Author Topic: Advice on AR-15 Purchase  (Read 3876 times)

TonyS

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Advice on AR-15 Purchase
« on: April 28, 2010, 08:25:54 PM »
Greetings,

I am new to AR's. I would to purchase one for home defense (.223/556) and occasional target shooting. There are so many choices out there and do not know what to select. I have a budget of about 1K. Any advice would be very much appreciated!

Thanks!

Tony

billt

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Re: Advice on AR-15 Purchase
« Reply #1 on: April 28, 2010, 08:58:17 PM »
Welcome to the forum! You really can't go wrong with any of the major brands. Bushmaster, DPMS, Armalite, Stag Arms, Rock River Arms, along with several others all make nice guns for at, or under the 1K price point. Look for sales because right now there is a glut of AR-15 type rifles. Many stores are overstocked. The post election bubble has burst, and demand has fallen because of it, and the bad economy. It is a buyers market for AR-15 buyers right now. It's a good time to take advantage of it.  Bill T.

m25operator

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Re: Advice on AR-15 Purchase
« Reply #2 on: April 28, 2010, 09:05:12 PM »
TonyS, BillT is right, buy an A3 flat top, for probably 700.00, and you have 300 to buy mags and ammo, maybe even an optic, all of the aforementioned brands traditionally work well out of the box.

Good Luck and have fun.
" The Pact, to defend, if not TO AVENGE '  Tarna the Tarachian.

kilopaparomeo

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Re: Advice on AR-15 Purchase
« Reply #3 on: April 28, 2010, 09:10:53 PM »
BillT is right on the brands.  Can't go wrong with any of them.

A few words of advice for a first time buyer:

+ Go with a 16-18" barrel.  20" is a hair long for inside HD and resist the urge to get all tactical and get a 14.5" with permanently attached muzzle device.  I prefer 18" with a mid length or rifle length gas system for reliability and best velocity.
+ Get a flat top upper receiver with a fixed (but removable) elevation/windage sight.  Learn to use the irons.  You can mount a red dot or higher mag scope for other uses.
+ Don't buy into the crap that you need a chrome lined barrel.  Mall Ninja's on ar15.com will say you gotta have it because that's what the DeltaNinjaSeal Team 5 uses. We existed for centuries without chrome lining.  Clean the dang barrel.  If you are going to shoot 1000's of rounds on full auto, not clean the barrel and are going native in the jungles of Guatamala for a 14 month tour...get the chrome lining.  It does make the barrel slightly easier to clean but it makes it less accurate.
+ Get a 1:7, 1:8 or 1:9 twist.  I prefer a 1:8 or 1:7 on all my rifles...allows me to shoot up to the heavy 77 gr bullets.  I've not found that it radically hurts the accuracy of plinking 55 gr loads.  It may not be best if you are going to shoot the uber-accurate varmint 45-50 gr bullets...but that doesn't sound like it is in the mission profile.
+ I don't like the big heavy barrels.  The M4 profile barrel is ok but I prefer the old gov't profile or the "pencil" thin profile.  The beauty of an AR is that it is a lightweight carbine...then we add 2 lbs to it with a HBAR.
+ Resist the urge to hang every gee-gaw off the dang rifle...you won't use them...your nice light carbine will weigh more than a Garand and you'll label yourself as a mall ninja
+ If you can swing it, get a free float forearm.  Next to a great trigger and a good barrel, it is the best thing you can do for accuracy.
+ Collapible stocks are great if you are going to have several people to shoot the gun...changes with their body size.  Don't shy away from fixed stocks.  Get an A1 stock if you can.
+ a direct gas impingment system if fine for 99% of the non Seal Team shooters.  Piston guns are neat but most of us don't operate in conditions that warrant the piston AR.
+ Get a better trigger.  Stock mil spec AR triggers are atrocious.  There are many out there and most are good.  Rock River NM 2 stage is a good trigger for not much money.  You can spend a few hundred dollars on the high end ones.
+ Get lots of good mags.  I like the Brownells 30 rounders in aluminum.  Get the anti tilt followers.  I really love the polymer PMags though...I'm a convert.

That's what I can think of now.


Hey M25...your post # is 1941....we should have an award for posts on significant year numbers...
KPR
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Walter45Auto

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Re: Advice on AR-15 Purchase
« Reply #4 on: April 29, 2010, 12:38:19 AM »
Stay away from Olympic Arms.
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Re: Advice on AR-15 Purchase
« Reply #5 on: Today at 04:52:22 AM »

SwoopSJ

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Re: Advice on AR-15 Purchase
« Reply #5 on: May 01, 2010, 09:06:02 PM »
I have a S&W M&P 15T, which I really like.  It has a flat top with folding sights, which makes future sight upgrades a breeze.  It also has a collapsible stock, which I find to be handy as seasons, and clothing, change.  Most importantly, I have found the M&P to be very accurate and reliable, which if used for home defense, should be the most highly valued attributes. 

Swoop
"...to preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them..."  --Richard H. Lee

fightingquaker13

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Re: Advice on AR-15 Purchase
« Reply #6 on: May 02, 2010, 12:30:50 AM »
I don't think you can beat Kilo's advice. I've got a DPMS sportical mforgery, $675 (give or take, before the AR bubble burst). It doesn't have a dust cover or forward assist. Ask me if I care, given that in 4 years of toting an A2 I never used the FA and the dust cover is only good if you're in the sand box. Otherwise it's something else that can break.The rifle shoots a clover leaf at 10 yards and 4-5" off hand at 100. Good enough. If I had to buy again, I would buy one that had Buis standard even if it cost extra. I spent $65 buying a used YH front sight (a very fair price from Kilo as it has a front sling mount). I'll probably spend as much for a rear if I can find one that will fit behind the eotech. There's not much real estate on the receiver rail. I might end up having to get a rail mounted hand guard, but I really hope to avoid this as keeping the gun clean, simple and light is key for me. This is just a no bells and whistles tool. The thing is, that if you just buy a decent basic flattop system you can accesorize as the money fairy visits. The thing is completly modular. I would advise getting one with buis built in and then getting an eotech (God I LOVE that sight) or maybe a low powered piece of glass unless you have young eyes. These can be found for not much ($250-$350 on ebay or Ar15forum). It still puts you in spitting distance of your price point. Then figure $12-$20 per mag. I have 6 (love the P mags as well, they were $11 each when I bought the gun, but I could only afford 4 at the time) and my goal is 12-15. Still, 6 will do and I can wait for good deals. Good luck with the project and look at J&G sales and Century. I would buy sooner rather than later as the closer we get to election time, the higher the anxiety, and thus prices, will get.
FQ13

banone185

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Re: Advice on AR-15 Purchase
« Reply #7 on: May 08, 2010, 05:30:40 PM »
might i suggest the double star brand.  heard nothing but good things about these rifles and have seen prices in the $600- $700 range. on a regular basis.  or you can always buy a parts kit and a lower and build an AR yourself.  but like everyone else has said, you can't really go wrong.

TonyS

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Re: Advice on AR-15 Purchase
« Reply #8 on: May 12, 2010, 02:00:28 PM »
Thank you all for the thorough and helpful responses. Do you recommend a red dot sight of any kind? say between 100-200 that is worth acquiring?

bafsu92

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Re: Advice on AR-15 Purchase
« Reply #9 on: May 30, 2010, 10:26:47 AM »
I build a lot of AR's and would suggest the Alexander Arms tactical trigger. I haven't found a better set-up and you can pick it up for under $150 where most others sell for $175-$200+. As far as red dots in your price range I've heard some decent things about the Tru-Glo red dots. I've never personally tried them but they are in your price range. Also the poster above who suggested looking at Doublestar is right on. I've used a lot of their parts and they are excellent quality. My "main" AR is a Doublestar upper with YHM barrel and handguard on a Rock River lower with all Daniel Defense internals and the Alexander Arms trigger. Also consider Sun Devil if you find a complete rifle. Their receivers are milled from a solid billet of aluminum rather than cast or forged like most AR's. They don't have a forward assist but this shouldn't matter and may even be a plus for the average home defense carbine.
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