Rising prices. Inflation. Threat of a recession. Everybody’s thinking about economizing and saving their pennies right now. And today @CalebSavant gives us some tips on how to save money on components for your next AR-15 build without compromising the quality of your finished rifle. Save money on the core components, and you can still afford the upgrades covered in our earlier video, “Caleb’s Picks: Top 5 Upgrades for Your AR-15”.
Upper / Lower Receiver Set: There are a lot of upgraded “designer” receivers out there. But standard forged “mil-spec” AR-15 uppers and lowers will work just as well – as long as you get them from a reputable manufacturer. “Mil-spec” means the receivers are built to specific dimensions from a specific grade of aluminum. Aero Precision offers excellent mil-spec receivers that have some upgrades, yet are still very affordable. Caleb gives us a warning about “billet” receivers.
Barrel: Most AR-15 shooters don’t need a fancy match-grade barrel. You can get a good-quality, long-lasting barrel for less than a pair of C-Notes ($200).
Receiver Extension (aka Buffer Tube): A basic mil-spec buffer tube will accept a wide variety of stocks, and as long as it’s TRUE mil-spec both in dimensions and quality of materials, it’ll outlast you. Cost of a good one: $30-$40 for the tube alone, $60 for the tube plus castle nut, buffer, and buffer spring.
Bolt-Carrier Group: Another area where you don’t have to over-spend. You can get a durable, reliable BCG with black Nitride-finished carrier and MPI (magnetic particle inspected to find hidden flaws) bolt for a very reasonable price. A fancy lightweight, Titanium Nitride finished competition bolt-carrier group will require an adjustable gas block and other extra expenses. Aero Precision, Bravo Company, Sons of Liberty Gun Works, and Brownells all offer well-made, pleasantly affordable BCGs.
Lower Parts Kit: Since you’re probably going to choose a specific aftermarket trigger, get an LPK with just the other small parts, minus the trigger. Why pay for something you’re not going to use? Backup Iron Sights: Not necessary on a range fun / plinking gun. Save some money here. Modern optics are very reliable.
NOTE: Products in this video are to be used only for lawful purposes, including hunting, self-defense, and competitive or recreational shooting. If you purchase any of them, you are responsible for understanding and complying with all federal, state, and local laws that apply to the purchase, possession, and use of these products.
Additional Videos
-Top 5 Upgrades for Your AR15-
-Forged vs. Billet-
-Milspec-
Chapters
0:00 Intro
0:40 Receiver Sets
3:15 Barrel
4:15 Receiver Extension
5:17 Bolt Carrier Group
7:20 Lower Parts Kit
8:13 Sights
8:50 Outro
Check the description for the links to other videos mentioned in this one. Also, don't let the basement dwellers in the Facebook groups sucker you into spending too much on your AR-15, they don't use theirs anyways because mom won't pay for their ammo.
😐………………..🤔
So basically just buy a cheap AR15??? Got it!!!👍
The gun snobs are all seething right now
If you are patient, and on a budget. You can shop sales, and still get really good parts (the ones you typically want) at affordable prices! (Someone else has an extra 15% off barrels, right now! Sorry Brownells…) But you can build a $2,000 rifle for about $750.00 by being an "informed consumer"! I never pay the MSRP for anything!
You just gotta shop those sales, and clip those coupons! Besides, with the 2022 Biden Inflation packages ,what else can we afford to do!?
was play Escape from Tarkov while watching this video and I feel attacked
Could have mentioned the muzzle device. The A2 flash hider works just fine and is cheap.
No need for that Gucci muzzle device costing over $100 that is designed to work with a specific silencer if you don’t own the silencer.
Brn-15 m4 upper is a great deal at under $40 I have it on my beater ar
Nice video
Lead star arms receiver sets from PSA are like a hidden gem. You can find them on sale especially if you don't care about the color or are going to paint them anyhow. Lock up is super tight and quality is amazing.
Really liking @CalebSavant hope he is doing your videos for a while to come
You can’t go wrong with getting Midwest Industries. And Bravo Company party. Very affordable and top notch!!
I am lucky enough to live about 5 miles from Midwest Industries. I have always been happy with any product I have bought from them. I usually buy a Bravo company lower parts kit from them if I am building a lower. Never gritty like a cheap parts kit. Worth the extra few bucks!!!
The cheapo way of doing things is to buy an assembled upper with bolt carrier group from a reputable source. The cheapest assembled uppers that I know of are BCA; the head spacing on some required me and others to buy a new bolt that would allow chambering and in some cases they were overgassed requiring tungsten buffer wts. So going too cheap is not good either with maybe PSA being a better choice. I hear that actually do quality control checks on their products. I finally broke down and purchased some head space gauges.
On the upper end what I purchased from Alexander Armsit sures works, but I paid three and half times more for it than a bear creek arsenal upper. But I got a 6.5g stainless fluted barrel and maybe paid more than I should of, but it works and I am good with it.
Anyone can assemble the lower. I have had good luck with LaRue after market triggers.
Which Hair Oil is the cheapest ? But still slicks up your hair ?
Aero has great products. I’ve had VERY good experiences with both their lowers and uppers. My local gun store sells a lot of them to PDs, SOs, SWAT, and others who rely on them day in and day out to keep them safe.
I built a couple of AR 15 pattern things that go bang, quite a while back. Prices on various parts were subject to price swings. I got incredible deals when prices were low. The idea I was going with, was that most of the stuff out there at the time was manufactured by the same place with different names. All was good. Still is seems like. Price is your choice in a lot of cases. Cheap, will work, cheap will work on and on. Expensive will still work. Just how you want to brag at the gun range.
What are your thoughts on plastic receivers Caleb?
I'm THAT guy. Got my Gucci geissele rig riding on a dressed up poverty pony lower. Same deal with my 16" recce rig. I've come to find that the etched poverty pony lowers are less likely to have the typical Anderson fuckery going on. That said, I'm not against buying good receivers at all. Really looking to do something based on the lmt mars lower.
“Then you have an extra trigger laying around, then you have to build a whole other AR15, because you have extra parts laying around.”😂 Words of wisdom!
I've been watching some videos from SOTAR and that's really helped me find what is good. It's helped me define what "good" is. I was shooting with a friend and his trigger pin kept falling out of the gun (out of spec trigger pin or receiver). Stuff like that where your gun is just dead is the absolute worst feeling. He had all the attachments and FDE grips on his $10 lower parts kit.
You can play a drinking game on how many times mr. Caleb says “with that being said”
Honestly my approach is the opposite but has the same effect. Buy the best thing you possibly can with every single part. You want a specific trigger? Save up and buy THAT trigger. Don’t get something that’ll “do for now” because you’re just going to buy the upgraded thing down the line and then instead of buying one trigger in this example, you bought two or maybe even more if you just kept making incremental upgrades. Just buy once and cry once, and enjoy the masterpiece of an AR you built! Not saying Caleb’s advice here is wrong, but I’m just giving you a different line of thought
On the back-up iron sights, you don't need them IF your optic has unpowered/etched reticles, but for some red dots and holographic/reflex sights its kind of best to have them in case your battery dies (because not everyone is perfect) and replacement is not possible for whatever reason (defensive situation comes to mind), you at least can use flip up/canted sights to still aim. Just my 2 cents