Not an AR fan

I like my home made M16A1 clone a lot, and find it handles quickly, points well, and is very accurate...
Right now, I am loving a Saiga 5.45 and $300 cases of 2160 rounds of russian surplus ammo...It may be a "peashooter", but you have to love those long skinny steel core "peas" when they turn 90 degrees as soon as they hit something. While it seems almost everyone who buys a Saiga is in a hurry to convert it to pistol grip AK configuration, I like the sporter stock just fine.
 
I'm not an AR fanatic either but there's good reasons to have one so I do. It is a logistical dream for brass, ammo, and Mags. Plus, it's American made and its lines scream American.
 
The older rifles (Garands, M-1As and Enfields) appeal to me much more.
The tv shows ("Combat")/movies about WW2 and Korea never had ARs/M-16s in them. This limits the historical connections.

I've never owned an AR and seldom have the chance to shoot one, but the sights, precision feel of the action and lack of muzzle rise inspire much more confidence to put several bullets into a target over a very short time span.

This is 'off the wall' but a friend's S&W MP* (.22LR) in the AR style has more appeal because even with his cheap scope (from Amazon), it allows us to focus lots of rounds on a target at 50 yards or so, with about zero muzzle rise, for the price of a Coke six-pack.

A very seasoned shooter at the range has a .22 chamber insert, which allows him to practice with his AR-15 very cheaply.
As for reliability of the insert, have no idea
 
I was introduced to the platform in 1967, carried it until late 69. Bought a AR15 in 76 but didn't really get into building different styles until about ten years ago. IMHO it's the most versatile platform you can buy, pistol, sbr, cqb, to past 1kyds sub moa rifles. All this and more calibers than you can shake a stick at. This doesn't mean I'm getting rid of any of my bolt guns.:D
 
The AR has no soul.

That's my biggest beef with the weapon. There's a certain amount of charm and spirit and tradition that comes with a good wood and steel weapon like the M1 or M14, that the AR just lacks. I do appreciate the utilitarianism of the design, and have even kicked around the idea of building one, but as far as sheer pleasure of shooting, they just cannot match the more traditional rifles IMO. The AR feels like a toy, not a rifle. That's not to bag on anyone who feels differently or likes the platform, it's just my opinion. I will probably own one before long, just because, but it will probably never be a pet.

Jason
 
I had my little fling with AR's and realized that they are definitely not for me. Too much voodoo involved in owning/shooting them imo. Ymmv
 
I look at them as a Marlin 60 on steroids.

Where a 60 will do most things well out to 100 yards and not beat me up, an AR will do most things well out to 300 yards and not beat me up. I like how modular they are. They are the rifle equivalent of a good combat auto pistol to me. I also like that they're relatively cheap to shoot, even if I choose not to reload for them.

The person who said he doesn't like all the plastic, that's kind of a good point. They should make a nice blued one with nice wood furniture.
 
sorta like....

AR15wood_0642.jpg
 
I carried the M16A4 and needless to say it did what I needed, It brought me home alive. Im looking at making a clone of my old rifle but only because it has setimental value to me. I can't say I'm a huge fan of the AR platform either. I'm a roller guy and bolt action, but I owe the AR platform a little respect.

The biggest problem I have with the AR is the AR guys for these two reasons, 1. To some of them there is no other rifles and if you don't own an AR you're a communist dog, 2. Thier obsession with mil-spec parts and how if it isn't mil-spec it's garbage. Yes, they're decent parts but thier rifles will never meet that abuse and fire 5000 rounds a year on burst/automatic settings.

BUT, that's my opinion on the matter. And is worth about as much as this little space on the internet.
 
Nah, I don't like hi tech military. I have an M1 carbine with 30 round mags, thats about as hi tech as I want to get. If I could have one other semi auto center fire rifle it would be a Garand. other than that I don't want one. I had an AK years back and a Cobray M11 that cured me of such foolishness. Well I might go with an original Thompson. :D
 
I Love my AR15s but I do agree with you to a certain degree. I am not a fan of "cookie cutter" ar15s. the pistol grips feel wierd. the iron sights are irritating if you have the wrong type of stock/wrong length barrel. the handguards are uncomfortable and hard to get a decent tight grip on. however AR15s are the most customizable rifle in the world, if something doesn't fit your taste, it's easily remedied. for example all three of the issues I stated above was fixed for me when I put wood furniture on it. my other ar15 was fixed when I put a badger ordnance handguard, hogue pistol grip and a nikon prostaff scope on it. it all boiles down to taste so if I had to choose between a nice thumbhole bolt gun and a cookie cutter ar15 I'd choose the bolt, but if I wanted a gun that could easily be customized as my personal tastes change I would go with the AR15. a new gun costs you a paycheck, a new handguard costs you a jar of pennies

just my .02
 
I'm an unapologetic lover of the .223 AR-15, but I also get a lot of joy from my bolt-action .223 varminter; two distinct kinds of shooting: extreme paper target surgical-accuracy slow-fire with the bolt-action at 100-300 yds., and very accurate rapid-fire (within a 3" dia.circle) paper accuracy at 100-200 yds. with the AR.
And the ammo of course is relatively lower cost (I'm too lazy to re-load) on the current market; not much there to not like IMO.
 
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Most of the guys at my range with ARs show up with tac'ed up rifles costing $3k+ and can't hit squat at any range or from any position. I think they look silly doing that, and I don't want to be mistaken for one of them.
 
Not an AR fan
Am I the only gun guy that's not a fan of AR style rifles? I don't think they're bad, and I've shot them for work and stuff, and I'm a passable marksman with one, but I just never got into them as much as most seem too. Anyone else on the same page?
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I kinda like them, don't mind shooting them; but I feel no uncontrollable urge to run out and drop the kind of change they're getting for them now. The next .223 I buy will be a bolt action.
 
An AR is not on my wish list and never has been. I have shot them and don't have anything bad to say against them, I just like a good bolt action rifle better.
 
I was on the same page until I shot my friend's 7.62X39 AR-15. That is one awesome rifle. The .223 doesn't really blow my skirt up, and the AR-10, as a rule, is too heavy.
 
I LOVE MINE and it loves me back.

No soul :eek: Last time I looked not a single firearm in my safe had a soul.

My M16 served me well and took anything I threw at it and kept on going. It bounced around on a D7 for 36 straight hours of diggin Tank fighting positions at NTC in July. It got ran over by a HMMWV and nothing happened to it.
 
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