How did you decide on AR purchase

R

Ray HP

New member
I didn't know if I should post this in the general discussion forum or this one. I decided to post it here because it deals specifically with rifles.

I promised my son that I would buy an AR-15, if he got good grades in school. The rifle is for him to use in service rifle high power competition. He accomplished what I required, so I owe him a rifle.

I started studying up on AR's, since he and I know very little about them. I read a lot of post on TFL, AR15.com and posted several questions. The feed back was very helpful.
Thanks guys. I also checked the manufactures web sites and catalogs.

The next step was to go AR shopping at gun shops and gun shows.

This leads me to the purpose for this post. My question is: when you bought your AR,
did you know which manufacture you wanted to buy before going to the retailer and purchasing it, or did you look at the different manufactures, making comparisons(touch&feel) and felt drawn to a particular brand?

I am asking this question because I was drawn to the DPMS, when we were shopping,
even though I had a preconcieved notion that Armalite was what I wanted, based on my
web searches. We looked at Armalite, Bushmaster and DPMS. I ordered a DPMS DCM Panther for $983 out the door.

I am curious to know if anybody else had this experience and did I get a good price.
 
Hey Ray, I don't think you should worry about it now. You already ordered the rifle, so anything we say to you now might ruin your good fortune. I really don't know a whole lot about the AR's as I am a M1A shooter; however, it sounds to me like you bought a nice rifle for your son and the most important part is that I think he is going to enjoy it no matter what. Heck, I wish my dad would have bought me an AR when I got good grades, I would have had numerous AR's by now!

You must not live in the PRK since you can buy your son an AR. Out here that would be illegal to let a minor possess that "assault weapon". So remember, what usually happens in the PRK (California), is a precurser to what is going to happen elsewhere. So protect that $1000 investment and join the NRA and your state organization if you haven't already.

And once again, don't worry about it. Any AR is better than no AR, especially to a well deserving scholar! Good job dad!
 
Aloha Ray,
A DPMS was my first AR, and although I have switched my prefered brand to Colt, the DPMS was excellent, and in some ways superior to the Colt. Like a Busmaster it does not have the plastic buffer and trapdoor that new Colts do...and the finish is the best of all three. Check the serial # to see if it begins with 'F' which will denote a forged lower. Older DPMS used to be cast, which is not bad, but I prefer forged. The DPMS trigger, however, was heavier and creepier than my Colts, and was in definite need of some help.
I hope that you have a great time with your son. Good shooting!

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Aloha!
John
 
For Service Rifle, I built my own on a new Eagle Arms (Armalite)lower, Had a Douglas XX 1-8" tube turned, Armalite A2 float tube, Jewell Trigger.
I really prefer to build, you get exactly what you want that way.
 
i went to www.ar15.com and read a lot, posted a little.

for budget reasons i ended up going with bushmaster.

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454Casull when it absolutely Has to be destroyed.
 
"How did (I) decide on AR purchase?"

I let myself be convinced that I "needed" one for tactical reasons. I have since purchased the M1 Carbine I always wanted, and am selling my Colt.
 
I own two bushmaster lowers. One has a DPMS upper on it and the other is waiting for my budget to get a DPMS upper in DCM configuration. My other gun is a pre-ban. Unfortunately, I HATE the collapsable stock (anybody want mine?) and have put a full-sized stock on it.

My main deciding factor was cost first and then features. For the features I wanted, I saved a great deal of money with the DPMS. The Bushmaster lowers I bought in bulk before the ban and just kept two for myself. That having been said, I think both companies are excellent. I've heard that I cannot use orlite magazines, but don't have any to worry about. The DPMS offered very good customer service, as did Bushmaster, and both were very cooperative and satisfied my needs very well.

I've also dealt with Armalite. The only complaint I had about them was their parts availability. They were very slow in getting orders together. I still feel they offered the best product though.

Screw Colt. I've ordered them for customers and they are well made, but the fact that they won't take standard parts is rediculous and inexcuseable.

Olympic Arms guns are alright, but I was never satisfied with them and quickly switched to Bushmaster and DPMS.
 
You are one great Dad! Congratulations on your son's academic success. I think you made a good decision on a starter rifle for the son.

Now, the next hurdle is to realize he is going to have to burn a heckuva lot of ammo to become competitive. I hope you reload!

If you don't reload, then you need to take the money you saved on the rifle and invest in a good starter setup for reloading .223.

Good Luck,
SP
 
How did I decide? Well, after seeing "Scarface," decided I had to have an AR with the 39mm "grenade launcher" on it. That add-on didn't last long, of course, but the rifle itself was a joy to shoot. Back then, Colt was the only way to go. Then I saw a Delta HBAR at a gun show and had to have that. It's too bad I don't still have all the AR's I'd bought and sold.

Dick
Want to send a message to Bush? Sign the petition at http://www.petitiononline.com/monk/petition.html and forward the link to every gun owner you know.
 
Ray;

Even though I'm an OLD guy on this forum (chronologically), I felt I NEEDED an AR - they look neat, the day may come when we can't buy them, whatever. Like you, I read the various forums including ar15.com, looked at manufacturer web sites and checked them out at the local dealers and gun shows. I compared prices until I could quote you prices on almost all the more popular brands and various models. When it got right down to it, I came across the right gun at the right time for what I considered to be the right price - I bought it - an Olympic. I have since bought another. Although I've since seen what appear to be better deals, both of my guns shoot great and I have no qualms about my decision. They're fun to shoot and they impress those shooters who have never shot one or even seen an AR-15. I'm busy buying various accessories to make them shoot better, faster, straighter, quieter, longer, easier, all the little ad-ons.

I'm sure your son is "happy as a pig in mud" with his AR-15. Have NO second thoughts about your decision - neither the brand nor the price. It's like anything else - if you sit around and study it long enough, you can Monday morning quarterback yourself just as easily as someone else can do it for you. You made the best decision you could, based on the information available to you at the time. You got a DPMS and it's a great gun. Make it so.

Enjoy!! Shoot up a storm. ;) :D


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If "the people" in the 1st, 4th, 9th & 10th amendments, means "the people", why do some folks think "the people" in the 2nd amendment means "the state"?
 
I have an Armalite M15(.223) and AR10(.308), the decision to purchase them was SB23 (f*** up law here in PRK). I got them both last year. how i choose Armalite,... like you, by asking friends with ARs, checking out website BBs (AR15.com), checking out manufacturers website. I just felt that Armalite was a much superior choice among everyone out there,.... seems like that i've made the right choice. I love both of them. I know that they did had some problems with availability of parts (even rifles), but they are making great effort in working hard to get them to their customers. plus, i appreciate the pro-active approach they have with their customers, specially by being active moderator on AR15.com.

but remember to each his own,... what might have work for me, might might not work for you. and also congratulations to your sons academic achievement. man, you sure is a nice father,... who knows how to encourage his son :) but, whatever your choice is, have fun with your AR, and always practice safety.

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Keep it in the X-ring, and Safe Shootin'.
 
My first choice after extensive research was a Bushmaster...specifically the Dissipator model. I picked Bushmaster from the other manf. because of outstanding cust. service, product presentation and details. Although they say their warranty is 1 year, they will stand behind their product and take care of you. I've had out of warranty issues over a year and they resolved it quickly.

I bought it a couple of years ago, before the latest AW ban (California etc.) They did during that crunch period have some quality control issues though.

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"Started out with nothing, still got most of it."
 
I've always wanted to buy an AR15 but SB23 is what finally made me do it. I chose a Bushmaster simply because there was more of them available at decent prices. I did hear about QC problems but when I finally took her out to the range, it was a happy time at the range :)
 
How did I end up with an AR

peer pressure.
the frist one was on my first trip to a gun store with some co-workers they all got one but me. and milled over through the weekend and said I really want one. and I got a bushmaster A1 Shorty

Number 2 and Number 3 /*ok so number 3 is just a lower*/ the governement of california pressured me into getting them because they said if my kids /*which are a good 10 years from being conceived*/ wanted to have AR-15 i had to get them before the end of 1999

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It ain't mah fault. did I do dat?
http://yellowman.virtualave.net/
 
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