blaxsun
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Until next week, that is.
So once upon a time I threw together a quick "AR15 Tier" thread. The intent was to give your average new AR15 consumer a rough idea of what was available, approximate price ranges and what could loosely be grouped together in terms of quality and overall value. This was not an empirical or exhaustive study by any stretch, and mileage varied. Any usefulness was quickly eliminated by the usual elitist and/or ####-measuring that seems to accompany the typical divergence of opinions.
That being said, I have since removed said list because the developments south of the border have pretty much nixed any/all hopes that we'll see anything even remotely approaching the "Golden Age" that we previously enjoyed.
The types of AR15s generally available (or were, rather) fall into these categories:
a) Extreme (actual operators, although more often than not "mall ninja" applies)
b) Competitive (those desiring excellence without the associated premium)
c) Consumer (best value and quality for the dollar)
d) Budget (cheapest bang for buck)
When researching your first AR15, it is essential to review the criteria:
1. Is this something you're prepared to only ever shoot at a range, ie: is an AR15 even for you? The "non-restricted" AR15 is the mythical unicorn. I'm not going to say anyone that thinks otherwise is delusional. But they're delusional.
2. Is this something you can afford? And we're not just talking about the initial purchase price, but the cost of accessorizing and feeding it (those of you who own pets know exactly what I'm talking about)
3. More importantly, is it something you can afford to lose? At some point we will have a pro-ban Government. It's not a question of "if" but "when", so if you're harboring any illusions that possession is 9/10ths in such a future scenario... you might want to look into why we have the 12.x classifications.
4. Are you overly concerned about warranty, etc? If so, something manufactured or serviced locally in Canada might be more ideally-suited (particularly if we see an AWB materialize in the US).
5. Last but not least, are you prepared to not have it not make your #### larger? The only swelling that occurs happens from the neck up, and is often the source of most debates about which AR15 adds more ##### length or bragging rights.
Bottom line: Enjoy our hobby to the fullest, and spend less time worrying about being tacticool and more time getting out to the range and enjoying the cordite.
So once upon a time I threw together a quick "AR15 Tier" thread. The intent was to give your average new AR15 consumer a rough idea of what was available, approximate price ranges and what could loosely be grouped together in terms of quality and overall value. This was not an empirical or exhaustive study by any stretch, and mileage varied. Any usefulness was quickly eliminated by the usual elitist and/or ####-measuring that seems to accompany the typical divergence of opinions.
That being said, I have since removed said list because the developments south of the border have pretty much nixed any/all hopes that we'll see anything even remotely approaching the "Golden Age" that we previously enjoyed.
The types of AR15s generally available (or were, rather) fall into these categories:
a) Extreme (actual operators, although more often than not "mall ninja" applies)
b) Competitive (those desiring excellence without the associated premium)
c) Consumer (best value and quality for the dollar)
d) Budget (cheapest bang for buck)
When researching your first AR15, it is essential to review the criteria:
1. Is this something you're prepared to only ever shoot at a range, ie: is an AR15 even for you? The "non-restricted" AR15 is the mythical unicorn. I'm not going to say anyone that thinks otherwise is delusional. But they're delusional.
2. Is this something you can afford? And we're not just talking about the initial purchase price, but the cost of accessorizing and feeding it (those of you who own pets know exactly what I'm talking about)
3. More importantly, is it something you can afford to lose? At some point we will have a pro-ban Government. It's not a question of "if" but "when", so if you're harboring any illusions that possession is 9/10ths in such a future scenario... you might want to look into why we have the 12.x classifications.
4. Are you overly concerned about warranty, etc? If so, something manufactured or serviced locally in Canada might be more ideally-suited (particularly if we see an AWB materialize in the US).
5. Last but not least, are you prepared to not have it not make your #### larger? The only swelling that occurs happens from the neck up, and is often the source of most debates about which AR15 adds more ##### length or bragging rights.
Bottom line: Enjoy our hobby to the fullest, and spend less time worrying about being tacticool and more time getting out to the range and enjoying the cordite.
