I'm AR-15-tarded. Please Edumacate.

Finch

Finch

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I've been talking about getting an AR "to" my wife for awhile now, just kind of preparing her for the inevitable day when I have to break the news to her that I'm buying an AR. This can take weeks, or months, and sometimes not even a year is sufficient to prep her, depending on the purchase and how we often normally don't REALLY need the things I claim to need.

My normal cycle of suggesting I get an AR was met with a question this time, instead of the normal "Oh, yeah... umm hmmm....ok..", instead it was "That was the gun that guy at the range had right?" She had seen an AR-15 about 2 weeks ago while at the range with me, shooting my G17, and said "That's a cool gun", but I hadn't thought much about it at the time was kinda busy blasting paper. That aside, I was still surprised that seeing it alone was almost enough to sway her, usually it requires far more investment in persuasion on my part for such a frivolous expenditure. Seeing as the time has truly come to begin finding something to spend my money on, I admit I know very little about the AR-15 and what I should be looking for in a rifle, what to stay away from, brands good/bad/ugly, or anything else I would require before making the purchase.

I have gone over a few pages on the internet but I figured that first I'd take the counsel from those who have tread before me on these boards prior to taking too much to heart... hows that for trust lads? If there are good resources online that I can be directed towards that'd be awesome just the same, I'm just too nub to even be able to tell between a good info site and a poor one at this time. Thanks a lot for your time and lessons!!

:rockOn:
 
The manufactuer's you want to look @ if your going mid-to-high end are as follows
KAC - can get from One Shot Tactical but they ain't cheap
Daniel Defense - my personal favourite but to each there own (Wolverine Supplies I would suggest a Mk18 or DDm4V3 or 5 depending on what your after)
Larue - probably one of the best but really hard to find and expensive ( supplier unknown)
LMT - their reputation speaks for itself (Questar)
Noveske - John's dead but they still turn out a great product ( supplier unknown probably Questar)
BCM (Bravo Company Manufacturing) - This will be my next AR, no doubt about it. I want my C8 SFW clone. ( One shot tactical again for these guys)


Or you can go with a Norinco M4(gery), I've never owned one but they are priced right ( I think the MSRP is 699.99) and apparently work like a charm according so some. If you go with any of the above suggestions besides the Norc you are paying good money, $1500-2500 range. But all great manufacturer's.

I would suggest taking a AR clinic they are worth the money if you get the right instructor. It'll help you get to know the in's & out's if you have no previous Mil/LEO experience adn you'll probably learn some good shooting techniques and such.
 
One question I would ask is are you talking specifically an AR-15 or a more generic "black rifle" which brings in the question of NR v/s Restricted.
 
kb007 said:
One question I would ask is are you talking specifically an AR-15 or a more generic "black rifle" which brings in the question of NR v/s Restricted.
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Nope. I'm talking Restricted AR-15. The idea would be 3 gun someday if I practice up and get into it. There was no way I was going to go anywhere near the "Which Black Rifle is NR PLZZ?" keyboard puncher of the week thread. I've got my restricted for a reason and that reason includes AR-15s! Chromed barrel seems to come up as a good thing quite often.
 
There are effectively 4 classes of AR brands..
The Ultra High End
The High End
the Standard variants
and the economy brands...


I could name them but that would just start a debate..

The differences are tolerance, features, material, some say quality and of course price.. Some say milspec is better others will debate that.

If you are planning on customizing your AR to suit you you may be better off at the Standard or Higher end... If you go to the top of the High end just to take parts off you will find you spend way too much money....

Your best bet is to figure out what you want to do with it.. What your budget is and decide on staying stock or building your own..


I've owned stag, RRA, COLT, KAC, Areo Precsion, NEA and others... SO I'm not qualified to talk about others.. I really liked the Stag and have nothing bad to say about the others..
 
Also, a good idea is to decide what your purpose would be and then what your budget will be... I think a good starting point would be around 1500$ (I think that'll get you a Daniel Defence)... I could be a bit off on my numbers, haven't looked at prices in a while... That'll be good for a 14.5" (I believe) which is a good general purpose rifle, small enough for CQB and long enough to reach out 400m (depends on your fundamentals)... If you want to compete in service rifle, then you'll have to she'll out more, again, depends on your purpose... Also ARs can get expensive fast, so be careful... Optics and accessories will quickly add up. Don't forget about mags, usually they come with 1 or 2 mags, or sometimes none at all... If you're brand new to ARs buy the basic rifle without all that "crap" and shoot it plenty, you'll learn what you like and what you don't, then get into accessories.

Also, don't go cheap... eBay crap that's made in China for air soft purposes, that stuff's for toy guns not real guns.... If you're looking at that bad-ass aimpoint or Eotech, then save up for it... It'll be worth it.

Post pics on what you decide on!

Edit: sorry missed where you said 3-gun... Check the rules, to see if there are restrictions, that'll help a little on barrel length at least...
 
I got a great deal on a Windham Weaponry WW-15 from a fellow here on the EE. I love it, has worked great so far. I have the Bravo .22lr kit for it as well so it makes for lots of cheaper shooting at the range. Not like an AR has much recoil to begin with but it can be pretty loud. The .22lr I can fire off any time of the week at the club so it works out very well for me.
 
Buy a Norinco M4, buy a couple cases of the Norinco ammo... Shoot the hell out of it & then decide if you want something 'nicer' & with different features...

We have two 14.5" Norinco M4's, zero issues, LOVE EM!

Cheers
Jay
 
Jay said:
Buy a Norinco M4, buy a couple cases of the Norinco ammo... Shoot the hell out of it & then decide if you want something 'nicer' & with different features...

We have two 14.5" Norinco M4's, zero issues, LOVE EM!

Cheers
Jay
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+1 on what jay said. Shoot it a bunch. You'll be able to figure out what your wants and needs are and make the changes or sell it on the EE for a small loss and buy exactly what you want. Hard to beat a norc for a range only rifle. Great starter AR. As far as optics/red dot buy the real deal and not a clone. Love my eotech on my AR.
 
Finch said:
Chromed barrel seems to come up as a good thing quite often.
Click to expand...

I kinda hate posting in these threads, but always feel like I should share my thoughts… as usually the first and only thing I want to say is buy what I have…

There are so many options and configurations out there from the low end to the high end that you basically have the Lego of firearms here… so there is a lot to be said about your personal preference. As some people have suggested go low end, get the hang of it, and then dive into making the gun your own, ‘cause well, you probably will…

For instance, as per your comment on chrome lined barrels, Yes, chrome lined is the gold standard as it conforms to the standard as laid out by Colt. Chrome is more durable, easy to clean, and provides acceptable accuracy. But, a stainless steel barrel should be precision accurate and a nitrided barrel is apparently the new chrome.

So you have to look around a bit and ask yourself a few questions here. Do you want to go high end, low end, mid grade. Do you want something retro or modern. Do you want all the Magpul Kool-Aid, stocks, grips. Do you want rails to hang your pencil sharpener on, is weight a concern. There are a lot of things here that are just your preference in feel, looks, and function.

I will admit some of my preferences have changed since I bought my first one, but these are the things I tend to want. 7075 forged receivers are a must for me, no particular reason. A chromed or nitride barrel. A front hand guard that has the rail only on top. MPI and HP tested bolts and barrel extension. And a good trigger usually goes in. Aside from that I tend to just look for high quality parts.

Just my 2 cents.
 
Dont forget to look at Spikes tactical witch I think is on par with Daniel Defence. And LWRC witch I would place around them aswell.
 
I jumped right into a Daniel Defense M4V5 for my first AR15, and I love it!

I absolutely love the look/styles of a more modern AR with a full RIS system. Looks much better in my opinion, and gives you plenty of real estate for accessories IF you decide you want/need them.
 
Finch

I would list more things in your criteria before making a purchase....

1) Might be resale value? Budget?
2) Realistic purposes, I know you mentioned 3 gun competitions, but many never end up doing that....just saying.
3) Plinking at range?
4) More competition purposes in regards to precision.
5) How many RDS will you be putting this gun through?
6) Is this for you're wife as well?
7) What range do you want to be using this for primarily? Short? Medium? Long? or something to do all 3?
8) Most important define what your criteria is and do a lot of research before rushing in for a purchase...

My best advice is get what you really want and don't settle for second best unless that is not in your criteria of needs and wants?
 
I've been hitting the net and I really like the 20" guns from an original design standpoint. I'm not going to be strapping stuff all over the gun, was thinking a scope and that's it, and I'd want the M4 platform for flexibility. No interest in lasers and flashlights or anything else. Just want an accurate, modular, 1k-2k gun. I like the retro styling like the Armalites but I think I'd need an adjustable stock though I dislike the look, mostly so my wife can adjust the LoP. Just want a quality reputable branded AR for the Range @ 100y pretty much.
 
If you are only shooting at 100y/m there is no need to go full 20inch barrel...

Have you thought about going 10.5,11.5 or 14.5???

Also the 1-2k mark does that include a scope as well?

I think you are just beginning on the AR research part and it will take a while before you really settle on your purchase.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgcpR2QYBSY

That video might help...
 
No, I'm not including an optic in that figure. That's just the gun money. 100y is as far as I can shoot at my range, and these being restricted, I'm well, restricted. I am indeed just beginning the research, my intention was to see what people here had to say prior to getting all crazy about one gun or another. I just wanted to get a feeling for 'qualities' that make or break an AR for people. Checked out that video a couple days ago actually.
 
Well if you are only getting one AR, my advice would be for you to get one that can accomplish many things, and longevity would be one of them for sure...
 
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