AR-15 What brand to buy?
- Thread starter PDshooter
- Start date
Jack Carson
New member
For a new model, go Bushmaster
As of right now the Bushmasters are the best of the breed for the money. They are accurate and reliable and have chrome lined bores and barrels. Their chambers are not as tight as some of the newer "match" or "game" rifles which helps their reliability a great deal. I am assuming you want a carry/self defense rifle or carbine. If so, go with the 16" barrel. I have the 14.5" with the AK muzzle brake. It's great for carrying but awfully loud and I am afraid I am giving up quite a bit of velocity in the shorter tube. this is just my opinion.
jack
As of right now the Bushmasters are the best of the breed for the money. They are accurate and reliable and have chrome lined bores and barrels. Their chambers are not as tight as some of the newer "match" or "game" rifles which helps their reliability a great deal. I am assuming you want a carry/self defense rifle or carbine. If so, go with the 16" barrel. I have the 14.5" with the AK muzzle brake. It's great for carrying but awfully loud and I am afraid I am giving up quite a bit of velocity in the shorter tube. this is just my opinion.
jack
Mo_Zam_Beek
New member
Bushy
Melvin-Purvis
New member
"Woohoo", my first post...lol
I used to buy only Colt, but switched to Quality Parts (Bushmaster) a few years back....especially BM uppers on Colt lowers...no complaints so far, and more options to boot.
Stumbled across an Oly pre-ban CAR with the 11.5/5.5 LW option...it's butt ugly as all get out, but a serious tack driver out to 200+...did I just get lucky with the Oly?
I've been posting a bit at KFC/BFC/TFC for the last year...it's nice to finally get back to my "gun guy" roots...
I used to buy only Colt, but switched to Quality Parts (Bushmaster) a few years back....especially BM uppers on Colt lowers...no complaints so far, and more options to boot.
Stumbled across an Oly pre-ban CAR with the 11.5/5.5 LW option...it's butt ugly as all get out, but a serious tack driver out to 200+...did I just get lucky with the Oly?
I've been posting a bit at KFC/BFC/TFC for the last year...it's nice to finally get back to my "gun guy" roots...
The Big Three producers that generally produce good ARs are Bushmaster, Armalite and Colt (in no particular order).
To that short list I have heard many people add Rock River Arms, stating that their stuff is milspec, and is just as good, and their price is way less.
The only AR I own is Rock River, and its nice.
Mike
To that short list I have heard many people add Rock River Arms, stating that their stuff is milspec, and is just as good, and their price is way less.
The only AR I own is Rock River, and its nice.
Mike
Jeff Thomas
New member
They used to say that "nobody gets fired for buying IBM", meaning to say it was the safe, solid choice.
There seem to be a few firearms that have a similar, legendary status.
Bushmaster seems to have that as the AR-15 choice. There are certainly other, good AR's, but Bushmaster seems to get very few raps on its reputation. Remington 870's seems to have a similar blessing, and perhaps Glocks too, but it gets a little fuzzy with handguns ...
You'll enjoy your rifle. Buy quality mag's.
Regards from AZ
There seem to be a few firearms that have a similar, legendary status.
Bushmaster seems to have that as the AR-15 choice. There are certainly other, good AR's, but Bushmaster seems to get very few raps on its reputation. Remington 870's seems to have a similar blessing, and perhaps Glocks too, but it gets a little fuzzy with handguns ...
You'll enjoy your rifle. Buy quality mag's.
Regards from AZ
Bushmaster more than anything is just a rock solid value, you pay a fair amount of money for the gun but what you get is quite seriously what the darned thing is worth, it's also the closest you're going to find to mil-spec in a civilian AR15. Colts in my opinion are no longer worth what a person would pay for them and owning the thing for the name is just silly in my opinion. The only other AR15 manufacturer out there that gets me all tickled pink is Armalite, you pay a bit more but you get a lifetime warranty with those Armalites while also getting some pretty decent customer service(in my experience atleast).
Rock River Arms is also said to be a pretty decent value but I don't have any experience with them.
Companies to stay away from? Traditionally there are two to avoid like the plague, American Spirit Arms(ASA) and Hesse. Bad customer service(sometimes horrific in the case of ASA) and poor quality control are the main issues that both companies have seem to have been fighting for some time now.
And as for the list showing the sales of AR15s for the year 1999,
Rock River Arms is also said to be a pretty decent value but I don't have any experience with them.
Companies to stay away from? Traditionally there are two to avoid like the plague, American Spirit Arms(ASA) and Hesse. Bad customer service(sometimes horrific in the case of ASA) and poor quality control are the main issues that both companies have seem to have been fighting for some time now.
And as for the list showing the sales of AR15s for the year 1999,
Steve Smith
New member
I and several HP friends use Rock River...they work very well.
halfcocked
New member
I love my Armalite M15 carbine. The fit and finish is great. I like the Armalite carbine because it has a longer forearm which gives it greater site distance and doesnt have that long length of barrel in front of the site. Oh yeah, it shoots great too. 
I love my Armalites. Bushmaster makes a very good rifle, as does Rock River. Along with Colt, they make your upper-tier of ARs. (I'm not including specialty shops like Fulton Armory)
DPMS and Olympic make nice guns as well, though they are more a second-tier. I do not trust Hesse.
As far as price-to-quality considerations are concerned, Bushmaster is the best bang for the buck.
Armalite is higher-priced, but you get a lifetime warranty and arguably better QC out of it.
I have not seen Rock River carried by local dealers, so I don't know how they price.
Colts are sometimes overpriced, sometimes underpriced... sometimes the name sells them, sometimes the name prevents their sale. Kinda depends on how political your local shooters are. I dislike Colts because they are proprietary. While I typically stick to Armalite parts, if I really want to put someone else's upper on it, I want it to fit, and fit right.
Wilsons are overpriced.
DPMS, at least in my area, is usually priced at the same level as Bushmaster... Get the Bushmaster if this is the case.
Olympic prices low.
Hesse... I don't care if they give them away, I'm not putting my face near one.
DPMS and Olympic make nice guns as well, though they are more a second-tier. I do not trust Hesse.
As far as price-to-quality considerations are concerned, Bushmaster is the best bang for the buck.
Armalite is higher-priced, but you get a lifetime warranty and arguably better QC out of it.
I have not seen Rock River carried by local dealers, so I don't know how they price.
Colts are sometimes overpriced, sometimes underpriced... sometimes the name sells them, sometimes the name prevents their sale. Kinda depends on how political your local shooters are. I dislike Colts because they are proprietary. While I typically stick to Armalite parts, if I really want to put someone else's upper on it, I want it to fit, and fit right.
Wilsons are overpriced.
DPMS, at least in my area, is usually priced at the same level as Bushmaster... Get the Bushmaster if this is the case.
Olympic prices low.
Hesse... I don't care if they give them away, I'm not putting my face near one.
Melvin-Purvis
New member
The reason Oly's are so much lower priced is because they paint the damn things...
Twice out and it looks like a Somali special... And they're loose, giving "Shake, rattle, and roll" a whole new meaning...
But they work. Mine does anyway, and it works quite well.
(Kinda like my buddy's Remington-Rand 1911A1...butt ugly, but it rolls out the rounds...7 rounds, <2 seconds...)
-S
Twice out and it looks like a Somali special... And they're loose, giving "Shake, rattle, and roll" a whole new meaning...
But they work. Mine does anyway, and it works quite well.
(Kinda like my buddy's Remington-Rand 1911A1...butt ugly, but it rolls out the rounds...7 rounds, <2 seconds...)
-S
My Oly is anodized, tighter than hell, MOA and sweet. The machine work is gorgeous. Seen an (admittedly older) Bushy flash suppressor that was turned 5 degrees off...you could see it wobble as it was threaded on. I hear good things about their new stuff, but they used to make some right crap, and I haven't had the $$ to blow to let them redeem themselves.
Clayton,
If you are asking about configuration,
try the Maryland AR shooter's sight;
http://communities.msn.com/TheMarylandAR15ShootersSite/_whatsnew.msnw
It has a lot of good info for a beginning AR shooter.
Basically, depending on what you want to do with it,
you'll probably be happy with a 16", light barrel.
(Either M4 profile, or fluted.)
You will have to decide if you want a removable handle or not.
I prefer a real stock to a fake folder, and I like the shortest, lightest barrel possible.
(IMO muzzle brakes are too loud, and not needed on a .223)
I put an A1 stock on mine, as it is about 1" shorter than the A2 stock.
Be safe, have fun!
JP
><>
If you are asking about configuration,
try the Maryland AR shooter's sight;
http://communities.msn.com/TheMarylandAR15ShootersSite/_whatsnew.msnw
It has a lot of good info for a beginning AR shooter.
Basically, depending on what you want to do with it,
you'll probably be happy with a 16", light barrel.
(Either M4 profile, or fluted.)
You will have to decide if you want a removable handle or not.
I prefer a real stock to a fake folder, and I like the shortest, lightest barrel possible.
(IMO muzzle brakes are too loud, and not needed on a .223)
I put an A1 stock on mine, as it is about 1" shorter than the A2 stock.
Be safe, have fun!
JP
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