Best low cost pistol AR stripped lower currently?

[Tobashadow]

I'm looking for my first pistol lower to build on the cheap over time as overtime comes in. This will be my third AR but my first Pistol AR.

Any thoughts?

[Omega]

You can get any lower if its stripped and build it into a pistol. But PSA has full pistol lowers for $150 on a regular basis: http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.php/ar-15-05/lowers/psa-ar-15-complete-classic-pistol-lower-no-magazine-black.html. They also have blems for around $50, hard to find the actual blem most times they look great: http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.php/catalog/product/view/id/10445/.

[TMF]

I order a few stripped lowers every time PSA runs a deal. I bought 3 a while back for $49 each. I'd just standby for the next sale, sign up for email notifications and buy one when they populate. They should be due another sale soon. You can build your pistol on that and walk away with a pretty cheap gun.


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[rugerla1]

My old boss and I are running out to Everything Weapons Sunday to check out the Anderson stripped lowers they have for $50. If they look good, hard to beat that with no transfer fee added. If not, then I will get another Spikes. It will be my friends first AR, he is excited as I was the first time I put a lower together.

[TMF]

My old boss and I are running out to Everything Weapons Sunday to check out the Anderson stripped lowers they have for $50. If they look good, hard to beat that with no transfer fee added. If not, then I will get another Spikes. It will be my friends first AR, he is excited as I was the first time I put a lower together.

That's a good deal unless those are plastic lowers. The reason I buy multiples at a time is to reduce the sting of transfer fees. At 3 x lowers with one transfer fee of $20 + 5 shipping comes out at a pretty decent price per lower, especially when you aren't paying sales tax on it. If I could get a better deal at a LGS on lowers I'd take it. Last time I bought a stripped Spikes at a LGS it was $110 + sales tax. This is before the Great Craze a couple years ago.


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[rugerla1]

That's a good deal unless those are plastic lowers. The reason I buy multiples at a time is to reduce the sting of transfer fees. At 3 x lowers with one transfer fee of $20 + 5 shipping comes out at a pretty decent price per lower, especially when you aren't paying sales tax on it. If I could get a better deal at a LGS on lowers I'd take it. Last time I bought a stripped Spikes at a LGS it was $110 + sales tax. This is before the Great Craze a couple years ago.
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That is what I was wondering so I called and they are not polymer, so definitely worth it. But that's why I said we were gonna check them out, and if they are polymer after the phone call and the drive, I won't buy anything there. Outpost has Spikes for $90, and I will just get one of them.

[TNMTBik3r]

I have an Anderson lower, no issues with it. Seems to be on par with my PSA lowers. $50 out the door is a good deal.

I also bought 3 PSA lowers when they were on sale for $49.99 weeks ago. I still have one sitting here I plan to build into a 6.8 rifle. Edited September 18, 2014 by jonathon1289

[Rightwinger]

Anderson and PSA seem to be of the same quality.  I have one of each currently in the stable.

[TMF]

Anderson and PSA seem to be of the same quality.  I have one of each currently in the stable.

 

Good to know.  I'm not disappointed with my PSA lowers, although I keep building rifles on them for other people because I'm such a nice guy.  I've only got two virgin lowers left.  Guess I might have to snag up a few of these Anderson ones I keep seeing everywhere.

[JimmyMac483]

I just picked up the Anderson from EW. It was actually $59.99 + tax & TICS. It came to right at $75 OTD. Not as good of a deal as I had hoped, but not bad with you consider not transfer hassle and I got a free range coupon with the purchase. The quality & finish seem to be really good for the price.

[Garufa]

I just picked up the Anderson from EW. It was actually $59.99 + tax & TICS. It came to right at $75 OTD. Not as good of a deal as I had hoped, but not bad with you consider not transfer hassle and I got a free range coupon with the purchase. The quality & finish seem to be really good for the price.

 

That's actually cheaper than buying a $49.99 blem from PSA once you add on shipping and transfer fee.

[JimmyMac483]

That's actually cheaper than buying a $49.99 blem from PSA once you add on shipping and transfer fee.

Very true. I had my heart set on $50 but I wasn't going to walk away over $10. A 5 minute drive also beats waiting a week on shipping :-D

[Rightwinger]

Is it just me or is the side of those Anderson's really "busy" with the horse and writing on it?  With the really big engraving, that would be my only complaint. 

[JimmyMac483]

Is it just me or is the side of those Anderson's really "busy" with the horse and writing on it? With the really big engraving, that would be my only complaint.

I feel the same way. The horse logo itself isn't bad. I just wish that they would have toned down the text.

[rugerla1]

Very true. I had my heart set on $50 but I wasn't going to walk away over $10. A 5 minute drive also beats waiting a week on shipping :-D

Well, I would expect the person who I spoke with to correct me when I said I was checking about the Anderson lowers they are selling for $50. I know the real price now so I will probably still get one since it's a deal, but if I hadn't seen this post, honestly it would have pissed me off come Sunday and I would have walked just because of the phone call. Anyway, blah blah, rant off. So your happy with the quality I take it?

[JimmyMac483]

Well, I would expect the person who I spoke with to correct me when I said I was checking about the Anderson lowers they are selling for $50. I know the real price now so I will probably still get one since it's a deal, but if I hadn't seen this post, honestly it would have pissed me off come Sunday and I would have walked just because of the phone call. Anyway, blah blah, rant off. So your happy with the quality I take it?

Absolutely. For the price, I am very happy with it.

[rugerla1]

Absolutely. For the price, I am very happy with it.

Thanks JM!

[wileecoyote]

If they are blem lowers then EW is probably paying $30 each and selling them at 100% markup. PSA frequently sells blem Andersens for $39 to consumers, so the dealer cost in bulk must be around $30.

Even if they were not blems, you can still get them direct from PSA for $49.95 and free shipping or very low shipping, thus the actual out the door cost on a transfer is typically $65 or so, even after shipping and TICS.

Thus I don't see $76 out the door as any kind of a deal. And even if it was a great deal, I wouldn't ever shop at EW after their 22lr price gouging fiascos.

[Garufa]

If they are blem lowers then EW is probably paying $30 each and selling them at 100% markup. PSA frequently sells blem Andersens for $39 to consumers, so the dealer cost in bulk must be around $30.

Even if they were not blems, you can still get them direct from PSA for $49.95 and free shipping or very low shipping, thus the actual out the door cost on a transfer is typically $65 or so, even after shipping and TICS.

Thus I don't see $76 out the door as any kind of a deal. And even if it was a great deal, I wouldn't ever shop at EW after their 22lr price gouging fiascos.

 

I have been buying from and checking PSA's website daily for a couple of years now and have never seen a $39 lower from them of any kind.

 

Regrdless, of brand, etc., let's say you find a $50 lower online.  PSA used to charge $7 for shipping on that...a year or two ago.  Add $30 for transfer & TICs (Knoxville area price).  That's $87.00

Edited September 20, 2014 by Garufa

[JimmyMac483]

If they are blem lowers then EW is probably paying $30 each and selling them at 100% markup. PSA frequently sells blem Andersens for $39 to consumers, so the dealer cost in bulk must be around $30.

Even if they were not blems, you can still get them direct from PSA for $49.95 and free shipping or very low shipping, thus the actual out the door cost on a transfer is typically $65 or so, even after shipping and TICS.

Thus I don't see $76 out the door as any kind of a deal. And even if it was a great deal, I wouldn't ever shop at EW after their 22lr price gouging fiascos.

If the one I got is a blem, I can't find it. With the $50 PSA blems, if they have free shipping, it would still be $20 for the transfer and $10 for TICS. I also didn't have to wait a month for PSA to get it to me.

[wileecoyote]

I am in middle TN and have easily found 4 different dealers which only charge $15 for a transfer, and 2 of these gave me a pretty nice discount when receiving more than one on a single transfer. All it takes is a few calls or visits to make friends, an occasional favor or referral to them, and then they treat you right. Sometimes I have even had my transfers done for free, but the average for me over the past 15 years has been around $8-$10 per gun for transfer. And this was without any real effort, so I'm sure others can obtain similar pricing if they shop around.

I have purchased many, many lowers from PSA, Surplus Arms & Ammo, Aim Surplus, and numerous others. I have often purchased new unblemished lowers for $49.95, and blemished lowers at least twice for $39.95 (once from PSA and once elsewhere). Some of my most recent PSA orders (few months ago) were for 5 packs with free shipping, and even when paying shipping it is not much per unit when you buy several. I've averaged about $4-$5 shipping per lower.

So the high end for me is $50 lower, $5 shipping, $10 transfer, and no more than $3 TICS since I never order just one gun on a transfer. Never any TN sales tax. That's only $68, and it can be less for blem pricing, multi-packs, free shipping, etc.

Of course I'm not ordering just one lower, and I do my homework to get a friendly dealer, and I don't wait until I need one to make my purchase, I just buy a few when I see a great deal, but it hasn't been hard.

Not saying the EW deal is horrible. If you want to buy just one at a local dealer and you wait until you need it, then of course you will pay more. Just saying the reality for me is $55-$65 out the door, and I have many receipts to prove it, so the EW deal is nothing special to me.

And once again, I'd never buy from them due to their 22lr price gouging, but to each his own.

[TMF]

If the one I got is a blem, I can't find it. With the $50 PSA blems, if they have free shipping, it would still be $20 for the transfer and $10 for TICS. I also didn't have to wait a month for PSA to get it to me.

This is why when I buy these lowers I do several at a time, as it reduces the cost of transfer. Every place I've been charges one transfer fee regardless of quantity.


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[jcluff]

Might I recommend another option. Look at TN Arms Co. Awesome bunch of fellow TN gunners that make the absolute best Hybrid lowers. They have torture tested the crap out of them and these things hold up. They are hybrid nylon 6-6 lowers with molded in brass inserts for buffer tube and pistol grip screw threads.

You can get them for as little as $35 on sale and they even offer a completely clear lower. I have been following them for some time and they have handled all of the "if it isn't 7075 aluminum" criticisms well and have won over a lot of people.

They offer life time warranties and have worked with magpul to match their colors. Also, custom engravings for little cost.

http://www.tnarmsco.com/sale/
S Main Ave
Dyersburg‎ TN‎ 38024
United States
(731) 334-5106

Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with this company. I am not receiving any compensation in any way. I just like them and their product.

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[wileecoyote]

Might I recommend another option. Look at TN Arms Co. Awesome bunch of fellow TN gunners that make the absolute best Hybrid lowers. They have torture tested the crap out of them and these things hold up. They are hybrid nylon 6-6 lowers with molded in brass inserts for buffer tube and pistol grip screw threads.

You can get them for as little as $35...

I don't see why anyone would go to a plastic lower just to save $5-$15 off the cost of buying a T6 aluminum alloy mil-spec lower. The military and industry has tested the snot out of T6 lowers and they are battle proven, so why take a chance for such a small savings? Even if they were only $10 I wouldn't want one, it's just silly when you look at the cost of the rest of the parts, and the importance of reliability / safety.

[Tobashadow]

It sucks not having a decent gun shop near by, I made a few calls and found a Adams for $79 but they would only trasfer it as a rifle so screw them.