Best to Worst AR15 list

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If I was buying a comlete new AR today, unless I wanted a real "top end" AR like Noveske etc, I would probably buy a Charles Daly if one was available at a reasonable price. A lot of gun for the money according to many and I really like the CD lower assembly I bought. Fortunately, I took care of my AR needs as far as lowers/lower assemblies go pre election. Maybe I'll get another someday, but for right now, different uppers are all I need.
 
I am getting a JP upper for a lower that I have now. The upper is going to cost about 1300. The thing that is nice about th ehigh end AR stuff is that if you ever have to sell it you can get real close to what you have payed for it.
 
best one is the one you build/assemble yourself. You get exactly what you want and save money compared to buying the rifle in-house from the manufacturer. For example, I'm piecing up a rifle with mostly all-CMMG parts that is gonna end up costing 500 bucks less than what it would have cost if I got the whole thing in-house as a complete rifle.
 
Nobody has actually made a Best-to-Worst list in this thread so far. Although much of it would be subjective, it would still be interesting.

OK, here is mine. Some of it has research to back it up, some of it is just personal preference. Some brands are left out I am sure, because I really dont know WHERE to rank them (Les Baer, Wilson, POF....I know they are high end rifles but no sure where they fit on the scale).

BTW, my list is strictly for my preference for a FIGHTING rifle and is not necessarily the order I would put them in for other purposes such as target rifles, hunting rifles, etc...

1. Noveske
2. LMT
3. BCM
4. Colt
5. Sabre
6. Charles Daly
7. S&W
8. CMMG
9. Stag
10. Bushmaster
11. Rock River
12. DPMS
13. Doublestar
14. Olympic
.
.
.
1001. Hesse/Vulcan/blackthorne

I would be really interested in seeing some other folks detailed lists as well.
 
^thats pretty close going off of in-house manufacturers.

However, the problem there is that just about any AR that has any quality to it can be made into a milspec rifle with the optional upgrades, a castle wrench, and a swap for a better bolt. Thats when it gets interesting.

I'm also curious as to where Yankee Hill, Del-Ton, and a few others would fall in based off of the chart.
 
colt, lmt, and bcm are a toss up for me.

someone mentioned in another thread, that rockriver loctites their castle nut instead of staking because they use inferior material. whether there's any truth to that i can't say for certain. that's a concern of mine with some of the mfrs that cut corners.....lower grade parts. as pat rogers so eloquently put it, "parts ain't parts". sure you can swap out the bolt, but what about the rest of the small parts that most people don't even think twice about? i'd rather spend the money up front and feel confident about the quality of the rifle.
 
Only brand that people will consistently say to stay away from would be Vulcan/Hesse. Others add Olympic as well.
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Olympic Arms often gets a bad rap due to its cast receiver "Plinker" models, which are rougher than what most people want in an AR15. I'm not aware of any issues with Oly's forged receiver offerings. So, excluding the "Plinker" line (if it's still being made), I'd rank Olympic Arms as a middle-of-the road AR15 manufacturer. I have rifles built on two of their lowers and have not encountered any problems.
 
Olympic Arms often gets a bad rap due to its cast receiver "Plinker" models, which are rougher than what most people want in an AR15. I'm not aware of any issues with Oly's forged receiver offerings. So, excluding the "Plinker" line (if it's still being made), I'd rank Olympic Arms as a middle-of-the road AR15 manufacturer. I have rifles built on two of their lowers and have not encountered any problems.
Click to expand...

My understanding is that Oly no longer offers cast receivers, including the plinker line.
 
One that I haven't seen mentioned yet it the White Oak Arms

This is a top gun

http://www.whiteoakprecision.com/uppers-service.htm

You said adding goodies later on. They are known for Service Rifles for the high precision HighPower guys. I guess any goodies can be added on at any time.

White Oak is considered top grade among these shooters.
 
Everything else is pretty much all the same.

I know by saying that, I am inviting someone to drag out 'the chart'.

Having put several thousand rounds through my AR this year, and not having had one problem yet because my barrel might not be parkerized under the FSB.. i don't much care what the chart says.
Click to expand...

that first statement is so far from the truth, and it has nothing to do with "the chart".
 
that first statement is so far from the truth, and it has nothing to do with "the chart".
Click to expand...

Please enlighten me. I am always more than happy to admit when I am wrong. And I like to learn new things.

The vast majority of the raw forgings are made by a handful of companies. Alcoa, Cerro, Anchor Harvey.... probably one other I am forgetting.


Most of the parts like bolts and carriers are made by CMT, LMT, and (maybe? BCM).

Sure there is an accuracy advantage with a Noveske barrel. There is a lot of mystique out there surrounding a handful of boutique AR parts. Maybe I'm just an idiot but I haven't been able to discern much difference in performance.
 
How is the Colt HBAR AR15 stack up with others? I own one. I'm not a big AR fan, but since I trained with one in the military I wanted to add one to my collection.

Mine works fine, but I had to replace the magazine....no biggie.

But I'd like to know from an expert who knows how good my Cold HBAR is when compared to other newer AR's.
 
basically, all parts are POTENTIALLY of the same make and spec and quality. However, in the effort to cut costs and corners, some (...most) companies in some way do not have certain tests or proofs done to them. Some may just buy bolts without having them pressure tested or anything, some don't MPI their barrels, some don't bother properly staking certain things, etc. etc. This leaves room for failure and the occasional lemon part to make it into your gun. Luckily, most companies have good customer service.
 
proven. why ya in here torturing youself again? Im surprised our oll expert Tim isnt here to set everyone straight. maybe hes afraid someone will assualt him again. lol have fun mang :p
hey I ordered a Rem 700 sps varmint in .223 should be uber accurate. I sent the E.R.Shaw bbl back for replacement and Im Ar-less right now and having withdrawals. :barf:
 
helz,
i must be a glutton for punishment:D honestly though, there is alot of good information out there that people aren't aware of. i'm no expert, but i like to pass on the info when i can.

good luck with that 700, let us know how it shoots. i hope the new shaw bbl shoots the wings off a fly for you.
 
tim-
if you are going to carry that around in your wallet like some membership card to a "tacticool" club, the least you could do is post the updated version.:rolleyes:
 
Nobody has actually made a Best-to-Worst list in this thread so far. Although much of it would be subjective, it would still be interesting.

OK, here is mine. Some of it has research to back it up, some of it is just personal preference. Some brands are left out I am sure, because I really dont know WHERE to rank them (Les Baer, Wilson, POF....I know they are high end rifles but no sure where they fit on the scale).

BTW, my list is strictly for my preference for a FIGHTING rifle and is not necessarily the order I would put them in for other purposes such as target rifles, hunting rifles, etc...

1. Noveske
2. LMT
3. BCM
4. Colt
5. Sabre
6. Charles Daly
7. S&W
8. CMMG
9. Stag
10. Bushmaster
11. Rock River
12. DPMS
13. Doublestar
14. Olympic
.
.
.
1001. Hesse/Vulcan/blackthorne

I would be really interested in seeing some other folks detailed lists as well.
Click to expand...

Only thing i know to "change" this is where to put the three you didn't know about. Those go roughly:

POF--Exactly the same as noveske, if you like GP systems, that is a plus. Some say noveske barrels are better, and they might be, but not by much.

Les Baer--If you want match accuracy, they top the list. Not as reliable as a good colt, noveske, POF or any similar, but accurate. Consistantly accurate.

Wilson--The same or just above colt, but they are a custom company.
 
Has anybody mentioned Colt yet?:neener:

OP: The best fighting AR15 M4 style weapon on the market is made by Colt.

Don't let anyone fool you into thinking otherwise. LMT and Noveske are both good 2nd choices. Gods Bless you and your search for a Colt.
 
tim-
if you are going to carry that around in your wallet like some membership card to a "tacticool" club, the least you could do is post the updated version.
Click to expand...

I just linked to the latest version at m4c. Perhaps YOU don't have the latest version.
 
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