AR Manufacturers

Status
Not open for further replies.
S

SW40

Member
Joined
Dec 5, 2011
Messages
61
Location
SWVA
Hi folks,

Im going to be purchasing an AR soon. Will be my first AR but not my first firearm. I know that in a lot of cases its "what ever feel better" or "its what ever YOU want".

However in my search I have come to the conclusion that its not the case when it comes to AR Purchasing. I get the idea that there are companies to stay away from and companies to gravitate towards because of the quality or VALUE of product.

If I can I would like to buy an AR rifle complete. But if I can get a fantastic deal with a level of quality by building one I will do that.

This is where you guys come in. I know some of you have some good knowledge of the AR Platform. So without further adeu....

My budget is $1000

What companies should I look at when purchasing a complete rifle? I want a rifle that will last and withstand the possibility of me being in a "Two Way Shooting Range".

On the other side, what companies should I look at when piecing together an AR?

I do appreciate any help, and any information I get I will aggregate into the OP of this thread.

Thanks,

SW40
 
have you tried the search function? this topic has been covered over and over, with specific threads for "best ar for $1000". you'll likely getthe same old responses that have been given before, save for a few who have changed their minds. best thing to do is, do your own research, as opposed to asking for opinions. everyone is pretty jaded one way or another when it comes to ars.
 
I won't speak of ones to stay away from, but I have had 100% reliability shooting all kinds of ammo, most of which is cheap Russian, with my S&W M&P MOE.
I paid a little more than $1000 for mine, but you can find them in the price range you want. If you can find one, take a look at the S&W Sport. Good starting platform.
 
I'm probably not the best advisor on this subject since I coined the term "logo ego" referring those guys who only believe that their favorite logo is worth owning.
I own or have owned several AR type firearms of various brands. I truly feel even the lowest priced(but still built of in spec parts) AR rifles will provide adequate service for the majority of their owners. I have some rifles assembled from the cheapest parts kits. lowers, and stocks pinned to the lowest cost assembled uppers I could find that are as accurate and functional as name brand factory rifles.
Places like R-Guns run specials on lowers and DelTon uppers have done well for me. I assembled rifles on consecutive numbered lowers for each of my offspring and myself.
 
batmann said:
I won't speak of ones to stay away from, but I have had 100% reliability shooting all kinds of ammo, most of which is cheap Russian, with my S&W M&P MOE.
I paid a little more than $1000 for mine, but you can find them in the price range you want. If you can find one, take a look at the S&W Sport. Good starting platform.
Click to expand...
+1. Why spend $1000 if you don't have to on a rifle that is quality.
 
Mobuck said it best. I've had a DPMS Sportical and have a PSA and they both ran/run great, despite being on the low to mid price range. And don't worry about feel, you can change whatever parts out you want to improve the feel on an AR15. :D
 
Colt
Smith
Rock River

They all shoot very well. Statistical trends indicate the Colt will appreciate in value the most.
 
For that budget I would look for a Colt. If that is too expensive I would get a PSA. IMO, PSA makes the best budget friendly AR but I would rather have something nicer if price wasn't a limiting factor. You can get a basic BCM for a very reasonable price and it has a fantastic reputation.
 
I have a RRA priced. However I think I could get one cheaper at our gun show next month. Whats the general consensus on the S&W M&P 15? Or Stag Arms?
 
only ARs are Armalites.....others are built to an AR frame design, RRA, DPMS (Bushmaster) and so many more including high dollar builds. but you will hear over and over AR stands for ARmalite.
 
Good point texaspatriot. I know a lot of people think AR stands for Assault Rifle. It does infact stand for Armalite, which was the initial company to come up with and produce the "AR" platform.
 
I also have an ArmaLite but recommend BCM in the 1K range. But from your handle it looks like S&W might be perfect for you.
 
Yes, the AR NAME comes from Armalite. Absolutely nothing else about them comes from the original company, the name was sold.

Colt 6920. Done deal.

Having said that, The vast majority of rifles will work for the vast majority of shooters in the vast majority of circumstances. You have to drive one REALLY hard to reveal the differences. The S&W M&P Sport is a great rifle for less than $700.
 
For a hard use rifle at a $1k budget it's very difficult to beat the Colt 6920.

only ARs are Armalites.....others are built to an AR frame design, RRA, DPMS (Bushmaster) and so many more including high dollar builds. but you will hear over and over AR stands for ARmalite.
Click to expand...
The real Armalite went out of business in the 1960s. Before that Colt bought the manufacturing rights and all intellectual property related to the AR-15. The only REAL AR-15s ARE COLTS. The current Armalite company is a name only, and they have to call their AR-15 style rifles M-15 rifles.
 
Decided to go with Del-Ton. They manufacture their AR-15s about 30 minutes away from me in Elizabethton TN. That and my LGS has one of the Del Ton Extreme Duty AR's for a great price.
 
Seriously. Take it, clean it out of the box, get the bolt carrier group sloppy wet with CLP, and shoot a few hundred rounds straight through it. Buy some Wolf ammo, borrow a few mags if you don't have that many, but torture it and hammer it. It will run.
 
I'd go with a Colt or BCM. If you intend to piece the gun then BCM is the way to go. Daniel Defense is another quality builder. What many fail to understand is that the mil-spec standards, compared to cheaper build methods and materials, decreases the likelihood that the gun will have issues and will likely be more durable. There are plenty of individual guns from lower quality manufacturers that may run just fine but in general certain brands will have a higher chance of malfunctions than others. Single anecdotal reports of a DPMS, RR, Colt, etc. "running fine" or having issues does not tell one much. Like any other product, there are higher end and lower end manufacturers. The higher end won't be 100% reliable and the lower ends won't be 100% unreliable. It doesn't work that way. The rates of problems are what mil-spec standards help to minimize, not eliminate.

What is crazy today is that guns built to lower standards are selling for just as much and sometimes more than comparable guns from Colt or BCM which are built to milspec standards (minus trigger and barrel length). So if you are going to pay $1,000 for a gun it makes not sense to buy a non-milspec gun unless there are specific configurations you are seeking. For example, if you are more concerned with accuracy than reliability a milspec gun is not likely the best choice as a stainless steel barrel is preferred.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

L
  • Locked
AR-15 newbie....
Replies
6
Views
393
GunnySkox
G
B
  • Locked
AR-15 kits
2 3
Replies
65
Views
12K
lycanthrope
L
N
  • Locked
AR-15 small parts, upper reciever sources, questions
Replies
2
Views
711
Bartholomew Roberts
B
M
  • Locked
AR-15 - First Timer
Replies
23
Views
1K
awgrizzly
A
M
  • Locked
Battle Rifle Company, not a glowing review.
2
Replies
40
Views
7K
Robert
Robert
Back
Top