Any suggestions on budget thermals worth buying?

I'll leave that to others to answer.  As I play with Uncles.

If I were a minimalist and pragmatic about guns, I would still want a minimum of two ARs and two pistols with ammo, parts and magazine commonality. Things tend to break when you need them the most.

I'm trying to reduce the number of AR's I have.   However, I don't think to many of the parts or uppers or builds are wastes.  As others have said, they were also learning experiences.  I now have a bunch of stuff laying around that I don't shoot, and really don't want, but I don't think of it as a waste.  Building uppers and lowers from the ground up helped me to understand how and AR works, what weak parts there are, and what typically goes wrong.   Trying multiple configurations has helped me understand what I want and don't want based on how I will use it.

When it is all said and done, my AR "needs":
7.75" SIG RSAR 300blk (whenever it is finally available to the public).  
Dedicated .22LR upper (shortie).
Note: Both of those can shoot supers and subs, and do not require a buffer tube, and can be pistols.


Maybe not quite a need, but strong consideration.
10.5"-11.3" 300blk - SHTF/Hunting set-up that would use a normal lower with a buffer tube.
16" 5.56 upper (Mostly just to have a 5.56, not really a need.  Could share standard lower)
18"-20" 6.5G - I don't shoot long distance, but if I did, I would probably go with 6.5 Grendel to stay within the small frame family.  AAC ammo being available also has a lot to do with this.

Nope. I own only one--a Windham 20" govt model I bought two years ago. After 40+ years of trigger time behind the M1 rifle, I decided it was time to upgrade and give myself a fighting chance in the xtc matches.
My AR is not my shtf rifle, it is my match rifle. In fact, I just had a NM service rifle float tube and handguards put on it today.

Jon

First off, skip the 7.5” 5.56 unless it’s for fun to make noise and big fireballs.

Having duplicate general purpose rifles is important.

Focus on quality over quantity in rifles and optics.

If you can’t fight at night, you lose. A good helmet mounted binocular night vision setup and quality on-gun IR laser/illumination is critical. Only after you’re set with bnvd and laser should you start looking for thermal. I’d focus on meeting those needs before buying lots of rifles.

This.

Also, if things really ever do get "sporty" I think I'd want at least one spare. Especially with decent quality ARs being relatively cheap.

To me the latest IPhone version whatever is a waste of money. Everyone has different priorities.

Are you going to form 1 the 7.75"?

I keep going back & forth on building another 7.5" AR, but with no brace available I keep leaning toward don't bother because it won't be fun to shoot

So what are the thermal & IR laser options that don't cost a fortune do you run?

That's stuff that will likely just collect dust for most of us...

One is none

It's literally Salad Days: part Deux.  For what a quality AR costs right now, there's no reason not have at least have 2 or 3.  

They're tools, so it makes sense to have a couple of the same tool but in a different flavor; just like I have different hammers (claw, sledge, Ball-peen, etc)

I figure you need at least 4.

Nightstand AR (Full kit)
Coffee table/living room AR (Low profile/lightweight)
Work AR (Smol)
Spare AR

Some would argue you need a car/truck AR but I don't leave guns in vehicles.

I would build another if in your situation.

You must have a HUGE nightstand if a AR-15 fits LOL

Broke in the new AR today. Went well. Just wish I could slap a light weight 1-6x24 scope on it without spending dumb $ for a range toy. Just a want, clearly not anything that I'm upset about. I have a PA 1-6x24 SFP scope on it.

I used to buy lowers to have an extra or two on hand.   And a lower is no good unless it's built out...and then once it was built out, and if I saw a good deal on an upper...it became a new gun.   I've done that about 14 times now.  And every now and then the same thing would happen to an upper...or even a scope!   I used to shoot ALL my guns fairly regularly, and I still have a few that get shot more often than others.  I finally decided to label myself as a "gun collector", at which point it then became ok to have as many as I want and not feel bad.

Currently building a HEAT clone in 22lr.   And yes, I already have a 5.56 HEAT clone, as well as numerous .22's.

It's ok to have as many as you want.    

No, I'm in Illinois.  Fun stuff is not allowed here.  

I just ordered a lower to turn some of my spare parts into a spare parts gun. Some people think one AR is enough. I have one AR in every vehicle in my household and half a safe full.

Well said. It’s ok to want 30 different ar’s. And you should be able to have all you want and can afford to build or buy. Reality what is ideal for a good load out and what’s truly needed is much much much less.

Lightweight pencil barrel rifles are much fun to shoot.  I highly recommend.  

Shorter barrels are lighter too.

Fixed and agree with points 1 & 3. Point #2... meh, maybe if you are really going to use it? Not so much if its built just because.

But its your money. Spend it how ever you choose.

Oops, I put my AR-9 rifle together today lol

I have no interest in a 7.5" barrel, the only reason I purchased a DD MK18 was for clone reasons. I think 10.3" is too short.

A 14.5" or 16" is perfect for home defense. Mid gassed is the way to go. 11.5", 12.5" or 13.9" are all better than 10.3" or anything shorter. Some muzzle devices can be pinned and welded to achieve 16" overall length.

My old 7.5" AR pistol was a blast to shoot. Not doing another. Only because I don't have a can to run on it. If I did, I'd probably build another LOL

The term dabble in night vision does not exist.......... It is 10x more $$$ than dabbling in the AR game.  LoL

Just buy an extra BCG to have and they always grow into a rifle.

I just decided to build another rifle because I saw a sale on a rail I couldn’t pass up.

$175 turns into $2000 in the blink of an eye.

I have two lowers and like five uppers right now I think and honestly I just want to own one AR at this point. I'm going to keep one for my son to have and that's just going to be a 16 inch mid length with a carry handle but I just want one for myself and I'm thinking I might just keep my MRP even though it's a little bit heavy. I don't think it's a problem just having one depending on how you look at it. I'm more of a utilitarian person whereas I know people that just love to collect and I totally get it and more power to them that's just not who I am

Geissele blem sale got you too eh?

13.5" MK16 DDC?

That would be the one.

Yes, having spare parts on hand is always tempting to transform it into a new rifle. I had the same issue before and ultimately built out 30+ of them and decided to get rid of them and slimmed down to a single rifle. I thus far managed to have spare parts in hand without transforming them to a new rifle. I even have a spare lower, and pretty much everything I need to build out a rifle. I'm pretty proud of myself for going on nearly a year now without having diving into the temptation of going back to my old ways.

I think it is better to learn a platform and keep everything consistently as possible. The one thing that helped me greatly was the older A2 carry handle system. I had it for about 2 years and found that I turned into a better shooter. I can now do a pretty good group.

The big thing I learned is that being a collector of things is fun. It's very fun actually. However, at some point in time, you're going to pass this life and you will take nothing with you. I experienced a passing of my own in my family and as well as seen families having to take care of their items left behind by their loved ones. It's heart breaking to me that some people collect very valuable things and you can see they treasured it greatly with how well they taken care of it only for it to go into the hands of someone who would enjoy and use it much more than they ever did. Finding that old gun in the back of the safe might be something your family will look into while others would just haul it to the police department for it to get destroyed or "lost." I feel some of the most treasured items are the ones you used the most and something your family seen you use the most. I rather have something left behind that the family could pick up and say, "Remember when he changed the barrel out for this for the 3rd time!? And look he bought a spare lower always talking about how just in case if that one ever broke and it never did." They would have a lot more memory of your collection plus they would know the value of it, if not just purely sentimental value.

THe PSA kit I bought ran fine, but that turned into replace the Magpul HG with a Troy Alpha rail & low profile gas block & Faxon gunner barrel.

I now have 2 complete lowers collecting dust after selling the upper. They will eventually turn into something else complete lol

This is a slightly older pic but I'm working on two of each type I defined as full capability guns, mountain guns and my retro fun ones. Basically a long and short of each type. Plus 2 for the wife

Form 1 is a waste. Just give fpc and goa $35 a piece and be protected. 7.5 is silly.

There are... other ways too

If you can afford it, and do not NEED anything else,  buy 2 more.

Consider it an investment.