Got an email Sunday for a 24 hour sale on Anderson AR-15 stripped lowers. Being as I can make it to their shop pretty easily, I ordered some. It was a one day sale, $29.99 each, limit 3. That is the best I have seen from a reputable manufacturer.
I picked them up today and talked to the staff. During the sale they sold 4800+ of them. Dealers I talked to said they pay more than that for them.
Good news is that there is a strong possibility of them having them on sale again this July 4th. The only way to know they are on sale is to sign up for their emails. You must put an order in before the 24 hours expires to get on for the sale price.
http://www.primaryarms.com/If you are in the Houston area, they are easy to get to on the Beltway (near Pearland Bass Pro Shops), and you can save shipping and transfer fees by picking up at their storefront. They have a will call/cash option so you don't have to enter a CCard if you don't want to.
If not and are not familiar with the procedure, they must ship them to a FFL where you fill out the 4473, background check, etc. Good news is the cost would probably still be about $50 for most folks. A number of websites take your zip code, then give you a list of FFLs in your area and their fees.
Note: This is the only regulated part (in most places), everything else is just parts. If you have not assembled an Modern Sporting Rifle like the AR-15 it's a fairly simple task requiring common hand tools. Parts kits are easy to find these days, with basic ones beginning around $300. Since they are virgin receivers, you can initially assemble them into pistols or rifles, your choice. The lower has very little to do with the quality of the rifle in the end (if it is in spec.), the parts you put into and around it make the difference.
Never thought I would see the day when you could assemble a M-4 carbine clone for $350, or about half what I bought my first Colt AR-15 Sporter in the mid 80's for.
