Which A2 to buy?

J

J.P.

CGN Regular
Rating - 100%
41   0   0
Well, I'm thinking about getting my first AR. I am admitedely a plastic and alluminum rifle noob, but the ugly little buggers are callin my name, so I come seeking advice. I want an A2 clone. I read the sticky about who sells what etc, but I will be buying a complete rifle not separate sub assemblys. The two options staring me in the face are: 1. RRA A2 from Questar, $1289, non-lined 1in8 twist "223 wylde" chamber (someone please elucidate me, must be terminology specific to this manufacturer?) they claim 1 moa. Option number 2. Armalite A2 from wolverine, $1375, chromed HBAR (oh yeah, what the bleep does HBAR mean?) 1in9 twist, claim 1.5- 2 moa. I don't really want a Stag because they use a detachable carry handle which is unsuitable to my idea of what the sucker should look like (I like things to be "correct" in a historical sense, even though I am buying something with no history to it whatsoever). Bushmasters also look good, but nobody currently has one in stock, snd they seem to be a little pricey. Am I missing anything here? Other options I overlooked? Are RRA and Armalite "good" in the hierachy of whats what in AR land? Do parts fully interchange with milspec and aftermarket on these rifles? Lay it on me fellas. Jeff
 
Not much help here but HBAR mean heavy barrel which is pretty much useless if you don't fire on full auto. I would get goverment profile barrel which is thinner.
1/9 twist is good for 55-62 grain bullets.
 
223 wylde = competition chamber
HBAR = heavy barrel

botom line get the stag because somme day you will want to scope it and you will be glad you did
 
I don't really want the detachable handle, and no I won't want to sope it, trust me. I own 3 scopes- they all sit on a shelf now. Does anybody own an RRA or Armalite? any opinions on chrome lined? I have Garands and M14's with chromed barrels and they tend to shoot fine for me. I am not an accuracy freak, and I like the durability and ease of cleaning. If I buy parts (uppers and lowers, stripped with separate parts kits) how much trouble is it to assemble? Yes, I am mechanically incined, but am allergic to buying specialty tools to assemble one rifle. Anybody own one or both of these brands? any AR experts can direct me to info on a building one?
 
You need a few specific tools to do it right. Go here and check out the build it yourself section.
http://www.ar15.com/forums/forum.html?b=3&f=4
All the major ar builders should interchange except for some older Colts.
ellwoodepps still has a couple of Colt A2 rifles on their website if your stuck on a fixed carry handle.
Or you can order various parts. Bushmaster has A2 uppers and I think Questar can get them in.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
For what it's worth, my (bought as a complete gun) armalite is 2-3 thousand rounds through without so much as a single hiccup, apart from replacing the gas rings.
 
Look around for a good used Colt AR15 any variant is good quality, chrome Bore & Chamber are an asset, as well as the 1/7 twist barrel for the heavier bullets(for long distance or competitive shooting).
And if you only want to shoot 55gr bullets, get an AR15-SP1, they're a great rifle, light and accurate enough for 0 - 250m shooting.
Oh, and keep in mind that these AR type rifles are completely modular, meaning that you can rebuild it to almost any configuration that is available. Basically, one lower receiver and multiple uppers.

Just my .02
 
IDPACONVERT said:
Look around for a good used Colt AR15 any variant is good quality, chrome Bore & Chamber are an asset, as well as the 1/7 twist barrel for the heavier bullets(for long distance or competitive shooting).
And if you only want to shoot 55gr bullets, get an AR15-SP1, they're a great rifle, light and accurate enough for 0 - 250m shooting.
Oh, and keep in mind that these AR type rifles are completely modular, meaning that you can rebuild it to almost any configuration that is available. Basically, one lower receiver and multiple uppers.

Just my .02
Click to expand...

If you're recommending swapping uppers, don't buy a commercial Colt unless it's got milspec pins. Most don't.

My suggestion is to buy an excellently priced Stag A3/A4 flat top and them put a carry handle on it (detachable carry handles are only about $70 most places). Then you have your iron sighted rifle, plus the flexibility to go elsewhere with your build if you so choose down the road. I don't think the rifle costs any more, but resale will be WAY better if you ever get tired of it, if you go with the flat top/carry handle combo.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom