mustanger98
Member
Yeah, best I can tell, the A2 stock is the way to go. MidwayUSA has UTG's A2 stock/buffer assembly for about half the price of most every other stock without the buffer assembly.
Food 4 Thought Friday: Defensive AR’s
- Thread starter Varminterror
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Yeah, best I can tell, the A2 stock is the way to go. MidwayUSA has UTG's A2 stock/buffer assembly for about half the price of most every other stock without the buffer assembly.
Skylerbone
Member
To me the question asked is whether you trust a bottom dollar rifle or not. If you don’t, would you consider two (redundancy) as an option or, if no to either, would you feel better about a more expensive option. I did not interpret the dollar amounts as literal hard budget amounts.
I keep records of builds and what I actually keep at the ready tops out at over $1,000. The why of that price tag could easily be summed up as a more accurate barrel, a fancier rail, some fun small parts, and nothing meaningful to those upgrades.
I have inexpensive builds that are easily as reliable because the parts that make them run are all good. Same bolts, same springs, same buffers. My at the ready AR just happens to be less conspicuous in my room than the less expensive and more expensive ARs I own.
Solid base quality yields a solid performing rifle.
I keep records of builds and what I actually keep at the ready tops out at over $1,000. The why of that price tag could easily be summed up as a more accurate barrel, a fancier rail, some fun small parts, and nothing meaningful to those upgrades.
I have inexpensive builds that are easily as reliable because the parts that make them run are all good. Same bolts, same springs, same buffers. My at the ready AR just happens to be less conspicuous in my room than the less expensive and more expensive ARs I own.
Solid base quality yields a solid performing rifle.
Charlie98
Member
You are making my point... $350 for the rifle alone is fair, trying to build out an AR with everything for $350 total is not.
What’s that? Mostly sit in the closet?
What’s that? Mostly sit in the closet?
Pretty close, maybe go to the range once a year and do a few mag dumps at 10 yards so they can crow about their shooting.
I was half kidding. Some perform alright. Some not so much.
Most people will never really stress an AR rifle or shoot it enough to break a part. Same thing for 90% of the pistols purchased.
I try and shoot at least 500 rounds a week. That's taken a real hit this year with all the rain we've had here in North Texas. Many firearms won't have 2000 rounds in their lifetime. My first trip with my new to me Remington R1 Limited double stack was over 500 rounds.
One think I and other people have noticed is when you ask random strangers on the internet what you should buy you end up with a list of what those random strangers would LIKE to buy. Not what they own or use, but what they would like to own or use.
If I had to hazard a guess I'd say there are at least 10 "budget" AR's out there for every Noveske or LMT, but reading some forums you'd think EVERYONE has one.
That’s probably true.
That’s probably true as well. The thing is on here everyone is generally older, more established and most of the regulars have been on here for years.
With all the social media outlets out there and the lack of any accountability on some of them there might be the tendency to lie. I don’t know. Just theorizing.
I had a gun built by an experienced gunsmith from premium parts that was accurate and reliable. It was then fun to dive into the building process for guns that were specialized but not life or death. They all work great for me but I am not a competitor or high volume shooter and I am not stressing them with mag dumps or silly tricks.
The platform continues to amaze me with how flexible and forgiving the design has become.
The platform continues to amaze me with how flexible and forgiving the design has become.
chicharrones
needs more ammo
WrongHanded
Member
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HA! Wisenheimer...
Zerodefect
member
One $800 rifle kit.
https://www.larue.com/products/larue-ultimate-ar-15-upper-kit/
Larue ultimate uppers are still available.
https://www.larue.com/products/larue-ultimate-ar-15-upper-kit/
Larue ultimate uppers are still available.
OP
OP
Varminterror
Member
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Twice in this thread, as the OP, I commented that optics aren’t included in the $350.
Charlie98
Member
My bad... I don't remember seeing that, quite honestly.
OP
OP
Varminterror
Member
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Argh... I never seem to recall the poll function. I didn’t expect this much interest, certainly a lot of posts to review at this point!
Demi-human
maybe likes firearms a little bit…
An interesting question.
I’m no rifle guru. Or a guru of anything. But I do have an opinion. It doesn’t come from wearing out or building hundreds of rifles.
But I have one.
I am one of those that will put a bit more confidence in higher quality products. Whether that is warranted or not.
Because it is remote, I have chosen an AR. Not how many ARs I would need.
Because I am solitary, I have a need of only one rifle.
If it was home-defense, I would have it close. If it was for self-defense, because of the remoteness, I would have it close to/on me.
If there were a defensive need for the rifle, having a spare, or having parts for replacement is a moot point, to me.
In the heat of the situation there will not be time to repair anything. It must work. Right then. And most likely it must work for about ten to fifteen seconds.
The most pivotal seconds of my life.
In the old west(ern movies from Hollywood) there were scenes of days long sieges.
I find that hard to believe today.
When human actors realize “the gig is up” and a hail of copper sail towards them, (it’s remote, I know they are up to no good when they arrive, they are not here to visit, they have bandanas and black cowboy hats) they change their minds and leave.
I’m not rich, nor working a gold mine, sticking around would be a waste.
When a Bear growls at me in the garage, a .223 is enough when it has thirty friends.
It would also be too late to make it to another working rifle with in the heat of either situation. Let alone rip one open and fix it.
Thus, I would chose a single higher quality carbine, whether it was truly better or not...
If I did have some valuable thing that a really bad guy wanted, out in the remote wilderness I would expect a single bullet with my name on it. Never even needing a defensive rifle.
Predators are predators. But vultures look for an easy meal, I am not one.
But if I did get the scent of danger coming, I would want a single, iron sighted rifle, of better quality, nitride everything. The difference in price pretty well covers the better finish, a better bolt group and springs I think.
And since the sighting system is not in the price, I would like a set of Scalarworks Peak Sights.
Those look nice and durable.
Or maybe a set of Ultradyne barrel mounted sights. A cool idea if not a bit unsightly.(pun!)
I’m no rifle guru. Or a guru of anything. But I do have an opinion. It doesn’t come from wearing out or building hundreds of rifles.
But I have one.
I am one of those that will put a bit more confidence in higher quality products. Whether that is warranted or not.
Because it is remote, I have chosen an AR. Not how many ARs I would need.
Because I am solitary, I have a need of only one rifle.
If it was home-defense, I would have it close. If it was for self-defense, because of the remoteness, I would have it close to/on me.
If there were a defensive need for the rifle, having a spare, or having parts for replacement is a moot point, to me.
In the heat of the situation there will not be time to repair anything. It must work. Right then. And most likely it must work for about ten to fifteen seconds.
The most pivotal seconds of my life.
In the old west(ern movies from Hollywood) there were scenes of days long sieges.
I find that hard to believe today.
When human actors realize “the gig is up” and a hail of copper sail towards them, (it’s remote, I know they are up to no good when they arrive, they are not here to visit, they have bandanas and black cowboy hats) they change their minds and leave.
I’m not rich, nor working a gold mine, sticking around would be a waste.
When a Bear growls at me in the garage, a .223 is enough when it has thirty friends.
It would also be too late to make it to another working rifle with in the heat of either situation. Let alone rip one open and fix it.
Thus, I would chose a single higher quality carbine, whether it was truly better or not...
If I did have some valuable thing that a really bad guy wanted, out in the remote wilderness I would expect a single bullet with my name on it. Never even needing a defensive rifle.
Predators are predators. But vultures look for an easy meal, I am not one.
But if I did get the scent of danger coming, I would want a single, iron sighted rifle, of better quality, nitride everything. The difference in price pretty well covers the better finish, a better bolt group and springs I think.
And since the sighting system is not in the price, I would like a set of Scalarworks Peak Sights.
Those look nice and durable.
Or maybe a set of Ultradyne barrel mounted sights. A cool idea if not a bit unsightly.(pun!
)mustanger98
Member
Thinking of the $350 AR in the OP, a store local to me ran S&W's offering on sale for $480 back in January. Now, after a couple of months of nonsense, they're running those "on sale" again for $5-something. Anyhow, those are 16" carbine with the A2 front sight on the A-frame... all somebody'd have to do to upgrade the irons is add a $40 carry handle and run it as an A4.
Demi-human
maybe likes firearms a little bit…
I think repair & maintenance goes without question.
But do you carry those parts in box or in another, lesser quality, complete rifle?
mustanger98
Member
I would think, regardless of one rifle vs two (or more for that matter), spare parts would be organized/inventoried in something like Plano tackle boxes which can be found in any stateside wallyworld sporting goods. A kit within a kit.
CraigC
Sixgun Nut
I will admit that I'm not sure what my options are for a $350 AR and I haven't really seen anything specific posted. Perusing the usual suspects, I don't even see it as an option. Someone mentioned PSA but they start over $500 for a basic carbine. Their cheapest kit, sans the lower is $400. I see a $229 upper at Midway and I reckon you could slap together a lower and be at $350. So it seems to me you're really scraping the bottom of the barrel with a $350 AR. Might be fine for someone who just wants to have one but not shoot it very often but I'm not convinced its something I want to stake my life on. I also have to really question the comments that there's no difference between a $350 AR and a $700 one.
I'd rather have one good one at $700 than anything you could throw together for $350, even if there were four of them.
I'd rather have one good one at $700 than anything you could throw together for $350, even if there were four of them.
BearCreek offers some starting at about 360 but they are out of stock. Ive been very happy with the BCA uppers Ive had, they didnt use to be particularly well finished, but the newer ones ive gotten have actually been pretty nice.
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