I’m interested in getting my first AR and have my heart on the M&P 15T. The kicker is I don’t want to pay $2,400 for a gun that has a MSRP of $1,159. The other pickle I’m in is that I told the wife I would use all my Cabela’s gift cards and points on the gun which would add up to roughly $500. I basically gave myself the calendar year to get my AR so I can wait a while, but I’m nervous I won’t be able to get one until some sort of ban hits MN.
If nothing else, can someone please shed some light on what is to be expected with the crazy pricing and demand? Will pricing come down with minor changes or bans on certain features or do I have to panic and go get one ASAP? I know nobody can predict future but what are you hearing and what do you think?
I think complete carbines are too much right now, and mags and ammo will be hard to find and expensive too.
I am not sure about the coming ban though.
If you want one, and you search you may be able to find a decent carbine for an alright price. Sorry that is all I can say, I am in the same situation except for my second AR.
I can’t see into the future, but my hope is that by years end the market will normalize. I would wait…but I also have AR’s. If I didn’t own any, I might jump on one now.
It’s a ‘you pays your money and you takes your chance’ kinda thing. It may be that the worst of the ban simply won’t happen, or it may be that dear old B. Hussein may strongarm up some votes. Right now I’m pretty optimistic, but a lot depends on gunnies contacting their senators.
Decide how badly you want the rifle, and take some comfort in the S&Ws having a good rep and great customer service.
Whenever we have a mass shooting/terrorist incident/hostage crisis, I wish I had a dollar for everyone who is a day late and a dollar short. Hard to say what will happen, some sort of legislation is probably coming. If I didn’t have an AR, I would be actively shopping around. I would also educate myself as to what to look for, so I knew what I was getting. Good luck.
You’re basically in a win, win situation. This dry spell will give you plenty of time to save your money, and read the wealth of information on this site. Then you’ll have everything you need to buy a great rifle that will serve you well for years to come.
Complete rifles are pretty hard to come by right now and even the lesser brands are commanding a premium at this point.
Do you have a rifle lined up for 2400? I would be very hesitant to pay double msrp, but I have what I need right now and I understand your situation is different
A family member of mine recently picked up a couple LMT CQB MRP’s one gas, one piston, and only paid 400 over retail on one of them and 300 on the other, some people would say that was stupid, others would say it was a steal its all relative.
If your willing to put in the work and watch the “where can I get it thread” you can find yourself a stripped lower as they go on sale for probably around $250 and you can grab an upper from a reputable dealer (BCM DD etc) the same way, then you just need a few other things that are available with a little patience and computer savvy (Lower parts kit, Bolt Carrier Group etc) bcg will take some patience right now…
I just went this route myself to finish up a lower I had been sitting on foolishly for the last year. It wasn’t cheap but if you buy quality parts you will get a quality weapon.
Parts are worth more than guns now. I would invest in barrels, mags , BCGs, stripped receivers etc. The knowledge of putting it all together will come later on, just focus on getting the parts. They can be had for decent prices, but you have to constantly search.
A suggestion that I’ve been throwing around is hunting down stripped lower receivers. yes they are doubled in price right now but thats still only 3-5oo dollars depending on how crazy the place youre looking is. Pay that extra for just that one part. then wait to see where the market goes. worse case is you already have what the gov’t considers the “assault rifle” and your grandfathered… yeah you paid more but you didnt miss out…upside is everything goes back to normal you only paid double for one part not the whole damn rifle then get the parts you want on a custom build …just a suggestion.
also lesson I learned the hard way. READ EVERYTHING YOU CAN HERE BEFORE YOU BUILD/BUY IT!!! Also use the search button and ask any and all questions you have prior to the purchases. I made the mistake of buying all the cool shit I thought I needed when in hind sight I would have just bought a colt 6920/KAC SR-15 and been done.
A couple questions regarding buying lowers and other parts for a build. What are the pros and cons of doing a custom job versus buying a complete gun? Wouldn’t it be more expensive doing a build of a M&P 15T vs. just buying the gun whole (figure normal pricing) for example? Not saying if I was to do a build it would be with all M&P 15T, but just so I get the correct feel on options.
Thanks again to all!
Edit: I forgot to mention earlier that I plan to use my first AR for range shooting and varmint hunting. I would eventually like to pick up a CMMG .22 LR conversion kit for smaller animals. Also the melonite barrel and direct impingement are two things I know I want in my AR.
Is MN considering a state level ban? If so, could it pass? I’d find out what your local/state politicians are up to before you do something you’ll regret either way.
If so, then hell yes spend too much and get a rifle.
If not, then you’re in the same boat as the rest of the country. That is, you’re dealing with a panic buying mob with no real chance of an AWB actually being enacted.
So take the time to get your money together, read the stickies here in the AR General Discussion and also in the AR Technical Discussion and learn what rifle you want to spend money on so that when the prices drop and availability returns, you’ll be able to make an informed decision. And remember that it’s worthless without magazines, which of all the long shot bills has the best chance.
Get a stripped lower? Sure. It’s not rocket science, until something isn’t perfect. Find a knowledgable person who has done it before and use the best parts you can afford.
My LGS recently took a stand and set everything they have and will have back to pre-December panic prices. Granted merchandise that comes in will move very fast, but they are doing the right thing. I have a feeling more will stand up and follow but if you take your time and do massive amounts of shopping research you will be able to find what you want for a normal price. Patience is a virtue
I’m hearing a lot of gun-itis. Like when I get new truck-itis. Breath deep, until the urgency goes away. Think of something else.
For my part, I’m piecing my second AR together. I feel an urgecny to get it done before anything bad happens and am willing to pay some, but not a LOT more for the panic tax.
I got reasonable parts for a somewhat reasonable amount. PSA deluxe upper and PSA lower. CMMG LPK. BCM buffer tube & buffer. MOE stock. BCM charging handle. MBUS rear from the other gun until I can get a good rear sight. Spikes Tactical bcg. I’m not going to complain all that much it. I got my stuff from the EE, Gunbroker, online, and at the local Cabelas. I have the ability, YouTube videos, info/advise from here. The more I run through it the easier it seems.
But I would NOT pay BIG bucks for big names at this point. Nope. Wouldn’t do it.
Come to think of it, I just saw a DPMS full carbine in EE for something like $1400-ish. I don’t recall the details…
Obama was in MN yesterday and he mentioned enforcing HF241. Which is more than just an AWB, it would include basically anything with more than 7 rounds, detachable mag and obviously semi-auto.
The effective date they are shooting for is 9/1/2013.
EE, the equipment exchange here on this site. I just read HF241, that crap needs to hit the shredder. I hope all your friends are contacting representatives.
