It seems like every year or two a new rifle takes the crown for the best AR-15 “for the price” or best AR-15 under $1,000. That’s not a bad thing, that’s the market at work and actually working for the people.
Often times the crown is worn by brands that are well known for their budget offerings, like the Palmetto State Armory SABRE line. But once in a while, a premium brand comes out with a real banger. For 2024, that has to be the Patriot Ordnance Factory P-15 BASE.
POF might be most known for its more innovative rifles like the Revolution small-frame AR-10 or Tombstone lever-action PCC, and by comparison the BASE seems a little… tame. But under the hood is found one hell of a sleeper AR-15.
SPECS:
- Chambered in 5.56×45 NATO.
- 16.5″ Premium Barrel — Black Nitride Heat Treated, 4150 CrMoV Steel, 1-8 Twist, 5R Right Hand Lands & Grooves, & 1/2X28 Muzzle Threads.
- Mid-Length Gas System with Black Nitride Low Profile Non-adjustable Gas Block.
- 15″ Aluminum M-LOK Rail System.
- A2 Flash Hider.
- Mil-spec Trigger Group.
- Aluminum Billet Forged Upper and Lower Receivers.
- Premium Black Nitride Mil-Spec Bolt Carrier Group with a Roller Cam Pin.
- 6 Position Anti-Tilt Mil-Spec Buffer Tube.
- Mil-spec Charging Handle
- Mission First Tactical Minimalist Stock
- A2 Pistol Grip.
- Ships with (1) 30 Round MFT Magazine.
- Finish: MIL-A-8625F Type III Class 2 Flat Black Hard Anodize.
VALUE DELIVERED
In a lot of ways, the P-15 BASE is pretty simple. But in a few important ways, it is anything but. The simple parts might include the gas system, gas block, A2 flash hider, MIL-SPEC trigger, A2 grip, and a simple Anodize finish.
Take a closer look and you’ll notice the CrMoV steel barrel with POF-USA’s patented E2 dual-extraction chamber, POF BCG with roller cam pin, and that this has to be the most crisp and clean feeling “MIL-SPEC” trigger you’ve ever shot.
RANGE TIME
Reviews like these are the hardest to write because nothing interesting happens. The P-15 BASE has run like a Swiss watch from the first round. Topped with a Lead & Steel Promethean red dot and fitted with some Walker Defense Research NILE Silicon Carbide M-LOK rail covers, the rifle has eaten anything from 55gr steel case trash ammo to 77gr Black Hills. No issues of any kind with any ammo.
This barrel isn’t what you normally see from a “base” rifle. This barrel shoots. 50 yards with a red dot and no magnification off a sand bag, .84 MOA 5-shot group with Black Sheep 55gr ammo. Black Sheep ammo shoots really well in all of my rifles, but getting sub-MOA groups was impressive. Even for twice the money, this is hands down one of the best shooting AR-15 barrels I’ve ever come across.
The trigger might be “MIL-SPEC” but it is actually nice to shoot. While heavy like a normal MIL-SPEC trigger, there is almost zero travel, a stone wall, glass rod break, and a very short reset. If it was 3-pounds lighter it would be called a premium match-grade trigger. Even with the added pull weight, making distance shots was easy due to just how well-made the trigger is in all other respects.
One cool premium upgrade with the P-15 BASE is the inclusion of the POF roller cam pin. It isn’t anything that will change your life, let’s face it, but it’s a nice improvement over the classic design.
According to POF, this design reduces friction and improves durability and longevity. Instead of the cam pin being allowed to wear in the receiver, the roller cam pin… rolls. Things that roll have less friction and less wear than things that drag. Simple.
While this rifle doesn’t have tens of thousands of rounds through it to test that, we’ve always heard positive reports about the POF BCG and this BCG has run perfectly so far.
You might look at this BCG and say “That stake job doesn’t look right” or at least that’s what I said when I looked at it. I reached out to POF about why this BCG looked less staked and more lightly caressed and was assured that while it looks “light”, it does meet spec since it touches the screws. POF uses a 35-ton press to do their BCG stakes with precision tooling for consistent depth. If they stake it too hard using the press, it can break the bolt heads off. What works best looks “light” but is actually by design. The more you know.
IS IT PERFECT?
This might fall under a bit of nitpicking, but the P-15 BASE isn’t perfect. It’s impressive, for the money. It’s a solid rifle for any beginner or anyone looking for a rifle that delivers a huge amount of value for your dollar. But it’s just a hair shy of perfect.
The A2 grip is what I dislike the most. The Mil-spec charging handle isn’t far behind either. Using them saves on cost and when it’s a budget-built rifle, that has to count for something, but it also just makes the rifle feel cheap.
Where it matters, the rifle is premium. Premium BCG, actual lights-out barrel, great fit and finish. But that A2 just doesn’t do it for me.
Of course, this is easy to solve on the user side if you’re as bothered by it as I was. And if you just like A2 grips, rejoice that your favorite grip is included for no extra charge.
LOOSE ROUNDS
If I had a little crown to give for the best budget rifle of 2024, the P-15 Base would wear it for sure. $999 MSRP and less than that at dealers, the P-15 BASE delivers amazing value.
For new AR owners or AR enthusiasts needing a new starter rifle, this is the one to pick if you want something that does the job and will do the job for a long time coming.
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