Buying AR

K

KPS

New member
I plan on buying an AR within the next month but need help on purchasing one.I've never owned one and I'm afraid I only have experience in handguns.Are there certain brands to look out for or stay away from?Also what sort of prices should I be looking at?Any help is appreciated.

Kris
 
Look for the following AR makers:

Bushmaster
Colt
Armalite

All three of these manufacturers have been making AR15s for years and make good guns. You prob can't do wrong getting one from any of these guys. There are some other manufacturers that make good ARs, but these are the largest and the ones you'll most likely see for sale.

If you are just looking for a Plain Jane 16" or 20" AR15, you'll spend between $650 and $800. I'd say look at getting one for around $700 to $725 plus tax.

If you know you're getting an AR, start looking for and buying mags right away. A good price is around $25 per mag.

Hope this gets you started,
Gino
 
I've had a Bushmaster shorty for about 10 years and it's a great rifle. If you shop around you can find them for a good price and usually less than the other two mentioned. I like the Bushmaster because it's to US Military specs. No screws to connect the upper to the lower like the Colt. It has a chrome lined barrel and a very nice and tough finish. Good luck in shopping.
 
Bushmasters are excellent. I think you will really like the modular system of the AR. You can switch out uppers for different applications in about 10 seconds. Think carefully about what type of upper you want to start with. If you are really trying for accuracy, or are going to participate in CMP/military rifle matches, get the standard 20". If you just want to plink and have good accuracy, but not excellent, consider a shorter upper. You can them in many configurations, including:

- M4 upper (really an M4gery)
- shorty
- fluted barrel
- dissapator
 
You've got some good advice here...

The Bushmaster is probably the best of the breed right now. It has the M16 chamber and is chrome lined--the two most important attributes of a serious, working AR. It is also milspec which means getting parts will not be a problem any time soon. I love my Bushmaster shorty but it is not a target rifle by any stretch of the imagination. It is, however, the most practical choice for me and serves me well for my purposes--that is out to about 200 yards. Beyond that I question just how effective that round really is.

I have read posts from others who rave about the new Armalite. I think it is a 180B, but I'm not sure. You might want to check into it before purchasing.

p.s. I know two shooters who have relatively new Colts. They don't like them very much.
jack
 
Try ROCK RIVER ARMS.I bought a new LAR15 16in. barrel for &601.00 at last gun show.Dealer threw in scope mount.I'v fired about 500 rds. so far,no problems shoots decent groups.[no scope]
 
Simple rule is A,B,C. (Armalite, Bushmaster, and Colt. Many people add DPMS and Rock River Arms to it, the other companies are not quite as well known, but you can get good ones from them too.)

Of all the ones I own, 3 are Bushmasters. That says something right there. The others are 1 Colt, and 1 Hesse. NO problems with any of them except the Hesse's finish looks like crap...
 
I own one AR. I sat down, did my homework, and came up with the usual three suspects (Bush, Armalite and Colt), and Rock River. Rock River had quality comparable to the Big Three, and a price point under theirs.

I bough the RRA.

Mike
 
I’ll echo what Jack Carson said about the Bushmaster. The 5.56 (as opposed to .223) chamber allows you to use milspec ammo more reliably. The chrome lined chamber and bore will greatly extend the service life and help clean up. Having the milspec parts (as opposed to Colt) eases takedown and repair. I HATE the two-screw front pivot pin on my Colt. The chrome lining and the 5.56 chamber do decrease the theoretical accuracy, but difference isn’t that much and I think they are well worth the price.
Also, check out http://www.ar15.com
There are a lot of knowledgeable people there. The General Discussion Forum can get a bit crude, but the technical forums are a very good resource.
 
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