AR-15 Dilema...I'm lost

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glock56534

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I am new to the rifle world and I am in the market for purchasing an AR, but I don't know how to go about which one to buy or if I should build my own. Currently, someone is selling a new Colt AR6721, which is a 16" heavy barrel with a collapsable stock and detachable carry handle for $1150.

The modifications I will for sure make to the gun are adding an Aimpoint or a EOTech sight, a rail system, foregrip, and the RRA 2-stage trigger system. (Similar to the RRA Pro-Series TASC: http://rockriverarms.com/item-detail.cfm?ID=AR1741&storeid=1&image=pstasc07.gif&CFID=453651&CFTOKEN=91532452)

What should I do? Buy this Colt and modify it to my requirement? Or build my own? If I do build my own, where should I go to get my parts and what parts will I need to build it? Keeping in mind that I would like to keep cost as low as possible while retaining a good level of quality.
 
What will you do with it

Tell us what your plan is to use the rifle for and your budget, and we can assist you better.
 
Colt wouldn't be at the top of my list. They tend to cost more for the same features found on other rifles for less money.

Check out Armalite, DPMS, RRA and even Smith and Wesson.
 
Not to get off topic, but do S&W AR-15's come with the life-time warranty?
 
My path...buy a complete upper with bolt (eg. DPMS from Midway, on sale now and then). Then find a new lower of any name brand (RRA, Stag, etc.) - these are often available here, on Gunbroker or on the AR-15 forum.

Buy a DPMS lower parts kit from Gunbroker...serveral vendors there with $48-50 buy-it-now prices, $10 under regular. Pickup a few mags just about anywhere...couple bucks extra for improved followers or silicon springs.

Print the 2 "Assemble your own lower" tutorials from the Ar-15 site. I got it together without scratches or any problems using a vise-grip (better way to press in roll-pins), tape to protect the surface and a screwdriver in about an hour...probably take 20 minutes on the next one (they're like 1911s, tend to multiply).

Add an improved trigger if desired, end up with exactly what you want, except the surcharge for the 'pony's name' and the federal excise tax on an assembled gun.
/Bryan
 
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I am looking for primarily target shooting, tactical practice, and possibly some hunting. My budget is $1000-$1200, I would like to keep the total price under this price range (excluding the sights).

I do believe that the Smith & Wessons do come with a unconditional lifetime warranty.
 
Hunting and target shooting would lead me to say a varmint-style rig, but that would be inconsistent with tactical practice. I doubt you want to haul a 24" bull barrel through class or a 3-gun match. Also, aside from varmints, hunting with a .223 is risky and possibly illegal where you live. Legality aside, you'd have to be a pretty good shot to humanely take a deer with a .223.

So, what's a guy to do? Get multiple uppers. A lightweight 16" carbine for tactical/SHTF and a 20" or 24" bull barrel rig for target shooting, possibly in a caliber larger than .223. In fact, you might want to consider an AR-10 for hunting although there are plenty of 7.62x39 AR-15 uppers out there if you don't plan on anything larger than deer.

The usual suspects are all fine: RRA, Stag, DPMS, LMT. Take a look at CMMG, they have a ton of options available. For parts, bravocompanyusa.com and del-ton.com are good, as are aimsurplus.com and midwayusa.com.

The choices are overwhelming.
 
I wouldn't get a heavy barrel for your uses. I'd get a Govt. profile 16" midlength from CMMG. Get the whole upper from them, then build your own lower.

So I say build your own. But buy good parts (LMT, CMMG, Bushmaster, RRA).
 
For your uses

I would look at DPMS, Stag, or RRA. I like Bush Master, but feel that they are a little over priced. If you are just getting into AR’s, and target shooting I think that DPMS will provide you with the best mix of price and quality. I have a DPMS and it is every bit as good as the Bushmaster that it replaced for my purpose, which is mainly target shooting and plinking. It is not as well built as the bushmaster, but it is more accurate and the trigger was a little better out of the box.

Stag makes excellent products, and are better that a lot of stuff that is higher priced.

For your budget, you could build (well push two pins) and have a very well made rifle by using Lewis Machine & Tool parts.

http://www.lewismachine.net/store.php?cid=7&session=658ee841e27720845a701dadd0fb1767

For instance, if you go with the standard parts you can have a top of the line AR for about $1000.

If you are willing to push your budget just a little, Sabre Defense also makes top notch rifles, and offers many options. This will be my next AR purchase. I am looking to take a carbine class and will be buying a new AR for it and I am going to go with Sabre’s Mid Length Carbine.

Just my $0.02,

-Fred
 
My advice for what it's worth (exactly what you paid for it) is to get a used name brand for about $600-$700 and shoot it some. It'll get you out to the range and meeting others who have plunked down tons of $ already for all the tacticool add-ons.

You sound just like me two years ago. I wanted a 16" M4 profile with a Daniel Defense free float rail, vertical foregrip, Eotech, Sampson or Pri flip-up front sight adn ARMS flip up rear. After dumping $ into about half that stuff, I figured out that a 14.5" A2 is fine.

My response from another post:
My advice would be to get 16" or 14.5" CAR or midlength barrel (w/ permanent muzzle "device"), flat top upper, CAR or midlength handguards. A also advocate permanent front sights and either a carry handle rear or a permanently affixed backup rear sight (looks like a cut down carry handle for the most part). That'll get you up and running.

From there, go shoot it. A Lot. That'll help you figure out what you "need" vs. what you want vs. what the hype tells you to buy. Meet people and shoot their AR's with different configurations to see what you really like. (Notice the weight...) Shoot a lot, though. I thought the Eotech was the cat's ass until I tried shooting all day with one. Became dead weight really quick - weight exceeded benefits unbelievably quick but I have the AA kind. (And screw heavy barrels unless you're into target or varmint shooting.) Free float tubes, also too heavy with no real benefit unless target or varmint shooting. Rails systems (aka the cheese grate) are cool, but just allow you to drop more stuff (dead weight) onto what was a light rifle/carbine. Oh, yea, they're also usually heavier than standard handguards.

I bought into all the hype and wound up with the following which I rarely use:

20" A3 upper w/ JP freefloat tube - heavy, used once at range and sitting in the safe.
ACOG - 7 months old and never used sitting on the upper above.
(So, that's something like $1200 retail sitting in the safe...)
Eotech - used a bit and removed in favor of (lighter, and equally affective IME at close range) open sights. The wife will use it if I can get her to shoot rifles with me, but she sticks to pistols usually.
(There's another $400 or so...)
16" A3 upper JP free float CAR hand guards - less than 500 rnds and attached to the Eotech above. Also in safe. And don't buy that JP front sight pocket extender. Looks WAY cool, but serious dead weight.
(<tears> Another $500+ </tears>)

Even after two tactical carbine classes, I always stick with my 14.5" M4-gery CAR with A2 upper. Only accessories that I'd buy at this point besides an AK are A1 uppers (w/ A2 apertures and cost permitting) and 16" superlight CAR barrels. I find the A2 unnecessarily complex.
Click to expand...
 
After reading the "damning of the parts" thread the Colt is not too bad. If you like the Colt and have the money get it. It's resale will be higher than any other AR-15 clone.

That said I pieced together a nice rifle out of parts it does better than I can.

Of course if I mention what it is someone will come in and cough blood and lung tissue criticizing my choice, my intelligence, my breeding and my cat. My cat would be mortally offended but he's busy cleaning his...
 
If you like the Rock River trigger and want a place to mount an optic, I'd suggest starting with a Rock River (would be cheaper). If your local dealer likes you, you might pay $100-$200 less than suggested retail.

I like this one:

ela407.gif

http://www.rockriverarms.com/item-d...image=ela407.gif&CFID=611049&CFTOKEN=46638270

Most AR manufacturers are pretty backordered at the moment, though.
 
If you have the money, buy the Colt and you will be less likely to have some out of spec feature like a too tight chamber, loose gas key, canted front site, etc. You also will not have to replace the extension if you choose to change to an aftermarket stock later on.
 
I bought the rifle shown in the post by BenEzra. Great rifle and you can buy them less than 1000$. With your budget that leaves about 300 (+/-) for some sort of optics.
 
personally i'd go to Del-ton and get one of their "rifle kits" (link is to the 16" kit) and a stripped lower from the local gunshow.

you'll be looking at a decent bit less than $1,200, and can use the difference toward your optics or whatever.

plus you get to know the workings of the gun better.
 
I was in a similar situation and posted a similar question a couple months back. It was a toss up of RRA, Bushmaster, and Stag for me.

I went down to my favorite gun store (AW Peterson in Central Florida) and talked to the helpful folks over there. I was looking at the S&W when I was told that the S&W was actually made by Stag. They also had a Stag that had no sights, just a rail. I figured this was perfect for me to add whatever sighting system to it. The Trigger was just a good as the Bushy they had and I appreciated the lower cost of the Stag. I didn't bother looking anywhere else as there prices are mostly fair and I prefer to do my business with them. I've bought a couple of guns from them in the last little bit.

I bought it and haven't looked back. I added an Eotech sight and it is incredible fun on the range. My brother loves to load up the 30 round mag and go to town. We went through 300 rounds in short order the first day. It has in the neighborhood of only 1K rounds. Not a single failure of any kind. It is a fantastic weapon.
 
Go with an RRA upper and lower, buy them separate. Add what you want. I had Yankee Hill add my rail, and sent my trigger to a guy in Colorado for trigger work ($45, he's got a post on AR-15. My trigger is fantastic now). Doing it yourself can yield nice results.

ar1zv3.jpg


ar2cb6.jpg
 
I can sympathize. I built a heavy barrel match A2 years ago and never had any interest in staying current with the plethora of new options and equipment. I don't need a long range or hunting rig. I would like a like a lightwt handy carbine with removeable optics (EOTech?), rail for light, etc.
I am considering the M4 lightwt "government profile" barrel (chrome lined?), (1:7or1:9?), mid length rail handguards. permanent front sights or folding? How important is a "co-witness" with optics?
jeez, it's enough to make a guy pull his hair out.
 
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