@That Guy over there Nah, PSA doesn't even believe in the 2nd Amendment. If you live in a state that they are scared of they will tuck tail and run. They won't even ship a charging handle or buffer spring to CT.
Hop: “I chose my components based on mil spec designs & requirements” James: “I cracked a white claw & then picked the most Gucci parts the budget allowed”
@@irl-hdr4080 Depends how poor you are. There's poor and there's _poor_ and there's *_POOOOOOOOOOR_* . Also depends whether or not you have any parasitic crotch goblins , chicken heads and/or bad financial decisions resulting in any free money you would otherwise have going to monthly payments for whatever.
Hop didn't have rear irons on his, so his front sight was rendered useless anyway. I'd have gone with backups on both builds and skimped somewhere else. But I'd be considered a Fudd also.
King Hop took ya to church on this one James. Also nice for the King of the Poors to validate that the Schmid Tool 2-stage does indeed punch way above its price tag. Love that trigger.
@@roaringsteelmedia PSA deserves hate for making their customers beta testers for their new designs. However, their ARs and AKs (post the GF2 disaster) can do everything you need it to do but there are some things it just cant do compared to more expensive options and people need to understand that too.
Yup, seconded. James' is winning on the bids right now because full length free float is the aesthetic preference, but the fact is that it's not a "general purpose AR15" as stated in the goal with no light. No light means you're counting it out of 50% of potential usage time, as well as kicking it out of one of the most common roles for people buying cheap AR's (from when I worked the counter) - home defense. Plus breaking the budget, as you mentioned. James built a fine rifle, but it doesn't fit his own stated criteria.
@@007turtle1239 For the money those two optics cost he could have gotten a Romeo4h and an HM3X magnifier. Actually, I think the PA Gen IV magnifier is even a bit cheaper and would have gotten him free shipping too.
Nice to see a local company ( to me) like JSE Surplus getting some love. Been going to JSE since 2005-06 time frame . That's back when the firearms side was like a side business outnof their computer repair shop. It gradually got bigger and bigger. Then after the original bldg got flooded they had a new great looking store/ shop built. Great people to work with and I always stop in when I need some parts or set ups.
I love seeing father and son build offs. On the serious side it's good to see James and his ready to order Wish clone getting along so nice in this friendly challenge.
I was gonna vote for James just cuz of the Itadaki Seieki magazine in the intro of the video, but Hop has a rds, light, and magnifier and is still under budget. Gotta love that!
I gotta go with Hop on this one. Well thought out and well rounded build. PSA makes quality stuff for the price. Sig red dots aren’t that bad either for a budget build. Also, having a weapon light is a must. Great tip on the trigger too…. I run MBT’s and Geissele’s, but always nice to have quality parts at lower cost if needed. Great video guys!
The fact that Jame's rifle doesn't have a weapon light on it, automatically has me leaning more towards Hop. Not to mention, Hop's is still cheaper while still having both a red dot and a light which imo are essentials for something like home defense.
Id have saved by not doing the trigger swap, the charging handle swap, and using a cheaper lower like a PSA to get a weaponlight on James rifle if I was doing this challenge.
@Doom I'd even wager that the "average shooter" has no need for a magnified optic, let alone a dual optic setup. Especially if they just plan to plink at the range and perhaps use it for home defense where most break ins and scenarios happen........at night. If it wasn't for the light issue, I'd consider leaning a bit more towards James. Otherwise, Hop really understood the question down to a T (most people are going to buy a base rifle and then build around it, let's be real) and tried to squeeze as much into it with cost in mind.
I don't own an AR yet, but just from a dumb newbie's point of view, the flip over magnifier seems way better tactically than an offset red dot. Holding the rifle askew for close combat seems way tougher than just flipping a mag out of the way. Am I wrong?
@@Badinboarder87 depends on your training. At the close of range you're more likely be point shooting, so either or would work. Unless you have a good laser then holding your weapon at a offset is a lot easier.
Who is this everyone ? I've never met them. Spend enough time on various forums and that sentiment goes out the window down the driveway up the road to the nearest interstate and drives off into the sunset. There are people sticking with that, but they are specific types. You got non-gun guys that don't actually use their guns. They buy it, toss some stuff on it and never touch it. You got guys that clone builds that resemble this but are pretty far from it because nothing official like that has ever existed. You got guys that are too poor or have too many other priorities to spend real money on this item or this hobby to go beyond this. Otherwise, nah, it's not going to end up looking like that. It might if it's your first rifle and you upgrade it as far as you easily can with budget parts and then keep it as a beater/trainer/loaner. Those people are 100% moving on to something 2x/3x the price as soon as they can afford to.
James beat Hop ($2525 vs $1850) at the auction. I particularly like the look of Jame's lower he acquired from KE Arms. *Hop stayed under budget however
I looked at putting a build together this year (which I couldn't afford, but maybe next year) using Aero parts instead of PSA, but incredibly it's almost exactly the same setup as Hop's, just minus the front sight block and quad rail.
@@r.l.royalljr.3905 I would recommend Rosco barrel instead of aero/ba. If you’re not a builder they sell complete uppers using American defense rails and properly gassed barrels. The price is comparable as well. I don’t use aero or ballistic advantage anymore for barrels. Good lowers tho.
Really like the concept of this series. Always fun to see the thought processes and bargains everyone stumbles across in their build. Looking forward to the Glock 19 clone contest
Like many others, my first AR looked like James'. My current pistol builds look alot more like Hop's. Thanks top Hop for the light rec. $100 bucks for a light that comes with a pressure switch is a hell of a bargain and a necessity.
Love this! And it’s so funny to see how James absolutely refuses to cheap out on optics. Lol. I do too but for this I might have spent a little less on the optics and added a light.
@Basado Americano Got a PSA lower on the way! Unfortunately the stock furniture doesn't have a QD slot but I can always change that in the future. I'll just make sure I have one mounted on the handguard.
Bear Creek Arsenal gets a bad rap, but, I've done several with their uppers: 1-223 wylde, 2- 300blk (10.5 & 16) and 1-350 Legend so far all paired with Anderson lowers w/ Anderson lpk's. Only things I switched out was the A2 pistol grips and the trigger guards. All are good shooters and cost less than $500 minus the optics and other fun stuff I put on them. They're worth checking too for your first building
I think the next video we see about this, when hop wins of course. We will actually have James ranting “just as good” unironically and it will be glorious
Can’t lie I’m psa for life. Once rob ski took a base model psa freedom to 5k without any malfunctioning. While the top tiers failed. I was psa for life
As a fellow 'Poor' myself, Hop has the home field advantage. I anticipate every episode of "Hop's Budget Blasters" and his tongue-in-cheek perspectives are welcome on my screen. I do prefer his build, having the weapon light is a great addition but I can't help but notice the similarities between both of your rifles.
That AP Trigger was the Nugget.... Been looking for a decent budget trigger and PSA is doing good things especially with their barrels. Looking forward to pt2. Great Content Guys
I actually really love this direction. Very original idea with an entertaining channel/operators combination. I'm legitimately engorged with suspense to see the 2nd/3rd videos. Lol. Engorged.
Good job with Hop’s build! PSA doesn’t get enough credit for American made quality parts. I have several PSA AR-15 builds and they can keep up with a $2000 AR.
James is an amature Hops is a pro baby. The only difference I would have done to hops rifle is to put the rapidstrike 1-6x24mm LPVO is under $150. Now we can all agree that there is better LPVO out there but this is designed for 5.56 and it's under $150.
Came back to get the details on Hop's sight set-up, figgered I'd go check the auction results, Boo! Kudos to who came up with this idea, great way to buy at $1250 and sell at $1850 - $2525.
I have to say you both are using parts I use all the time... Hop... PSA goodness with a sprinkle of MI on it. James...BFG sling all day long. Hanging PA optics on it, glad to see your "sight" hasn't been impared by the fog of the higher end.
Hop had me at 'Sport II'. Magpul furniture, QD, check. I have to go with James' optic choice, though. My 3x microprism is on a QR mount with a Magpul backup rear sight.
People overlook the Sport 2. Check out IV8888 doing a burn down test on it. I wish S&W would go away from the 1:9 and either back to 1:8 or start using 1:7.
I like them both. They seem to be built for different applications. Hop nudging out on top for me for looks and shorter barrel. I’m still waiting for someone to show a build from reject parts. Maybe sets having to be redone on parts and or polymer lower fixed and re-milling. Thank you guys for posting these videos. I enjoy these competitions.
My favorite quote in this whole video, is James uttering the words “ I find rave reviews all over the internet from poor people” 😂😂😂😂😂 so nonchalant😂😂😂😂
Excellent ode to the newbies, fellas. One point to note about the Magpul SL Mid handguard is that it requires a circular handguard retaining cap while most midlength FSB uppers (including PSA) tend to use the triangular version, so if you wanted to use the SL mid then you'd need to do a bit of extra work (and need a new crush washer) to use it. Otherwise the "standard", fatter MOE mid handguard accepts both triangular and circular retaining caps. I think Hop made a great choice with the quad under these parameters. For the optics, I'd probably prefer what James decided on.
Hop's build is pretty close to what I already have. I bought an M&P 15 Sport about 10 years ago when they still put the 5R barrels in them. Biggest difference is I have the PA 1-8x LPVO. But I plan to swap that out at some point in the future for use on a different rifle.
Yes, thank God that someone finally thought to make a build series for guns a-la Top Gear or Car Throttle I like the overall look and even sighting system of Hop’s rifle. If I wanted an LPVO, I’d either save more money to increase the budget or get a Sig Tango MSR, those used to be found for cheap at around 250 with the mount and it’s got the best glass from the entry level LPVOs. Magpul furniture is a big ergonomic upgrade without hurting the bank. I would’ve tried to get some BLEM Aero receivers while hitting the sales, then probably hit up a sale from BA. Rails could be anything though it’s worth noting that Geissele had a Black Friday blem sale where you can get a Geissele rail for the price of a Midwest. So a blem Geissele rail on Black Friday: 200 BA barrel on sale w gas block and tube probs: 210 if Hanson, cheaper if government profile Aero receivers blem with parts kit and magpul pistol grip on sale: 220, going forged and non e1 as much as possible Larue mbt- 90 Solgw bcg- 180 Leaves about 350 to spend on furniture and optics. Tango msr is 250 ish and change goes to the stock and sling. Build lacks a light but with the parts youre getting, a stream light is easy to save up for and the rest of the build is practically mid tier. Magpul stock, pistol grip, a2 fh, nd charging handle 200 and any other change saved from above.
Glad to hear JSE is still around, bought quite a bit from them a decade ago and completely forgot about them! As for the rifles, they each have things I like.
Fantastically well spoken by a very well trained lawyer; we don’t take money for positive reviews, but we do take free gear from any vendor including Bentley, Porsche etc.
Decided to try to do my own $1250 build while watching the video, got a bcm upper, bcg, and charging handle, aero lower, and daniel defense irons for $1253.54
Just put together an AR 10. A Palmetto lower I got on sale a year ago. Then a 20 inch SS Heavy barrel Bear Creek upper went on sale and I grabbed that. Yes they do fit and work together. Then I got a Sightmark 5x30 x56 scope, mounts, 3.5 drop in trigger and improved charging handle and added an A2 stock. I took everything apart lapped the face of the receiver. Shimmed out any play in the barrel to receiver. I lapped the rings and carefully and meticulously mounted the scope and went through every part. So all in with patience and waiting for sales I put together a rifle that reliably and accurately reached out to 1000 yards. I'm not a competitive shooter and will probably on take this out to the range a few times a year. I spent all in just over 1000 dollars. As far as I'm concerned I'm having 2500 worth of fun for only 1000 dollars. And I spent that money over time so it wasn't a big hit.
@@TsunTzu Yeah. And they're too aggressively machined. I've got man hands, but compared to over similar charging handles, it's just annoying to me personally. I really wanted to like it, especially when they were available for 30 bucks, but I just hated them.
I used to work at a now popular AR manufacturer that uses those CH's in their... most well known rifles. They're pretty flimsy IMO, and definitely breakable if you treat your guns on the rougher side.
I’m rooting for Hop! Have not watched the vid yet. James would be proud to be surpassed by his offspring. What honorable Dad would not want his son to do better than himself.
I think the "general purpose" and "load out" is going to cause issues. It should have been addressed at the start. Just because of a laser? Lasers have their place and darn good asset when caught not "in the ready." Could save your life. I think when someone builds a "general purpose rifle" that includes function in all its forms. LETS SEE HOW THEY SHOOT. AND Let the builders ALSO SHOOT THEIR OWN BUILD for grouping and reliability. **** furthermore- an independent, impartial shooter(s) should evaluate both guns on a simulated ***"GENERAL PURPOSE"*** COURSE *** BEFORE bidding even starts. Autographing adds value outside the parameters. As long as BOTH GET Autographed BY BOTH. JMHO. 😇
I love almost the entire TH-cam gun community, but Hop is the man, for some reason the way he sees things make more sense to me then almost anyone. I love my Palmetto State AR. Love my LWRC a lot more but the PSA is a runner and the price was right.
James: well done. I would have purchased a PSA CHF barrel and all lower and upper parts from their premium line. Went with MBT, used Sprinco springs, and a H2 buffer or A5 if mid. And slapped a PA LPVO on it.
they are. however, i know people that think pinning an upper to a lower is "building" and they would rather leave that to the pros, so they dont screw it up. and somehow, rifle is never actually zeroed. (if it its it was a 2 day, compound problem than will never need to happen again.)
I really anticipating the next video! Everyone has their favorite of the two. Should be a good one coming up. Two different ways of approaching the problem. Both guns will work.
The Strike Industries S3 PRo Padded sling is an awesome, affordable option for slings. It comes with loops that let you mount it practically anywhere. If you're very tight on a budget, you can skimp on the QD until later with it. I got mine for around $20. It comes with a TQ holder built in. I put them on both my rifles now.
I have almost the same build as Hop and went with an OLight Odin. Same price point, but very impressive quality so far. 1250 lumen output, don’t recall candela ratings offhand. Streamlight makes great mini EDC lights tho.
In the second video analysis, would love to also hear a footnote recommendation for factory build (other than optic) in the same price range and maybe “what you don’t get.” Awesome video, thanks!
No matter how many times I see these budget builds, I never get tired of them. It is awesome you can slap a bunch of stuff together and have an awesome AR
I think they both look pretty slick... I love the thicker hand guard on Hop's build.. ever since I had experience using one of a friend's set up.. I loved it.. but I don't want to dremel pieces off & drill.. etc
I actually did a pretty neat build just sitting at 1300 ish, with blem aero upper and lower, superlative arms piston kit(on sale), Blem FN chf barrel, Blem toolcraft BCG, Bravo Company gunfighter stock(on sale). You can actually do pretty good budget rifle build if you are ok with using blem parts and waiting for sale.
![일상 속 기분 좋음 [Proto disco meme]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/DwmEIaZ7XGQ/mqdefault.jpg)
James trying to beat Hop in budget building is like me boxing Mike Tyson post prison era. Long live Hop, King of the POORS!
Here here!
Hail!
Depending on performance I actually think James gun is better. Big knock for no weapon light tho
Hop dusted him
@@chrischero1871 Dont think this optics choices were the best and no light, but I think his gun was much better.
Absolutely loving the fact that Hop found a way to *force* James to shoot a PSA rifle.
that even hop himself hasnt shot...
Public Service Announcement rifles: The More You Know!🌠
PSA rifle? No no no, you mean GOD'S OWN ANTI SONOFABITCH rifle
@That Guy over there Nah, PSA doesn't even believe in the 2nd Amendment. If you live in a state that they are scared of they will tuck tail and run. They won't even ship a charging handle or buffer spring to CT.
He got the phosphate barrel, what a fool. Nitride is like $10 more and lasts two times longer
We appreciate the shout out!! Thank you for your support and great review! We appreciate YOU!!
Found out about your company here. Looks like good stuff 👍
@@CarlPapa88 Thank you! Let us know if there is anything we can help you with!
Hop: “I chose my components based on mil spec designs & requirements”
James: “I cracked a white claw & then picked the most Gucci parts the budget allowed”
This whole channel is Gucci..
@@davehorlacher Inflation has kinda made all gun buying Gucci
@@davehorlacher so does that go for the hi-point content as well?
@@irl-hdr4080 Depends how poor you are. There's poor and there's _poor_ and there's *_POOOOOOOOOOR_* .
Also depends whether or not you have any parasitic crotch goblins , chicken heads and/or bad financial decisions resulting in any free money you would otherwise have going to monthly payments for whatever.
@@davehorlacher Yet there is a lack of Sig M5.
Hop: makes a serviceable, useful rifle that covers many different scenarios
James: *no light, no irons, no drip*
Atleast a prism eliminates irons
Hop didn't have rear irons on his, so his front sight was rendered useless anyway. I'd have gone with backups on both builds and skimped somewhere else. But I'd be considered a Fudd also.
Light on a gun, for when you want to play special forces at home...
@@RyTrapp0 yes. Special Forces cosplayers are the only people that need to positively ID anything at night time without NVGs.
@@RyTrapp0 Because blindly shooting in the dark, at 3 am is a GREAT way to hit the guy trying to steal your tv. Obviously
King Hop took ya to church on this one James. Also nice for the King of the Poors to validate that the Schmid Tool 2-stage does indeed punch way above its price tag. Love that trigger.
Hops rifle is what I would build.
James’ rifle is what every step dad would build.
It actually is almost exactly like one of my father inlaws builds 😂
You just don’t have the distinguished astigmatism to appreciate a fine prism optic yet. Don’t worry. Time catches us all in the end 😂
Being a step dad..not quite but 😆😆😆
Lolololol
As a step dad I disapprove, Hop won
I can imagine Hop sitting there for hours, trying to figure out if James would be more upset about getting a PSA or Anderson rifle...
It's a shame Hop didn't put a psa upper on an Anderson lower
I would love to watch James forced to endure a Poverty Pony.
I can also imagine Hop intentionally picking the one he thinks would make him more upset.
In my super-duper valuable opinion, Hop wins on virtue of having a light, not having to rely on sales, and actually staying in budget lol.
100%
Plus quad rail looks better
@@roaringsteelmedia PSA deserves hate for making their customers beta testers for their new designs. However, their ARs and AKs (post the GF2 disaster) can do everything you need it to do but there are some things it just cant do compared to more expensive options and people need to understand that too.
Yup, seconded. James' is winning on the bids right now because full length free float is the aesthetic preference, but the fact is that it's not a "general purpose AR15" as stated in the goal with no light. No light means you're counting it out of 50% of potential usage time, as well as kicking it out of one of the most common roles for people buying cheap AR's (from when I worked the counter) - home defense.
Plus breaking the budget, as you mentioned. James built a fine rifle, but it doesn't fit his own stated criteria.
@@WeAreSoBackBrosThey beta test with customers a lot less than Sig.
Pfp goes so fucking hard
Hop: "the trigger that you gonna have to pull hundreds and hundreds of times"
Sir, i think you're overestimating my ammo budget
Hop actually understood the question. Again.
Of course, James failed to stay under budget.
@@007turtle1239 For the money those two optics cost he could have gotten a Romeo4h and an HM3X magnifier. Actually, I think the PA Gen IV magnifier is even a bit cheaper and would have gotten him free shipping too.
I went with the PA 1x prism plus a holosun magnifier instead of the 3x prism and it's a very versatile setup.
@@paul7from7ukr How well does a prism work with the magnifier? Do you get enough eye relief with it mounted so far forward?
Hop built a fighting rifle, James built a 3gun rifle…
Nice to see a local company ( to me) like JSE Surplus getting some love. Been going to JSE since 2005-06 time frame . That's back when the firearms side was like a side business outnof their computer repair shop. It gradually got bigger and bigger. Then after the original bldg got flooded they had a new great looking store/ shop built. Great people to work with and I always stop in when I need some parts or set ups.
I love seeing father and son build offs. On the serious side it's good to see James and his ready to order Wish clone getting along so nice in this friendly challenge.
I was gonna vote for James just cuz of the Itadaki Seieki magazine in the intro of the video, but Hop has a rds, light, and magnifier and is still under budget. Gotta love that!
Quad rail handgaurds will always be aesthetically pleasing to me 😌
Quads for life!
I gotta go with Hop on this one. Well thought out and well rounded build. PSA makes quality stuff for the price. Sig red dots aren’t that bad either for a budget build. Also, having a weapon light is a must. Great tip on the trigger too…. I run MBT’s and Geissele’s, but always nice to have quality parts at lower cost if needed. Great video guys!
The fact that Jame's rifle doesn't have a weapon light on it, automatically has me leaning more towards Hop. Not to mention, Hop's is still cheaper while still having both a red dot and a light which imo are essentials for something like home defense.
Especially when the streamlight polytac exists…
Id have saved by not doing the trigger swap, the charging handle swap, and using a cheaper lower like a PSA to get a weaponlight on James rifle if I was doing this challenge.
@Doom I'd even wager that the "average shooter" has no need for a magnified optic, let alone a dual optic setup. Especially if they just plan to plink at the range and perhaps use it for home defense where most break ins and scenarios happen........at night. If it wasn't for the light issue, I'd consider leaning a bit more towards James. Otherwise, Hop really understood the question down to a T (most people are going to buy a base rifle and then build around it, let's be real) and tried to squeeze as much into it with cost in mind.
I don't own an AR yet, but just from a dumb newbie's point of view, the flip over magnifier seems way better tactically than an offset red dot.
Holding the rifle askew for close combat seems way tougher than just flipping a mag out of the way. Am I wrong?
@@Badinboarder87 depends on your training. At the close of range you're more likely be point shooting, so either or would work. Unless you have a good laser then holding your weapon at a offset is a lot easier.
Since Hop actually stayed within the budget limit, he wins by default.
so James's AR is what every first timer wants their AR to look like, and Hop's AR is what everyones AR eventually ends up looking like.
100% 🤣
Yep!!!
I concur.
So true
Who is this everyone ? I've never met them.
Spend enough time on various forums and that sentiment goes out the window down the driveway up the road to the nearest interstate and drives off into the sunset.
There are people sticking with that, but they are specific types.
You got non-gun guys that don't actually use their guns. They buy it, toss some stuff on it and never touch it.
You got guys that clone builds that resemble this but are pretty far from it because nothing official like that has ever existed.
You got guys that are too poor or have too many other priorities to spend real money on this item or this hobby to go beyond this.
Otherwise, nah, it's not going to end up looking like that.
It might if it's your first rifle and you upgrade it as far as you easily can with budget parts and then keep it as a beater/trainer/loaner.
Those people are 100% moving on to something 2x/3x the price as soon as they can afford to.
James beat Hop ($2525 vs $1850) at the auction. I particularly like the look of Jame's lower he acquired from KE Arms. *Hop stayed under budget however
Without even watching, I bet real money on Hop's build. He is a man of the masses.
hey he's not even that fat
You lost.
I looked at putting a build together this year (which I couldn't afford, but maybe next year) using Aero parts instead of PSA, but incredibly it's almost exactly the same setup as Hop's, just minus the front sight block and quad rail.
@@r.l.royalljr.3905 I would recommend Rosco barrel instead of aero/ba. If you’re not a builder they sell complete uppers using American defense rails and properly gassed barrels. The price is comparable as well. I don’t use aero or ballistic advantage anymore for barrels. Good lowers tho.
@@chrischero1871 Definitely not. James doesn't even have a light. That's basic stuff right there.
Really like the concept of this series. Always fun to see the thought processes and bargains everyone stumbles across in their build.
Looking forward to the Glock 19 clone contest
"I find nothing but rave reviews from poor people" I spit out the water I was drinking from laughing
I run that optic on my AK. It's actually great.
I was your 100th like.
Sparkling or Still?
@@nicholas389 Tap
Oh yeah, oh boy. Listen to this guy whose idols are these tubers. Boys talking like boys.
They need to do a 600$ budget next 😂
Hell I made it work
That's what I was expecting by "budget" you can buy a complete ar for under $900 easy
That might be fun, but we might end up with a couple of Fallout 4 pipe rifles.
would be called unusable dogshit contest
@@PenumbranWolfwill we also get bad story but good working rifle
Hop automatically wins by the torture this puts on James
Like many others, my first AR looked like James'. My current pistol builds look alot more like Hop's. Thanks top Hop for the light rec. $100 bucks for a light that comes with a pressure switch is a hell of a bargain and a necessity.
With the changes made to Hop's, I probably would have just got the Aero M4E1 lower that comes with similar Magpul furniture for ~250.
I love the fact that James called Hop’s build, to the T, in the first few seconds of his section and roasted the shit out of it 😂
Love this! And it’s so funny to see how James absolutely refuses to cheap out on optics. Lol. I do too but for this I might have spent a little less on the optics and added a light.
I'm literally in the process of building my first AR and you guys post this vid with incredible information. The Lord works in mysterious ways.
Look at radical firearms as well. You can get one with an mlok rail, b5 stock, and b5 pistol grip for what they paid for their upper and lowers
@Basado Americano Got a PSA lower on the way! Unfortunately the stock furniture doesn't have a QD slot but I can always change that in the future. I'll just make sure I have one mounted on the handguard.
@@cornfedchris58 Thanks I'll investigate
@@bombomos We're all the main characters of our own stories :)
Bear Creek Arsenal gets a bad rap, but, I've done several with their uppers: 1-223 wylde, 2- 300blk (10.5 & 16) and 1-350 Legend so far all paired with Anderson lowers w/ Anderson lpk's. Only things I switched out was the A2 pistol grips and the trigger guards. All are good shooters and cost less than $500 minus the optics and other fun stuff I put on them. They're worth checking too for your first building
When are we getting updates on performance of these two rifles?
Hop has got this one for sure. King of the budget blasters.
Videos like this never get old to me. I love seeing custom AR builds whether they're budget builds or high end I love seeing em.
I think the next video we see about this, when hop wins of course. We will actually have James ranting “just as good” unironically and it will be glorious
If/when that happens, he can never (and I mean Never) talk shit about the JAG guys again lol
At 7:41. That 2 stage trigger is a great deal. $60 for the best upgrade you could get for your rifle.
Can’t lie I’m psa for life. Once rob ski took a base model psa freedom to 5k without any malfunctioning. While the top tiers failed. I was psa for life
Same
Super impressed with Hop’s build.
a phosphate barrel....?
As a fellow 'Poor' myself, Hop has the home field advantage. I anticipate every episode of "Hop's Budget Blasters" and his tongue-in-cheek perspectives are welcome on my screen.
I do prefer his build, having the weapon light is a great addition but I can't help but notice the similarities between both of your rifles.
That AP Trigger was the Nugget.... Been looking for a decent budget trigger and PSA is doing good things especially with their barrels. Looking forward to pt2. Great Content Guys
I actually really love this direction. Very original idea with an entertaining channel/operators combination. I'm legitimately engorged with suspense to see the 2nd/3rd videos. Lol. Engorged.
Also, James lost by proxy. He went over budget. Not sure if anyone else caught that.
@@robl884 By $7. Hardly a dealbreaker.
@Borderline5440 yeah, but still lol he went over budget. 🤷♂️ that was the criteria
Good job with Hop’s build! PSA doesn’t get enough credit for American made quality parts. I have several PSA AR-15 builds and they can keep up with a $2000 AR.
PSA middy with heavy buffer.
Keep up with SR15s
PSA has to let Hop come in with his own rifle
The PSA Hop-15 😂
@@Evergreen1400, Public Service Announcement rifle: The More You Know!🌠
@@warpartyattheoutpost4987 Considering their mission statement, that's not a bad assessment.
I would totally buy a hop edition PSA gun.
PSA is awesome! I have 3 varieties, 2 are great, one... ??? Luck of the draw....
James is an amature Hops is a pro baby. The only difference I would have done to hops rifle is to put the rapidstrike 1-6x24mm LPVO is under $150. Now we can all agree that there is better LPVO out there but this is designed for 5.56 and it's under $150.
Hop got a weapon light and James got a prism. Honestly I figured James was gonna go cyclops and magnifier.
ACSS Vulkan Micro Prism w/ 3x Micro Magnifier *chefs kiss*
I can't believe I built James's rifle as my first AR, but Hop's is what it is morphing into.
I remember paying $329 for a Bushmaster lower in 1997. Things have gotten much better with competition.
WOOF! That better had been good plated and made with love!
At least you were able to find one during the ban.
Started reading and thought you meant a full rifle wow that would be awesome, but JUST for a lower?! 😬
@@DaBlaccGhost For a complete lower. Stripped lowers were $180 I believe.
Came back to get the details on Hop's sight set-up, figgered I'd go check the auction results, Boo! Kudos to who came up with this idea, great way to buy at $1250 and sell at $1850 - $2525.
Backwards eotech at 00:13
This is dope. More content like this! So far I'd have to go with Hops build. But we shall see. 🤔
I have to say you both are using parts I use all the time...
Hop... PSA goodness with a sprinkle of MI on it.
James...BFG sling all day long. Hanging PA optics on it, glad to see your "sight" hasn't been impared by the fog of the higher end.
Hop had me at 'Sport II'. Magpul furniture, QD, check. I have to go with James' optic choice, though. My 3x microprism is on a QR mount with a Magpul backup rear sight.
People overlook the Sport 2. Check out IV8888 doing a burn down test on it. I wish S&W would go away from the 1:9 and either back to 1:8 or start using 1:7.
Mr GunsnGear has a great review as well. His rifle showed exceptional accuracy.
When do we get to see the shooting review of these two builds? 🤔
These videos of James vs Hop are great 😂
I like them both. They seem to be built for different applications. Hop nudging out on top for me for looks and shorter barrel. I’m still waiting for someone to show a build from reject parts. Maybe sets having to be redone on parts and or polymer lower fixed and re-milling. Thank you guys for posting these videos. I enjoy these competitions.
I think I'd go with Hops build on this one. Seems like he put a lot more thought into it.
Same, except I'm fine with the standard stock so would probably put that money on something else.
Guys this is great content, good job, you've outdone yourselves. Can't wait for the next chapter and then the next project.
My favorite quote in this whole video, is James uttering the words “ I find rave reviews all over the internet from poor people” 😂😂😂😂😂 so nonchalant😂😂😂😂
James had me crying 😭 😂🤣 with that Solid snake on H jab at Hop!
Where is the part two??!?
No lie, I will probably end up building an AR based off Hop’s recommendations
I have one that’s basically the same, just shorter, and free float
Likewise. I might get a different handguard though. Other than that, probably a straight up copy/paste of Hop's build.
I had the same idea months ago, i have psa mid length, went with the utg mid lenth quad rail eotech holo xps2 cant beat that
I did and I am pleased with what I got
@@AhHereWeGo me too. I like it. I plan on upgrading to a BCM in about a year when I'll have more money lol. But it's been perfect so far.
JSE, located in Cape Girardeau MO, is one of my all-time favorite gun shops. They have a good selection and even better staff!
Thank Jake! We appreciate you!!
Love the video idea!
Excellent ode to the newbies, fellas. One point to note about the Magpul SL Mid handguard is that it requires a circular handguard retaining cap while most midlength FSB uppers (including PSA) tend to use the triangular version, so if you wanted to use the SL mid then you'd need to do a bit of extra work (and need a new crush washer) to use it. Otherwise the "standard", fatter MOE mid handguard accepts both triangular and circular retaining caps. I think Hop made a great choice with the quad under these parameters. For the optics, I'd probably prefer what James decided on.
Hop's build is pretty close to what I already have. I bought an M&P 15 Sport about 10 years ago when they still put the 5R barrels in them. Biggest difference is I have the PA 1-8x LPVO. But I plan to swap that out at some point in the future for use on a different rifle.
Yes, thank God that someone finally thought to make a build series for guns a-la Top Gear or Car Throttle
I like the overall look and even sighting system of Hop’s rifle.
If I wanted an LPVO, I’d either save more money to increase the budget or get a Sig Tango MSR, those used to be found for cheap at around 250 with the mount and it’s got the best glass from the entry level LPVOs.
Magpul furniture is a big ergonomic upgrade without hurting the bank. I would’ve tried to get some BLEM Aero receivers while hitting the sales, then probably hit up a sale from BA. Rails could be anything though it’s worth noting that Geissele had a Black Friday blem sale where you can get a Geissele rail for the price of a Midwest.
So a blem Geissele rail on Black Friday: 200
BA barrel on sale w gas block and tube probs: 210 if Hanson, cheaper if government profile
Aero receivers blem with parts kit and magpul pistol grip on sale: 220, going forged and non e1 as much as possible
Larue mbt- 90
Solgw bcg- 180
Leaves about 350 to spend on furniture and optics.
Tango msr is 250 ish and change goes to the stock and sling.
Build lacks a light but with the parts youre getting, a stream light is easy to save up for and the rest of the build is practically mid tier.
Magpul stock, pistol grip, a2 fh, nd charging handle 200 and any other change saved from above.
After watching Tims recent tour of PSA, I am leaning more towards Hops build. Would rather a Larue trigger in it though.
What's kinda weird about that is he could've gotten the larue and still been under budget.
The Schmidt trigger is great. Don’t underestimate it if you haven’t tried it. I have the Centurion Arms version and it is excellent.
Glad to hear JSE is still around, bought quite a bit from them a decade ago and completely forgot about them! As for the rifles, they each have things I like.
I love the website of JSE. Looks like an Angelfire blog from the early 2000s.
Fantastically well spoken by a very well trained lawyer; we don’t take money for positive reviews, but we do take free gear from any vendor including Bentley, Porsche etc.
$1,200 better include quality optics, because I do my quality builds for $600+, and $200+ goes to Faxon barrel. No including optics.
Decided to try to do my own $1250 build while watching the video, got a bcm upper, bcg, and charging handle, aero lower, and daniel defense irons for $1253.54
Hop abosolutely bodies in james in anything that costs below 2 grand
F in the chat for James' expectations of how this would go.
@@robl884if y’all knew anything about ARs, you’d know hop fumbled on the barrel
@evann1136 yeah, I know Nothing of AR's 🙄
@@evann1136 the PSA barrel is fine.
@@robl884 And for 10 bucks more Nitride is an option
Just put together an AR 10. A Palmetto lower I got on sale a year ago. Then a 20 inch SS Heavy barrel Bear Creek upper went on sale and I grabbed that. Yes they do fit and work together. Then I got a Sightmark 5x30 x56 scope, mounts, 3.5 drop in trigger and improved charging handle and added an A2 stock. I took everything apart lapped the face of the receiver. Shimmed out any play in the barrel to receiver. I lapped the rings and carefully and meticulously mounted the scope and went through every part. So all in with patience and waiting for sales I put together a rifle that reliably and accurately reached out to 1000 yards. I'm not a competitive shooter and will probably on take this out to the range a few times a year. I spent all in just over 1000 dollars. As far as I'm concerned I'm having 2500 worth of fun for only 1000 dollars. And I spent that money over time so it wasn't a big hit.
I would have bet money on Hop for a poor build.
I must admit I don't hate the James build.
he should have traded one of those optics for a weapon light
When is the sequel to this? It’s been over a month.
Did I miss the follow up?
...I'm loving the totally wholesome and not at all sus mag in that b-roll at the start.
And a Breek Warhammer CH would have fit into Hop's budget.
I absolutely HATE that charging handle.
@@inexpensivearms6952 Arms too thin?
@@TsunTzu Yeah. And they're too aggressively machined. I've got man hands, but compared to over similar charging handles, it's just annoying to me personally. I really wanted to like it, especially when they were available for 30 bucks, but I just hated them.
I used to work at a now popular AR manufacturer that uses those CH's in their... most well known rifles. They're pretty flimsy IMO, and definitely breakable if you treat your guns on the rougher side.
I love this kind of stuff, it reminds me of watching the challenges top gear did on BBC as a kid.
I’m rooting for Hop! Have not watched the vid yet. James would be proud to be surpassed by his offspring. What honorable Dad would not want his son to do better than himself.
I think the "general purpose" and "load out" is going to cause issues. It should have been addressed at the start. Just because of a laser? Lasers have their place and darn good asset when caught not "in the ready." Could save your life. I think when someone builds a "general purpose rifle" that includes function in all its forms.
LETS SEE HOW THEY SHOOT.
AND Let the builders ALSO SHOOT THEIR OWN BUILD for grouping and reliability.
**** furthermore- an independent, impartial shooter(s) should evaluate both guns on a simulated
***"GENERAL PURPOSE"***
COURSE *** BEFORE bidding even starts. Autographing adds value outside the parameters. As long as BOTH GET Autographed BY BOTH.
JMHO. 😇
I love almost the entire TH-cam gun community, but Hop is the man, for some reason the way he sees things make more sense to me then almost anyone. I love my Palmetto State AR. Love my LWRC a lot more but the PSA is a runner and the price was right.
Hop is king of the poors, all hail Hop
Because he needs the cash saved for NODs. 😁
James: well done. I would have purchased a PSA CHF barrel and all lower and upper parts from their premium line. Went with MBT, used Sprinco springs, and a H2 buffer or A5 if mid. And slapped a PA LPVO on it.
Considering that most LGS will try and sell you on the M&P Sport II or the Saint Victor for around $800-$1000, these builds are superior in every way.
they are. however, i know people that think pinning an upper to a lower is "building" and they would rather leave that to the pros, so they dont screw it up. and somehow, rifle is never actually zeroed. (if it its it was a 2 day, compound problem than will never need to happen again.)
@@Sageofthe16 that or the LGS will try to make you feel inadequate for building a "franken AR" rather than buying what they have to offer.
@@P07H34D just like air guns, gas guns need to be tuned... smegin ell
Hop's offering has a light. Game over.
I really anticipating the next video! Everyone has their favorite of the two. Should be a good one coming up. Two different ways of approaching the problem. Both guns will work.
The Strike Industries S3 PRo Padded sling is an awesome, affordable option for slings. It comes with loops that let you mount it practically anywhere. If you're very tight on a budget, you can skimp on the QD until later with it. I got mine for around $20. It comes with a TQ holder built in. I put them on both my rifles now.
I'm going Hop on this one. PSA for the win! "Hop" on board James.
When does part two come out?
Father vs son, I haven’t seen a battle like this since A New Hope
0:40 priceless!!
Bro. Hops rifle is pretty dope not gonna lie. This is what proliferating the masses looks Like.
I have almost the same build as Hop and went with an OLight Odin. Same price point, but very impressive quality so far. 1250 lumen output, don’t recall candela ratings offhand.
Streamlight makes great mini EDC lights tho.
Olight is trash.
We need a ccw version of this ASAP
Beautiful concept
I don't think that many people conceal carry AR's
@@brrrt7623 Thats bc you never notice them
Lol fair enough
In the second video analysis, would love to also hear a footnote recommendation for factory build (other than optic) in the same price range and maybe “what you don’t get.” Awesome video, thanks!
"If you build one with an fsp you're out of your fucking mind"
Me- "I'lL FucKInG dO It aGaIn"
Every time if possible. 14.5, 16, 18 and 20's
That Goofy meme kills me every time 🤣🤣🤣
No matter how many times I see these budget builds, I never get tired of them. It is awesome you can slap a bunch of stuff together and have an awesome AR
Lets get the gun snobs going.
Btw High end AR gun snobs are the the Fudds of the Tacticool world.
I think they both look pretty slick...
I love the thicker hand guard on Hop's build.. ever since I had experience using one of a friend's set up.. I loved it.. but I don't want to dremel pieces off & drill.. etc
Actualy this looks like a fun time. Might do something similar with my group of guntuber friends. Christmas special or something
I actually did a pretty neat build just sitting at 1300 ish, with blem aero upper and lower, superlative arms piston kit(on sale), Blem FN chf barrel, Blem toolcraft BCG, Bravo Company gunfighter stock(on sale). You can actually do pretty good budget rifle build if you are ok with using blem parts and waiting for sale.