First AR-15

If you want a M4 style 16" carbine weapon:

For under a 1k, get a complete LMT lower receiver and mate it to the 16" LMT upper receiver. Add a LMT m16 BCG and a charging handle. You would then arguably have one of the best AR15 M4 style weapons on the market.

Bushmaster and LMT are not even in the same class. The LMT Defender is one of the best deals going. Don't waste your time with Bushmaster.


A good reference to the different M4 carbines on the market is the link below:

http://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=6642


Hope this helps.

God Bless America.

I should add, building an AR15 is a fairly simple task. There is a lot of information available on the internet on how to build one.

Browse over to AR15.com and m4carbine.net as they are most knowledgeable AR15 websites.

LMT is going to be a little higher than your 1k limit. Nearly every AR manufacturer offers a quality rifle, at least any of the ones on here you'll see frequently discussed. Bushy, Rock River, Stag, DPMS, S&W, CMMG, etc. all offer high quality AR's. It also depends on what you plan on using it for...

Also remember that the cost of the rifle is just the beginning. Feeding it gets quite expensive with ammo as expensive as it is right now.

how hard is it to build one your self?

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http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=3&f=4&t=226782

LMT is going to be a little higher than your 1k limit

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LMT lower - 330
LMT upper - 485
LMT BCG - 130
CH - 20
---------------
Total ----> 965

Add in shipping.

Add in shipping.

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The OP may or may not choose to ship it. In any case, purchasing all items from the same online store will keep shipping down. Even with the FFL transfer fee (national average is $15) we are still just around the 1k.

You people and your simplification of all of it... this whole internet thing is just a fad anyways... you just wait and see. People will be ordering over the phone in a few years again...

Well, it's due in any day now - I ordered it 2 months ago.

My LMT Defender will cost me exactly $1100 with everything included when I go pick it up - shipping, factory assembled and warranty.

That's just 10% over your number, and I'd said well worth the extra cash.

there are too many options out there,

but i build mine with a Spike Tactical Lower and a CMMG Kit.

Unless you want to get nit-picky or be an AR snob, any of the big names will do the job. I've seen some fine Colts fail, yet my Bushmaster that some look down on has never missed a beat. Do I hate Colts now? Nope...any AR from any manufacturer can fail. I have shot some damn awesome groups from just about every manufacturer out there so I really don't have anything bad to say about any make in particular.

Just buy the best gun you can for your money and shoot the hell out of it...don't get caught up in the "my AR has a higher quality xxxx than yours" BS. No matter what company made your AR, you can always get a lemon or have a parts failure.

Want LMT quality at a price closer to $1K?

Buy a complete Stag lower and a complete LMT upper.

There are a TON of options out there. Here are two places to check out:

http://www.aimsurplus.com/acatalog/New_Rifles_.html

or

http://www.del-ton.com/Default.asp?Redirected=Y

Both AimSurplus and Del-Ton have great prices and customer service too, so check them out regardless of whether you decide to build your own, buy assembled parts and slap them together, or buy a complete rifle.

If you need help deciding what avenue to take, check out this link, it will be VERY helpful:
http://forums.second-amendment.org/index.php?topic=753.0

Good luck on your first AR, its addicting and it most likely won't be your last!

I love my Lmt runs like a champ

i agreed with tantrix,

you may get a hi-end AR and fail with woft ammo (hardly happen but happens) or get a low-end AR and turn out that it shoot wolf ammo all day long without a problem, i recommend you do a search for whatever brand and model you want then learn what others have to say about that expecific weapon.

BTW i recomend a CMMG it's a good quality weapon for a reasonable price.

lol, ya, dont waste your time with bushmaster

Don't waste your time with Bushmaster.

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my bushmaster has fired over 5000 rounds, some factory, some handloads.
it has never failed to feed a single time.
it has never failed to eject a single time.
it has never had a stoppage of any kind a single time.

my brother was so impressed he bought one exactly like it with exactly the same results. never a single jam of any kind.

my buddy heath was so impressed he bought one exactly like it (except he got the a3) with the exact same results.

my other buddy oneal was so impressed with ours he bought one exactly like my other buds with the exact same results.

of the four i have personal experience with, they just dont stop running.

im sure there are bad ones out there, but hey,the 4 out of 4 ive seen have sold me on the fact that they are reliable runners

oh yea, they are pretty accurate too (at least the 4 we shoot)




they avg about an inch and a day at the 100yd line will give you a handful like this.

these are not target rifles. these are 6lb rifles costing less than 900bux.

im sure the other ar's mentioned here are good rifles too.

The LMT is a real nice choice for an AR, but honestly unless you're planning on running 3 gun, its going to eat your entire budget and not leave you with money for mags or ammo.

You should be able to find a complete lower from a reputable manufacturer for $250-$300 (depending on manufacturer, stock type and trigger type) and a complete upper for around $500 (again depending on who made it and how its outfitted) Just make sure the upper includes the Bolt and Carrier. USGI AR mags can be found for $8-12 all over the place.


Honestly I don't understand the Bushmaster hate ... its not like its an Olympic

I've owned a Rock River, a Bushmaster and a DPMS and all of them functioned flawlessly (my current AR is a DPMS that was one of the infamous CMMG Bargain Bin guns ... its been just fine and cost me only $600).

(my current AR is a DPMS that was one of the infamous CMMG Bargain Bin guns ... its been just fine and cost me only $600).

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now that is a great deal. why cant i ever run across deals like that????lol

W.E.G, good link, I just bought my stripped lower, and was wondering a bit hoto go about assembling it. That site looks VERY thorough.

Build a lower from any reputable source and throw on a stag upper. Badda Bing Badda Boom.

Charles Daly D-M4LE looks like a solid choice for your budget.

http://www.charlesdalyforum.com/forumdisplay.php?f=16
http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/product_info.php/products_id/54174

We just posted several new "how-to" videos on AR-15 disassembly and cleaning at Gun Talk TV. It's a good way to start. They are not gunsmithing videos -- just the basics.

www.guntalk.tv (click on the "Recently Added" tab on the left, after you have click on Watch Now)

I can't believe that nobody has mentioned Del-Ton. I wanted a decent AR for the lowest possible price.

I ended up buying a lower for about $120 and a Del-Ton rifle kit. My kit cost around $580. You can add whatever you want and yours may even cost less than mine. That way, you don't end up paying for things that you don't want.

For $700 I had a AR with a chrome-lined barrel and a four-rail lightweight free float tube. I have yet to shoot it but I have no doubts that it will run like a champ. It's fun building your own rifle.