Thread: Opinions please!

So after reading the thread about a $600 ar rifle and a $1200 ar rifle it got me thinking. The most common ar rifles out there are dpms, bushy, rra, oly, deltron, armalite, ect, ect. Out of the most common rifles what would you choose and why? Let's leave the colts out as trying to get a used one is almost impossible with loosing your left.....well you know.

I know what I prefer but I am VERY interested in what other people prefer and why.

I've owned:

Oly
Bushmaster
DPMS
Rock River
Stag
Del-Ton ( have built multiple kits )

All worked great. There were differences in fit and finish to some degree or another but I have yet to own a "Lemon". As long as it shoots well and doesn't have mechanical issues I'm content.

I prefer Del-Ton kits for the "bang for the buck" factor, hard to beat their price/quality ratio.

Here is the catch to that whole thing. Each of these companies ASSEMBLES AR's. Very few if any actually make any of the parts. I dont know the total number but I am guessing there are only a few companies that each kind of part. For example what this means is there are 5 makers of the parts for a LPK. Each brand my spec them a little different or maybe not. Then that supplier packages them up in that packing of the selling company. Now you can get LPK in 10 different packagings, with 10 different prices from 10 different companies but they are all the same parts........

Originally Posted by Nwcid

Here is the catch to that whole thing. Each of these companies ASSEMBLES AR's. Very few if any actually make any of the parts. I dont know the total number but I am guessing there are only a few companies that each kind of part. For example what this means is there are 5 makers of the parts for a LPK. Each brand my spec them a little different or maybe not. Then that supplier packages them up in that packing of the selling company. Now you can get LPK in 10 different packagings, with 10 different prices from 10 different companies but they are all the same parts........

And your preference in ar's listed would be??????

My preference ----> Spike's Tactial Their ST-15 Mid-Length LE Carbine for $859.95 is a great value IMO. It has great specs, super fit/finish, lifetime warrantee, and excellent customer service.

If you are not willing to pay for premium.

BCM or DD is way to go.

Companies that OP mentioned used to be good, but then they all went down the hill.

You wont get an accurate answer to the question as the best rifle is the one the person responding owns at the moment, funny how that works.

I'm with the group that doesn't think you need to spend and arm and a leg for a decent AR. I currently have an older Bushmaster lower with an older RR carbine upper that works just fine and a DD M4gery that I like as well. Have spent some money on a few mods such as an Aimpoint Comp ML3 with YHM fold down irons for the Bushy/RR carbine, but that's just getting it to a config that I like. Doesn't affect reliability.

I plan to make some mods to the DD to turn it into more of a designated marksman platform, but as far as functionality both my AR's do everything I ask them to do.

Also have a DPMS SASS .308 set up with a Leupold Mark IV 4.5 - 14. I haven't spent much time with this rifle, but what little I have has shown me that the rifle is defintely capable of more accuracy than I have been able to wring out of it so far.

Originally Posted by 22many

And your preference in ar's listed would be??????

Sorry. For the inexpensive plinker I will look around at price. All are going to perform similar. I dont generally buy them anymore, I build them.

For some reason the only one I wouldn't buy would be the Oly Arms. And probably not the Delton.Don't really know why
With that said I recently talked to a soldier that shot the bubblegum out of his OA over in Iraq for a couple years.

I think they are all perfectly fine and would get the one with the best price on it in the configuration I wanted.

I own a Stag home built 6H with a Chip McCormic trigger and a Franken built AR with DPMS lower and LPK,mega upper,Black hole barrel that cost me about $700 and shoots MOA just playin'

Before our washing machine took a dive, I was well set, with thorough study, to make my first AR a Del-ton.

Originally Posted by mjbskwim

For some reason the only one I wouldn't buy would be the Oly Arms. And probably not the Delton.Don't really know why
With that said I recently talked to a soldier that shot the bubblegum out of his OA over in Iraq for a couple years.'

I see alot of people think this way. While oly has been knows to have problems it seem maybe their problems are a thing of the past? One of my ar's is a oly and it is very tight fitting compared to other rifles that people say are "better". Ive had bushmasters that were so loose that i couldnt deal with it and sold them. A couple friends have some preban oly's and they have had very good luck with them. While alot of people dont like oly, they make very good barrels.

Now with that said, I probally wouldnt buy another one unless it was a smokin deal. Reason being is they are just to hard to sell. Nobody wants a oly because of their past problems.

As for deltrons, I dont know, never tried them. I see alot of them going for cheap so I might just pick one up and try it out.

Originally Posted by 22many

I see alot of people think this way. While oly has been knows to have problems it seem maybe their problems are a thing of the past? One of my ar's is a oly and it is very tight fitting compared to other rifles that people say are "better". Ive had bushmasters that were so loose that i couldnt deal with it and sold them. A couple friends have some preban oly's and they have had very good luck with them. While alot of people dont like oly, they make very good barrels.

Now with that said, I probally wouldnt buy another one unless it was a smokin deal. Reason being is they are just to hard to sell. Nobody wants a oly because of their past problems.

As for deltrons, I dont know, never tried them. I see alot of them going for cheap so I might just pick one up and try it out.

Wanna see me doing an internet impossibility?





Me shooting an Oly with steel cased ammo ( Green lacquer too!!! )....at a PR match!!!


( that pic is almost 10 years old... )

Nice unka-boo.

Originally Posted by Unka-Boo

I've owned:

Oly
Bushmaster
DPMS
Rock River
Stag
Del-Ton ( have built multiple kits )

All worked great. There were differences in fit and finish to some degree or another but I have yet to own a "Lemon". As long as it shoots well and doesn't have mechanical issues I'm content.

I prefer Del-Ton kits for the "bang for the buck" factor, hard to beat their price/quality ratio.

THIS!

The AR15's reliability has more to do with the competence of it owner than it's manufacturer name.
I currently own Bushmasters, ArmaLite, Noveske, Colt, Alexander Arms and several Frankenstein's. The roll mark makes little difference. It does make a difference when you want to sell it.

If I was to buy a completed rifle today it would be the PSA M4gery for $600. A mil-spec rifle at a commercial price.

Originally Posted by Unka-Boo

( that pic is almost 10 years old... )

I was going to say you looked awfully skinny there.

Originally Posted by madcratebuilder

THIS!

The AR15's reliability has more to do with the competence of it owner than it's manufacturer name.
I currently own Bushmasters, ArmaLite, Noveske, Colt, Alexander Arms and several Frankenstein's. The roll mark makes little difference. It does make a difference when you want to sell it.

If I was to buy a completed rifle today it would be the PSA M4gery for $600. A mil-spec rifle at a commercial price.




I was going to say you looked awfully skinny there.

Heck, I'm smaller now than in that pic....it was before the "great Boo bloat" though...

Originally Posted by madcratebuilder

THIS!

The AR15's reliability has more to do with the competence of it owner than it's manufacturer name.
I currently own Bushmasters, ArmaLite, Noveske, Colt, Alexander Arms and several Frankenstein's. The roll mark makes little difference. It does make a difference when you want to sell it.


If I was to buy a completed rifle today it would be the PSA M4gery for $600. A mil-spec rifle at a commercial price.



I was going to say you looked awfully skinny there.

What do you think of your armalite?

Never really owned any high end ARs but have owned, Bushy, RRA(10.5 inch pistol), Aero Precision lower with a Bushy upper and now DPMS. They were all base models with none of the bells and whistles. They all fired every time the trigger was pulled and never had a problem with any of them. Sure it would be nice to get a custom AR for 3k+ but not really worth the money for what I use them for.