Making a quick assessment of an AR

[SomeKid]

A friend of mine is hopefully getting himself an AR, but is pretty much new to guns as a whole.

Since he knows I really like guns, he wants me to inspect it for him, make sure it is good and all.

What will be some good things to look for after he gets it?

Does anyone know how to tell if any past owner might have tried to make a modification to it? (With any used rifle, especially an AR type, this worry comes to me. I don't want my friend getting an accidental NFA rifle.)

Thanks for any help.

 

[Sistema1927]

I hope that this isn't taken wrong, but the very fact that you are asking what to look for indicates to me that you are not all that familiar with the AR platform.

That said, an AR is a substantial investment. Maybe discretion is the better part of valor in this case and you will refer your buddy to a good AR gunsmith for the examination.

Just my .02

 

[RockyMtnTactical]

What kind of AR variant (configuration and brand) is he considering?

 

[blackhawk2000]

http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=212676

 

[SomeKid]

Sistema, since what you said is more or less true I do not take offense to it. However, I will never be familiar if I always take my guns to a smith at the slightest need. I do own my own AR, and I keep the thing rather well maintained, and am learning slowly.

To rocky and black, thanks. Turns out he did not get an AR rifle. He got the OlyArms 98, which is an AR pistol.

Boy did we have fun learning to diassemble that thing (and still are, can't quite get the bolt to come free, but we got the firing pin out before we got stuck). From just a cursory view, it looks to have been fired a couple of times, and never cleaned. I still plan to assess for any tinkering, but I am inclined to say it is legit, and in very good shape.