ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ..... Ford vs Chevy vs Dodge...
In all seriousness, for the money, Palmetto State Armory makes one of the better rifles out there. Good luck getting one, though. I was in the store recently and the guy at the counter told me that as soon as they put them on the wall, they’re gone.
If your friend wants to spend a little more for a quality weapon take a look at Sionics Weapons Systems out of Tuscon, Arizona. Small company. Fantastic rifles. Supply law enforcement agencies, big and small, all over the country. They’re not the cheapest out there, but they’re definitely not the high end stuff that doesn’t shoot any better than anything else.
My 2cents
Good luck on finding a battle rifle. My local pawn/gun shop I haven’t seen any battle rifles in a good while. Most of what is left is shotguns and hunting rifles. Handgun wise there were plenty of 1911’s but very few revolvers and no high capacity handguns. If you can’t get an AR look for a .12 gauge shotgun or a good marlin lever 30-30. The 1911 with extra magazines are fine handguns as well.