Are they serious?
Have you tried to find some of the popular models lately?
God forbid you try to find a reasonably priced AR-15!
The manufacturers are struggling to keep up with the demand, meaning there’s a shortage. Prices have surged and that’s put off many buyers.
I just got back from a small local Wal-Mart. They had a DPMS AR in .223 for $607. That seems a reasonable price to me but I am not familiar with that brand.
Just looking at it, it seemed very well finished. It had a collapsible stock and a Picatinney rail. They also had a Mini-14 which surprisingly was priced a little higher than the AR. I will say it was better looking than the ones I owned maybe 25 years ago. The stock actually looked like walnut tho I doubt it really is.