Getting my first AR! need some help.

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Muzzlelover

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hey guys been a while since I've been on here(been real busy lately)and i'm looking to get my first AR.There are so many manufacturers making AR's&my knowledge of them is very limited so what is, in your opinion, the best Factory AR out there for $800 or less? I was looking at ruger,del-ton, & dpms. any of those better than the others? open to all suggestions as long as it is full aluminum, l don't want a polymer lower. thanks.
 
Ruger would be my choice out of those. Or check out Palmetto State Armory as they can be very, very competitive. Don't be in a rush though, as it might be three weeks before you get it.
 
Bushmaster & the old bushmaster plant, Windham Weaponry, also have good deals. Now is a good time to buy an AR.. lots of them around, & prices have fallen. You should be able to get a good one in the $5-600 range.
 
Just get yourself a blem'd PSA complete lower and a PSA "premium" complete upper. Push 2 pins together and you have a great AR for $500.
 
I have a Colt 6920 with Magpul furniture on layaway, picking it up next week. They had it on sale for $899 at my LGS. I've shot them before and like them a lot, which is why I'm getting one.

I've also owned two M&P-15 Sports. Wish I would have kept one (I'll definitely get another at some point). They have everything you need and nothing you don't. IMO probably the best rifle for the money on the market today.
 
Muzzlelover said:
hey guys been a while since I've been on here(been real busy lately)and i'm looking to get my first AR.There are so many manufacturers making AR's&my knowledge of them is very limited so what is, in your opinion, the best Factory AR out there for $800 or less? I was looking at ruger,del-ton, & dpms. any of those better than the others? open to all suggestions as long as it is full aluminum, l don't want a polymer lower. thanks.
Click to expand...
http://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/index.php/cPath/36_1989/Rifles/Tactical+Rifles/page/1/sort/6a

or spend a bit more and get a colt. in your price range though i'd look at delton or s&w.
 
At your price range either a Colt 6920 or what I would is get a BCM upper and a complete lower from PSA. You may want to stake the castle nut on the PSA lower and add an H2 buffer. If you really want you can also buy a 7075 buffer tube. Either option is a much better buy than anything from del ton DPMS etc.
 
What are you going to use it for? If you're just plinking at the range and having a good time a cheap S&W Sport or DPMS for $500ish will be fine, reliable and accurate enough. PSA is probably the next step up in quality (the premium line) and will serve you just as well as a Colt, BCM, DD, etc 90% of the time.
 
It pains me to watch people buy basic factory AR's when I can put together a better rifle for less.:( This is why I put together rifles for all my friends. They get high end parts at mid tier prices.
 
Colts are the gold standard, and right now the prices on them have never been better. If you could squeeze about an extra hundred bucks into your budget, I don't think you'd regret getting a 6920.

If $800 is your top dollar. I'd buy the Ruger.
 
Well you can get a 6720 for $800 which is an awesome deal since they usually go for more than the 6920. I'd definitely take a lightweight 6720 over a gov't profile 6920 any day of the week. The gov't profile barrel just doesn't make much sense unless you own an M203 grenade launcher.
 
Build or buy? Unless you are really and I mean really familiar with the AR 15 rifle I suggest you just go out and buy a Colt or any of 1/2 dozen that fit in your price range. They all work and they all do about the same thing. Find a combination that you are comfortable with. People drive different cars and trucks as a result of their personal taste. Matters not if my rifle appeals to my neighbor as it only needs to appeal to me.

All of this was much simpler 20 years ago when only a few companies made the things. Today it seems everyone makes and sells AR rifles, AR Rifle Parts Kits and anything that is AR. Visit a few gun stores, including big box retailers and feel a few in your shoulder, what stock feels good or right to you? Look at pricing and the receivers and parts for fit and finish. Like I said, they all do the same thing, some better than others but not by much. Hell, buy a Colt, I heard from rumoer control that God owns a Colt. :) Seriously, buy whatever trips your trigger.

Ron
 
If you plan to keep a gun forever, a home build can be fun and a good way to get great value, but they are harder to sell. Colts hold their value well.
 
I have a Windham Weaponry and I'm really happy with it. Built my wife a rifle using a PSA upper, so far it's been 100% too. My friend has a Smith MP-15 sport which also seems to be of really high quality. I think any of these would be fine and be within your price range.

Building your own is fun I've built two, one for my wife, and one that I did with my Dad. It's like lego for grown ups (most the parts just snap together).

If you are getting one with a 16 inch barrel I'd suggest getting the mid-length gas system. Also the light profile barrel is good (the "heavy" barrels are still thin under the hand guards so I don't think they do much for you).

Could provide you with more/better info if we knew exactly what use you had in mind for the rifle.
 
Pay attention: there are lots of rifles out there in that price range, but often, especially if you but of the shelf in a store, you are paying to much for too little.
Make the right choice the first time and get a Colt. Palmetto State Armory and gandrtactical.com both have excellent deals on the 6720, my favorite model.
http://www.gandrtactical.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=6720

In your price range, Colts quality is absolutely unrivaled. You will find no better made rifle for that price, guaranteed.
alternative quality, affordable brands are S&W, Stag, Bravo Company.

AVOID: Bushmaster, DPMS, Olympic Arms like the plague. And stay away from small no name manufacturers, as they are often (i have personal experience) total junk. Refer to "battleriflecompany" and Moore machine for horror stories.
 
Jackal writes:

It pains me to watch people buy basic factory AR's when I can put together a better rifle for less. This is why I put together rifles for all my friends. They get high end parts at mid tier prices.
Click to expand...

Are you contributing to this thread by offering to do this for the OP?
 
Are you contributing to this thread by offering to do this for the OP?
Click to expand...

That can mean as little as putting a BCG and CH inside a barreled upper, and then attaching the upper to an assembled lower. I have done that for friends of mine, which was a huge help for them.
 
The three biggest things that differentiate ARs are; Durability, Accuracy and Features. For example, ignoring brand for a moment, the basic ARs (like the ones you are looking at) will likely give you a few thousand rounds worth of durability, enough accuracy to go with iron sights, a red dot or a medium powered optic, and the features associated with a standard AR (dust cover, forward assist, easy to attach an optic, plastic handguards). If that's what you want, then pick your favorite company. I'd recommend Ruger and Del-ton over DPMS, as DPMS does have a long history of making out of spec parts. I'm not saying every DPMS is bad, but I have seen them and it is not hard to find examples online either. I think Ruger and Del-ton offer higher quality bolts as well, based on their material choices. They will certainly outlast the barrel.

Now, there are a few ways to spend a bit more and get a bit more. Plenty of people have mentioned Colt, so I'll start there. Colts offers much greater durability and you probably won't have to replace any major parts until 10k rounds (or you can shoot them until they break, it's your choice). Accuracy will be the same, iron sight/red dot/medium powered optic. Features will also be the same. So for $200-300 more, you are buying durability. Windham Weaponry also falls into this category.

People also mentioned PSA, which is my favorite brand. You will have to buy it online and have it shipped. With a PSA Premium or CHF upper, durability is going to be on par with Colt and accuracy will be as well. Where PSA stands out from Colt is that the features are endless in comparison. You can choose a mid-length upper, which is a big improvement over a carbine with no downside. You can choose a 14.5" or 20" barrel. You can have free-float and a low profile gas block. Plus it will cost less all said and done.

BCM will offer an upper that is similar to Colt and PSA, but a complete rifle or complete lower that is way over-priced. A lot of people have bought a BCM upper and paired it with a PSA lower, which is a smart and cost effective idea.

Hopefully I have added something to this conversation that is more objective than simply saying to buy brand X or Y. I'd recommend you get a PSA 16" mid-length barrel from either their Premium or CHF line, along with a lower. Get a FSB if you plan on shooting sights or a red dot, and a free-float if you plan on using an optic.
 
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