Help with an AR buy, is this a good one?

[HOOfan_1]

It's not an MI.

The rail looks like a cheap Chinese one, see the alignment of the top rail between the gas block and receiver rails and the general fit/finsih.

Also, the castle nut doesn't look like it's staked. It may be staked on the other side, but every decent AR I've seen was staked in all the possible spots, if I remember right. I know my BCM and S&W are.

You're right, it looks like it is a few millimeters lower than the rail on the receiver

I wouldn't even give that one a second look.

 

[HKGuns]

USP9,

If you're not building it yourself, I would stick with Colt - DD - BCM as a first AR. If I were building myself I would choose the components myself and ensure I have something that will fulfill the mission for which it was built.

If you're building or buying to a $550 budget then your options are likely limited and this might be ok.

 

[usp9]

I'll pass. Thanks for the education.

 

[benEzra]

For a first AR, it's hard to beat the entry level options from Smith & Wesson or Ruger for value, if you don't know yet what you like. If you have a little more to spend, it's hard to go wrong with a BCM 16" midlength. For an all-around AR, I am very partial to the 16" middy configuration, with an adjustable stock. Here's my first and so far only AR, a Rock River:

Mine just has regular handguards for now, but at some point I may transition to a free float tube like this one. That way you can just put small rail segments where you want them, instead of having your entire rifle covered with cheese graters.

For a first AR, anything from 1:7 to 1:9 is fine. 1:7 will handle heavier bullets for long range shooting, but may over spin the lightest varmint bullets; 1:9 will handle the lighter bullets fine, but will be limited to 69gr or perhaps a little more on the high end. Most commercial plinking ammo is 55gr, which works fine in either twist rate.

As far as traditional DI gas vs. a forward mounted piston design, unless you are running an SBR or a sound suppressor, it seems to me that the piston doesn't really do much for you. A properly assembled DI rifle will run fine (mine is flawless so far, shooting a mix of brass case and cheap Tula steel case) and cleaning is a snap if you lube them well.

 

[MachIVshooter]

As far as traditional DI gas vs. a forward mounted piston design, unless you are running an SBR or a sound suppressor, it seems to me that the piston doesn't really do much for you. A properly assembled DI rifle will run fine (mine is flawless so far, shooting a mix of brass case and cheap Tula steel case) and cleaning is a snap if you lube them well.

Where SBR/pistol is concerned, whether Stoner or op rod, one or a combination of 3 things ensure reliability:

-Large enough gas port for the short dwell time.
-Muzzle device that increases back pressure, such as the Noveske KX3 or KX5
-Sufficiently powerful ammunition

As for suppressors, in truth, there's not a whole lot of difference between the Stoner system or op rod systems. Most of the blowback comes through the chamber, not the gas tube. Suppressed guns get dirty, period. More than the Stoner vs. op rod system, an adjustable gas system will be the most effective way to minimize blowback; since suppressors increase dwell time and residual bore pressure, being able to slow the speed at which the action opens will reduce the window of time for the blowback to occur, meaning more of the crap exits the muzzle instead of coming back through the chamber.

I don't know how many of the op rod systems are adjustable, but adjustable gas blocks for the Stoner system can be had for as little as $30.