Buying first .223 rifle, could use a little help

[CherenkovBlue]

Alright, heres my situation. I live in Virginia, i am 19 years old. i own a 30-30, 30-06, a couple .22's and a 12 gauge shotgun. i want a semi automatic .223 rifle. i want either a ruger mini-14 or an M4. i'd like to know what you all would recommend. and if you do recommend an AR-15 type rifle... what would be the best company and model to go with? and if any one is from Virginia, would someone my age be able to buy an AR-15 style rifle?

 

[BADUNAME13]

I would first recommend against the .223.

BUT, if that is want you want I recommend a CAR15 (M-4 type) B/c it is good to know how to run the military issue rifle, and parts and mags are cheap.

I would recommend a Rock River brand Flat top with flip up iron sites.

 

[CherenkovBlue]

why not .223?

 

[RNB65]

If you're over 18 you can buy one.

Forget the Mini 14. Get an AR. A Rock River or Bushmaster AR15 with 16" barrel, flattop receiver, and collapsible stock should do the trick.

If you live within driving distance of Richmond, contact Steve at Hallmark Small Arms and he'll set you right up. Steve's a private FFL dealer and I highly recommend him.

http://www.hallmarksmallarms.com/

See how fast that was? You posted your first question and within 10 minutes you were told who to contact get exactly what you need. Good Lord, what did we do before the internet???

 

[Hoppy590]

i dont think Nomad, 2nd read the original post, and was thinking

First rifle. 223
not
first 223 rifle

 

[Jorg Nysgerrig]

.223/5.56 is fine. You've got a .30-06 for bigger game and .22s for cheap plinking. The AR15 platform is a great to shoot, there are tons of models to choose from, any accessory you could ever want to customize it. I like RRA, but you really can't go wrong with any of the more well known names (RRA, Colt, Bushmaster, Armalite, DPMS, etc).

 

[BADUNAME13]

I may have a different prespective than you do. To me a 'black rifle' is a 'people killing gun'
The .223 in my experience takes too many rounds (5-7) to put someone down.
Also the ammo is currently EXTREMELY expensive which will be detremental to high volume training.

Also I have found the AR/M16 system to be less than reliable (And I have less love for the Mini 14 due to parts, and mag issues.)


This is only my opinion backed by my experences. Your needs/desires may be different.

Edited to add: Hoppy, I understood the post. 'To me' the .223 can drop off the face of the earth and I would not miss it. I have NO USE for it, and believe resources are better spent directed towards another use.
I understand others feel differently which is why I specified this is just MY opinion.

 

[CherenkovBlue]

thank you sirs, anything else i should be aware of?

 

[glockman19]

If you can get an AR-15 get it. I'd get a Rock River, Bushmaster, Colt or S&W. If you're looking for accurace get the 20" barrel it's going to be more accurate and have higher velocities than the 16". I'm in CA and have a Mini-14 and like it alot but I'm going to be putting together a CA legal AR soon. I agree with Nomad get the CAR15 (M-4 type)

 

[RNB65]

I may have a different prespective than you do. To me a 'black rifle' is a 'people killing gun'

You need to go to an AR15.com shoot sometime. The maybe you'll see the AR as a more-fun-than-a-box-of-puppies gun.

 

[RNB65]

thank you sirs, anything else i should be aware of?

Just do a lot of reading before you buy anything to make sure you understand what you want. It's very easy to get paralysis-by-analysis when buying AR's because there are sooooo many options. A basic 16" flattop is always a good place to start and the Rock River 2 stage trigger is also nice to have. In the future you can buy additional upper receivers with other options and barrel lengths if you want to mix things up a bit.

 

[TheDisturbed1]

as an alternative...

If economics is an issue, dont go with an ultra cheap AR if you want it to last.

SAIGA of the "AK" platform has some nice rifles including .223REM for nearly half of the price of a good AR.

High Capacity mags are made, but a bit spendy.

Not to cripple your first thoughts on the Mini-14/M4 ideas...

 

[Jorg Nysgerrig]

To me a 'black rifle' is a 'people killing gun'

10 out of 10 antis agree with you. While there is no doubt they are capable of this and rankly, most people aren't shooting people with them. Thus, implying there is no reason to own them unless you plan to kill people with them is kind of silly.

Also the ammo is currently EXTREMELY expensive which will be detremental to high volume training.

Which more effective caliber has less expensive ammo?

The AR15 is a fun platform to shoot, easy to maintain, and one of the most affordable rifle calibers to shoot.

 

[helpless]

Whats wrong with shooting someone 3 times if you are trying to kill them. You could theoretically kill 10 people with one 30 round mag, or you could use one of your larger caliber rifles more suitable in your opinion for "Killing People" and get a kill shot with every single shot fired. Right?

Arguing over caliber is a moot point here, the guy clearly asked for opinions on .223 rifles.

 

[TheDisturbed1]

Which more effective caliber has less expensive ammo?

7.62x39

You never said anything about availability