Avoid norinco garbage, go for the MP15, best bang for the buck
Newbie AR15 questions!!
- Thread starter Scarculture
- Start date
Avoid norinco garbage, go for the MP15, best bang for the buck
Ditto! Avoid the Norinco, a lot of them have weird non standard threading on some parts and are not interchangeable.
Grab a cheap s&w and get shooting
Cheers
- Location
- Lethbridge
Im thinking it looks like the S&W has the lead. Which doesn't bother me none at all. If I get the S&W15 it'll pair up nicely with my M&P 9mm. Now to save that damn cash!!
I've owned a few AR's (8 or so) and built a couple. While there is nothing wrong with a Norc, folks are correct about the value of the M&P. I've never seen any "weird non-standard threads" on the current production Norcs, the sole problem seems to be the handguard retainer - 10 years+ ago they did have different threads, but that is no longer the case. That said, take a look at the M&P, the DPMS and also PSA from Irunguns. Any of the 3 will give you a solid, completely in-spec AR, for not a lot of cash - and for the first while, resist he urge to throw "tacticool crap" on it, concentrate on mags and ammo, because a gun you suck with is no fun.
wayupnorth
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Northern Alberta
couple years back i wanted to get into the AR game and the only cheap choice was the Norinco's.
they are not bad as long as you dont want to change them up and just shoot them stock.
i never had issues with mine other then them freezing up, proper lube fixed that.
but i would recommend you pick up a complete gun for your first.
that way you can get straight to playing with it and training with it.
once you get comfortable with it and you start taking it apart and cleaning it and seeing how it works then you can take the next step and build your own if you want.
thats what i did.
played with my pair of Norc's for a couple years till i was comfy with the platform then built 4 AR's exactly how i wanted them for different applications.
if i was to get into them new right now id skip the Norc's and go straight to the S&W or a Ruger or any $700-800 AR and buy ammo ammo and yet more ammo. the reason id skip the Norc's now is the price savings just are not there anymore like there was 10 years ago.
they are not bad as long as you dont want to change them up and just shoot them stock.
i never had issues with mine other then them freezing up, proper lube fixed that.
but i would recommend you pick up a complete gun for your first.
that way you can get straight to playing with it and training with it.
once you get comfortable with it and you start taking it apart and cleaning it and seeing how it works then you can take the next step and build your own if you want.
thats what i did.
played with my pair of Norc's for a couple years till i was comfy with the platform then built 4 AR's exactly how i wanted them for different applications.
if i was to get into them new right now id skip the Norc's and go straight to the S&W or a Ruger or any $700-800 AR and buy ammo ammo and yet more ammo. the reason id skip the Norc's now is the price savings just are not there anymore like there was 10 years ago.
- Location
- Lethbridge
Thats what I think I will end up doing. Getting a S&W and just get shooting / training with it right out of the box. And in time try to figure out what mods I want to make. I want to get something that from the start I can keep bare bones and get used to BUT still have a rifle that I can change up and modify universally as I see fit. Building one may be a road I go down later on, but at this point I just want to buy it and shoot it and have fun. And not stress about wondering if parts will fit when I choose to make changes to the furniture. Thanks for your feedback!!!
Don't buy Norinco.
Don't buy NEA or BCL.
Don't buy a piston operated AR (not your first one anyway) proprietary parts are not fun if you need to fix it a couple years down the road once the company has moved on to the next design.
Any US built AR will be just fine, they're all pretty much the same when it comes to the mechanics of the rifle. Spending more gets you better barrels, better finishing, better coatings, nicer furniture, etc but the heart of the AR is the same regardless of brand.
Keep in mind that (as far as I know) there are only three forges that produce AR-15 receivers, they are then sold to all the different manufacturers who then finish them and put their brand on them.
I would research your options that are in your price range and then buy the one you like the best. Pick one that is set up as close to what you think you want. You can change anything on an AR but it all costs money so picking one that has some furniture on it that you already like is a bonus and unless you plan to do long range target shooting the accuracy will be good enough from any rack grade AR.
Building them is fun but you will not save any money unless you're the kind of guy that can buy the crappiest used parts and throw together something and somehow be proud of it. When I build AR's I usually end up spending around $1500-$2000 for a rifle set up with a free float handgaurd, decent stock, and a quality barrel. It can be done cheaper but if you're just going to throw together something from cheap parts you'd probably be better off buying a S&W M&P with a warranty and zero rounds through it.
Good luck
Don't buy NEA or BCL.
Don't buy a piston operated AR (not your first one anyway) proprietary parts are not fun if you need to fix it a couple years down the road once the company has moved on to the next design.
Any US built AR will be just fine, they're all pretty much the same when it comes to the mechanics of the rifle. Spending more gets you better barrels, better finishing, better coatings, nicer furniture, etc but the heart of the AR is the same regardless of brand.
Keep in mind that (as far as I know) there are only three forges that produce AR-15 receivers, they are then sold to all the different manufacturers who then finish them and put their brand on them.
I would research your options that are in your price range and then buy the one you like the best. Pick one that is set up as close to what you think you want. You can change anything on an AR but it all costs money so picking one that has some furniture on it that you already like is a bonus and unless you plan to do long range target shooting the accuracy will be good enough from any rack grade AR.
Building them is fun but you will not save any money unless you're the kind of guy that can buy the crappiest used parts and throw together something and somehow be proud of it. When I build AR's I usually end up spending around $1500-$2000 for a rifle set up with a free float handgaurd, decent stock, and a quality barrel. It can be done cheaper but if you're just going to throw together something from cheap parts you'd probably be better off buying a S&W M&P with a warranty and zero rounds through it.
Good luck
Last edited:
wayupnorth
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Northern Alberta
and yet i have had 2 Norc's for 10 years and never had a issue with either.
ive have multiple NEA's and have fired 1000's of rounds through them and have had 1 issue and NEA/BCL fixed it and i had it back within a week.
unless your talking for adding stuff onto them??
i can see that for the Norc's of old but the NEA?
anyways, a topic of conversation for another thread, sounds like the OP is on the right track.
Can I ask newbie AR questions in this thread or should I start my own thread?
I'm interested in recommendations for magazines. I have and M&P Sport 2.
I bought a few LAR mags and wedge-coupled them. It's nice to have 10+10 capacity but ensuring the mag sits firmly is difficult because if I slap the bottom of the mag, which is the top of the coupled mag, I get a nice gash in the palm of my hand.
So anyway, what do you guys suggest for magazines?
I'm interested in recommendations for magazines. I have and M&P Sport 2.
I bought a few LAR mags and wedge-coupled them. It's nice to have 10+10 capacity but ensuring the mag sits firmly is difficult because if I slap the bottom of the mag, which is the top of the coupled mag, I get a nice gash in the palm of my hand.
So anyway, what do you guys suggest for magazines?
Wear gloves maybe?
I passed on the mag wedge concept for this and the strong likelihood you may bend or foul the feed lips or follower in a mag dump. Yeah I know this is a Canadian issue but you will never see upside down mag dumps anywhere in the "real world".
I put Ranger plates on my LAR15 mags, they offer impact protection and handle tug on ensuring they are seated. If you go this route you will need to sand down the followers a couple of millimetres to ensure they seat on a closed bolt when filled. I put Ranger plates on my 5/30 Magpul Mags too.
That’s apples and oranges. I like the LAR’s for their capacity and PMags for their size and looks, they are easy to load up too. Nice to have both for fun and games.
Indeed. Thinking about a second for myself.
Still alive
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Rainy mosquito infested part of BC
The common LAR mags hold 10 and the PMags hold only 5. PMags work very well especially if you use mag pouches as part of your gear. They have the correct 30rd length and they are grippy for easy retrieval. Most LAR mags are very short, even with Ranger plates or Magpul tabs. They seat too far down in mag pouches so grabbing them is slower under timed pressure. Guys who use the short LARs usually stuff something down the carriers so the mags stick out more. However, this also increases the chance of them falling out if you’re running or going prone etc.
I think S&J Hardware was selling mag extenders to make the LAR mags full length but they are pricey.
IRUN GUNs was bringing some full length crimped LAR mags for a while. They sell out very quickly. Keep an eye out on their site for new inventory.
Why Is there no like button for posts like this?
