A panic buying tutorial to save $$$

[phx223]

Holy Guacomole have I seen some crazy prices on things the last few weeks. 200 dollar polymer lowers, 150 dollar lpks, 800 dollar no name uppers, 2 bucks a pop xm855 and so on. A free market is required to demand the highest price it can get for its production; and by no means am I saying that's bad. But a functionsl free market is also dependent on informed consumers.

I understand the scare, but there are only a few things that deserve the premium right now:

1) Complete rifles other than the AR15 and AR10 platforms that are at risk of being banned (no that does not include 10/22's and a standard ruger mini-14).
2) AR-15 or AR-10 stripped aluminum lowers from a known manufacture (just say no to poly and start ups, this may be your only lower and poly has a poor longevity record on the ar platform and start-ups have zero records at all, they could be pumping out junk and you won't know until its too late.
3) Magazines, but even these can be had at decent prices.

Nothing else is at risk, don't blow your cash selling to the flippers on stuff that will be more than available in a few months.

 

[Jimbob2.0]

I would agree with that, generally if you are persistant you can get what you want at near market prices.

Though if they pass the SB281, that may change radically, at least in MD.

I know one FFL that is getting an awesome deal on standard Mini-14s at a bargain price of $1300 each!

 

[Boom Boom]

I'll keep it simple. Focus on buying whatever 99% of the herd is not buying right now. There are still good deals to be had as long as you don't get hung up on specific items. For example, I bought a nice stash of large caliber rifle ammo yesterday for a total (shipped) cost of 21 cents per round. It mostly boils down to staying ahead of the curve and vigilantly watching as many places as possible for deals to pop up.

 

[GNLaFrance]

I have the Commander size version of this, called the Model A211 Raider. I have a total of less than $700 in it. If this one sells for that laughable asking price, mine will be up on GunBroker the same day ka-ching!

Randall Stainless Steel Model A131 Service Model

 

[Boom Boom]

On a related note, Phase 5 Tactical still has forged-aluminum stripped AR-15 lowers available on pre-order for $149.99.
http://www.phase5tactical.com/products/receivers/phase-5-multi-cal-stripped-ar-15-lower-receiver-

 

[DoubleTap007]

I agree with this, everyone should just be trying to get lowers, and handguns. My theory on handguns, is that if you get all that you will want, you will not have to deal with the licensing, fingerprints, etc.

 

[Jimbob2.0]

I agree with this, everyone should just be trying to get lowers, and handguns. My theory on handguns, is that if you get all that you will want, you will not have to deal with the licensing, fingerprints, etc.

Ya thats the problem right now.........and good advice.

I am still poking around for a decent clean Beretta 92 since I dont have one!

 

[Screwatts]

I'd rather pay a little bit extra and have what I want instead of wanting later

 

[Pinecone]

I'd rather pay a little bit extra and have what I want instead of wanting later

And that is what is fueling the current situation.

Not that I disagree with the concept.

 

[phx223]

A bit extra now for things that WILL BE AVAILABLE later. I know this has to run its course on a National Level, but I was hoping that my adopted home state could focus it's collective attention on things that truly won't be available come fall. You could buy another lower and LBK for the price of that BCG or half case of 5.56, and then you'll have two grandfathered rifles that you can build at your own leisure.

Again on a broad scale prices stay high as people frenzy, new vendors pop up to get a slice of the action, people and speculators hop on those new supply lines and prices hold, eventually everyone and their dealer and distrubuter has everything they need and prices drop as invoices and credit card bills come due. But in Maryland you (I bailed, sorry) don't have the option of waiting for that time on lowers, and magazines.

I've bought during this time, but I have yet to pay more than retail, and won't. Somehow I expanded my mag collection 5 fold, which might have been excessive as I paid 17 bucks a pop for some D&H mags (a 9 dollar mag, but again these were going for much more at the time and I was hedging that a mag ban could happen Nationaly and having gone through 94-04 with just 4 pre-ban mags and having to baby them I wanted to have a good stash).

 

[40-Cal-Polymer]

So what I'M getting from this information, is that we should buy AR lowers and pistols due to the maybe coming shit storm from Ole' douchbag? Will other AR part's (Lpks, uppers. etc) not be affected by legislation, so by buying lowers right now we would still be able to buy the rest and finish the build? I know ammo will always be avalible so I'm not to worried about that, but 11+ round mags, AR lowers and pistols should be a focus of aqquirement?

Maybe we could get some elaboration on the subject.

I'm sure the M14/M1A rifles will be affected, and am torn between buying one, buying another AR, buying an upper for my current AR or buying a 1911.

 

[40-Cal-Polymer]

On a related note, Phase 5 Tactical still has forged-aluminum stripped AR-15 lowers available on pre-order for $149.99.
http://www.phase5tactical.com/products/receivers/phase-5-multi-cal-stripped-ar-15-lower-receiver-

Are they a reputable company? I've never heard of them, but then again I'm still new to the AR scene.

 

[phx223]

Parts don't have serial numbers and are not regulated. Even now you can buy magazine rebuild kits in MD. However, with the 1994 Crime Bill as reference you should build a lower up enough to have the required 2 scary features in order to feel secure in grandfathering (can't grandfather something into a state it wasn't in prior to the ban (although they won't know when you built up your lower you should still add the scary features now and post a pic here to CYA). It's only 136 dollars shipped to get a LPK + collapsible butt stock, which would give a lower both a pistol grip and a telescoping stock thus making it pre-ban. The rest can be done whenever you want. During the AWB of 94-04 you could readily buy any part you wanted (the stuff wasn't as cutting edge as it is now), and as long as you had a grandfathered rifle you could play Legos with it. I took my 20" fixed stock down to a 16" telescoping stock, realized I bought shitty parts and switched back. But it was still fun.

I'm no sea lawyer, I try to envision real ways to CYA as I know that even though the burden of proof relies on the state, it's still better be safe knowing you have a solid defense should a case ever occur.

 

[ACMAN]

Has anyone ordered from Phase 5 Tactical?

 

[ma_deuce]

I know one FFL that is getting an awesome deal on standard Mini-14s at a bargain price of $1300 each!

You're shi__ing us! Who's that?

 

[phx223]

Steer clear of start ups! FFS if something goes wrong with your lower you are screwed. Spend the extra 50 and get an Areo. Yes they are gouging asshats (I've given up defending them as I've found that they did not meet commitments), but their model works, production is up, supply is up, you can buy a lower at will and know its high quality. And when this all blows over for the rest of the country, everyone else will be able to enjoy low cost lowers again.

 

[NickZac]

Seeing a Colt 6920 go for $4,000 (and sell out), a box (as in not a case but one single box) of 9mm HST for $250, and a box (also, not a case) of 5.7x28mm semi-APs go for $1,000 have been my low points thus far.


There is plenty of good deals on ammo (and most products) if you are patient, subscribe to all of the alerts, and occasionally check pages without alerts throughout the day. If you get an alert, you MUST ACT FAST. I have a password manager that stores all login and payment data (it's amazing, FYI). I can checkout in under 45 seconds...sounds a little over the top? In some cases, the product is sold out by the time I check out... Part of the reason seems to be that we are now competing with ranges who can't get ammo elsewhere quickly enough as well as other resellers who may be a store or may just 'flip' for a double profit. So when the good deals pop up, it lasts between seconds and minutes, at best. Cases of 1,000 rounds of decent FMJ ammo that sellers list for $500-600 sells moderately quickly, so when you find cases for $200-250 of good range ammo, it is a deal that wont last and even if the stock is tremendous in quantity, it is going to be gone in NO TIME! Likewise, when you find 1,000 round cases of Speer, Federal, Winchester, etc. LE-grade JHPs for $450-500, it's going down faster than Elliot Spitzer at a player's ball...

I would suggest setting up an email account JUST for that purpose, as I am now subscribed to well over 3,500 products (may be closer to 5,000+) and if there is ever a market flood, then I am going to be going through a lot of emails to my primary addy. BUT, I've been getting like pre-2008 prices on some things! Last week I got a notification on 50 count Federal JHP ammo for about $19 a box (presumably old stock as I don't think they even produce the exact bullet used anymore). It was $19.99 back in 2007 when Cheaper Than Dirt was actually sort of cheap. I'm also occasionally getting alerts on cases of the higher quality range ammo in 9mm for around $225-275 shipped at the rate of about one or two or three every other week. I've seen the same with .40 and .45. 9mm seems to be recovering slightly slower than the others but it is surely getting a little bit better. With that said, I haven't gotten an alert on any .223/5.56 that I could honestly say was a 'great' or even a 'really good' price. My assumption is that .223/5.56 stock will be the slowest to recover for obvious reasons, and demand is so great that the alerts companies send may be staggered based on time of subscription (again, just my guess).

Likewise for guns, subscribing and waiting is better than madness pricing. Even handguns are being jacked up by 50-100%+ on many auction sites (in which many sell). IMO, it is not worth it, as I've seen 2A, Continental Arms, Shooter's Discount (who managed to get COLTs!), and Gun Connection (among others) get product with some degree of regularity, and they aren't shafting on the price. Cabella's used gun library is constantly adding the products that everyone wants. Also given every maker of ARs is cranking out lowers left and right, I am now seeing them more commonly in the $150-200 price range versus the $500+ you see on GB. I've even noticed a lot of KAC SR-15's are coming back in stock, which is unusual given KAC isn't known for quick civilian deliveries.

Finally, on parts I've seen a slow recovery as well. Hi-cap mags are still in stupidly high demand and I imagine that will continue for a while based on the supposed backorders many companies have on mags of all types. Midway got USP hi-caps in and upon getting the notification, I clicked the link about a minute after getting it and the entire stock was sold out.

I imagine for some people that they don't care whether they pay $200 or $800 for a case...but for the rest of us, spending that much is simply unjustifiable.

 

[jrumann59]

With prices where they are you can piece together LPKs for same money or less as Enhanced parts kits are going for. I recommend buying all the little pieces 4-5 at a time, even if you do not use them for a build they are valuable as replacement parts as the need arises. I recently bought 5 of every spring, detent, pin, bolt release and mag catch and I think I spent $100, now the triggers and buffers cost the most but in most LPK you are stuck with whats in the bag now you can have an enhanced kit for less than what they are going for now. I figure a piece part LPK for a one AR-15 including trigger and Buffer assembly would set you back about 150-160 maybe a little more if you use KNS Anti-Rotational Pins. Yeah it is close but this is a kit that you use 100% of the parts. LPK like CMMG or DPMS or etc you will use 75-90%, some come with A2 grips or cheap grips you are not going to use, or standards FCG pins or standard FCG. That is all great and good but I am one of those that likes to use KNS pins, NiB FCG, Magpul, Ergo, or CAA pistol grip, Ambi Safeties. If I went traditional route and bought a LPK that fits my need at 75% and then bought everything I wanted I would pay near $300 just for lower parts, with the atmosphere the way it is now it is cheaper to piece together your own LPKs, while less convenient you do end up with 100% what you want LPKs

 

[hodgepodge]

I needed to buy an AR-15 rifle. I stalked Gunbroker for three weeks, watching a variety of auctions, bidding on several.

Yes, I overpaid from last summer. But I did not overpay for today's environment.

 

[NickZac]

I needed to buy an AR-15 rifle. I stalked Gunbroker for three weeks, watching a variety of auctions, bidding on several.

Yes, I overpaid from last summer. But I did not overpay for today's environment.

It seems you can occasionally find good AR deals on the auction sites. I gave up on ARs there just because I would make what I call a reasonable bid, the the final price be double that. But with that said, KAC has dumped quite a few SR-15's on the market and they are going for 2.5-3. When I see people on GB selling a basic entry model for the cost of a SR-15 Mod3, I just scratch my head.