First AR

[300zx_tt]

I'm looking into picking up my first AR-15. I'm a total noob when it comes to ar brands and components. I'm looking to spend from 600-900. I don't even know where to start.

1. What brands do I stay away from?
2. Should I buy new or used? Seems like you get more for your money used
3. Will I find a decent ar in the lower end of my budget?
4. Can I "build" my own in my budget?

I have currently have:
A. sig 1911
B. m&p .40
C. Savage 111 in .270
D. Remington Wingmaster 870 12g
E. Remington Sportmaster 512 .22


Like I said this is going to be my first AR but not my first gun just haven't researched it and I'm not too familiar with them!

[IronButt]

1- I won't tell you what brands to stay away from, but if you get a Colt, BCM, or Daniel Defense, you can't go wrong.

2- You can sometimes find new Colt 6920's for around $900. Keep checking in the classified section in this forum & you'll run across something. Used AR's are sometimes a good deal.

3- Maybe

4- building an AR is very easy. The lower goes together in about 20 minutes. For a first build, I'd get a fully assembled upper. The upper is really the heart of the gun, so spend as much as you can afford on the upper. Palmeto State Armory is a good place to check out options for a lower build. For the upper, try Bravo Company. They make top notch stuff.

[stainless]

Lots of threads on this topic. You will get many reply's.

I own a Windham and love it. Most will likely say stick with the pony.

Good luck and enjoy what you get.

[sgtmcbowflex]

I personally make sure my ARs have a 5.56 chamber, M4 feed ramps, 1-7 twist rate in the barrel, and a full auto profile BCG that's HPT/MPI. From what I've seen you won't find a lot of those features in an off the self AR in the price range. It will probably have M4 feedramps, and maybe a 5.56 chamber. The barrel will most likely have a 1-9 twist, and have a semi auto BCG. If you bump up your range a bit, you can get a Colt 6920 from a Walmart that sells ARs for around $1150 last I saw.

As far as building them on a budget. You absolutely can if you have patience.

http://palmettostatearmory.com/

PSA is the budget AR builders best friend if you ask me. They use FN barrels with 1-7 twist rates unless otherwise specified. They frequently have components on sale for really good prices, and you can't build and upper for less than their assembled uppers in most cases. I recommend staying away from their PTAC offerings. They seem to have some quality issues from time to time, although it seems a lot of people are reporting good luck with them recently.

Just be warned, their shipping is crazy slow. Assembled uppers are taking about two weeks to ship out at this point.

[f_bomb]

Look into a Smith & Wesson M&P Sport...Great rifle on the lower end of your price range, leaving you some money to spend on ammo and add ons. It doesn't have a forward assist or dust cover...Trust me, you won't miss them! It'll kill paper just fine!

[animalmother85]

I'm looking into picking up my first AR-15. I'm a total noob when it comes to ar brands and components. I'm looking to spend from 600-900. I don't even know where to start.

1. What brands do I stay away from?
2. Should I buy new or used? Seems like you get more for your money used
3. Will I find a decent ar in the lower end of my budget?
4. Can I "build" my own in my budget?

1. Olympic Arms, DPMS, Bushamster
2. Depends on what kind of deal you get. If someone were to offer me a used JP LRP-07 for a G, I'd jump on it like stink on shit.
3. Debatable, but usually no. 'Decent' is a very subjective term.
4. Yes.


Watch put for guys who rattle off specs of rifles, especially when they start talking about metals. Usually they don't know why something is good, but they've read that 'Carpenter No. 158 Steel must be used and it absolutely has to be MP/HPI tested because that makes it mil spec.' They then went to Wikipedia to read up on the procedures so they can sound slightly educated in the matter. You're going to hear a lot of shit that sounds good and smart, but you really have to sift through it all to get to the bottom of it. Lots of chaff, not as much wheat. Also, mil spec is a good starting point, but it's still what the lowest bidder follows.


Every manufacturer puts out it's lemons, what sets the good ones apart from the bad ones is how it's handled and how frequent they put them out.


If I were you, I'd pick up a blemished palmetto state lower, lower parts kit, B5 sopmod stock kit, and some sort of BHF (hammer forged barrel)16" mid length upper from them, with bcg that has a 9310 bolt. It should keep you in the 750 range and you'll have a rifle that's a tic nicer than Colt 6920.

[Pilot321]

Spend a $100 or so more, and get a Colt M4/LE6920. It is the standard by which all others are measured. Yes, there are better, yes there are cheaper, but you will thank me after getting the Colt.

[ExFlyinguy]

Your price range puts you into the budget priced rifles for sure, but imho that isn't a bad thing. As "F bomb" stated above me the Smith & Wesson M&P has very good reviews though I do not have one.

What I do have is a Colt LE6900. Now Colt elites' will bash it because Colt farmed it out to a Company in Kentucky (Alexander Arms?). I believe Colt did this to compete with the Budget rifles. It has no forward assist or dust cover. I've seen it priced around $850-890. It has a 1-8 twist. It has a full auto profile BCG, shrouded firing pin. No the castle nut is not staked.

There was some talk on AR15.com that it may or may not be discontinued but I've seen it on the shelf's as of a month ago. I've had no problems with it & my Girlfriend loves to shoot it as do I. I kept it light weight and only added a cheap reflex sight to it.

[300zx_tt]

This barreled upper:
http://palmettostatearmory.com/index...m-red-dot.html

This lower:
http://palmettostatearmory.com/index...ion-black.html


I'm thinking about picking up these

[RXM]

HF (hammer forged barrel)16" mid length upper from them, with bcg that has a 9310 bolt. It should keep you in the 750 range and you'll have a rifle that's a tic nicer than Colt 6920.

Bro, do you even operate?