Coltman 77
New member
FWIW, Colt 6920's are available for $1,000 give or take.
I think Colt rifles are the standard all others are judged by.
I think Colt rifles are the standard all others are judged by.
Good AR for the $$?
- Thread starter JamesPIII
- Start date
Therealkoop
New member
A T1 proven product with a trusted name. Some of the best CS in the industry. Fast shipping times and awesome QC. Many people swear by BCM, and im not talking about your average range shooter.
If you buy from BCM you can be sure without a doubt that you have a high quality rifle. That peace of mind is worth 150$ to me.
Hell, I can shoot 150$ worth of ammo in an hour. That extra cost means nothing a month down the road.
Also, the tier thinking in AR's is not even close to being based solely on accuracy. Even low end ar's can be accurate. Its more about build process and parts quality.
I know all about BCM's quality, I use some of their parts but, take a look at PSA's website and the list of components used. They are no slouch either. There is a reason that they can't build them fast enough to keep anything in stock. http://palmettostatearmory.com/inde...6-4150-chrome-lined-mid-length-rifle-kit.html
There are better rifles out there for the same ammount of money you would be spending on a Bushmaster.
My first AR was a a Colt.. then I got a Stag Arms.. now I use a BCM.
The PSA's I have shot have been great, but I heard some not so great things about their customer service.
My first AR was a a Colt.. then I got a Stag Arms.. now I use a BCM.
The PSA's I have shot have been great, but I heard some not so great things about their customer service.
I have heard the same thing. Personally they have been great every time I have dealt with them. They do sell quality products at very good prices and at times they get backed up and quite often are out of stock on some items and that causes some people to have problems with them. I ordered parts from them over the holidays, a stripped lower to be exact, they said it would not be shipped til Jan 15th. On the 9th they called me to verify my FFL's address and I received the part on the 12th. I have no complaints with them.
Therealkoop
New member
I have heard/experienced the same. I wont elaborate but simply browsing their forum will show you the very extreme problems with their CS.
It's a lot like buying a truck in many ways, you can get a basic plain jane version which will do what you will need it to do, but you can have one that has more bells and whistles on it that may suit your needs better. You can buy a Ford 150 or Chevy Silverado (or GMC Sierra) or Dodge 1500 work truck ( I prefer American Trucks myself, no offense to any Japanese truck owners out there.) that has has the basics of interior comfort and style and it will still get the job done that you need a truck for just as well as the fanicer trucks. However you can opt for the entertainment system, back up camera, the navagation system, heated seats, dual climate control, and eletric everything. Both of these trucks will do the same job, tow the same loads, and provide the same performance one just has more tweaks to than the other does.
As it goes with trucks, it so goes with AR-15's there is a lot of brand loyalty and preference of one over another. Some guys will be perfectly happy with Double Star, Bushmaster, Olympic Arms, DPMS, Rock River Arms, and Stag Arms. All of these are good gun companies and make extremely durable weapons platforms, that said there are those who favor Colt, BCM and others and that is fine for them, they want to pay for the extra bells and whistles that these manufacturers provide and are willing to pay more to have them.
At the end of the day you have to ask yourself how much can you afford? Be honest there with yourself if you budget is only $650.00 research and buy the best rifle you can for that money. One other thing is to never let anyone tell your rifle made by one of the "lower tier" manufacturers is inferior. If what they have works great for them fantastic, however you might not need or be able to afford what they have. I would rather see someone get a good entry level AR-15 and become good with it than discouraging them and they decide not to get one. Who did we help with all of the tier 1 vs lower tier advice? No one and now we are short one person who was interested in this aspect of shooting sports. What makes a weapon inferior is the user behind the weapon, it is only as good as the user is. A Colt in the hands of an poorly trained and ingorant user is of little better use than a Daisy Red Rider Carbine, it is the person behind the weapon system that is the biggest varible in any real world application of use.
As it goes with trucks, it so goes with AR-15's there is a lot of brand loyalty and preference of one over another. Some guys will be perfectly happy with Double Star, Bushmaster, Olympic Arms, DPMS, Rock River Arms, and Stag Arms. All of these are good gun companies and make extremely durable weapons platforms, that said there are those who favor Colt, BCM and others and that is fine for them, they want to pay for the extra bells and whistles that these manufacturers provide and are willing to pay more to have them.
At the end of the day you have to ask yourself how much can you afford? Be honest there with yourself if you budget is only $650.00 research and buy the best rifle you can for that money. One other thing is to never let anyone tell your rifle made by one of the "lower tier" manufacturers is inferior. If what they have works great for them fantastic, however you might not need or be able to afford what they have. I would rather see someone get a good entry level AR-15 and become good with it than discouraging them and they decide not to get one. Who did we help with all of the tier 1 vs lower tier advice? No one and now we are short one person who was interested in this aspect of shooting sports. What makes a weapon inferior is the user behind the weapon, it is only as good as the user is. A Colt in the hands of an poorly trained and ingorant user is of little better use than a Daisy Red Rider Carbine, it is the person behind the weapon system that is the biggest varible in any real world application of use.
Father Time
New member
I'm sorry but what kind of "bells and whistle's" are you talking about?? Quality Control? Properly manufactured and tested parts?
Some people are fine buying a DPMS/Bushmaster or an Olympic and thats fine.
The kind of people that buy Colt, LMT, DD, BCM are paying for a product that is held to a higher standard. And thats all there is too it. The bells and whistles are what you add onto the gun later.
A guy spends $995 on a Colt and he's called a "gun snob". I guess he should have bought the $1150 Bushmaster?
Its kind of funny how you hear stuff like this with AR15's. But if a person gets a high dollar 1911 everyone falls all over each other to congratulate him on his purchase.
My whole point is simply this, we drive more prospective gun owners away when we engage in brand vs brand. If a person comes to this forum and only has $650.00 dollars to spend max, which maybe all they can spend due to a variety of circumstances. Those who are able to afford the higher end AR-15's I am happy for them. They have made a choice that works for them, but if someone can't afford a top of the line model we should not discourage them by saying what they can afford is not good enough.
deerslayer303
New member
[QUOTEMy whole point is simply this, we drive more prospective gun owners away when we engage in brand vs brand. If a person comes to this forum and only has $650.00 dollars to spend max, which maybe all they can spend due to a variety of circumstances. Those who are able to afford the higher end AR-15's I am happy for them. They have made a choice that works for them, but if someone can't afford a top of the line model we should not discourage them by saying what they can afford is not good enough.][/QUOTE]
Well said, agree 100%. Sound like a bunch of car salesmen, "Sir, I know you only have 10,000, but for just 5,000 more I can get you into this Luxury Model cowboy cadillac, right over here"
On another note I live 25 minutes from PSA and I will be going over there Wednesday to check out their stuff. I've never been over there.
Well said, agree 100%. Sound like a bunch of car salesmen, "Sir, I know you only have 10,000, but for just 5,000 more I can get you into this Luxury Model cowboy cadillac, right over here"
On another note I live 25 minutes from PSA and I will be going over there Wednesday to check out their stuff. I've never been over there.
Marquezj16
New member
Well stated 9mmhpfan.
I believe in getting the best bang for the buck whether its $650 or $1100. However, if paying $599 lets me shoot the same ammo then I would gladly spend less and use the left over funds for ammo.
I believe in getting the best bang for the buck whether its $650 or $1100. However, if paying $599 lets me shoot the same ammo then I would gladly spend less and use the left over funds for ammo.
karlb, I would love to hear your thoughts after you've had time to compare the Colt to the PSA models. I used Colts a good bit while on active duty but they were all well used to say the least. Not that there were any problems with them but it's also been a good while. ETS Mar '88.
I know what you mean
I have been looking for an AR 15 for some time now and the more I read the more confused I am getting. Everyone has their own favorite and it is hard to find an unbiased opinion. It seems like no matter what brand it is, the one they own is the best.
I have been torn between a Colt match target HBAR with non removable carry handle and a Bushmaster 16 inch barrel with a removable carry handle.
I have been looking for an AR 15 for some time now and the more I read the more confused I am getting. Everyone has their own favorite and it is hard to find an unbiased opinion. It seems like no matter what brand it is, the one they own is the best.
I have been torn between a Colt match target HBAR with non removable carry handle and a Bushmaster 16 inch barrel with a removable carry handle.
BPowderkeg
Moderator
i agree, 1000%
but if you want to go up to $2,000.00+ look at the LWRCI's
Therealkoop
New member
Yes, people can be quite bias. But there is specific criteria as to what brands are good and what arnt based on material quality and manufacturing process, where no room for opinion exists.
The colt is a better gun than the bushmaster, hands down. If the bushy was significantly cheaper than the colt it could warrant a purchase if the user was a casual shooter.
I find even low end ar's are still good in the accuracy department. When someone says "but my olympic shoots .25moa!" it doesnt mean much.
What companies like Smith & Wesson, Bushmaster, Double Star, DPMS, Olympic, and others tried to do buy offering the basic AR-15 platform for around $600.00 to $700.00 dollars was to provide a product to the consumer who wanted an AR-15 but could not afford to sink $1,000+ dollars in one. Judging by the number of companies producing them and at the various lower price points I would say they have been sucessful. They saw that a market existed for lower cost AR-15 weapons and that market segment was not being serviced. Lots of gun owners budgets simply do not allow for that $1,000+ purchase and all they can reasonably afford is a basic model AR-15 from one of the aforementioned companies. I am glad when I hear that a new gun owner has selected to purchase an AR-15 from whatever company is making them. Why? It is a win for the manufacturer because they were able to sell their product and make a profit. It is a win for the ammo makers because now they will be selling their ammo or reloading supplies to that new gun owner. It is a win for the gun owning community because we now have one more committed member in our midst. Most importantly it is a win for the gun owner because now they have selected a weapon which will allow them to enjoy many aspects of the shooting world and still be able to provide self defense when needed.