Reader Steve S. emailed last night to let us know that now virtually anyone can afford to buy an AR-15 platform rifle. Palmetto State Armory is offing their PSA Freedom carbine length upper and “classic” lower at noteworthy prices, both with tactical peanut butter furniture.
The specs are what you’d expect in an entry-level AR.
Barrel: 4150V Chrom Moly steel. Chambered in 5.56 NATO, with a 1/7 twist, M4 barrel extension, and a carbine-length gas system. This M4 profile barrel is finished off with a standard handguard in Flat Dark Earth, F-Marked gas sight base, and A2 flash hider.
Upper: Forged 7075-T6 A3 AR upper is machined to MIL-SPECS and hard coat anodized. These uppers are made for us right here in the USA by a mil-spec manufacturer.
Bolt: Full-auto profile bolt carrier group. Milspec Carpenter No. 158® steel bolt, Shot Peened, High pressure tested, Mag particle inspected, Gas Key Hardened to USGI Specifications, Fastened with Grade 8 screws, and Staked Per Mil-Spec. 8620 steel M-16 profile carrier is chrome lined and phosphate coated.
Machined from Aluminum Forgings 7075-T6
Hardcoat Anodizing: MIL-A-8625F, Type III, Class 2
Milspec diameter Receiver Extension
M4 Stock, FDE
Staked M4 Lock Nut
Standard Carbine Buffer
Un-notched Hammer compatible with 9mm use
Caliber: Multi
The news here is the prices. The complete upper is selling for $179.99. The lower for $99.99. (They appear to be out of stock at the moment. At those prices, you can see why.) That puts a very serviceable AR-15 rifle in your safe for south of $300 before shipping.
We’ve seen affordable AR and stripped lower prices before, of course. And we’ve seen what happens when concerted efforts to reinstate a federal assault weapons ban drive those prices into the stratosphere.
I was in Utah last week with a bunch of other gun writers and this very topic came up. The consensus was that anti-gunners aren’t taking any vacations. The current administration won’t be in office forever and, as always happens in the American political system, party control of the presidency will change, as will that of Congress.
Should you invest in a new rifle or a half-dozen stripped lowers? That’s your call. We just wanted to let you know that if you were thinking about it, there may never be a better time.