Budget was never one of my considerations at purchase time. Your life my someday depend on your rifle. Do not skimp.
My suggestion is to buy a serialed lower and build. Get someone who knows what they are doing and start acquiring parts. You can build a $2000.00 gun for $699.
I built my shit so long ago there are no websites for most of the companies. That shit was so fun and cheap back in the day. Till the "Ghost Gun" shit hit the news. My hobby's cost tripled over night.
You bought a get another gun gun.
It took me years to come around to slav shit firearms. When I finally did I was pissed at myself for not purchasing any in the pre-ban era. The good stuff really isn't for sale these days. Those US made from global parts are a hit or miss proposition. I've seen some go thousands of rounds and some go 200. They often need some TLC for clearances in the breach. I've got an early WASR 10 that is good at best but to get it there required a few trips to the firing range and a can of blue machinists dye.
Plus with new sanctions ammo is hard to find and way more expensive now.
> "762 39 is a nickel cheaper than 223"
I rest my case. Expensive verified. I still have a 1000 round canister that I paid $40.00 for.. Used to shoot that much up a month before the Y2K scare. This was the time I learned to love slav shit. Had a friend who collected it and ammo was as cheap as .22 which was my preference. Used to think nothing of burning 3 or 4 hundred rounds in a outing.
>"can ARs even fire steel? "
Yes, I can fire steel through all of my ARs.