AR Prices - what gives?

I received an email today advertising an 'off brand' AR-15 for just over $500. Has the market absolutely tanked on these? Is the hype over? I thought buying a few in anticipation of at least 4 more blue years in DC might be a good thing, but now I am wondering if it is. Penny for your thoughts and comments.

Yes, the market is pretty far down. I wouldn't buy any right now that you don't have a use for or can't afford to have sit in the safe.

Market has been down for quite a while.

AR15s for close too$500 from name brands like DPMS/Bushmaster
308 caliber ones for $750

No reason to wait if you want one at these prices. If you wait too long prices will only go back up.

Supply caught up with demand as demand was diminishing.
I would say buy as many as you can and hold onto them. 30 round magazines too. I'm sitting on about 700 AR mags right now that I have bought over the last 3 years.

Dpms Oracle costs $500 at buds. If you have the money, it wouldn't be bad to buy one.

Now, where's my penny??

I look at it as an investment, if you have some disposable income, get some. Some day your kids and their kids may not be able to get em.

Great time to buy. If that socialist b!tch gets elected the prices will go up again very quickly.

a democrat in office is always good for gun shops and manufacturers


My advice to OP is buy now

I have been wanting one in .308. Are they decent quality?

The dpms? Yeah they are decent. I wouldn't take it to war with me but if I had the money sitting around and was wanting one anyhow, I would pick one up.

quality is good

finish not the greatest but who cares, it's an AR , you are meant to beat it up

Buy one now. They wont get any cheaper.

So where can I find one?

Five years ago, AKs were still a cheaper alternative to an AR. The gun and the ammo was about half the cost of an AR. Now the cost is close to the same. I'm surprised AKs are still selling at the current prices.

We were talking about that today setting up at the Lewisville show.The prices on ARs are about the same as the early 80s when I bought my first one. I get emails every week from various warehouses pushing "deals" on instock ARs. I think the manufacturers were building as many possible, and now demand is down. Yes I have several in stock and several "personnel" ARs.

buy 'em cheap, stack 'em deep

There are two good times to buy ammo, right now and 5 years ago. Guns are pretty much the same way. Everyone only seems to buy when the prices go crazy. Ummm, I've been telling you for 10 years to buy X and NOW, NOW you think ti's a good time to buy because it's doubled?

Buy it when it's cheap!!!!!!!!!!!!

Kinda brings the "chicken or the egg" question to mind, doesn't it?

This is what my 7 safes looks like for when the time comes to be a billionaire

About two years ago, I was in a Walmart that didn't have anything but ARs in their gun case. No shotguns, no bolt action rifles, not even any cheap .22s, just AR-15s. Everyone overstocked them when the supply caught up to the temporarily high demand.

I wish the same thing would happen to .22LR ammo.

Not sure if sim guns will go up in value.

I bought a Del Ton Sport for my wife a couple weeks ago. It was under $500 shipped to my FFL, and I can't find a thing wrong with it.

I think they build them cheap and sell cheap bc they know everyone will catch the bug and start upgrading and changing parts out until they get it the way they want which feeds the need for custom and high end parts and blah blah blah. Everyone makes money except the guy buying haha but then he makes money when another gun scare happens.

If you just upgrade the trigger a 500 dollar AR is at or close to a 700 dollar AR. Add in a better stock, free float hand guard, back up iron sights and you over a grand. Prob why everyone wants a grand for their custom built AR haha.

You could do that but it's still just a piece of crap $500 gun.

How come? Lower quality barrel?

People have different views of what is crap, because they expect different things.
For me, my AR-15's are utility guns.

I'm very happy with my original M&P 15 Sport's with the 1:8 5R Melonite lined barrels. For $550 to $600 each, they do what I want them to and never skip a beat.

They obviously don't meet the needs of someone buying a custom rig, but they go bang every time - and they can out shoot me as far as accuracy.

Marc

They are called commodity guns in the industry. The barrel is just one cheaper aspect.
Due to the huge amount of companies that started making parts during the rush of 2013 there is a big overstock of these parts available. Basically the cheap guns are built from parts coming from the cheapest builder of the part. Unlike mainline or top end guns these may use several makers for a single part. Also on higher end guns the barrels are chrome lined while the cheap guns use plain chrome moly barrels.
Also these guns may have parts missing that are on top end guns. Dust covers, extra mags.
Usually they are good enough guns for the guy that wants a reliable AR. If you want a super accurate one with a good trigger you will gave to upgrade.

so. . . .a barrel that's not plated
or otherwise untreated, just rifled,
isn't as good as one that is ?

Methinks Huntwest is just a little miffed that he paid $2600 for a LaRue or Noveske to find out it's not quite worth every dollar.

Sure, they're high quality and all, but he's definitely exaggerating how poor $500 ARs are. They substitute things like melonited barrels for chrome-lined, use standard delta-ring handguards instead of FF rails, barrels are made from lower-quality steels, etc. But none of these will matter for the average shooter. 99% of people will never shoot out a chrome-lined barrel OR a melonited one. Probably 80% of shooters aren't going to be doing the kind of shooting where a FF handguard will actually adversely affect their accuracy. A good majority will never notice the difference between an MPI bolt and just a regular old carpenter steel bolt.

Fact is, a $500 AR is probably still going to be a fantastic gun. I ran my cheapo PSA 11.5" melonited barrel in a carbine match today and got 5th out of 39 shooters! For my purposes, having a gun that will reduce my groups by .5" at 100 yards is far less important than the fact that my gun sways far more than that while I'm moving or even just staying still after running.

Besides, where else are you going to find something that will dispense 30 rounds of "[censored] you" in a short period of time reliably with reasonable accuracy for $500? Nowhere. Spending $2100 more on an AR doesn't really make it any better at that.

He didn't knock $500 AR's.. Just explained why they're not $1500 AR's & even finished with this:

N

I'm not miffed and did not not say they are not good guns. I simply explained the lower priced ARs and why they are lower priced. I do not have any of the guns you speak if either I don't have an AR 15 that costs over 1000.00.
How about the fact that I actually work for an AR company and have worked for several in the past 20 years? Dang I was at a major AR manufacturers plant 2 weeks ago. The one I work for.
It is simple really, an over Abundance of parts causes lower prices. Some of the cheap guns are great guns. But None of them have good triggers, none of them have chrome lined barrels, none of them use high quality name brand furniture. There is nothing wrong with a chrome moly barrel, most blued bolt actions use one. They simply cost a lot less to build. I did not state anywhere in my post that these guns were not dependable.
I sell a ton of the lower cost ARs every year and never have a problem.

Yes it does to me. You could offer me five of yours for my one Wilson Combat and I would laugh at your offer. Let me know where the next shoot is and I'll bet you a case of beer you don't out shoot me with that $500 AR. You will drop out of contention once we get out to 400 yards and you will be crying in your beer when I'm hitting steel at 800 and you are still trying for the 400 yard target. Spending 2100 more definitely makes mine better than yours to me.

AR-snobs are like caliber snobs only different

ARs are no different than vehicles. They all get you from point A to point B. But theres a big difference in riding in a Dodge vs a Ferrari. People generally support what they own, whether its a $500 frankenAR or a $2500 Larue or Noveske.

Spending the extra money probably does make it better, but not always to a level that is commensurate with its price. My point was that for the average person, a $500 AR will do just about everything they want it to. They aren't substandard, they're perfectly adequate for most shooters. And until you start trying to push the AR platform into what it probably isn't ideal for, the cheap AR will do just fine against its more expensive cohorts.

A $2000+ WC AR used for long range kind of strikes me as putting lipstick on a square peg in a round hole. Without even dropping optics on there, you've already spent so much to do what a bolt gun could do at half the price. I'm not going to argue that ARs are inherently inaccurate, because high-end manufacturers have proven that it can be taken to very competitive extremes, but the amount of money that you have to spend to get it there is unacceptable to me.

And just to keep the game going, I've gone out to 500 yards with my little SBR. Not 800 since we don't have that sort of range out here, but 500 was easy enough. And although I'm not .mil, anyone that had to qualify with the AR would laugh at you implying 400 is impossible. Don't they have to shoot out to 600 just to qualify?

...well played.

So you shoot a $500 SBR? I've never ran across a mil spec SBR for that price.

Never said impossible, but how many tries to hit with a $500 AR? What size target, doubt it would be a 12 inch or smaller. Long range bolt guns are generally much heavier than my Wilson Combat. We can go much lower in price range and I'll still have a rifle that I enjoy shooting more for the extra money it cost me. An example:

My 6.8 upper(Wilson) I use on my Adams Arms lower. I could of bought a mil spec for less than half the price.
I shot that upper out to 700. That is worth the extra money to me for the extra amount of fun it gives me.

Haha I was several beers deep when I posted that. I had forgotten I even posted it until I was skimming through and saw my signature. yea sim guns will most definitely not get me there.

$200 for the upper, $80 for the BCG, $180 for the lower, and $60 for the red dot. $520 altogether. I threw a new trigger in there because I'm a bit of a sucker for a good one, but I wasn't really limited by the old GI trigger. Counting the trigger, I'm at around $700 total. At that range with the red dot, I was hitting maybe 50% of my shots. 300 yards and in, I'm pretty dang close to 100% on 12" mini silhouettes.

I'm not going to pretend that it's an ideal setup for shooting out that far, but most people try it once, say that cheap ARs can't do it, and instead spend way more money than is actually necessary.

And sure, extreme long range bolt guns are usually pretty heavy, but with a barrel swap on a stock Remington 700 or Savage 10, you've got a gun that will ring steel at long distances all day at 1/2 the cost of an equally accurate AR. Military Arms Channel on Youtube did a great series called "1000 yards for $1000" that really drives home the capability differences between bolt guns and ARs.

AR ownership is subjective! Buy or Build what you can afford. In the end you will learn what does and does not work for you!

As with anything else, there is a point of diminishing returns. It seems to be closer to the $1000 mark on the AR platform in 5.56. Some "upgrades" are very much worth the cost, some are purely aesthetic, and some I just don't understand.

A quality fire control group is a good upgrade to any firearm, and the AR platform is no different. The same can be said for a free-floating hand guard.

Barrels, at least for me, can be a tricky subject. I have two identical builds except barrels. One has a stainless barrel, 1-8, Wylde chamber; the other has a CHF, chrome-lined, 1-7, 5.56 chamber. The CHF barrel was a bit more expensive; but the SS Wylde is generally more accurate with 62gr and 68gr ammo.

One thing I didn't care for was milled billett upper and lower receivers. I had a couple of matched sets from S.W.A.T. and never found a benefit over quality forged receivers from Spikes, Anderson, or PSA.

A few benefits of billet lowers that Ive used:

1) No need to install trigger guard
2) Bolt catch install is a breeze and can be uninstalled just as easily
3) Rear takedown spring/detent is a breeze

I was expecting you to tell me you spent more on a trigger at least if you were being honest shooting in any kind of competition.

Looking at the pic I would say you did a great job of keeping the cost down. Myself, at my age I no longer have the eyesight to see any 12" or smaller target at 300+ yards through a cheap red dot. Lol.

I have a good friend that is active military on this forum that builds his guns that will tell you after shooting my Wilson 308 he would love to have one and can tell the difference in quality. I don't think there is as much difference in 556 because of the limitations of the caliber.

Good luck on your next shoot. Enjoyed the discussion.

Enjoyed it too. As much as I advocate for people buying guns truly suited for different purposes, I'm 99% sure that when I have the money I'll jump on an expensive AR and use it for everything.

Have fun with that WC!

There was a commercial on the radio advertising $499 AR's as long as they lasted. You would also get free CHL course and free range time as long as you bought ammo there too. This was a place in Alvarado.

I'd drive to Alvarado for that deal.

My thoughts on the whole topic (not that it matters, nor do I own an AR): Some people want one to burn through lead as fast as possible, some want them to hit a 12" steel target at 1000 yards. Either way, there's plenty poison from which to pick, and I'm just happy we're all shooting.

That said, I will own one but I can guarantee it won't cost more than $700 and that's just bc I can't afford it. If it can kill more than one pig (zombie, etc) at a time I'll be happy.

Your not getting much for $500 bucks, I think you get what you pay for with ar-15s. Yes the market prices are down for a lot of low end rifles, the high end still hold there values.

Nope... not much at all...

AC-15 5.56 Mid length

Crappy hand guard, crappy front sight, crappy buttstock and pistol grip. Id rather have a stock Ruger 10/22

All that "crappy" equipment served me just fine when I was in the service. Same "crappy" sights, stock, and type of handguards that come on the Colt LE6920. Easy to change furniture if it is something you don't want.

I e been using that crap for the last 11 yrs in the Army and I'd take my AR over it all day long.

Sure, just like you would take a tricked out Ruger 10/22 over a base model. Or a King Ranch F150 over a base model with manual windows and locks... But if you want a basic carbine with out the bells and whistles, the $500 - $600 guns are viable options.

Kinda like 1911's- there are Rock Islands, Springfields, Les Baers, and Ed Browns, and you can probably find something in that spectrum that fits your needs. I don't have a reason to shoot past 300 yds, and my $750 AR does that just fine. My wife wanted something to plink with and have for coyotes and skunks, and her $475 Del Ton will do that til the end of time. In the age of the internet, I am a paid subscriber to the efficient market theory.

Someone mentioned diminishing returns when you go up in price for an AR. No doubt a $1500.00 AR is better than a $700.00 AR. But is it $800.00 better.

I once had good timing in that I bought AR's for my son and I in early November 2012, right before Sandy Hook. The only mods I've done are installing Timney 3 lb triggers. His is a Stag Model 1 and mine is a DPMS A3 Classic. Paid right under $800.00 apiece for them. Mine shoots right under MOA with Winchester 64 grain PP's and his does the same with 65 grain Sierra GK's. The difference maker to me is the optics. Mine has a VX-R 2-7x33 and a Razor Red Dot, and we recently upgraded his to a VX-3 1.75-6x32 and a Razor Red Dot.

Neither of our AR's has a chrome lined barrel and I can't conceive of ever shooting the barrel out on mine. It has maybe two hundred rounds through it. If I shot as much as some of you guys it would be a different story.

Different strokes for different folks. I have a finite amount of money to spend and try to divide it around 60/40 between the firearm and optic.

I think the distance you shoot comes in to play when deciding how much to spend on an AR. If I were shooting long distance I'd definitely spend more on an AR. But 300 yards is a very long shot for me.

I've seen a lot of deals on good name ARs on gunbroker in the last three months. Bought a hardly used Rock River sweet 16" predator pursuit that wasn't shot much, plus accessories, all for $710. A nice Rock River National Match 20" stainless sold soon thereafter for $730.

I picked up a PTAC upper from Palmetto for $189. Threw it on a cheap Anderson lower and finishing the rifle with stuff from the parts bin. All in I think Im about $400 into this thing. Its a complete turd but thats I was looking for cheapest build possible on this one.