Will be getting my first AR15 now what?

[TonyFromBucksCo]

Ordered a Ruger AR 556 from Sportsmansguide, $557 and in stock was hard to pass up.
Will be my first AR and not up to speed on what I should be looking at to buy now.
Seems a little more complex than buying a handgun and a decent quality holster and calling it a day.
Some guidance would be appreciated.

Any recommendations as far as ...
variety of range ammo to buy for the first few hundred rounds or ammo to avoid?
Decent choice to keep in a magazine for HD living in an area with homes 20ft away?
extra magazines, Brands to avoid / brands that are reliable? would also like to get some 10 & 20 round mags for the range.

Cleaning supplies, anything needed different for an AR that I wouldn't already have for Pistols?
Currently useing, CLP, Ballistol, Tetra Gun Grease, Birchwood Casey Gun Scrubber, Birchwood Casey Lead Remover Cloth.

Will also need a rifle case and sling.
Anything else to get me off to a good start?
Not thinking of optics yet but may in the future.

[Bowgod02]

I'm building my first AR so I'll be paying a attention to this thread as well.

[unclejumbo]

http://forum.pafoa.org/showthread.php?t=271154

[arjohnson]

Buy lots of GI, lancer or Pmags. Lots of 5.56 ammo and shoot.

[McSull]

What's the brrel twist rate?

[JAKIII]

Not thinking of optics yet but may in the future.

Zactly...! Keep it simple and hold off on the bells and whistles for now... plenty of time for that. Load up on 5.56, get yourself some big 100 yard targets and go apeshit with IRON sites.

[Fortytwo]

What's the brrel twist rate?

It has a 1:8" CHF barrel.

[JW1914]

Read the US military manual for the rifle

Learn how to fully disassemble the rifle including the bolt without losing any of the really small parts

Practice manipulating the rifle and using the charging handle so you don't look like it's your first day at school when you go shoot it

Buy at least 3 mags right away and some ammo

Go shoot it, zero the rifle, use every mag you have to test function. I prefer 100m zero.

Clean it, you will notice how ridiculously dirty the BCG is. It's a pain in the ass. You can soak the BCG in something for a couple hours to make cleaning easier. Make sure the firing pin channel is clean and clear of debris and oil. Don't be shy with lube everywhere else.

Buy more mags and ammo

Shoot again

Repeat

[pacodelahoya]

M855 62 grain with a green tip is penetrator.. Not exactly ap but not jacketed lead either. Stock up on it when you find it cheap. Wal mart occasionally has 30 round boxes of 62 grain Turkish ammo real cheap.
That is penetrator too, but no green tip. The name escapes me, but it's in a white box..zoi..that's it!

With a 1 in 8 twist rate, you should be good to go with all flavors of ammo except maybe 75 grain.

For hd, there are some frangible coyote loads in 45 grain.

Congrats. As stated, buy good quality metal mags, work your way up to at least ten. Buy ammo when available at right price and stock up. You will be astounded at how fast it goes when you are having fun at the range.

[bluetrane2028]

ZQI and Perfecta were not renewed in walmarts inventory for this year, so whatever you get is the end of the supply. I bought a ton of it when they were talking bans, just because. Shoots fine.

As for mags, I only have pmags and they have been awesome. The one metal mag I had was so horrible it got left at the range. Maybe it would run for someone else but not me.

ARs are like a contagious fever. You will end up with several. Do yourself a favor with this first one, aside from optics leave it completely stock. Decide what you like and dislike about it as you get familiar with it. Then, once you get the big to modify, simply build a second rifle. Many people end up with leftover parts bins that about make complete rifles, and your $600 rifle is suddenly a $1200 rifle and you still only have one... and if you had just bought an upper and lower parts kit that suit you off of Palmetto and a lower from the LGS, you would likely spend that same $600 or so again but have something custom. You could even sell the first one of you so desired and nearly break even.