considering an ar-15

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jgo296

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im thinking about getting an ar-15 (next thing you know ill want a 1911 :barf:)

ok so use- just to have -take to range - feel like a mall ninja
features- i want iron sights on it but the ability to upgrade with all the tactical stuff and scope
priorities- 1) reliability and durability are first ( i want it to work forever and never jam)
2) accuracy- i probably wont ever seek to get it accurized or whatever so i want 1 mao or sub out of the box
3) customer support- if it does mess up i want the company having my back

Price isnt that much of an issue but dont want to spend money and get nothing for it.

please give suggestions backed by facts and feel free to throw in anything i forgot
 
i want iron sights on it but the ability to upgrade with all the tactical stuff and scope
priorities
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So you want at least a flattop upper receiver. That is something to keep in mind. Do you intend to attach other accessories (flashlights, lasers, vertical grips, bipods, etc.)? If so you may want a rail system as well - and given your accuracy standards, you will want a free float rail system.

reliability and durability are first ( i want it to work forever and never jam)
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That just isn't a realistic goal that any rifle can meet. However, if you take the precaution of using good ammunition you know the rifle likes, good magazines, and keeping the BCG wet, I think 10k rounds without mechanical failure or stoppage is probably possible.

accuracy- i probably wont ever seek to get it accurized or whatever so i want 1 mao or sub out of the box
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Just a point; but 1MOA or better out of the box is a fairly demanding standard that few people are capable of meeting without using both a bench and match ammo. You can get that much accuracy; but to get that much accuracy with the kind of reliability and durability you want is going to cost you plenty.

3) customer support- if it does mess up i want the company having my back
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Eh.. you are pretty much into custom build territory now. I doubt any of the off-the-line production ARs will reliably meet all your criteria. There might be a few off-the-line that will; but it will be a crap shoot whether the one you buy does.

You are looking for someone like MSTN, JP or Noveske now. They can build a rifle that meets your criteria and they will stand behind their product and provide excellent customer service on the off chance you ever need it; but expect to pay around $2k or more.

Also, if you have specific plans in mind (example: I have 10k of Wolf here that I want to use in the rifle), tell them in advance and they can tweak the rifle to make sure it functions in your particular situation.
 
Your criterai is simple enough for any of the AR manufacturers to meet. Just go out and buy the one that you think has the neatest logo and a detachable carry handle for unlimited scope options.

I'm not really joking either. They're a simple piece of equipment that function flawlessly if you clean and lube them properly. Have fun!:)
 
I would also add that just by changing your accuracy criteria to less than 2MOA with match ammo, you can cut your price in half and open up a wide variety of manufacturers that can reliably provide you your product. Chances are even decent that you'll do 1.5MOA.
 
Your criterai is simple enough for any of the AR manufacturers to meet. Just go out and buy the one that you think has the neatest logo and a detachable carry handle for unlimited scope options.
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All ARs are not equal. Choose carefully. Do what I did, and buy quality w/o bothering with the cheap stuff. Any AR is going to be pretty expensive, so go with quality. Colt is the ruler by which most other ARs are measured, but they are pricey. Seek out The Chart (I don't have a link for it right now though).

Avoid Vulcan/Hesse and Century like the plague.

The nice thing about the AR is that it is very modular. You can add rails later. change sighting systems (provided you get the flattop), change uppers, rebarrel an upper, etc. The AR is also phenomenally accurate for an autoloader platform, particularly for the price of one. Don't worry about the 1 MOA thing, though.

I would stay away from DPMS and Olympic. Bottom of the barrel. DPMS has a wide market saturation. I would take an Olympic over DPMS. I've seen plenty of DPMS rifles screwed up straight out of the box. Had a friend buy one and it never worked right.

Next level is stuff like Stag, Rock River, Bushmaster, S&W. Decent rifles for ar recreational shooter, and they work, for the most part. I'd go with a Stag or S&W in this catagory.

Next you have stuff like Lewis Machine & Tool, Noveske, Colt, Charles Daly (new to the AR world, but listened to shooters to create a quality product). Colt is expensive, but they hit the points with their LE line, except weird size FCG pins in the lower. Go figure...Many don't like Colt's politics, though. LMT is good, but selection is limited. Noveske is good.

There is also CMMG. Offering a wide array of options for each rifle, so check them out. Good prices, particularly in their bargin bin stuff.
 
CMMG, Stag, and RRA all provide good value. Colt, LMT, and Noveske are good but not great values. From what I've heard I'd stay away from Olympic.
 
An Olympic was my first AR, all of my later ones have been built from Bushmaster, Colt, Rock River and LMT parts, and I'm intending to put a Bushmaster barrel on that Olympic upper one of these days to correct several issues the rifle has.

Frankly, I'm surprised Olympic is still in business...

Kharn
 
+1 for Stag, for a budget AR. That's the route I went:D.

Do yourself a favor, and buy the upper and lower separately (both complete), and save some money.

Or maybe even mix it up. For my next AR, I'm thinking about a Stag lower, and LMT upper.
 
For my next AR, I'm thinking about a Stag lower, and LMT upper.
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That's a great route too. Quality would be just as good as with a complete LMT build, but a little cheaper. You might save $100.
 
You'll find somebody with a problem with their Bushmaster and they hate them.

You'll find somebody with a problem with their RRA and they hate them.

You'll find somebody with a problem with their DPMS and they hate them.

You'll find somebody with a problem with their LMT and they hate them.

You'll find somebody with a problem with their CMMG and they hate them.

You'll find somebody with a problem with their Stag and they hate them.

etc....

Do some research on the brand and ensure all parts are mil-spec and you'll have no probs with 1" groups at 100 yards shooting decent factory ammo.
 
ok i went up to the gun store and the guy told me basically any chrome lined ar-15 is equal he also said the "abc's" of ar-15 are armalite,bushmaster, colt

10,000 rounds with out a problem is more than adequate

some of ya'll said 1moa is difficult- armalite has a few rifles they guarantee that on?

as far as spending goes if im already in for 1000 i might as well spend 1500 if it makes a difference



also nobody mentioned sig rifles they have a few of them up there
 
Just to throw this out there but dont forget about the piston AR's.

Like POF, LWRC, or the one that Bushy makes.
 
i say get a bushmaster, stag, or rra, a3 flatop and be happy. they aren't 1moa accurate but they are good enough for range work that is for sure.
 
ok i have no idea what darthbauer is talking about
can some one explain

and what about the sig?
 
ok i have no idea what darthbauer is talking about
can some one explain

and what about the sig?
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Im talking about a piston upper. Its a different gas system. Less fouling in receiver because the gas is blowen out the front of the gun. Its like the system on an AK.

If your talking about the Sig 556, this is a piston driven rifle. I have shot one and they are very nice but I dont really consider them an AR.
 
ok do they make guns already put together and all with the piston system?
 
www.anvilarms.com

May seem like a troll post for Jon Kruger, but the dude knows his stuff. Will build you an AR-15 to your specs and at a price that will make you realize how much more ammo you can buy. Go forth and try and dig up a bad review of his work...Jon and his Anvil Arms AR-15's are GTG....
 
im still trying to figure all of this out no way i could order a custom one

but arent piston guns more reliable? (or less dependent on cleaning at least?)
 
also if there is a website or something that explains all this id be more than happy to read it so id have better educated questions
 
if you want an accurate ar-15 out of the box, i would say go with a Rock River Arms. they have Wilson barrels in them. suppose to be super accurate.
i dont like the tricked out look... i used to but now i prefer the traditional look more. i am actually looking for a vietnam era A1 fore grip...
anyway, Rock River has lots of options and you can order one the way you want it at your gun shop. just get a heavy stainless barrel...

index.cfm


you can make a regular mid length RRA with a heavy barrel and have this free float half rail fore grip put on it, and that awesome magpul butt stock. make it look like this
puelicomp.gif
but there are TONS of options.
i have handled Rock Rivers before and they are put together very well. really tight guns.
go pick some up somewhere and give them your own opinion..
 
but arent piston guns more reliable? (or less dependent on cleaning at least?)
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Your going to get people that will swear up and down that they are the best thing in the world and then there will be people that say they are not needed. From what ive heard the piston system is not self cleaning like the normal gas tube systems so its one more thing to clean. People justify that by not having all the fouling in the receivers to clean. I'd say that its only needed when shooting a SBR as the tube is not long enough and sometimes has trouble pushing the bolt carrier back and will cause a failure. Piston systems also are a plus when shooting suppresed.
 
another thing i see you can buy uppers and switch calibers
is tthe lower of the ar-10 and ar15 the same
 
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