I musta missed that one when looking at all the others that were under $600........... Bad me........
Current good AR-15 makers
- Thread starter kcmarine
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depends what you mean by good. There is a whole range of options.
at the high end you have things (all guccied out) like Daniel Defense, ADM (american defense manufacturing) , Knights Armament, Hodge, Radiant Arms, ect…
Next you have your very good stuff (everything you need plus a little) like, CMMG, Rock River, Anderson, Sig, Aero Precision (arguable that it’s in the next category) , ect…
next you have your semi budgets (good quality everything you need but no extras) like M&P Sport 2, Ruger 556, IWI Zion-15, bravo company, bushmaster, ect…
next you have your budgets (they will work just fine for 90% or people but lack some of the stuff you might get for a little more) like PSA, Bear Creek, ect…
some of these you may move up or down a category there are lots of opinions on all of this. But most any of them will do most people just fine. If you are into precision shooting or you shoot a lot it may matter more especially the barrel. There are also just some niceties that may be standard or optional on some but not others from the factory, but you can change any of this it’s like grown up legos. Personally I am of the build your own mindset but that is not everyone’s cup of tea.
Lol typo by whoever made the posting?
That's kinda what I was thinking.
sarduy
Member
In all seriousness, almost every brand out there will give you a good milspec ar15
palmetto is running a sale right now
palmetto is running a sale right now
Omaha-BeenGlockin
Member
Mine are all Colt's but newest one is over 5 years old now---no idea on current production esp. considering they have new owners---but no problems with the ones I have.
guyfromohio
Member
I have a recently-produced Colt. I had to use pliers to move the safety from fire to safe (I’ve been using ARs for the better part of 25 years, so it wasn’t user-issue). Not happy with the quality compared to my previous Colt rifles. That being said, my recent production FN 15 is outstanding as well as my older Stag. I’ve had DDM4V7 and 11. Great quality, but I feel like that FN is just what I wanted.
Ethan Verity
Member
- Joined
- May 8, 2021
- Messages
- 713
My go-to has been BCM, LMT, and Armalite. ArmaLite not just because of the name (which is sort of cool to have stamped on an AR) but because they were the first to introduce the mid-length gas system, which makes perfect sense for a 16" barrel. Also because of their improved bolt lug design.
Chuck R.
Member
+1
Also add Task/Purpose
A plinker doesn't need a $500 barrel, odds are a precision gun isn't going to get by with a $150 barrel. I like a fixed front sight base on a defensive guns, my others I don't.
So for me it comes down to Task-Purpose-Budget.
I've built (or assembled IF you get hung on on that chit) 5 AR15s for myself and I've yet to have one cost under 2K by the time I was done. I just completed the closest I've come to a "budget" build, and then I stuck a $500 scope in a $200 mount on it, so back up over $2K.
But I have a specific task/purpose in mind for each one, and the majority of cost went into barrels, triggers, handguards, AGBs and optics.
md7
Member
I’ll limit my recommendations to only those I’ve got hands on experience with.
BCM
Colt
Daniel Defense
S&W
A little better build quality on the first 3 compared to the S&W but my brothers MP15 takes a licking and keeps rolling so kudos.
BCM
Colt
Daniel Defense
S&W
A little better build quality on the first 3 compared to the S&W but my brothers MP15 takes a licking and keeps rolling so kudos.
redneck2
Member
Few years back I knew a guy that was making (actually assembling from pieces) BCG’s at the rate of about 250,000 a year. He couldn’t say who was getting them, but he said some were big names that you’d instantly recognize. They were all the same.
3850remhep
Member
My dos centavos ;
My first AR was a Springfield Saint Victor, an otherwise OK run-of-the-mill carbine with a genuinely horrible trigger.
Once gaining a familiarity with the platform, building to my choice of pieces was the logical next step. But first, I rebarrelled the Saint Victor with a Ranier Ultra Match barrel and changed to a Geissele trigger. I have since built another two and accumulated all the pieces for a 6mm ARC AR. I went with Aero Precision for the essential uppers & lowers, again Geissele Triggers and Rainier Ultra Match Barrels (impatient I am and caught them at a time they were in stock). Speaking of stocks, I went with Magpul Precision rifle stocks.
The Saint Victor now has a 14.5" barrel with a P&W'd linear compensator. Gone forever is the ludicrous muzzle brake (I can't fathom a brake on a 5.56) One Aero build has an 18" barrel the other a 20" barrel. Why to different barrel lengths? The short one is scoped and the longer one has Ultradyne iron sights (& a scope on a QR base). The Rainier barrels have been up to my standards, easily. The Saint Victor still sports a collapsable carbine stock and has a Vortex Viper 1x - 6x scope. The others have more target oriented glass.
I used to compete in NRA Black Powder Cartridge Rifle Silhouette for which I used precision iron sights. That experience set a hook in me for iron sights so I committed to a 20" Rainier barrel simply to get a longer sight base, all in good fun.
Bottom line, don't be intimidated to build your own as you see fit, consider a better than average barrel, but by all means avoid the lawyer triggers which encompasses nearly all mil-spec choices.
My first AR was a Springfield Saint Victor, an otherwise OK run-of-the-mill carbine with a genuinely horrible trigger.
Once gaining a familiarity with the platform, building to my choice of pieces was the logical next step. But first, I rebarrelled the Saint Victor with a Ranier Ultra Match barrel and changed to a Geissele trigger. I have since built another two and accumulated all the pieces for a 6mm ARC AR. I went with Aero Precision for the essential uppers & lowers, again Geissele Triggers and Rainier Ultra Match Barrels (impatient I am and caught them at a time they were in stock). Speaking of stocks, I went with Magpul Precision rifle stocks.
The Saint Victor now has a 14.5" barrel with a P&W'd linear compensator. Gone forever is the ludicrous muzzle brake (I can't fathom a brake on a 5.56) One Aero build has an 18" barrel the other a 20" barrel. Why to different barrel lengths? The short one is scoped and the longer one has Ultradyne iron sights (& a scope on a QR base). The Rainier barrels have been up to my standards, easily. The Saint Victor still sports a collapsable carbine stock and has a Vortex Viper 1x - 6x scope. The others have more target oriented glass.
I used to compete in NRA Black Powder Cartridge Rifle Silhouette for which I used precision iron sights. That experience set a hook in me for iron sights so I committed to a 20" Rainier barrel simply to get a longer sight base, all in good fun.
Bottom line, don't be intimidated to build your own as you see fit, consider a better than average barrel, but by all means avoid the lawyer triggers which encompasses nearly all mil-spec choices.
Hesa Hard1
member
- Joined
- Sep 22, 2021
- Messages
- 123
Stick with the Top Tier makers. 
Avoid the first-timers, part-timers, hobby-crafters, and gawd forbid any AR seen on your area's Fun Show table that's got a tag attached saying: "Special Show Pricing."
Be spendy once, ... then cry not at all.
Avoid the first-timers, part-timers, hobby-crafters, and gawd forbid any AR seen on your area's Fun Show table that's got a tag attached saying: "Special Show Pricing."
Be spendy once, ... then cry not at all.
BCA has a lot of side-charging uppers. So typical bolt group doesn't work with those.
I have had more PSA offerings than any other maker. I've had problems with the rear detent pin on at least 2 of them
I don't trust Radical, DPMS, or Anderson. Perhaps unfairly (shrug). And I'd prefer not to take a PSA upper into a gunfight, though I do have a lot of them (but my current "grab first" AR wears a DSA 11.5" upper).
John
I don't trust Radical, DPMS, or Anderson. Perhaps unfairly (shrug). And I'd prefer not to take a PSA upper into a gunfight, though I do have a lot of them (but my current "grab first" AR wears a DSA 11.5" upper).
John
Yeah, that's obvious but I was thinking it's something like a proprietary rail attachment, not sure.
Skylerbone
Member
For the benefit of anyone reading weeks, months, or years from now; a huge number of handguards (rails) attach with proprietary barrel nuts. If you desire a different configuration at any time, most rails include a proprietary nut (Aero is one that I recall does not, BAR system) or you can find the ala carte for what will likely be the cheapest part you’d ever swap on an AR.
In other words, it’s far less an issue than say a piston conversion or even side charging bolt.
If you see screw holes in a handguard, it’s a proprietary nut.
Note all the screws
Same thing, different proprietary system.
upper rifle has screws to clamp around a proprietary PSA barrel nut. Lower rifle uses the YHM proprietary system.
Nothing to fear.
In other words, it’s far less an issue than say a piston conversion or even side charging bolt.
If you see screw holes in a handguard, it’s a proprietary nut.
Note all the screws
Same thing, different proprietary system.
upper rifle has screws to clamp around a proprietary PSA barrel nut. Lower rifle uses the YHM proprietary system.
Nothing to fear.
Didn't know that, I learn something new every day.
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