The Real Cost of Buying a Cheap Gun (And Why PSA Ain’t the Deal You Think It Is)

This is what happens when you throw high-end parts at a low-end mistake.

Buy Once, Cry Once, Or Pay Forever

The truth about bargain-bin rifles, PSA scams, and why quality should always come first

By: Family of Patriots

Cheap ≠ Inexpensive

Let’s get something straight:

Cheap means trash-quality.

Inexpensive means high value for the money.

There’s a massive difference, and too many buyers don’t realize it until it’s too late. If you’re buying a firearm for a purpose; whether it’s home defense, duty use, truck gun, or training platform, going cheap will leave you frustrated, broke, and possibly in danger. And no, throwing upgrades at a garbage gun doesn’t fix it. You just turned a $100 problem into a $1,000 regret.

Buy Once, Cry Once

There's a Reason This Exists

You’ve heard the phrase. We live by it. Because we’ve seen what happens when people don’t.

One customer brought in a PSA rifle he had transferred through us after falling for the “great deal.” He hit the range and realized right away — something was off. Consistency was trash. But it wasn’t just an accuracy problem...... it was a dangerous one.

The rifle, when bench-rested, was sending rounds all over the place. One shot on target, the next halfway across the city. Turns out the barrel nut was stripped, the barrel wasn’t properly seated, handguard screws weren’t even torqued, and the trigger wasn’t set on the pins right, which caused a pin to start walking out. Once we got into it, we discovered the upper threading was stripped too — the whole upper had to be replaced just to make it safe.

Another guy brought in a PSA lower for Cerakote. During sandblasting, literal metal flakes were peeling off the lower receiver. It looked like a cheap Chinese knockoff airsoft gun, not something you’d bet your life on. We stopped everything and showed him. He scrapped the entire project and bought a real rifle once he saw how bad the construction truly was.

Range Toys vs. Purpose Driven Tools, Know the Difference

Now look — if you’re buying cheap because you want a range toy, go for it. You want to tinker, test builds, experiment with cheap parts, or have a beater gun just for the range? No problem.

Go build your asinine idea on something cheap and have your fun. That’s part of what makes shooting enjoyable.

BUT if you’re building or buying for a real purpose — defense, duty, training, or survival — don’t cut corners on yourself like the manufacturer did.

If your gun was built like a toy, and you treat it like a tool…It will fail you like a toy.

Own your decision. Don’t lie to yourself about what that gun is — or isn’t.

PSA “Premium”?....... Please.

Palmetto State Armory is the master of the marketing bait-and-switch. Slap the word "premium" on a rifle, bump the price to $1,400, add a flashier look...... and boom, the inexperienced buyer thinks they’ve just scored an elite rifle. But it’s the same shaky QC, the same toddler-assembled internals, just with better window dressing.

If you're dropping four figures on a PSA, you’ve been scammed. Period. That $1,400 rifle has $100–$300 of actual value, and that’s being generous.

You could've bought:

• IWI Zion – No frills, but consistent quality control and a solid foundation.

• Aero Precision – Clean builds, strong performance, and real value.

• Base model POF – Yeah, a little more, but built right from the ground up.

You’re Being Played

Just Like a Kid in a Cereal Aisle

Marketing plays off the same psychology as cartoons on cereal boxes. Think about it: all the sugary crap cereals with zero nutrition are placed right at eye-level for children. Why? Because they don’t care about quality, they just want it to look cool.

PSA and companies like them do the exact same thing. Flashy look, cool names, “limited edition,” tactical paint jobs.... but underneath? Still garbage. Stop being sold like a child. Do your homework. Learn to spot quality, not hype.

You Can’t Polish a Turd

This is where people make the second mistake...... trying to “fix” their bad purchase.

They dump $200–$400 triggers, upgraded BCGs, optics, and furniture onto a rifle that was never worth upgrading in the first place. If your gun’s core is junk, you just built a Rolex movement into a Casio, or a Ferrari engine into a Toyota Yaris. It doesn’t work that way.

POF, Daniel Defense, LWRC...... sure, they cost more. But they hold value. Quality gear keeps its resale strength and delivers performance. Buying quality upfront means you’re investing, not patching together a problem.

“What’s Your Cheapest AR?”

If someone walks into our shop asking for the cheapest gun, this is what I tell them:

“If you want garbage, I can show you garbage. Hell, I might even charge you more for making me put my name on it. But what is your life worth? Is your life cheap?”

Then I shift the conversation. I ask their actual budget, and I find them the absolute best quality gun in that range. If they’re close to a solid buy but not quite there, I’ll recommend they wait.... or we’ll put them on a payment plan. Because at Family of Patriots, we don’t let people waste money on junk. Not if we can help it.

Brands We Avoid — For a Reason

Here’s a short list of brands we typically steer people away from unless they’re building a pure range toy:

• Palmetto State Armory (PSA)

• Bear Creek Arsenal

• OMNI

• Hi-Point

• GLFA

• Del-Ton

That list could go on. Sure, they make guns. But so do BB gun factories in Taiwan. Doesn’t mean you should trust your life to one.

The Smart Choices That Won’t Let You Down

If you want true value and real quality at the inexpensive tier, here’s where to look:

• IWI Zion – Basic... but built right.

• Aero Precision – Smart choice for entry-level builders.

• POF Base Model – Mid-range that performs like a high-end system.

• ZRO Delta – Often overlooked, but they punch way above their price point.

Final Word: You’re Not Saving Money — You’re Just Burning It

This isn’t about bashing brands. It’s about protecting your investment, your training time, and maybe your life. Cheap guns don’t just cost less — they cost more in the long run. Time, frustration, repairs, parts, resale loss.... it all adds up.

So, before you buy, ask yourself:

Are you okay betting your safety, your reliability, and your money on something you already know was built to cut corners?

Buy once. Cry once. Train with confidence. And if you’re not sure what’s right for you, swing by Family of Patriots. We’ll show you what real value looks like.