Hokie_PhD
Member
Really? It must be cool to fire one full auto!
AR-15 popularity
- Thread starter MTMilitiaman
- Start date
- Status
Really? It must be cool to fire one full auto!
Whiterook808
Member
I bought and use mine for fun and informal target shooting, but it is my go-to gun if I have to fight. I hope that never happens. These guns are so popular that they have re-defined what a sporting rifle looks like. I do not consider them "military style" anymore. I think a soldier has about as much use for a bayonet lug as I do.
jrmiddleton425
Member
- Joined
- Jan 18, 2011
- Messages
- 663
I own a single AR. I think I have owned it three years and fired exactly ten live rounds from it.
I have handled a couple of others and have had the opportunity to play with a couple of real M16A2 rifles.
My impression of every single one of them was, and is, that they are just another rifle. If I have to carry something the same loaded weight as an '03 Springfield and only a 4 inches shorter barrel, I'd rather carry something that FIRES .30-06.
I have handled a couple of others and have had the opportunity to play with a couple of real M16A2 rifles.
My impression of every single one of them was, and is, that they are just another rifle. If I have to carry something the same loaded weight as an '03 Springfield and only a 4 inches shorter barrel, I'd rather carry something that FIRES .30-06.
LocoGringo
Member
I own 4 AR-15s. 1 6.8 SPC SBR fitted with a suppressor for home defense. 1 6.8 SPC fitted with another suppressor for hunting. 2 .223 Wyldes for 2/3 gun competitions. My uses vary considerably as my rifles reflect.
I also own a .308 AR fitted with another suppressor for long range/precision.
I also own a .308 AR fitted with another suppressor for long range/precision.
DeepSouth
Random Guy
I’ve bought three and still have one, they’re not really my thing. I’m a more wood and blued steel guy, I even put a wood Boyd’s stock on one trying to like it, maybe I’m just more of a bolt gun guy.
Anyway I still own the one mainly to have to pass down to my kids one day, I haven’t shot it in years.
Anyway I still own the one mainly to have to pass down to my kids one day, I haven’t shot it in years.
Mosin Bubba
Member
- Joined
- Jul 5, 2012
- Messages
- 1,936
I just don't get that. The AR started off as a space-age light weight gun: the original .308 model weighed like 6.8 pounds. It seems like the goal ever since them has been to add heavy barrels and scopes and rails just to make them as heavy as possible. Like you said, making a 9 pound AR these days is no sweat.
Hokie_PhD
Member
Not totally true
One beauty of the AR is one can make a heavy taticool one or an ultra light one.
Can’t decide, get a 22lr upper, a 223, a 300 Blackout and a 6.5 Grendel upper and they all fit on the same lower. And two pins are all that hold the upper. Push, twist, pull to remove the upper. Select the upper you want then reverse to swap.
I currently have a 16” carbine and a 18” rifle both in 223. I want to get a 22lr upper and a 300 Blackout.
And that’s before we even discuss the 308 based big brother!
Neo-Luddite
Member
I don't have an AR, but I bought our two daughters each a 6920 about four years ago when they were ten & twelve years old. I told my wife that one of my fears as a child was that all of the weapons I wanted would be banned by the time I was old enough to obtain them. So we bought a pair of M-4s with a growing pile of mags and goodies as practical rifles for training, plinking and Holocaust prevention for our girls. They are very adaptable and easy-to-use rifles well-suited to smaller people. We also have an assortment of commie-bloc AKs and SKSs to plink with and the usual 10/22s, etc. We still use the Mini-14 at my work and I own one of those myself. And of course my final answer in a military rifle is the M-1 in .30/06...round-for-round it makes the M-4 look like a rifle suited best for shooting coyotes. My girls named their M-4s "Thing 1" and "Thing 2", after the mayhem causing characters in "The Cat in the Hat".
Last edited:
entropy
Member
All of the above, but I picked hunting, because that's what I'll be doing with it this fall. The one I'm building will be for defense.
WestKentucky
Member
I own 3. I use 3 for enjoyment, but built them all for specific purposes....One has to be rebuilt for its purpose though.
The a2 inspired pistol is a truck gun. It is intended to be a rugged, reliable, powerful, yet light arm for unknown purposes. .223 isnt hugely powerful, but is adequate for most purposes and ammo is light. It can put meat on a fire should i need it to, but it can also deliver defensive firepower if i ever needed it to do so. Equipped with a light it can be used for navigation as well, and with the massive fireball and blast it is a good signalling tool.
The carbine was supposed to be a medium game gun, but I went cheap on the barrel hoping for a hit but got a miss instead. Another 223 with coyote in mind but also looking at fox, bobcat, and groundhogs. Not accurate enough for its purpose, but it's enough fun that I haven't rebuilt it yet. I may go with a different chambering next time.
The rifle is a sweet shooter, the most accurate gun in my safe right now. 6.8spc heavy target barrel puts a whooping on a 8" plate at 300 and a 12" plate at 500. Can't seem to force a miss out of the gun unless it's really windy. This gun was built the way it is for several reasons, but it's intended purpose was to bring home deer and hog.
All three see the range and are a lot of fun.
The a2 inspired pistol is a truck gun. It is intended to be a rugged, reliable, powerful, yet light arm for unknown purposes. .223 isnt hugely powerful, but is adequate for most purposes and ammo is light. It can put meat on a fire should i need it to, but it can also deliver defensive firepower if i ever needed it to do so. Equipped with a light it can be used for navigation as well, and with the massive fireball and blast it is a good signalling tool.
The carbine was supposed to be a medium game gun, but I went cheap on the barrel hoping for a hit but got a miss instead. Another 223 with coyote in mind but also looking at fox, bobcat, and groundhogs. Not accurate enough for its purpose, but it's enough fun that I haven't rebuilt it yet. I may go with a different chambering next time.
The rifle is a sweet shooter, the most accurate gun in my safe right now. 6.8spc heavy target barrel puts a whooping on a 8" plate at 300 and a 12" plate at 500. Can't seem to force a miss out of the gun unless it's really windy. This gun was built the way it is for several reasons, but it's intended purpose was to bring home deer and hog.
All three see the range and are a lot of fun.
AlexanderA
Member
The novelty wears off quickly, especially when you realize how fast you're zipping through ammunition. (The M16 has a relatively high cyclic rate compared to, say, a Thompson.)
One of my FA's is a Colt M16A1 that I bought new and am keeping in pristine, unfired condition (new in the box, with its accessories). This just keeps going up and up in value -- I could probably sell it for $25K right now.
I can shoot my Sendra M16 clone (FA conversion by RIA). It's only worth maybe $16K - $18K. Then there's also the SGW XM177 clone if I want to shoot a shorty.
If you want a really fun FA try a belt fed Browning.
WestKentucky
Member
FA is a novelty, and the pay to play price for a belt fed or big box beast isn't as crazy as it might seem when your comparing it to shoulder fired toys. 20k for a legal m16 or similar gun vs 40k for an m60... sure its double the money, but then again its ONLY double the money. The fun to fire ratio is more than double and let's be completely honest, if your looking to burn 20, you probably can burn 40. Too bad I will never be in a position to do either.
entropy
Member
I did all that when Uncle Sugar was buying the ammo; It got boring after a while shooting up all the excess ammo. (It's a metric ton of paperwork to turn in live ammo, one form [in triplacate, of course] to turn in brass and links.)
I did rent an Uzi a couple years ago to fulfill a long time wish.
I did rent an Uzi a couple years ago to fulfill a long time wish.
Llama Bob
member
- Joined
- Feb 25, 2016
- Messages
- 2,258
We've got a high end LMT monolithic and a PSA (which actually isn't too bad) at our house. They're used for positional shooting and long range shooting (well, 800y or so). Hopefully that's all they'll ever be needed for, but I'm beginning to wonder.
Demi-human
maybe likes firearms a little bit…
I am waiting on a Faxon Valkyrie barrel for AR no. three. It's predecessor was a four fifty Bushmaster. And his was a two twenty three piston set up.
All are for paper, for now. I hope that never needs to change...
All my hunting is done with a shotgun. But not all my target practicing.
All are for paper, for now. I hope that never needs to change...
All my hunting is done with a shotgun. But not all my target practicing.
My 5.56 rifle is my Steyr bullpup, AUG all black. 30 round see-through magazines, a couple of 42 rounders.
My 7.62X39 Rifle, AK47, folding stock. Can not see me owning a rifle, that requires me to reach over my shoulder to chamber a round. Or fires by dumping dirty gases into the action on every shot.
But to each their own. It is still a free Country.
My 7.62X39 Rifle, AK47, folding stock. Can not see me owning a rifle, that requires me to reach over my shoulder to chamber a round. Or fires by dumping dirty gases into the action on every shot.
But to each their own. It is still a free Country.
This really should be multiple choices possible.
wanderinwalker
Member
I had to vote "just because." Though if you look at my signature line, most of my time behind an AR-15 butt plate has been in competition, or practicing for competition.
I have 2 at the moment. My very worn, very heavy, very accurate Service Rifle. It's old enough that it's a standard A2 upper and not one of the A4 flat-tops. I thought the A4s with carry handle sights were a step in the right direction. However, I haven't been to a match since the rules were changed to apparently allow low-power optics and carbines with collapsible stocks.
Number 2 is a Colt 6920, or an "M4gery" or "Mfaux". It's primary purpose is to turn money into noise, which it does very efficiently. That rifle has an Aimpoint PRO on top. I like that it's a set and forget arrangement that I KNOW will work whenever I take it out. It's light and compact. It can be adapted to fit smaller people or larger people, or to accommodate seasonal changes in clothing. 5.56 ammo is light, reasonably powerful and relatively inexpensive. It isn't my first choice for any one specific use, but I could press it in to service in a variety of roles if needed. Here in NH it's even legal to deer hunt with the .223/5.56.
Now the thought of a true fully-automatic rifle like AlexanderA is talking about gets my interest. I've fired a few subguns (Uzi, Thompson, MP-5) but never really got excited about a full-auto until somebody let me run a magazine through a genuine Armalite AR-18. THAT definitely got me interested in owning something with the switch!
I have 2 at the moment. My very worn, very heavy, very accurate Service Rifle. It's old enough that it's a standard A2 upper and not one of the A4 flat-tops. I thought the A4s with carry handle sights were a step in the right direction. However, I haven't been to a match since the rules were changed to apparently allow low-power optics and carbines with collapsible stocks.
Number 2 is a Colt 6920, or an "M4gery" or "Mfaux". It's primary purpose is to turn money into noise, which it does very efficiently. That rifle has an Aimpoint PRO on top. I like that it's a set and forget arrangement that I KNOW will work whenever I take it out. It's light and compact. It can be adapted to fit smaller people or larger people, or to accommodate seasonal changes in clothing. 5.56 ammo is light, reasonably powerful and relatively inexpensive. It isn't my first choice for any one specific use, but I could press it in to service in a variety of roles if needed. Here in NH it's even legal to deer hunt with the .223/5.56.
Now the thought of a true fully-automatic rifle like AlexanderA is talking about gets my interest. I've fired a few subguns (Uzi, Thompson, MP-5) but never really got excited about a full-auto until somebody let me run a magazine through a genuine Armalite AR-18. THAT definitely got me interested in owning something with the switch!
AlexanderA
Member
A Browning M1919A4 can be had right now for less than an M16. I have an M60, and the design is problematic for a lot of reasons. (This is a gun that is overpriced, IMO.) The Browning is rock-solid dependable.
Full-auto toys were affordable back before the Hughes Amendment. I was lucky enough to have been an active collector then.
I owned an HK91 as my first, and only hunting rifle in the 1970's. Used it for 18 years and took deer with it. After I retired from the Army Reserve I got to looking into AR's and then built my first, in 6.8.
And like many others, the parts left over as I modified it became the second AR, a pistol with 10.5" barrel. I now hunt with that in two seasons. Did I buy a bolt action .30-06, and a 64 lever, yes. They also have a place - in the gun cabinet. The AR is usually out and about, because after 22 years of handling one in the Reserves, carrying it for weeks at a time, cleaning it daily, and training with it, I trust it more than any other. I know it's effective range and how it handles, where the muzzle is, and how it shoots.
I can't say the same for a bolt gun or lever I only used in hunting season for a few days a year. They seem foreign to me - and I expect it's no different that a Garand owner who carried his up hills in Korea or stateside. We have a basic ingrained memory of how they handle and work.
There are 25 million prior service and veterans in the US, over 90% are trained in the M16. There is NO way to get a service rifle, so we are forced to buy from the open market. And that will continue to spur sales for the foreseeable future. While Remington has sold over 5 million Model 700's over the last few decades, just as many, if not more AR's have sold in one half the time, the majority since the sunset of the AWB.
What I find interesting are the few who aren't familiar with it. While growing up in the 1960's you could have a family gathering and at least one in ten of the men there had served and knew how to handle a Garand or M14. Now? One in a hundred. The downside of an all volunteer army is a drastic loss of what military service does and teaches. All many civilians hear now is what the media spoonfeeds them, which is an entirely inaccurate description of the rifle.
That alone is reason enough to at least do some homework, ask veterans what they know, and look into it for yourself.
Charlie98
Member
Same here... I had A1's all through the 3 years in the Army, and bought a Colt H-Bar as soon as I could when I got out, not for any grand purpose, but just for nostalga. Since then, ARs have evolved into the pickup truck of the rifle world... and I have 2 more, and 2 lowers on the 'to-do' list. I don't consider them an investment, nor did I buy them for any reaction or anticipation of an untoward event... Parkland or EOTWAWKI. They are good shooters that fill a number of roles, and therein lies their value.
BSA1
member
I did not vote because all of the choices listed are my reason PLUS just to piss the Liberals, Anti-2A and Rhinos off.
- Status
