I’m now a BelievAR.

[doubleh]

The AR is probably the easiest rifle on earth to to set up where it fits you perfectly and turn into exactly what you think you need. The combinations are almost endless. It's the 10/22 of centerfires times 10 at least. There are lots of parts available for the 10/22 but not nearly so many as the AR.

That said I haven't taken advantage of it's combinations only owning one and it's been modified quite a bit from it's out of the box condition. Oh well, winter is coming and a new upper in a different caliber might make it's appearance in my arsenal by spring. I got the 10/22 bug years ago and have finally eradicated it but it seems like new guns bugs are like the flu. They just keep coming back. I kind of feel the AR bug taking hold.

 

[SamT1]

Yup they are magical. I don’t think of it as owning 10 AR 15’s or however many. More like 10 guns since they all do something different. No one thinks your crazy if you have 10 bolt guns for different purposes so why not have an AR for everything.

 

[MTMilitiaman]

Update:
Completed Frontsite class. During test (OMGoodness windy! Couldn’t hear!) I Failed to take two shots during the test and I missed graduating by four points! Frustrating.

During the competition at the end, I was one of a few that hit the 200 yard shot standing twice. Not bad for a guy who has shot an AR only a few times in his life.

Learned a lot. Know the AR better. Glad I didnt buy a trigger. Bought a Magpul stock that somewhat upgraded the experience. Found that there is a cool Raptor charging handle, didn’t buy it this time. $100 too much for now.

All in all, in one weekend I doubled my total annual round count, so I’m pretty happy.

Thanks for reading guys.

Now, what is this about PSA uppers on sale on Black Friday!?

Greg

That Raptor charging handle is sweet--probably one of the best upgrades you can get for your AR. It really makes manipulating the charging handle easier, esp when you have to work around a magnifier on a FTS mount, or the ocular bell of a scope. I understand dropping a Benjamin on a charging handle is hard to swallow when you work for a living, but it really is a worthwhile upgrade if you can spring for it.



You can see how with the magnifier and the BUIS, it quickly gets cluttered around the charging handle. Being able to drag the meaty part of your palm over the forward assist and easily catch that Raptor charging handle really helps a lot when you're running your rifle.

While I am at it, another pic of the Colt 6960 CCU with the SIG Romeo 7 and Juliet 4 magnifier on a FTS mount, with maybe just a glimpse of the Fenix white light with pressure switch tactically zip-tied to angled foregrip.

 

[Charlie98]

I've got a BCM Gunfighter medium on my LRB, I really, really like it, and being able to cycle the bolt with the off-side hand is nice. I bought it on sale for something like $60... and had a fit doing it! ...but the utility of it is worth the price of admission.

It's funny... people will buy $500 in magazines and other crap, but squawk at $100 for a piece that will materially improve operation of the weapon.

 

[IndianaBoy]

I am a fan.

 

[DannyLandrum]

The Rainier / Radian Raptor and the BCM Gunfighter are fantastic - nearly indispensable if you ask me... and between them, they are equally good. I guess if I had to say, I like the Raptor slightly better.

 

[maxxhavoc]

I don't really enjoy shooting ARs much, and .223 is about my least favorite caliber in an AR.

I DO enjoy assembling them, however. I have 7 of them, in .22lr, 9mm, 308, 7.62x39, and .223/5.56. The 9mm gets the most use by far, having displaced .22s for a lot of plinking. 7.62x39 is also pretty economical, and eats steel cased Wolf like they are its favorite food.

I still take them out regularly, but I enjoy shooting Garand action firearms much more. Mini-14, M14, Garand are more enjoyable for a good day shooting. The major caveat to that is optics. If I am shooting a scope or red dot, AR every time.

 

[doubleh]

Darn it, I have to stay of the LGS. I dropped by this morning to visit (the owner and I are old friends) and what does he have that I never noticed before over in a corner? AR uppers and one of them is a 300 blackout. Very interesting and Christmas is coming. If I don't have any luck dropping hints I just may have to buy my own Santa Clause present.

 

[Mosin Bubba]

I was never an AR fan - when I wanted to buy a military style semi auto, the first one I got was an AK, and I was this close to dropping about $750 on a Mini. Then around summer 2016, I'm like "well, Hilary's probably got this election under wraps, I should probably stock up for Banic 2K16".

So I figured I'd get a cheap DPMS type AR. If the Dems won, I'd probably be able to flip it for twice what I'd paid. If they didn't, I'd only be out $500 on my 'investment' and I'd still have a new gun. Ended up with a Delton Sport because I wanted something with iron sights and a pencil barrel on the chance I did end up keeping it.

After the world got flipped upside down that November, I figured I'd take my purchase out of the box and shoot it. And man, it was just love at first sight. It was one of the lightest semi-autos I'd shot. I could adjust the stock until the LOP fit me like a glove. If I put on a jacket? Just push the stock a notch back in and it still fits me. The telestocks are a bit wobbly, but they definitely have their upsides.

And when I grabbed a $25 UTG rear sight for my gun and went to sight it in, the groups were just disgusting. First time I'd ever shot an AR and I shot a 1 inch group at 50 yards. This is with iron sights from Ebay and Wally World Federal ammo on the cheapest AR rifle around. I had also brought an SKS that I suspected was off-target to sight in, and the AR was just running circles around it.

My shooting buddy (also an old school kind of guy who'd shot some ban-era ARs but never owned one) sat down, put 5 shots into about an inch sized group, looked up at me from the bench and said "I want one of these, just like what you've got". Guess what, he's got one. They're addictive.

 

[GunnyUSMC]

I've got a BCM Gunfighter medium on my LRB, I really, really like it, and being able to cycle the bolt with the off-side hand is nice. I bought it on sale for something like $60... and had a fit doing it! ...but the utility of it is worth the price of admission.

It's funny... people will buy $500 in magazines and other crap, but squawk at $100 for a piece that will materially improve operation of the weapon.

The Raptor LT charging handle is on sale at Brownell's for $53.
https://www.brownells.com/rifle-par...fde-sku100024308-104896-200644.aspx?rrec=true

 

[md7]

Update:
Completed Frontsite class. During test (OMGoodness windy! Couldn’t hear!) I Failed to take two shots during the test and I missed graduating by four points! Frustrating.

During the competition at the end, I was one of a few that hit the 200 yard shot standing twice. Not bad for a guy who has shot an AR only a few times in his life.

Learned a lot. Know the AR better. Glad I didnt buy a trigger. Bought a Magpul stock that somewhat upgraded the experience. Found that there is a cool Raptor charging handle, didn’t buy it this time. $100 too much for now.

All in all, in one weekend I doubled my total annual round count, so I’m pretty happy.

Thanks for reading guys.

Now, what is this about PSA uppers on sale on Black Friday!?

Greg

Good on you for going, Greg! Sounds like you learned a lot and had a great experience.

 

[luzyfuerza]

Now to practice, so that you can graduate, or even DG on a future trip.

OP, do you have a range where you can practice the FS drills live?

 

[GBExpat]

Got my first AR. ...

Uh Oh! Good for you!

I bought my first at the beginning of 2002; 20" HBAR Bushmaster XM15-E2S. I never really "got into" this rifle, probably due to its nose-heavy nature ... I like walking the farm with a rifle and the Bushy, while fine on the bench, was cumbersome for a walkabout.

Two years later I built 2 on A2 Uppers, one/each 20" 1:12 pencil & 16" 1:8 pencil (cfg as carbine). These I enjoyed more, but the AR illness still didn't take hold of me, probably because I was focused on other firearm types and Life.

Bought a complete Upper (16" ... On Sale) in late 2015 ... nice & handy, but ... <shrug>

Within the past year, the AR Bug finally took a good bite out of me. I assembled one as a wedding present for a niece and built 3 from scratch for myself.

Fine & Fun rifles.

Enjoy!

 

[ExAgoradzo]

Now to practice, so that you can graduate, or even DG on a future trip.

OP, do you have a range where you can practice the FS drills live?

Yes.
It is about 45 mins away and not available in summer for fire reasons, but Tim will let me on the land any time so long as I notify him. He also has a fine drop off hill where we launch clay pigeons. I am ashamed to say how infrequently I go out there. I am also a friend of a neighbor of his who is even further in the valley away from people and he has steel out as far as 5?? Yards. I posted one time about my shooting the 338 WM ringing the 200 there with no prob but lost concentration when moving out to 300. Got to get back there too...

Will post soon about the Idaho hunt of last week...

Greg

 

[harrygunner]

To me, the AR15 is a decent self-defense weapon. Rather than comparing it to rifles, I came to appreciate it from this line of reasoning: Improve the pistol by creating a cartridge with the momentum of a .45 ACP and the energy of a .44 Mag. Throw in a light platform with a longer barrel that holds more rounds and top it off with a stock for stability.

I look at them as perfected pistols. Good to have around the house.

 

[adcoch1]

Just a heads up...

https://www.acmemachine.com/product...e-assembly-ar-15-aluminum?variant=49277245254

These charging handles are identical other than markings to the radian raptor. I bought 5 a few months back, at $20 a piece you can't beat them...

 

[TIMC]

$9.99 with free shipping on EBay if you’re willing to wait three weeks for delivery from Hong Kong.