- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
I'm not sure what happened. Maybe I fell and banged my head, or perhaps I got too close to one of the targets at our dynamite shoot, but whatever the cause, I've developed a yearning for an AR-15. At first I was patient. I'm a bolt gun guy (and too old a dog to learn new tricks) so deep down I knew that like a cold, this too would pass. But it hasn't! So I began to consider a simple remedy, just by an AR!
But the more I looked into the problem, the more complicated it seemed to become. I know I want a gun that's ready to run the way I want it, rather than building a Frankenstein gun from parts made by various manufacturers only to find they won't fit a cheapy Norinco or Olympic Arms basic rifle, after waiting weeks for delivery. But which gas system, gas piston or DGI? Do I want a stainless steel match barrel or a chrome lined service rifle barrel? Which sights? What stock design? Which manufacturer? The names run through my injured mind like water in a stream: LMT, Daniel Defense, Stag Arms, Armalite, Colt, Noveske, Rock River, Bushmaster, the list seems endless and the projected cost not insignificant.
The AR that I really liked way back when, was the XM177E, but good luck with that. So if getting a select fire, silenced shorty is off the table, what are the alternatives? Perhaps a full sized rifle with a fixed stock, carry handle, and fixed front sight with national match trigger and sights. But while I appreciate a fine trigger, a tiny peep doesn't fit in with my idea of shooting, and the fold out of the way sights allow for optics where a scope mounted on top of the handle always looked goofy to me. Does tightening up an AR for match shooting adversely impact upon its reliability? I bet it does. Neither does there appear to be any advantage to the fixed stock over the collapsible.
So what do the big name experts use? Clint Smith has his own version of a Noveske, and I'll admit I'm sorely tempted by the Thunder Ranch gun despite it's intimidating cost. The folks at Gunsite appear to like the S&W, so not surprisingly, there doesn't seem to much common ground to draw between them. The boys at Magpul have become pretty successful at promoting their brand, but Magpul assemblies are commonly found on the ARs of many manufacturers, so they are careful not to push one brand too strongly over another. If I was to purchase an AR today, I think Stag Arms Model 8 piston gun would win out, but we'll see where I'm at come spring which I've set as a deadline to have my prescription filled. Ya know, maybe, just like all gun purchases, there's just no wrong answer, provided the buyer picks a gun that is appropriate to his intended use.
But the more I looked into the problem, the more complicated it seemed to become. I know I want a gun that's ready to run the way I want it, rather than building a Frankenstein gun from parts made by various manufacturers only to find they won't fit a cheapy Norinco or Olympic Arms basic rifle, after waiting weeks for delivery. But which gas system, gas piston or DGI? Do I want a stainless steel match barrel or a chrome lined service rifle barrel? Which sights? What stock design? Which manufacturer? The names run through my injured mind like water in a stream: LMT, Daniel Defense, Stag Arms, Armalite, Colt, Noveske, Rock River, Bushmaster, the list seems endless and the projected cost not insignificant.
The AR that I really liked way back when, was the XM177E, but good luck with that. So if getting a select fire, silenced shorty is off the table, what are the alternatives? Perhaps a full sized rifle with a fixed stock, carry handle, and fixed front sight with national match trigger and sights. But while I appreciate a fine trigger, a tiny peep doesn't fit in with my idea of shooting, and the fold out of the way sights allow for optics where a scope mounted on top of the handle always looked goofy to me. Does tightening up an AR for match shooting adversely impact upon its reliability? I bet it does. Neither does there appear to be any advantage to the fixed stock over the collapsible.
So what do the big name experts use? Clint Smith has his own version of a Noveske, and I'll admit I'm sorely tempted by the Thunder Ranch gun despite it's intimidating cost. The folks at Gunsite appear to like the S&W, so not surprisingly, there doesn't seem to much common ground to draw between them. The boys at Magpul have become pretty successful at promoting their brand, but Magpul assemblies are commonly found on the ARs of many manufacturers, so they are careful not to push one brand too strongly over another. If I was to purchase an AR today, I think Stag Arms Model 8 piston gun would win out, but we'll see where I'm at come spring which I've set as a deadline to have my prescription filled. Ya know, maybe, just like all gun purchases, there's just no wrong answer, provided the buyer picks a gun that is appropriate to his intended use.
