Am I the only long-time shooter here who's never shot an AR?

cfullgraf said:

I will agree that not all rifle platforms are for everyone. I got no use for an AK-47 or any of its variants.

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I too have no interest in AKs. And bolt guns have little interest to me. I guess it’s because I have so much fun with ARs. I wish I had more time and $$$$. I’m still working on getting the last parts for my first full AR build. But several parts “snuck” into the house for a few more after that.

Assembling ARs is fun’s! And too addictive.

I shot a few rounds with AR around 20 years ago , I don't remember what brand but it had A2 type stock and shot really well. Owner of LGS/Range gave me a free gun rental and range pass for Christmas S&W Sport ,Windham, Daniel Defense and Ruger is on rental list.

Skylerbone said:

Fixed it for ya.

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Final edit:
You shouldn't be allowed to call yourself a shooter unless you own a Marlin 336, a 1911, a quality bolt rifle, semi-auto shotgun, a Colt revolver and an AR.

My son had been bugging me for an AR for several years so I finally decided to get him one for Christmas in 2012. He wanted a more old school look so I bought him one with an A2 stock, 20” barrel and detachable carry handle. When it came he realized he rather have an M4gery. So I bought him one and decided to keep the first one for myself. Reason being because he was 15 and still liked to hang out with his father and so this would give us another thing to do together. I’d never held an AR, much less shot one until then. I’d read about the bad triggers, it was true so I bought a 3lb Timney for mine. Christmas afternoon we shot his AR behind the house and he’s never picked it up again. He’s ADHD off the charts and this unfortunately is common. After that he was told he would pay for his firearms if he ever wanted another one. I put nice glass on mine, sighted it in and in the five intervening years have shot maybe three magazines, all at coyotes with the exception of one deer.

AR’s aren’t my gig I’ve found out. I don’t plink or target shoot. I’m glad I have my AR though and will not sell it. My daughter is a hunter and she and her husband use the AR’s fairly often.

I’m not into bashing firearms just because they aren’t what I’m into. And I have no use for people that do.

I can tell you though I’ll never own an AR so accessorized that it weighs as much as a punt gun.

I shot my brothers a few times on one occasion. Didn't do a thing for me. His trigger is good and the rifle is reliable and accurate. Centerfire rifles, for me are either a bolt, lever, or single shot. Rimfires can be any action type.
What's wierd is that I have built several 10/22s for the wife and others. A couple of the wife's are way over the top, but, others are just built to function better and be more accurate. You would think I would love to play with the AR platform in the same way but I dont. It may happen eventually because I think the wife wants one.
Used to work with a guy that was big into them. He and his friends had great fun building and testing what they came up with. There is no doubt that they had some very useful firearms.

tubeshooter said:

Just like some people say it is "un-American" not to own/desire a 1911. Is it really?

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Yes it is.

My first centerfire rifle was a Colt AR15 SP1 Sporter. It's all I ever dreamed about since I was a kid, pouring through the pages of Gun Digest and seeing that it was available in semi-auto for us "civilians". Started buying magazines, magazine pouches, ammunition, a cleaning kit; even a bayonet, in anticipation of when I was old enough to buy one! Took a long time to save up the money for it (there was a local gun shop that had them for like $236 but I didn't have the money at the time), until finally my brother offered to go in half with me. By now the retail price had gone up to $299 (could have gotten an Armalite AR180 for the same price), but I had my heart set on an AR15.

I have never been disappointed with it's reliability or it's accuracy, that is if the Black Hills ammunition and I do our part. For close to 40 years now my AR15 has been a consistent and capable performer in all types of weather (ask me about the time my buddy and I went out to the shooting range when it was like -10* with the wind chill; funny thing was we had the whole place to ourselves), and never had a problem with any of the ammunition I have run through it. Only thing I changed on it was switching out the original triangular handguards for the more comfortable to use round ones.

someguy2800 said:

For bench shooting at paper I find them rather unsatisfying. The triggers are terrible

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Of course, dropping in a very nice trigger is only one or two hundred dollars.

ATLDave said:

Of course, dropping in a very nice trigger is only one or two hundred dollars.

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ALG has a nice mil spec that’s been worked over that can be had for about $40 or so if you shop wisely. From ther the sky’s the limit. As of now I think about high 200s is the highest I’ve seen for an Ar trigger but who knows.

Anyway I find it funny that ARs can be had in the $300 range and some parts cost more than a whole gun. So one can get a cheap bare bones one or get into the thousands. And one can change them around as they can afford, as the develop skills, or as they want.

For anyone who is interested, I found this an extremely informative and data-driven analysis of a bunch of drop-in AR triggers (mostly focused on the 3-gun crowd): http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2016/04/jeremy-s/ar-15-drop-in-trigger-roundup/

For varmints, it's hard to beat a good AR.
Imho 5.56 is just right for coyote sized critters.

Picher said:

... Some day, I'll probably shoot an AR and fall in love, but for now, I'm happy with what I have. ...

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I purchased my only "store bought" AR (20" Bushy XM15-E2S) in Jan'02 and assembled my 1st 16" EBR carbine on 13Sep04 (sunset date of the AWB ).

While I really like shooting the ARs (I think that the technical term is "hoot" ... like many/most, I find shooting them to be a real hoot ), the one aspect that bothers me is the idea that with each shot some of the propellant gas is being ported into the receiver. That bothers my OCD Gene ... which is why I only have 4 ARs ...

entropy said:

Shot my first AR at about 10, the M16A1 at 16, built an XM177E2 clone after I got out, but it's more of a tool to me, though I am looking forward to popping some coyotes and deer with the one my son just traded to me. They are very useful, fun sometimes, but they don't really excite me like they do others.

M231? Saw a few at the Maintenance Activity on post, but never fired them.

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No, M 723, M 727, MK 12. SOCOM type weapons.

GBExpat said:

I purchased my only "store bought" AR (20" Bushy XM15-E2S) in Jan'02 and assembled my 1st 16" EBR carbine on 13Sep04 (sunset date of the AWB ).

While I really like shooting the ARs (I think that the technical term is "hoot" ... like many/most, I find shooting them to be a real hoot ), the one aspect that bothers me is the idea that with each shot some of the propellant gas is being ported into the receiver. That bothers my OCD Gene ... which is why I only have 4 ARs ...

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...then you need a piston gun like my Ruger SR556.

GBExpat said:

(I think that the technical term is "hoot" ... like many/most, I find shooting them to be a real hoot )

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To hear true autistic hooting, hang out with the PCC (9mm AR/MPX) shooters.

I am old school, no ARs, AKs for me. i like my bolt TC Venture 7mm08, CZ 527-223,my Rem 760-30.06, a pile of 22 and pile of pump and semi-auto shotguns. I have a 1911, 3 revolvers and a 22 auto pistol. I have it covered. I may never shoot black plastic!!

Bull

Armored farmer said:

...then you need a piston gun like my Ruger SR556.

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Yeah ... I've been thinking about assembling a piston AR for several years. Just waiting for the tech & market-offerings to "steady".

Not every gun is for everybody, but when I am offered the chance to shoot a type of gun I have never shot before I shoot it.

ATLDave said:

Of course, dropping in a very nice trigger is only one or two hundred dollars.

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Of course. I just have a hard time swallowing a $200 trigger for my gun that I built for $450. I have a Savage model 12 varmint gun that I paid $250 for the whole gun!

A local shop has a display of drop in AR triggers ranging from $150 to $300 that I played with extensively. None of them are better than an economy bolt gun trigger. I am accustomed to doing trigger work on guns so I stoned mine, played with the springs, and did the sear engagement screw mod. It's pretty good now bit it's no Tikka trigger.

GAF said:

Not every gun is for everybody, but when I am offered the chance to shoot a type gun I have never shot before I shoot it.

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Agree. I typically don't turn down trigger time on something I've never shot before. Don't matter if I've never contemplated that type of gun or not.

I.e. I've shot a number of suppressed guns, but never a 22LR one until a couple weeks ago. Holy Cow! Sold after one trigger pull..

someguy2800 said:

Of course. I just have a hard time swallowing a $200 trigger for my gun that I built for $450. ...

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This!

Cheap Moa guns. If your gonna beat something up I’d much rather look at an AR than most the $500 rifles with tubberware stock and matte finish, that floppy bolt is a deal breaker too.

I had no interest in them at all for years. Then I became a little more serious about coyote hunting and decided the short, light, AR would make an ideal gun for that and bought one. Fortunately this all came about before the huge price jump caused by the political situation that developed earlier this century. I have been quite pleased with it and it's performance but I have never had a craving for another for another. One and done for me.