couple magazines to shoot.

Everything else, sling, optic, etc is all personal preference.

Good time to buy, memorial day sales going on you can get mags and accessories dirt cheap.

Don't forget to check the lower out at your FFL before you accept it.  I had psa send me one blem lower where the magwell was not fully machined out and it would not accept a magazine.  Didn't catch it till a couple months later when I went put the rifle together.

They made it right, but it's a lot less trouble to take your time and inspect the lower before you take it home.

Not if the OP is sensible about it.

Brownells has a non blem for 375 after rebate 450 before, free shipping over 50.

http://www.avantlink.com/click.php?tt=cl&pw=55963&ctc=j35wbpfieh00zk8a00y51&mi=10077&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.brownells.com%2Ffirearms%2Frifles%2Fsemi-auto%2Fdpms-firearm-panther-5-56-oracle-a3-16-rifle-prod86955.aspx

Well he has to put his thingymabob into his butt somehow now doesn't he?  Or is it the middle into but.. Idk either way, that girl isn't all there.

That thread was full retarded.

Its soooo easy to build one I think!  I'm sooooo excited to finish mine!
This is wut I made so far.  Almost a complete bottom half


















facebook image upload

Christ!OP, your thread will soon be dead.

Check your seatbelt.

Yeah, though I would not consider anything from PSA to be of "solid" quality.

[Deleted]

Some of PSA's parts are okay but I don't trust their assembly quality.

PSA feeds the budget market.  They provide good quality and multiple options for low prices.  Since most AR shooters are hobbyists and not operators, I often recommend PSA as a supplier in order to encourage the sport/hobby/interest in ARs.  

I think their "pin together" projects are an excellent first buy option because the major manufacturers' entry level guns (S&W Sport, Ruger 556) are plain boring and buyers just end up wanting to upgrade the parts anyway.  A buddy of mine ordered a LW CHF Mid URG with 15" MLOK FF rail for $430 and received it in about a week.  He purchased it to replace his M4gery URG which was "outdated".

I don't own any PSA parts personally, although I have helped friends assemble PSA rifles. My main go to rifles are assembled with BCM uppers on Colt lowers.

Nice photoshop troll.

Im truly suprised  you havent been banned yet.

You are a stain on this site

Dual accounts.....it's coming.

This thread is going places. Not college, but places.

You have the the "no assembly required" concept correct, but not the "solid basic rifle" part.

I know it is alluring to buy a $400 AR, but I wouldn't do it.  I've had three complete PSA rifles and a total of five PSA lowers.  One of the lowers was sold to a coworker who has brought it back to me repeatedly for repairs.  I ultimately installed a Colt FCG because of the infamous "PSA Stuck Trigger Syndrome".  

My recommendation is: don't eat pizza or drink beer for a month and spend the difference between the PSA and a Colt 6920 ... on the Colt.

You'll never regret the decision to not buy a cheap AR that will depreciate when you could have bought a better AR that is INSANELY UNDERPRICED at the moment..and therefore could APPRECIATE in value.

I forgot to mention...

I bought all of my PSA uppers separate from the lowers and "pushed two pins".  I wanted cheap training guns.  Here's what I ordered, and here is what I found out:

(3) PSA 16" CHF uppers with Keymod Rails
(3) PSA Premium BCG (HPT / MPI)
(3) PSA Premium Charging Handles

(3) PSA Blem MagPul Edition Lowers
(2) PSA MagPul STR Lowers

Some observations:

A) There was ZERO difference between the "blem" and "non-blem" lowers except the serial number / selector markings / buttstocks.  All had "gritty" triggers", all ended up with replacement FCG (trigger / hammer / disconnector).  All had VERY difficult to push take down pins.
B) There was no way of telling if one of the BCG was actually HPT/MPI because it had ZERO markings on it.  The other two had markings.  
C) There was no way of telling if the CH was actually forged.

Some range reports:

A) I've owned a lot of AR15s over the past 33 years.  The FN CHF in the PSA "premium" uppers produced some of the worst groups of ANY AR I've owned..and I had some real turds back in my poor college days (that was before the 1994 ban). I tried a variety of ammo, and it didn't help.  I didn't expect the rifles to compare to my BCM, Colt and DD...but the difference was very pronounced.  One rifle was a 2MOA gun (3 shot groups) with quality ammo.  Same ammo in a rack grade BCM 16" MidLength produced 1MOA 5 shot groups.

B) The guns needed a lot of "break in".  They felt gritty from the factory.  They needed to "smooth out" or "shoot in" to run reliably.  This is something that has to be considered when buying a "bargain" AR.  How much will you spend on ammo to get it smoothed out?  After about 500rds they'd run.

C) PSA's LPK is of low quality.  You'll "feel" it at the range...if you've ever fired a "better" AR.  I'm referring to stuff like the trigger reset, trigger pull, etc.

OVERALL: PSA ARs feel like they're full of sand.  That's subjective, but again...I've had A LOT of ARs...

Net Results:

I sold two of the lowers without ever buying uppers. One went at a gun show, and the other to a co-worker.  He had so many issues with that lower I eventually installed (free of charge) a complete Colt FCG.  It worked after this.  Again, if you get one with a bad FCG you may be out more money if PSA won't send you a replacement (which may or may not work).

I sold two of the guns locally and the third online.

Conclusions:

People act like $300 is going to drive them into bankruptcy.  Think about your: mortgage or rent; car payment; insurance (health, life, auto, home, renters, whatever).  Think about what you spend on beer; fast food; coffee every month.  Suck it up, and buy a better gun.

END THREAD

The current legislative climate has far more effect on the price of ARs than their quality, name of maker, trigger, bbl, or parts.  The concept of underpricing is simply a recognition of the market @ the time by the seller.  If you buy cheap parts or a cheap AR now, it gets you into the game, and you may decide you want a fancier AR - or that you want to upgrade the one you have, and then the old parts become a beater gun or something you give away.  Or, you may decide you like cheap ARs, and start outfitting your personal militia - the kids, the wife, the BIL, your friends...

If you want a Colt, or a Daniel Defense, or a Noveske, by all means if you have the scratch.  But mechanically all of them work the same as a $350 budget special w/ some Chinese parts - and all the parts are interchangeable, so if you start w/ a $350 rifle, you can end up w/ a LaRue trigger, a Noveske bbl, a DD rail - and come the next scare, you can get out everything you put into it & more.  The folks who bought Colts, DDs, & Noveskes before the election as an investment expecting them to appreciate are crying in their beer @ the moment.

I respectfully disagree on performance.  Yes, the "design" is the same, but the likelihood of failure is higher on a budget gun without the QA/QC and materials / product testing involved in the higher priced options.

Sure.  But not everyone uses their AR as their HD gun or truck gun.  And all the high priced parts can be dropped in a cheap gun - and then you have a gun chock full of fancy parts just like the high end guns.  One fella paid through the nose up front - one fella paid through the nose over time.  YMMV.

Well, seeing as he can buy a $400 Ar and my AR costs well over that and I havent even finished it yet, He'll be laughing at them while firing his finished AR with all the bullets he can buy with the money he saved...