The Search For My First AR-15

[WildBills-AR]

From reading over this thread, it looks like most would agree that a Colt or S&W are a solid choice for a low cost AR. It can be a bit of a rabbit hole once you get that AR then you want to outfit it with a scope/red dot and or a light, maybe better sights. Oh what I want to cerakote it now. Ooh man look at that nice new buttstock. Sure do like that grip better than the one I have. Crap guess I will just build a second now that I have all these parts.
But anymore it seems the true cost is in ammo.

 

[11Charlie]

In case your interested this my S&W sport. The only thing I have upgraded is the hand guard which is a Troy that I got a really screaming deal so I couldn't pass up on the deal.

 

[3wayA]

I'd say yes. BUT, it's lacking a lot of 'standard' features for that money, best to hit up the Ruger or M&P instead for not much more.

Also, if you do want a little more, i checked out the Springfield Saint, it feels really good, has nice features and fit, it's a little more than the Ruger, but still a very solid buy, it'd be hard for me to choose between the Saint and the Ruger if i was buying my first.

Is the Saint pretty easy to find? Gonna be trying to get one soon and want to know if I will have any trouble finding it.

 

[Jakeburchett3]

Is the Saint pretty easy to find? Gonna be trying to get one soon and want to know if I will have any trouble finding it.

The few places that I went to when I looked for my AR-15 seemed to be out of them. That was a couple months ago so I don't know about now though.

 

[U8395279]

The few places that I went to when I looked for my AR-15 seemed to be out of them. That was a couple months ago so I don't know about now though.

You sure must not be trying very hard to get a rifle. if anything, there is a glut of them available on the market. I would describe the market as being currently oversaturated, myself.

Even if it was true that there is a shortage at your local dealers, there are countless online resellers that one can very easily purchase from.

I'm most surprised that you did not take advantage of any of the Black Friday or holiday season sales.

.

 

[F2CMaDMaXX]

Yeah, saint is in a Buds and Sportsman's last I checked.

 

[U8395279]

Yeah, saint is in a Buds and Sportsman's last I checked.

I'm trying real hard to figure out what, if anything, makes the Saint special or desirable. To me, it is just a very ordinary 16 inch carbine, with Bravo Company furniture on it.

One can also find them on gunbroker.com for $899 To me, there are so many less expensive AR-15 options available on the market that are basically the same gun. And there are also so many other more established AR-15 brands at that high a price level to choose from.

Finally, Saint just seems like an inappropriate name for a gun. Especially for a tactical type weapon.

.

 

[Flopsweat]

I'm trying real hard to figure out what, if anything, makes the Saint special or desirable. To me, it is just a very ordinary 16 inch carbine, with Bravo Company furniture on it.

One can also find them on gunbroker.com for $899 To me, there are so many less expensive AR-15 options available on the market that are basically the same gun. And there are also so many other more established AR-15 brands at that high a price level to choose from.

Finally, Saint just seems like an inappropriate name for a gun. Especially for a tactical type weapon.

.

Funny, the name is a big reason I'm not interested in the gun. I'm just not interested in an AR with "Saint" on the side of it. Now on a Volvo 1800, maybe...

 

[Boboclown]

Just get a Ruger AR556, you can find some for a defent price if you look online. I get wanting to support local stores but sometimes its better to go online.

I'm trying real hard to figure out what, if anything, makes the Saint special or desirable

Aside from it being Springfield (which I'm not a big fan of tbh)? Nothing. Just an overhyped AR, when they could have done something else (the factory that makes the XD also makes a bullpup, just sayin').

An AR is an AR is an AR

An AR is an AR but an AR with a chainsaw is an AR with a chainsaw.

 

[DirectDrive]

I'm trying real hard to figure out what, if anything, makes the Saint special or desirable. To me, it is just a very ordinary 16 inch carbine, with Bravo Company furniture on it.

Nothing super-special about it.
But it's a 16" mid-gasser (middie) which makes it different from most entry-level offerings.
Typical would be 16" carbine-gassed which look funny to me with all that barrel hangin' out there.
It's a civilian market thing.

The middie has the same amount of barrel beyond the handguard as a 20" rifle.
The USGI bayonet fits this dimension.

My first scratch build was a 16" mid-gasser on Aero receivers.
Cost me $890

 

[ron]

Ahh Grasshopper. What you want to do with the AR????
I recommend you buy a "Wok Wiver" aka Rock River upper.
All Products | PK Firearmshttp
This is what I like 18 inch.
Rock River Arms R3 Competition Upper | PK Firearms
Welcome to the forum

 

[U8395279]

Just get a Ruger AR556, you can find some for a decent price if you look online.

I think that if I was in the market for an AR-15 today, and wanted a quality rifle that was a bit different, that would be my choice too.

In this age of the Internet, all types of local retail shops are closing. Just look at this week's announcements of store closings from Macy's, K-Mart, and Sears. If someone had told me back in 2001 that most of the guns that I would buy in the future would be from an online source, I would have thought that person he was crazy. But times have indeed changed.

Aside from it being Springfield (which I'm not a big fan of tbh)? Nothing. Just an overhyped AR, when they could have done something else (the factory that makes the XD also makes a bullpup, just sayin').

Overhyped is sort of an understatement. They were so secretive about the product, simply promoting the name SAINT for quite some time, without giving us any clue as to what the heck it was. And then to discover that instead of anything revolutionary or groundbreaking, it was just another "Me too" AR-15? That was most disappointing indeed.

Honestly, there are so many companies manufacturing AR-15 rifles today, that I have lost track of them. There are just too many for me to count.

The rifle has virtually turned into a commodity.

For better or for worse, it has indeed become "America's Rifle"


.

 

[Boboclown]

Overhyped is sort of an understatement. They were so secretive about the product, simply promoting the name SAINT for quite some time, without giving us any clue as to what the heck it was. And then to discover that instead of anything revolutionary or groundbreaking, it was just another "Me too" AR-15? That was most disappoint indeed.

Honestly I'm disappointed too. Could have been something unique, like the VHS-2 bullpup.

 

[corsar66]

The Saint have no "grip zone" so I have to pass!

 

[DirectDrive]

Nothing super-special about it.
But it's a 16" mid-gasser (middie) which makes it different from most entry-level offerings.
Typical would be 16" carbine-gassed which look funny to me with all that barrel hangin' out there.
It's a civilian market thing.

The middie has the same amount of barrel beyond the handguard as a 20" rifle.
The USGI bayonet fits this dimension.

My first scratch build was a 16" mid-gasser on Aero receivers.
Cost me $890

AND it looks like the barrel is an HBAR.
.750" journal at the gas block anyway.
Typical entry level is that skinny number with the silly M203 cut-out.

So it does look better than a typical entry-level rig.
And it probably runs great with full power (M193, M855) ammo.
For cheap (weak) ammo the heavy buffer would possibly have to be changed out for a CAR buffer. Simple fix.

It's a hyped sales campaign no doubt.

 

[coop44]

Wether you spend 2k on a boutique hello kitty Ar or build one for 600 bucks, as long as the pointy boolit thingies come out of the hole in the end. Don't worry about it matching your handbag and pumps, don't over think it. You may not have a lot to work with in the thinking department, just buy what you can afford.

"Entry level" is gun store/manufacturer speak for "you must be stupid, I am going to sell you this overpriced pos"

 

[DirectDrive]

The AR market is a shady gun seller's delight.
For the same money and a little AR knowledge you can walk away with something decent.
And it may even go with your man purse and pumps.

 

[Diamondback]

TBH, I really think that with the election hype and how bleak things looked, Black Friday 2016 was probably the best prices we'll see on complete AR's and components (well, guns and parts across-the-board period) we'll see for a long time, unless demand stays at a point where we see Economies of Scale keep the manufacturers running three-shifts-all-hands. Even then, once the present supply reduces to more normal levels (and right now prices are lower to get inventory off the books before tax-time) it's a safe bet that the question will not be IF they go up but WHEN and HOW MUCH.

On the local level I even expect a price surge at LGS's and NW-based manufacturers once Bloody Brownstain, Buttnugget Bob and Bloomingnazi start their next full-court press for "ban 'em all"...

Sorry, Recovering Business Major here...