Sturm, Ruger & Co. announced a new offering: the AR-Lower Elite. The AR-Lower Elite is a complete AR lower that includes a full fire control group, buffer tube assembly and stock. All you need to do is add an upper and magazine to start having fun. Back in December, Ruger began offering stripped lowers, so it is no surprise to me that it is now offering completed lowers.

The lower is forged 7075-T6 aluminum with a Type III hard coat anodized finish. This is pretty typical for AR lowers. For the grip, it selected the Magpul MOE grip. A MOE 6-position carbine stock was used on back.

Ruger uses its own Elite 452 AR trigger in this assembly. The Elite 452 is a two stage trigger with a 4.5 pound pull. It is not adjustable by the user. According to the company, it has a 30% faster lock time than standard MSR triggers. I’ve tried this trigger previously and found it to be a nice upgrade over typical milspec triggers.

Since this is a complete lower, it is a serial numbered product. That means you must transfer this through a licensed firearms dealer just as if it were a complete rifle. The suggested retail price is $299. I would expect that “street” prices may be around $250. Yes, you can build a complete lower for less money, but for those that are looking to save a little time or are not comfortable with building their own, this would seem to be a fair price.