Pushed to decide on a AR 5.56

I'd spend the money on lowers,

joneb said:

Well the elections in Oregon have not gone well.
I don't have a AR type rifle but I'm thinking this maybe my last chance to have one if I choose to remain here.
I have shot the AR platform in 5.56x45 but I am clueless on which one to get. The AR platform with a adjustable stock should work well with the wife which is of concern.
At this point I am considering options below $900 which is steering me towards a Ruger MPR with a 16" barrel.
Your thoughts and comments are much appreciated.

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I think the Ruger is perfectly fine for what you want to do with it you can always upgrade parts at a later date if you wish

There are more good choices than bad. You may be able to save a little money if you know what you're doing by going with other choices. But the Ruger or Smith & Wesson AR's are a safe bet.

I currently have 3 AR's and the Ruger MPR is my favorite.

Ruger® AR-556® MPR Autoloading Rifle Model 8514

joneb said:

Please clue me in, I am new to this.

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I was in the same boat not all that long ago wondering what was going to happen to AR15's with respect to Washington State law; not to mention any new Federal bullsh!t.

For AR15's the lower receiver is the regulated item as far as the ATF is concerned. It is in effect "the gun".

You can buy stripped AR15 lower receivers for anywhere in the $50-$100 range for the more common options and much more than that from the more boutique'ish manufacturers.
So the lower is "the gun" and you fill out the same 4473 paperwork as you would when buying a complete firearm.

Buy a bunch of lowers; store them away. Or just one or two. Then build them up at your leisure.

If you have any interest at all in AR15's then building one up from scratch with parts you select is a lot of fun and it teaches you a lot about your weapon.
It's not that hard; you're not gunsmithing anything; just assembling a bunch of parts.

Be careful though... once you build one you will likely find yourself building another in short order.

The MPR with 18 inch barrel was first in that model lineup (556). You may want to consider it as well. It's a great choice!

No need to hoard lowers unless there is an actual plan to eventually build, and store/maintain, a whole bunch of AR-pattern rifles. I bought a bunch of lowers because they are inexpensive. Ended up building several - which was fun in the process - but did cost money to accomplish. Now I have three or four "extra" low/mid level AR's that I never shoot.

I have two AR's that are higher-end, and which I shoot all the time. No desire to shoot the extra AR's at all. But now I gotta store them or sell them. I actually ended up giving a couple away. Mainly just to get them out of my way.

And I've still got a box of "spare" lowers sitting around in the workshop.

I think you will be very happy with the 16" Ruger.

Think about what optic you want. Goes without saying, you get what you pay for in optics. Cheap scopes invariably don't "track" consistently when you make adjustments, although a lot of them do OK if you zero them, and then don't mess with the adjustment knobs further. Beyond that, optical clarity is the issue. Most casual shooters don't "need" high optical clarity. A $250 scope can be "good enough." But if you ever get a chance to shoot TRULY GOOD GLASS, you will appreciate the difference it makes.

What doesn't get said enough is CHEAP OPTICS MOUNTS are not your friend. Use a QUALITY mount with the best optic you can afford. At minimum, get a one-piece scope mount.

PSA had M&Ps for $550 on clearance

The problem with stashing extra lowers is that ATF may (will) rewrite the rules to include uppers, which would pretty much end the practice of building ARs as we know it if these parts and/or the barrel are all required to have matching #s.

The S&W M&P15 and Ruger are both fine basic guns. Ive also had good experiences with Del Ton and Palmetto State Armorey, which are pretty much the cheapest factory-assembled AR pattern rifles out there.
I dont think you can go too wrong with any of these and upgrades are easy and plentiful.

A Colt 6920 or a 6920 OEM2 would serve most if not all, well enough for almost all needs outside of hunting AR15 specific calibers.

I prefer assembling my own though, just personal preference because I get to choose what get's put on there.

At 900 bucks you are very close to Colt pricing. Personally for a one/first AR15 Id spend the extra 50-100 bucks and get a Colt 6920.

Under 900 bucks on sale.

https://gunprime.com/products/colt-...nt=deallistings&utm_campaign=wikiarmslistings

Why not a mini 14? I love mine and they are not on the ''list''.

Since Mini 14's are not as likely to be banned let's not get into a debate about which is better. There are any number of semi-auto rifles to consider like the BAR, and others.

You can just about bet that most stuff local will be wiped out.

PSA has good deals on complete rifles such as the M&P.
Better get mags too, one stop shopping.
https://palmettostatearmory.com/100...pul-pmag-30rd-gen-2-moe-5-56x45-magazine.html
I got a couple 200 round 10 mag ones a few months ago.

I wouldn't think about too long for anything you may be wanting that requires an FFL or mags.
I expect a run on normy and 10 round mags and things will get scarce again.

Order this, shipped to your local FFL.

buy a stock and handguards while you wait on UPS.

https://www.colt.com/detail-page/colt-le6920-oem1-556-161-a2-blk

https://atlanticfirearms.com/colt-le6920-ar15-le6920-oem1

C-grunt said:

At 900 bucks you are very close to Colt pricing. Personally for a one/first AR15 Id spend the extra 50-100 bucks and get a Colt 6920.

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I've actually seen a few Colt AR's (used in excellent condition) for $700. I would probably opt for new in most cases but I'd consider a Colt or LMT if they were used but weren't fired much. I have seen a few really pricey AR's for good deals lately..

joneb said:

Please clue me in, I am new to this.

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AR is one of the rifles that is made of two basic "halves."
These are referred to as "uppers" and "lowers."
This is a "lower"

This is the "half" that is regulated by ATFE (and many States).
Note that it is a "complete" lower (e.g. all the parts are installed).
This is a "stripped" Lower:

Note that is has no "bits" in it. You would need to get trigger, mag catch, bolt release, the works--none of those (typically) are regulated parts.

A stripped lower can be very inexpensive. But, buying the "bits" can add up. Installing the bits wants some coordination, but is really less complicated than changing a flat tire.

For my 2¢, as a first-time owner, buying a "complete lower" is a better choice. Especially if you can't find any complete rifles or carbines. Which is likely as they will be in high demand.

Ruger are good, the Smith & Wesson M&P line also good. It's really hard to get a "dog" or a "lemon" in ARs. Largely due to the fact that the parts are all standardized, and competition has left the sub-standard bits behind.

Do not fixate on items like fixed versus adjustable stocks--either are easily available mail order as non-regulated parts, if the need for different emerges. The current fashion is to have adjustable, so, most lowers are so fitted. It's really a fashion choice. Note that adjustable stocks come in 2, 4, 6 and 6 step varieties.

Uppers come in complete and stripped as well:

With front sight tower:

Without:

Good luck in your searches.

I'm sorry to see Oregon fall. I too would get the lower and build whatever you want. You can even buy a couple of completed lowers in your price range.

https://www.brownells.com/rifle-par...receiver-w-bcmgunfighter-stock-prod83804.aspx

Then just buy the upper of your choice. You can even purchase multiple uppers like a .556 and 300 blackout and use them on one lower.

Consider the Sig M400 Tread - a very solid rifle in your price range.

I just bought a Palmetto kit... everything but the lower. Since I actually had the lower already assembled, it was just a matter of cleaning the new, assembled upper, checking a few things... and dropping it on my lower.

Palmetto sells, as was mentioned, the M&P right now, but also their own assembled rifles... and they are usually a pretty good deal.

Don't forget the magazines, though... I would say 10 minimum, if not 10 20's and 10 30's...

A S&W M&P II or the Ruger are both good choices. Eventually you might want to put a better trigger in them but they both run just fine out of the box.

Definitely get stocked up on standard mags now while you can. Whatever AR you decide upon don't wait long to get it done. I'm sure local prices will spike if they haven't already, so ordering a rifle is likely the best option. I would suggest getting an extra inexpensive complete lower (since that's the serialized part) in addition to a complete rifle so if you find you like the platform you have the simple option of getting any caliber upper/bcg in the future without worrying about the restrictions.

https://palmettostatearmory.com/psa-ar15-complete-moe-ept-stealth-lower-black.html