Anderson AM-15 Optic Ready

The Anderson AM-15 Optic Ready is the cheapest AR-15 most gun shops will stock. Anderson Manufacturing builds them in Hebron, Kentucky on standard mil-spec dimensions (forged 7075-T6 upper and lower, M4 feed ramps, mil-spec buffer tube), uses Chrome Moly Vanadium steel for the 16-inch M4 profile barrel with a 1:8 twist (handles both 55 and 77 grain bullets adequately), and ships the rifle with a flat-top upper (no sights), an A2-style polymer drop-in handguard, A2 pistol grip, six-position carbine stock, and one 30-round magazine. The trigger is Anderson's 17-4 stainless steel single-stage; mediocre but functional. There is no free-float rail, no M-LOK, and no ambidextrous controls. What you get for $549 to $680 street is a flat-top platform that runs, holds zero on a red dot, and gives you a starting point to upgrade. Most owners swap the trigger and the handguard within the first year. The non-RF85 variants are slightly cheaper than RF85-treated guns, and Anderson's QC is acceptable but not BCM-tier; expect to clean and lube the BCG thoroughly before first range trip.