Best "low-maintenance" AR available?
- Thread starter Allene350
- Start date
tactical870
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Buckhorn, Ontario
I respected your opinion until that post.
I have an NEA 10.5 built up for well under the OP's budget. Mind you the EOTech, lasermax and stack of mags added up quickly. PM to the OP sent. 
lol unless you are getting into competition buy a norc. You won't even care if it gets scratched or beat up...at 1500 thats a norc and 2 cases of Can Ammo plus a few tacticool goodies I would rather get more rounds downrange than worry about looks if I were you, as new shooter...norc's are tough and reliable..not pretty and delicate or fussy..
Imho & ymmv
I would rather get more rounds downrange than worry about looks if I were you, as new shooter...norc's are tough and reliable..not pretty and delicate or fussy..
Imho & ymmv
If you compete or train you don't care if you scratch a Knights, Noveske, BCM, DD, or a Colt either. They're tools, not mantle pieces. Your Norc may run, but any of the aforementioned brands will run. Aftermarket parts fit without the use of a dremel, and customer service is both available and in English. Yeah, go ahead and grab that Norc, and when it sh*ts the bed or won't accept parts don't come crying to the masses. Quality AMERICAN made AR's can be had at very affordable prices, DD is likely the best bang for the buck, but others aren't far behind in price.
TDC
Phat Eagle
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Fraser Valley, BC
scriptguru
CGN Regular
- Location
- Central Okanagan (BC)
Whatever... I guess that's why the US Army makes SDM-Rs with barrels six inches longer than standard M4s...
The shorter barrel is, the better is the accuracy. With 2.5" barrel you can make headshots on targets mile away. That's why short barreled pistols are prohibited, everybody knows that!
Whatever... I guess that's why the US Army makes SDM-Rs with barrels six inches longer than standard M4s...
Wow, you really need to do some more reading before posting ignorant comments. Shorter barrels are inherently more accurate. What the vast majority of uneducated folks can't seem to grasp is that what they perceive as "accuracy vs barrel length" is actually the relationship between barrel length and VELOCITY!! Two separate aspects, two different factors. A shorter barrel, propelling a bullet at the SAME velocity as a longer barrel will experience LESS vibration or harmonic oscillations which equates to a more STABLE barrel and thus a more consistent level of accuracy. Velocity really isn't a concern at nominal distances and when competitive targets are mentioned. Yes, a shorter barrel will produce a LOWER velocity and thus results in a more dramatic parabolic arc, also known as trajectory. Without known data or come ups, accurately PLACED shots from the shorter barrel will be somewhat more difficult. However, a short barrelled rifle with known come ups compared to a longer counterpart will produce a group with less deviation at nominal ranges. However, that all being said, a longer barrel as we discussed above will produce higher velocities, which translates into faster flight times and thus less influence from wind on your groups. As range increases and velocities decrease, the slower bullets from the short barrel will suffer greater drift from wind and produce larger more inconsistent groups. What does this all mean? Short barrels are inherently more accurate than longer barrels but suffer from reduced velocities which translates into less long range consistency. Its a fine balance between length and rigidity..
As for the SDM-R, it's what the Army(and Marine Corps) put together with CURRENT ISSUE 20" M16 rifles. It is far from ideal, and is not definitive evidence to support your claim. In addition, the US Military does not "make" the SDM-R, they procure them from Colt and or FN, the two companies with contracts to provide rifles to the DOD. They are modified by their armorers. Feel free to read up on ideal barrel lengths in a precision AR platform, in fact I will make it easy for you, its 18". KevinB on this forum happens to work for Knights Armament, and he(and others on CGN) will surely tell you that a 20" barrel is not ideal, and that yes, shorter barrels due to their rigidity are inherently more accurate than longer barrels. Have a look at Knights website, they don't offer a 20" 5.56x45mm barrel. The Mk12 Mod X series rifles used by the USN and other SOF units sports a wait for it....... An 18" barrel.
TDC
My advice, don't settle on the Norinco garbage.
Your budget puts you into a nice array of quality options; Daniel Defense, Windham Weaponry, CORE, etc; Most packages come tacticool'd out of the box, so just add a quality entry level optic like a Vortex Strikefire/SPARC and your good to go.
AR's are exactly like cars; both a KIA and a BMW will get you from A to B, but there is big difference between the two. If you can afford quality, buy quality, so you don't have to buy twice.
dangertree
Business Rep
- Location
- NL/ON/FL/PL
I shoot a Stag Arms carbine that I have owned since 2005 and now have a little over 22k rounds through. It receives very little maintenance, put away CLP wet, then maybe a wipe down or pull through before shooting. I have given up trying to wear it out.
It will go bang when you pull the trigger with 2 moa groups on par with most AR's then a Norinco will be just fine. It may not look as nice as some of the $1500-2000 guns but it will function.
If you have an ego that cannot accept Chinese guns as being good for 1/2 the price then don't buy a norinco.
How many rounds does your norc ar have down the tube?
I think it depends on how well the barrel is made. Straightness of the bore, evenness of the rifling or the concentricity etc.
Making a shorter barrel to the same straightness is easier than a longer barrel. Otherwise a 2" must be more accurate than a 6" revolver according to your logic. And what is accuracy means if DISTANCE is out of the equation?
Harmonic wise you can make the barrel heavier. But the velocity lost due to a shorter you will never get it bac.
Otherwise everyone will equip with 10.5" instead of 14.5 or 20" AR.
But ANY WAY i am No Expert...... Who cares about.....
But a DD for your budget for a low maintenance AR or a Nork for a no maintenance AR.
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Basically anything that fits into your budget and you're comfortable with.
Us dealers will work to sell you on our offerings and other guys will try to sell you on what they have shot.
The fact of the matter is, it's hard to go wrong with any AR now a days. Parts are available for everything and you'll probably get support on anything you buy if it goes down.
You'll find that there are offerings by Norinco, Stag, NEA, Bushmaster, DPMS, High Standard, Windham, CORE, DD and others.
Find something that has a price you like, and allows you to buy some ammo, mags, optics, sling etc if needed.
