AR's Purchase Advice

[IronMonster]

agreed, Some of those are pretty esoteric. But trying to get my point across that AR's really are the only platform where you cant say "they are basically all the same" There is a crazy assortment of stuff that could be called an AR.

 

[Cherpybird]

I notice Cabelas always has Bushmasters onsale pretty frequent.
I do know people locally and have shot them before, but shooting one that not your own is different then ownership so really unsure.
I think I will stay with the 5.56 idea.

Keith's usually has Core 15 or Bushmasters for under $600. The core 15 is a well put together rifle.

 

[IronMonster]

That's why Ironmonster thinks it's a bargain for an $8 latte. If he goes to his porn shop,I mean gun shop,it would be 100 times as much

touché

But to be fair I go to oogle the girls with pasties for $8 and get a free coffee.

 

[Sgt Nambu]

Get a Colt!

 

[Wayne]

I will go with the Ruger AR 556 also. I picked one up a few weeks ago and so far impressed. Great bang for the buck. I paid 589.00 Check out Hickocks review here.

 

[Flopsweat]

So what am I going to use it for, if you were all Liberal-Antis Id tell you to F/O.

But since you are not, without disclosing on the internet what other arms I have, I use those in a similar caliber defensive wise are all heavier weight and less nimble then the AR platform.
I Like the idea of having a more portable platform, I am 6'4" as well so I know I need
something that would have a long enough stock to be comfortable but not so heavy that
its portability goes out the window. It doesn't have to be 7.62x39 it would be nice but seems more trouble then its worth in an AR style from what I am getting from all of you.
So something medium use is my idea. Perhaps use as a secondary go to for SHTF and is why reliability is a factor.

Hope this helps.

Perfect. Look for one with a collapsible butstock - most of them have one. This will let you adjust the length of pull to suit you or anyone else shooting the gun. Pretty much a must-have for tall people.

You probably want a 16 or 18 inch barrel. 16 inchers are much more common.

Now you may notice that some rifles have a slightly longer forend (front grip) than others. An AR with a 16 inch barrel may come with either a "Carbine Length" or "Mid Length" gas system. Usually the carbine length has a shorter forend on it. I like the mid length gas system for two reasons; Having the gas port further up the barrel shortens a thing called Dwell Time (interesting stuff, worth reading up on when you have the time) which results in smother recoil. Also the forend is usually longer, which gives you a longer reach if you want - more comfort for taller shooters and better control when shooting for precision - and I think the longer forends look better.

You can get one with a standard (A2) front sight or a small picatinny rail for mounting an aftermarket front sight, or a full length rail (forend grip with picatinny all along it). You'll see them with either a carry handle/rear sight (they are getting less common) or a "Flat Top" which will have picatinny (1913) rail across the top of the receiver, allowing you to mount an aftermarket rear sight, a reflex sight or a scope. You can do combinations of the two. For example, I have an AR with a flattop receiver and an A2 front sight. I've mounted a flip-up rear sight to use with the front sight. I have another that is all picatinny, and I have flip-up front and rear sights with a reflex (often called red-dot or holographic) sight in between them.

Be sure to set aside a few dollars for accessories. If you wind up shooting it often you'll probably want a bunch of spare magazines and a magazine loader. I'm a big fan of Magpul magazines and MagLula loaders. You'll definitely want an AR chamber brush. I've found that a bore snake is a great aid in cleaning the barrel quickly - I still use the rod, brush and patch method at least once a year on each gun. If you wind up with an A2 front sight you'll probably appreciate a front sight tool.

There's a lot more but that will get you started. Besides, my hands are getting tired and the sun is shining real nice out there right now.

So as Iron Monster says, they're not all the same.

 

[oli700]

So what am I going to use it for, if you were all Liberal-Antis Id tell you to F/O.

But since you are not, without disclosing on the internet what other arms I have, I use those in a similar caliber defensive wise are all heavier weight and less nimble then the AR platform.

cool

If you are not opposed to building one then it would help you learn about how it works and how to fix it when it needs it.

I really think if you build you may end up spending a little more but you end up with exactly what you want

as far as configuration, it sounds like you have some heavy hitters already and are looking for something light and nible with some punch still

I would do the carbine gas/buffer system if I were you
More specifically a 14.5 inch pencil barrel with a pinned 2 1/2" muzzle device of your choice
that way you still get plenty of energy inside 200/300 yards , and you have the lightest set up without going pistol/SBR.....not that those aren't effective, they are, just keep expectations real

I am 6'4" as well and if you are looking for a fixed stock the A1 length stocks are great, companies make them, Ace for example makes the skeleton and without the rubber but pad its A1 length, with the pad its A2 length.

Adjustable stocks are cool but I like a more solid gun, so stocks like the Ace SOCOM and Hammer are what I look for in a collapsible
I prefer to do all metal AR's if I can

If you build , get a forged lower/upper.

Spend as much as your budget as you can on the barrel and bolt carrier group

Buy a lower parts kit without fire control group and purchase the ALG ACT trigger for 50 bucks and use that. It will pull nicer than any of the rest of your battle guns, especially the commie ones

Stack up on mags

Stack up on practice ammo

Get some mag carriers

shoot and train .... you can have 10 nice AR's in the corner but it don't make you proficient at running them. One of the best things about AR's is the manual of arms and getting good at malfunction and mag changes is super fun and a good skill
I have seen a few folks with top shelf weapons get straight embarrassed by good shooters with so called "crap"


not trying to tell you whats up, just my $0.02

 

[filsonhand]

What about a Sig 556R gen 2, then you kinda get the best of both platforms. You are not having to buy 5.56 as you are already into x39. Excellent rifles as long as you stay away from the gen 1's they were too tight for steel cases

 

[erudne]

What about a Sig 556R gen 2, then you kinda get the best of both platforms. You are not having to buy 5.56 as you are already into x39. Excellent rifles as long as you stay away from the gen 1's they were too tight for steel cases

from what I have read it was not the chamber but their production process and QC that caused the early SIGs to fail right out of the box, also the Sig 1911s had big troubles too.(how do you mess up a 1911?)

 

[filsonhand]

from what I have read it was not the chamber but their production process and QC that caused the early SIGs to fail right out of the box, also the Sig 1911s had big troubles too.(how do you mess up a 1911?)

Is that why the Sig 1911's are less desirable ? I've had 100% reliability with both sigs listed above.

 

[Member 3687]

Well I do have to agree with IronMonster in that there are many ways and reason for different ARs and they are not all the same but as to the original post I hope this will help.

If you want a basic reliable AR for home defense, plinking, SHTF or just having fun then Ruger 556, Delton, Core, Bushmaster (stay away from the polymer frame) will do pretty much anything you want it to do.

Big difference is do you want a chrome lined BBL or not because from what I can tell a Chrome line will last about 15 to 18 thousand rounds in semi auto fire and a non chrome will do about 10 to 12 thousand but chrome will cost between 150 to 200 dollars more depending on firearm. There are some other advantages but the normal person will never see the need for day to day use. Non chrome tends to be a bit more accurate if you do a proper break in.

Yes it all depends on who built it and how you shoot it as to whether you may get more or less rounds out of a BBL.

The average person will not even shoot 1000 rounds a year so even at that rate you BBL will be good for minimum of 10 years.

Then for a BBL do you want 16 or 20 in? In most cases entry level guns are 16 in carbines in the 600 price range and yes the stocks may be a bit short but it was designed to be adjusted for body armor and web gear not the average shooter. There are some aftermarket longer tubes that can be change out later if it is a true issue.

I prefer running an A2 rifle stock on my guns for this reason as they cycle smoother and I like the storage in the stock as well.

A few of my toys


My favorite 16 in chrome bbl Heavy with A2 buffer tube


Day to day truck gun 11.5 in chrome bbl pistol with KAK extended buffer tube


Delton kit with 16 in heavy mid length gas system non chrome and shoots very well!


Hope this helps.

 

[SporkBoy]

"AR Style" ... AR15 or AR10? There are more ...

Big fan of AR-10 style weapons!

For AR-15 style I suggest you build a lower and buy a complete upper. Pretty much whatever AR-15 style you get you will want to change something in short order. Might as well jump start that by building confidence by building a lower yourself. Great way to learn most everything about properly caring for your new AR-15 is learned by building a lower.

I'm also a big fan of classic A2 stylings. And 20" barrels.

Did I mentions building your lower?

 

[Member 3687]

I forgot to add that I agree that the AR is not a good choice for the 7.62x39 platform. I did one a number of years back and it was a problem child. The CMMG Mutant does look interesting and I have got to handle it but not shoot it yet. It does use AK mags but I do not know if all the bugs are out of it yet as it is so new.

I run AKs as well but got into them when Arsenals where Russian Saiga's and still in the 500 dollar range now they are in the 1000 dollar range. Good guns but not sure if worth 1000.

I just got back into ARs again this year and it is a good platform as it worked well for me in the military, just keep it cleaned and lubed and it works well.

I did the same thing and had to start buying another caliber as I was set up with the 7.62x39 but was getting nervous with the Russian /Ukraine thing and if ammo was still going to be available at cheap prices.

So I bit the bullet and got back into ARs.

https://www.cmmginc.com/product-category/rifles/7-62x39/

As far as the AR10 platform I am not a great fan as there is no real set platform almost every company builds their gun slightly different and most parts are not interchangeable. Forward assist in different locations and until recently most used different mags like DPMS, Armalight and even early Bushmaster used modified FAL mags. They at least are trying to standardizing the mags at the moment.

And if you're looking at SHTF then my question is have you ever carried a 10lb to 12lb rifle and 100 rounds of .308 it isn't fun at all.

I will admit I do have a couple DSA FAL rifles if I need .308 and one that I hunt with and it is heavy enough without any tactical gear to go with it.

16 bbl full gas system Leupold VX3 3x9 scope

 

[P7M13]

Great advice here. Only one thing to add that I don't recall coming across.
If you want to shoot the heavier bullets (62gr or greater), you'll need a barrel with a faster twist rate, like 1:8 or 1:7. As I understand, most ARs come in 1:9, which is ideal for the standard 55gr 5.56x45 cartridge.
If you ever make it up to bunnyhugger land (PDX), I'd be happy to join you with GooseBrown at TCGC. I've got an A2 and also an AR10 you can try. Always looking for an excuse to go shooting.

 

[DuneHopper]

Hi guys after reading over all the great information, wholly cow you guys are great I read every post and then googled some of it to give me a great starting point.

I think I am going to steer away from an AR with 7.62x39. From my experience the SKS was made for the 7.62x39 as well as its breatherin the AK-47 these both work with that round flawlessly if I acquired a temperamental setup with that round I would notice right off having spent thousands of hours with both might not like one that works iffy.
I like to build all my own stuff even do light smith work in the shop. So a build is a good idea however I think buying one built and having time to dissect it would be my best way its how my learning process works then build a second. Show me a book to fix something will take me a year to do it, let me get my hands dirty thats what I like. Never took a day in school for auto-repair but ave done rebuilds in my garage and do 90% of my own auto work so building will be the goal once I have a model to work from and learn from. Not sure about big box store as those that know my posting on NWFA might get the impression thats not how I acquire but locally I do know a few people that have them and build and with all the help here I can narrow it down. However if I do not find one that fits box store may be the way or similar stores.

Thanks all for the help and advise appreciated.

 

[Wayne]

Just a short follow uo vidio by Hickok on the Ruger 556.

 

[Joe13]

Having just spent the last year building one (with hands on help)(and being mechanically minded and handy with tools) IF I were to do it over again, I would buy a fully built model (Ruger etc) and tinker with building a second one.

I don't think I really saved an oodle of cash building it myself - maybe if I were to have been able to take advantage of the Black Friday type mega sales I could have saved some significant money but they have all become very cost effective from factory.


That all may be different with a $3k rifle but I only have experience with the bottom end guns.

 

[Mikej]

Having just spent the last year building one (with hands on help)(and being mechanically minded and handy with tools) IF I were to do it over again, I would buy a fully built model (Ruger etc) and tinker with building a second one.

I don't think I really saved an oodle of cash building it myself - maybe if I were to have been able to take advantage of the Black Friday type mega sales I could have saved some significant money but they have all become very cost effective from factory.


That all may be different with a $3k rifle but I only have experience with the bottom end guns.

That's what I figured out after I bought my first AR for a Black Friday price. There is something to be said (Paid) for the "Cool Factor" though. It may cost more for a basic model, but it will be different than many, or all, others! I figure that's worth a bit more.

 

[jbett98]

My first build was an SBR .300 AAC Blackout. Not the normal route most folks go when attempting to build one on their own.
I didn't want to buy some other guys mistakes and the factory models didn't offer what I had in mind, and after considerable researching on the net, I put together a fully functioning rifle that performed flawlessly, to my surprise.
The hardest parts were figuring out which LPK spring went where and that pesky front take down spring/pin.
Other then that, if you have all the right tools and some patience it's an enjoyable experience.

 

[IronMonster]

I had kind of an epiphany reading over a few posts here in the last few days.

I got caught up in the "all AR's are basically the same" debate.

One of my mistakes is assuming that what I consider an AR might not be what another person sees as an AR.

I would concede that if you are talking bout what you can go to a big box store and buy on the shelf for $500-$800 then "All are basically the same" You are not going to see a wide range of quality or options.

If you are buying a M&P, a AR556, A Del-Ton, A DPMS, Bushmaster or some other similar entry level gun and looking at similar offerings ( comparing carbine to carbine, not a carbine to pistol or rifle) Then really there is not a massive disparity between what you will get. (I would tend to agree that the AR556 is a stand out in that group. Its not substantially different but overall the price is right for what you get)

However. If you talk about building a carbine for $1000-$1200 VS what you can buy for $1000-$1200 as a factory rifle now some real differences can be seen. A $1000-$1200 rifle you build can have a good CHF barrel, a BCM BCG, a Mecharmor Defense drop in trigger an Aero lower and a MI rail and some quality BUIS. ( or comparable stuff, you probably have to do some careful shopping to keep a $1000 budget but it could be done) You could have a rifle with similar quality components to a factory rifle that cost $2000-$2500

Not that I would recommend trying to do that for your first. Trying to build a low buck quality rifle without knowing particulars about products and why you would choose one over another would be extremely difficult. There is no one company that makes the highest quality, lowest price stuff across the board, you have to pick and choose from thousands of possibilitys and learn what works over time. Its not hard at all to build a high quality rifle your first time, However it is difficult to build a high quality CHEAP rifle until you have some experience with a broad range of parts.

So anyway. I think there is some good stuff in this thread. I think sticking with a off the shelf base rifle for your first AR is smart but I think there are some good arguments to be made with never buying another factory rifle after the first one.