$1000 rifle expectations

[EDGLLC]

You're BUYING an AR15 for $1000 what are your expectations at that price point?

What price do you think is the sweet spot for buying an AR15?

Bonus question: a sketchy friend/family member of yours says they're building an AR15 for $350. What do you think is the first part to break or catastrophically fail? Had a family member tell me they're building an AR at that price and I was laughing inside while encouraging them to remember the gun safety rules.

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[solv3nt]

You're BUYING an AR15 for $1000 what are your expectations at that price point?

What price do you think is the sweet spot for buying an AR15?

Bonus question: a sketchy friend/family member of yours says they're building an AR15 for $350. What do you think is the first part to break or catastrophically fail? Had a family member tell me they're building an AR at that price and I was laughing inside while encouraging them to remember the gun safety rules.

A $1000 AR will get you a solid mid tier rifle such as Colt or BCM.

 

[VinnieBoomBah]

You're BUYING an AR15 for $1000 what are your expectations at that price point?

I would expect all my friends to laugh at me for spending $650.00 more than I had to

JMHO, but for $1,000 I feel your buying a name and not a better product, on a $350 one I would check the stacking on the gas key

 

[Member 34319]

You're BUYING an AR15 for $1000 what are your expectations at that price point?

What price do you think is the sweet spot for buying an AR15?

Bonus question: a sketchy friend/family member of yours says they're building an AR15 for $350. What do you think is the first part to break or catastrophically fail? Had a family member tell me they're building an AR at that price and I was laughing inside while encouraging them to remember the gun safety rules.

Sadly the $350 ones shoot as good if not better than the $1000 ones do, usually with less problems too.

 

[TTSX]

I would expect all my friends to laugh at me for spending $650.00 more than I had to

JMHO, but for $1,000 I feel your buying a name and not a better product, on a $350 one I would check the stacking on the gas key

PSA is JuST aS GUud'R

 

[solv3nt]

I would expect all my friends to laugh at me for spending $650.00 more than I had to

JMHO, but for $1,000 I feel your buying a name and not a better product, on a $350 one I would check the stacking on the gas key

You're just jealous because you have the food stamp pony instead

 

[VinnieBoomBah]

You're just jealous because you have the food stamp pony instead

Yeah, but I also have that other one from that "other" website.

 

[TTSX]

To be fair, at $1k, I don't expect a lot. It seems like it take about $1500 to get pinned gas blocks, quality handguards, ambi controls and a not gritty-poopy trigger. Or you could build a MF.

 

[solv3nt]

Yeah, but I also have that other one from that "other" website.

He's right though, you start paying for the name after about $700. I'll admit, I'm a snob, my 1911 says "Wilson Combat" and not "Rock Island".

 

[TTSX]

Yeah, but I also have that other one from that "other" website.

Pornhub?

 

[Longwalkhome]

I try to buy guns I am pretty sure I can get my money back out of them in the future. I bought guns in the past friends thought were overpriced but made out over time. $1,000 AR should have features folks will still want in the future good market.

 

[solv3nt]

Pornhub?

When did they start selling black rifles? I'd expect big black, oh never mind.

 

[.45's and .38's]

I would expect for 1000
The lower say BCM
The upper say BCM
Hand guard says BCM

You did good

 

[VinnieBoomBah]

Pornhub?

I WISH!!!

 

[CLT65]

I have a .300 BO AR that cost about that: $299 PSA special and a $50 Anderson lower.

It works fine, haven't had a problem with it. It's reliable and reasonably accurate. I'm also not a serious AR guy, soldier or operator whose life depends on quality equipment. I just use it for enjoyable recreation at the range, and it's great for that.

 

[EDGLLC]

A $1000 AR will get you a solid mid tier rifle such as Colt or BCM.

But even then, BCM rifles start at $1200 for their non free floated basic rifles.

 

[3MTA3]

For $1,000 I expect a roll mark that will allow me to sell later at a decent price.

To me a firearm is a tool. I want it to work to meet my needs and I don't care what brand so long. Like all my other tools I understand them for what they are and not what I imagine them to be.

I have a few builds that came in at over $1500 each not including optics or cerakote. Each part was chosen for a specific reason, and the money was in the parts that mattered. Also assembled myself with proper time and attention taken to ensure proper seating, torquing, etc.. I trust my QC far more than I trust even the most experienced guy on anyone's assembly line.

I also have a Ruger AR556 that cost a third of that and a frankenpistol based on an AP lower and a PSA 10.5" upper.

They all run like sewing machines and do their job. My high end builds as more accurate than the other two. I did swap out the Ruger bolt for a Toolkraft full auto, but it has performed flawlessly with both. No horsey or other fancy roll marks but I trust my life to all of them.

It all depends on what you want. If I want to dig a hole it doesn't matter to me of my shovel is a decent steel or the same steel plated with silver. I get the same hole either way.

 

[American123]

I think there are measurable qualities in AR's that make some better than others, but that doesn't mean just because you pay a certain amount you are getting any better quality than if you paid less.

Accuracy is often a metric of determining quality when talking about rifles. I punched a sub 1 inch group at 100 yards from bench with a $300 PSA upper. An identical upper did between 2 and 3 inches. Sometimes it is just luck if the draw.

I think there is legitimacy to some rifles costing more and being overall better quality, but I also believe there is a lot of "paying for a name" going on.

 

[Member 3687]

This has been talked about many, many times over the years yet it comes down to personal experience.

If you do a google search the average price of an M4 from FN to the military is 650 to 700 bucks. So, because of the price point are they bad guns?

Over the years I have seen BCM, Danial Defense and Colt go down hard during 3-day rifle classes while many PSA guns come out without a problem, it's just luck of the draw as any firearm can break and its usually the little parts that fail not the big ones.

Most of the folks I know that own the expensive guns never use them and the guns are safe queens. They are afraid to shoot them because of the price or they can't afford to shoot them because the gun cost them so much to buy, they cannot afford the ammo or classes to practice but where told it's the gun they had to have for an SHTF. Sort of like Glock fan boys stating if you don't own a Glock, you don't have a gun. You can replace that with 1911 folks as well if you wish.

I have found that a good lower parts group is the key more than anything. Good heat treating on the little parts and springs do make a difference so I do use BCM lower parts kits as I have not had one fail yet and I like the grip that comes with them. This is not to say they can't or won't break but I have not had one do it yet.

Even competition shooters that represent a certain factory do not shoot stock off the shelf guns they are hand tuned to the shooter's specs and ammo.

My question is what are you going to do with the AR15 Rifle/Pistol in reality. Most folks never shoot more than 300 rounds a year, they have 5 mags or less and the red dot mounted on top was less than 200 bucks so an M&P Sport, Ruger 5.56 or a PSA will last them a life time and never fail them during the occasional 30 round mag dump with cheap white box ammo.

Compared to the rifles of 20 years ago the technology in machining and assembly is so much better that its hard to find a bad play toy.

Now if you plan on shooting 500 to 1000 rounds a month, plus you are taking classes twice a year and shooting 3-gun then spending the extra money may be worth it, but I would still have a back up gun just in case your main gun goes down.

What's my claim to fame that formed my opinion, personal experience. I have built ARs since the 80s and I am down to 20 of them as I have sold off a few. I have Colts, BCM, PSA and a number of total Frankenstein guns with barrels from 7 to 20 in. I was taking classes as often as I could and played in 3 guns for a short while and I have abused both expensive and cheap guns just to see what will break for fun.

This is just my opinion but I would rather see someone get a $700 gun and $1000 in ammo and go take some classes rather than spend 1500 to 2000 on a gun that sets in a safe and makes them look cool when the buddies come over.

 

[Longwalkhome]

In the 1990s I bought a pre ban heavy barrel Colt Hbar new in the box for $630, a lot for those days.