Last chance AR15 buyers

[luckyned7]

S! All

(forgive the panic buy title)(I'm panic researching for possibly my ONLY buy)

I'm stuck. I know what I want the rifle to do BUT don't know which make or model to purchase that might fill my roll. I'm after the best defensive-no frills-go-to-non-gadget-get-r-done-ar15 rifle I can afford for 1k before optics...AND I want optics that do the same. (Gee-He don't want much?) I do know I can't afford a Colt. I don't care if I can't shoot 1,200 meters. I want to know I can clear the (area) of those that would steal my stores of food for my family. I'm asking for shelf bought or near-shelf bought AR15 weapon confiqurations that would allow completely secure iron sights ALONG with red-dot type scoping(ex:ECHOs) Maybe, I'd learn more if you told me why one of those ugly-looking flat-top uppers-with the intergrated rear sight..would not be the way. Seems to me a solid fixed sight that would allow a scope?http://www.rockriverarms.com/item-de...TOKEN=89326390

[JayBell]

get a standard flattop upper, sans rear sight, and later get a folding backup rear iron sight.

the fixed rear partial flattop is a wierd compromise upper, that very much limits your mounting options, along with what optics you can put on.

non magnified optics you set up to co witness the sights thru is the only option on this particular setup.

get a standard RRA (or other decent maker) flattop no frills standard carbine, and ARMS #40 folding rear sight (or a GG&G MAD) or some other rear iron sight, and its your choiuce to go to magnified scope, or non magnified scope, or just irons.

even better, just leard to shoot with sights correctly, before moving to optics, thats the right way to do it, thats whats going to happen if your sight is broken, or out of power, or obscured, or falls off, or ....?

learn proper shooting with iron sights, THEN go optics.

[TonyF]

Do not buy that rifle.

An integrated rear sight will severely inhibit the flexibility the flat top provides. You *may* find that at some point in the future you prefer a low power variable to a red dot. If that ever comes to pass, you'll regret not having a folding BUIS.

[Lycanthrope]

Luckyned7,

We told you before....go flat top! Co witnessing your back up irons is fine with a red dot, but will totally suck with scope.

That gun looks cool, I agree, but it's not the most versatile. Bolt on sights on the flat top will be SOLID.

If you're short on cash, you can save money buy buying a complete lower from your dealer and then ordering an upper through the mail. That should save you at least $100 that you could use toward optics.

If you don;t want to pin it together yourself, have you considered Stag? They run $840 with back up irons included. The lowers are made in the same shop as RRA.

This one has a fold down you could use with a scope, if necessary.



http://www.eaglefirearms.net/

[1911shooter]

buy an of the shelf Bushmaster or DPMS flat top model with out the sights and you can add flip up removeable sights,

[lexington86]

All of this talk about AR's and the slew of possible future "assault weapons" bans got me thinking, and i think my next rifle purchase is definitely going to be an AR style rifle. I won't have the money for one until mid- or late-summer, but for now I will be looking around for what I want to buy.

Do you guys recommend just buying a complete rifle, or building a custom setup? I know that building my own would be cheaper, but would lack the good warranty that would come with a complete rifle.

Also, I'm not sure I understand the process of building my own. After looking around at websites like Stag Arms, my knowledge is this: "Complete Upper halves" can be bought freely online (meaning not through an FFL), while the "Complete Lower halves" must be purchased through an FFL or at a shop (with the usual background checks). Is this correct? Next, if I get a complete upper and lower half, is that all I need to build my rifle? Or do I also need to get other parts like the bolt/bolt carrier assembly?

I know that I'm a complete AR noobie, so any and all help would be appreciated!

[Thekatar]

I'll give a dissenting opinion here.

That rifle has the potential to be an excellent defensive carbine. A cantilever LaRue Tactical Aimpoint mount with a Comp M2/M3, an XS same plane aperture rear sight and an adjustable 2 point sling would make it a killer combo. There is something to be said about a permanently deployed BUIS and a mid-length upper.

Here is the caveat - I would not recommend it for a starter AR. If you already have another AR to tinker around with and rearrange, then I'd recommend the UTE. But for a first rifle, no.

[Lycanthrope]

Do you guys recommend just buying a complete rifle, or building a custom setup? I know that building my own would be cheaper, but would lack the good warranty that would come with a complete rifle.

Also, I'm not sure I understand the process of building my own. After looking around at websites like Stag Arms, my knowledge is this: "Complete Upper halves" can be bought freely online (meaning not through an FFL), while the "Complete Lower halves" must be purchased through an FFL or at a shop (with the usual background checks). Is this correct? Next, if I get a complete upper and lower half, is that all I need to build my rifle? Or do I also need to get other parts like the bolt/bolt carrier assembly?

Buying a complete lower half and pinning it to a complete upper will usually save you about $100. Sometimes uppers are sold without bolt and carrier. They can usually be added at around $100-$150. Warranty? If you break something on an AR you can usually replace it cheap and a decent manufacturer would replace an upper that wouldn't run.

I have some custom AR's, a shelf gun and a kit gun. I've shot Colt, RRA, Double Star, Bushmaster and others. I built a gun with a Clark Gator upper (.5 MOA gurantee) as well as a White Oak service rifle for under $1000. My cheapest kit gun was $515. The only difference? The finish wasn't as good on the kit gun and it shot .75 MOA instead of .3-.5 MOA.

I think so highly of my kit gun that my iron sight 3-gun rifle will be built from one. Want an assualt rifle ban investment? Go buy a couple stripped lowers.

[luckyned7]

Luckyned7,

We told you before....go flat top! Co witnessing your back up irons is fine with a red dot, but will totally suck with scope.

That gun looks cool, I agree, but it's not the most versatile. Bolt on sights on the flat top will be SOLID.

If you're short on cash, you can save money buy buying a complete lower from your dealer and then ordering an upper through the mail. That should save you at least $100 that you could use toward optics.

If you don;t want to pin it together yourself, have you considered Stag? They run $840 with back up irons included. The lowers are made in the same shop as RRA.

This one has a fold down you could use with a scope, if necessary.



http://www.eaglefirearms.net/

Thanks everyone for the advice. I took a hard look at that Stag but I'm having a hard time, with the few gun shops I have left- locally, getting anything accomplished via internet sales. Think I'll be forced to buy off the shelf..which I guess won't be so bad.

[Lycanthrope]

The locak gunshops won't send a copy of their FFL to Eagle Firearms or other dealers? An exchange of FFL's is all it takes.