Need Quick Help from My Knifebros RE: AR15s

Dr. Snubnose · #1

I have a good friend who contacted me about info regarding AR15s. He wants to buy one unfortunately both he and I know very little about them. We are pistol/shotgun men. I know there are a lot of people here who are very knowledgeable about the AR-15. So I'm looking for some solid advice. First who makes the best, what kinda of price range should he be looking for the best deal. What's the difference between some of rifles, manufactures, and related ammo. What would you buy funds permitting and why. Thanks in advance guys. I told Mr. I gonna buy an AR15 I'd post the questions and get the answers for him from some people in the know, print it out and e-mail it to him in 24 hours...So give me your best thoughts on the topic....Thanks again guys!...Doc :)

OldSarSwmr · #2

Doc
I'm a pistol/shotgun guy too so my input is limited at best. Have you looked over at AR-15.com? There is a wealth of knowledge over there as well.
I used to run quals on the M-16 but ****, its a different weapon now.
I do own an old Bushmaster and i'm happy with it. I also shot the S&W M&P that was decked out in Magpul attire and it shot very nicely.
One of the hard things about the AR platform is that there are so many options.
Good luck with the search. If I can get hold of my buddy I will tap him for some good info, he's a rifle guy.
Dan

I_like_sharp_things · #3

There are definitely a lot of options when it comes to ARs. A lot of companies are putting out great rifles for the money right now. Assuming your friend wants a tactical rifle 16 inches is the most easily available barrel length without paper work unless you have a barrel that is 14.5 inches long with a flash hider pinned (no way of getting it off) bringing overall length of the barrel to 16 inches. When it comes to twist rates 1:7 will shoot anything from 40 grain to 77 grain and is probably the most versatile. 1:9 won't handle the heavier bullets as well because you run the risk of under stabilization. The heavy bullets aren't really a big deal unless the gun is for hunting though. 55 grain and 62 grain are probably the most commonly available rounds for .223 so 1:9 works fine. Another thing to consider is length of the gas system. Carbine has the gas port 7" down the barrel, mid length 9", and I'm not sure about rifle length. Carbine length is most common on 16 inch barrels though mid length will have a smoother recoil and is beginning to be more popular nowadays. Another popular thin right now are piston gas systems vs. the traditional direct impingement. The piston doesn't let any of the gas that drives the bolt carrier back into the bolt carrier. The direct impingement is how the rifle was designed and lets the gases from the barrel push the bolt carrier back to cycle the gun. Some people say it is a dirtier system but the gun can go for thousand of rounds with out being cleaned so I don't think anything is wrong with DI and recommend it because it's the way the gun was designed, it works great, and you'll get more bang for your buck. Good companies to look at are Spike Tactical, Colt, Smith & Wesson, and Stag Arms. Companies that a lot of people tend to stay away from for tactical guns are DPMS and Olympic Arms. Those are the only companies that come to mind right now as far as good/ bad starters. That's about all I can think about for now but if you have any questions don't be afraid to ask. If anyone notices that I got anything wrong please correct me too.

DCDesigns · #4

There are a ton of great manufacturers out there. If funds were no issue, I would probably go with one of the offerings from LWRC. Daniel Defense also makes an incredible rifle for around $1100, which is really a bargain for the upper tier ARs.

Whats your buddy going to use it for? Home defense, varminting, SHTF? Could make a big difference for the suggestion. The bargain brands are DPMS, STAG, Olympic arms and Bushmaster (though bushies have gotten a bit more expensive due to popularity) to name a few. Next step up you have stuff like the Colts, Daniel Defense, and YHM. What I consider the top tier would be something like the LWRC, Wilson Combat, or Les Baer.

All are good guns, some better tolerances than others.

.357 mag · #5

Same as.knives Doc.. What are using it for?

Dr. Snubnose · #6

Home Defense and Target Shooting....Doc :D

chuck_roxas45 · #7

I dunno about prices but Daniel Defense and Ferfrans SOAR are good. Vltor makes a good modular upper too.

jossta · #8

Colt, Novenske and Daniel Defense are the ones I keep hearing positive things about. Probably in that order. Only person I know with one has a Colt and he loves it.

SQSAR · #9

I've always been partial to Saber Defense and/or Rock River , , , but there are many fine companies out there producing great stuff.

jeep45238 · #10

I'm a pistol guy, but I am also a rifle instructor. I consider myself an average shooter, though my disciples vary a lot - others say I'm better than what I say I am, but I know what a good shooter is (Adam Tyc and Ben Stoger immediately come to mind).

That said, I am the AR guy in a world of 30 caliber people.

The MOST IMPORTANT THING ABOUT THE AR15 WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING TO BUY -

WHAT is it's intended use? This will dictate things such as barrel lengths, profiles, fire control groups, stocks, and even brands.

I'm just going to quote some of my previous responses, as I think they cover most things and it'll make my life easy when I'm about to head off to bed :)

&quot wrote: I have never used the forward assist in any of my rifles. And I do keep the round counts up on my AR's.

The ONLY time I needed to use the assist is with a .22LR conversion - and it won't work with most of those. With 5.56 or 5.45, never needed it.

Do not waste your time or money on a piston rifle. If you go rifle that doesn't have fixed front and rear sights, do yourself a favor and do NOT use the Magpul iron sights - they are a joke for accuracy purposes.

Think about what you will be using the rifle for, and what you want out of it. That's the hardest part when it comes to the AR series. For me - my go to is a 16" barrel with a midlength gas system. If I was in a less urban area I'd be grabbing a 20" barrel with a rifle length system. I can't (for me) come up with a reason why I sould go for a carbine gas system or a 14.5" barrel with an extended flash hider (or a SBR). If this is your first (or only) AR I would strongly reccomend sticking to the 5.56 caliber, leave the botique stuff to somebody else. Stick to the heaviest buffer and the strongest spring that will still function with Wolf ammo, and feed it using GOOD mags, and you're highly unlikely to ever have a problem with it.

And come to an Appleseed and learn how to shoot it - much better investment than putting $150 towards an optic :mrgreen:

Comments about reliability:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... 2z8LL9mLEE
(I can vouch for this - over 4.5K rounds or so before failure, no cleaning or lubrication)

Choosing the right AR15 for you:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgcpR2QYBSY

&quot wrote:Build your own. You'll save about 10% compared to an assembled rifle, which will buy mags and ammo. Or the armorer tools to build more in the future :)

Good to hear you're asking questions about how it'll be used. I've ran A2 and flat top uppers, in 16" and 20" variations, fixed and collapsable stock, heavy and light barrels, and rifle along with midlength and carbine gas systems. Front sight mounted on a rail, and part of the gas block - basically, most basic configurations you'll encounter, minus the differences in brand parts.

For me, a general purpose rifle should be able to hit accurately with out to 500 yards, with iron sights, and still be useable with a sling in "fast but close enough" shooting.

That rifle is the 16" barrel, midlength gas system with a collapsable stock, and the front sight mounted onto the barrel (not the rail), and a medium-heavy profile barrel. I prefer midlength gas over the carbine length for a few reasons. Less pressure on the bolt during unlock (longer service life), smoother recoil, longer sight radius (better accuracy with irons), and you have 2 more inches of forearm (more adaptable to various shooting styles.

The collapsable stock allows the rifle to get the ideal length of pull for your body build, and adapting the rifle to various different kinds of shooting (slung up prone vs. quick n fast styles perform better with different lengths of pulls). You can also get stocks that are heavier or lighter to get the correct balance for the rifle to 'feel' natural and snap quickly.

The medium-heavy barrels resist heat better, and last longer before the groups open up from heat. Lighter will obviously snap faster, but I'll make the sacrifice for a general use rifle.

The flat top allows various irons and optics to be mounted, while A2 irons are great, there is also no real flexibility for any future changes. You can run a detatchable carry handle and have the best of both worlds, amongst other solutions.

A front sight mounted on the barrel will always maintain the poa/poi with the barrel direction. One mounted on a free float tube means you are aiming the tube, not the barrel. If you shoot slung up, this will make a difference. If not, don't worry about it.

There are some things you can cheat on, and other things you can't when it comes to AR's. Just know that the heart of reliability in the AR platform comes from the bolt, followed by (to some extent) the bolt carrier. The heart of accuracy comes from the barrel, followed by the thickness of the upper reciever walls, then followed by the bolt. Not many people make a AR barrel that is not capable of sub 2MOA accuracy.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask.

&quot wrote:Go with iron sights (either a detatchable carry handle or some high quality fixed or folding STEEL sights, not polymer) and skip the scope completely.

Then come to an Appleseed with it and really learn how to shoot it at distance :)

&quot wrote:One other thing to take note of :

The Upper reciever assembly is the heart and soul of the AR. Get a bad barrel, barrel nut, upper reciever, or improper assembly and your accuracy will be sub par. Get a sub par bolt carrier group and your reliability will be spotty at best - focus specifically upon the bolt and extractor, along with the spring utilized in the extractor (I know they say to only run the o ring and a 4 coil/blue insert in carbine gas systems - I run an O ring and a 5 coil in my midlength. It's darn near impossible to overspring this particular one).

So, if you find yourself having an unreliable AR - buy a bolt from BCM, Daniel Defense, Spikes. Not accurate? Buy an upper from Noveske, Laure, Spikes, Daniel Defense, etc. Or buy the stripped barrel, a few dollars in armoror's tools, and drop in a new barrel along with a proper install.

wrdwrght · #11

Dr. Snubnose wrote:Home Defense