As I said, I'm not that enthusiastic about the two I have. I have absolutely no interest in building one.
As for the DIY guns, I see them for sale all the time. Guys will go to great lengths to list all the brand name parts they put in them and how much they spent. But I'll pass. You have no idea of the skill level the guy who built it has. Might be a gem, might be plumb dangerous. Ya never know and I won't risk it.

... but I have an SKS that I LOVE to shoot.

PS And two ARs that I made myself, mostly.

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"He was kinda funny lookin'"

Having fun, of course!

[quote=rwsmith;141773362]I agree...other than the AK-47. I have owned one but simply didn't like it. I'm 6'3" and the buttstock on an AK is simply too short. Yes...that can be changed to something else but the poor ergonomics and mediocre at best accuracy was a turn-off.

I do agree about the SKS. It's a much better rifle for most uses as is. I don't own one anymore but other than being a ChiCom weapon I don't have anything against it.

The rest of your post...spot on.

Okay, so I'm probably asking for it here, but I gotta ask regardless...

M&P15 Sport II vs Colt LE6920?

Yeah, yeah, I know... "It's a Colt!" and "It'll hold it's value better!" but keep in mind that I'm looking at Police Trade-ins here with the intent to use one as an actual defensive weapon — on a boat, no less — so I mean in terms of features/functionality/quality, not market value or collectibility.

I presume that the Armornite Finish on the M&P15 is more corrosion-resistant than whatever finish Colt uses, (I presume Colts are Parkerized or Blued) which would be a plus since it's obviously going to be exposed to moisture, but then again I don't actually know what sort of finish Colt uses or how corrosion-resistant it is. Yeah, I know that it's durable, being carried around in dessert environments by the Army, but how well does it hold up to humidity/moisture?

There's a $200 difference between the two, but I figure if it's worth it then I might as well since I'm sorta splurging anyway.

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

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Shooting Comfort is bilateral.

What's not to like?

John

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- Cogito, ergo armatus sum -

What Colt uses is a process called Martin Hardcoat. It's what the military requires and specifies. Colt gives all the same finish...whether military sales or commercial unless possibly a distributor called for something different...I have an M4 in Flat Dark Earth Cerakote which was a Davidson's special...also a LE901SE (7.62x51) in FDE...but that's not military production.

Well, had the US Army gone with the AR-10, the results might have been different.
Geoff
Who grew up on the AR-15 / M-16A1.

On a boat, 308 is more better.
Advice from Agents on the Ocean long ago.

Landlubber's tools.
Civil war Naval Captain's sleeve.... circa '80

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Have Fun/Stay Safe

A reason to own one:
I have a friend who had never fired a weapon of any type anywhere. Took him to the club range, since closed many years, there were steel targets scattered all over the hillside that were being used for practical pistol. Ranges from 75 yds to 100 none the same. These were small targets some maybe 8" by 24" some larger. I handed him the AR and explained how to use the sights. He took a couple of seconds and started shooting. He never missed any shot! All hits regardless of size or distance. It was from a bench but it was still amazing to me. This was an old billet SGW with A2 upper and 1/12 chrome GI barrel. No scope.

I'm sure that .308 is better just about everywhere, but unfortunately AR-10s cost like 3x as much as an AR-15 for reasons unknown to me, so I really cannot afford one, nor does it really matter.

If I should ever feel that 5.56 is insufficient, then I'll convert it to something more powerful like .300 BO or .450 Bushmaster Beowulf or whatever.

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Shooting Comfort is bilateral.

If you have AR’s in various calibers make sure you mark them, and the magazines too, in case someone other than you picks it up.

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If somebody other than me picks up one of my AR’s, I’m hoping it blows up in their face . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

Friend, will you please share the secret of immortality with the rest of us here on the forum? At 65, with AFIB and sleep apnea issues, I realized a while ago that my accumulation of firearms might be in other’s hands some day soon, or not. Short of parting with them all, I did what I could to avoid a disaster.

Consider this: the AR-15 is a modular system. It can be configured many ways. Therefore, you should consider how/what you are going to use it for before purchase, so as to have it configured for those particular uses.

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I've still got it made.

To those who are saying only buy Colt.

Colt doesn’t not supply AR’s to any branch of the military and has not for a long time. In 2020 FN won a five year indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contact to supply the Army with M4 and M4A1 carbines. I build my own AR’s and will run any of them against a factory, out of the box Colt anytime.

When I go, I don’t care what happens. You don’t get to write your own obituary . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

Sure you can. Here's mine.

Lihpster passed away yesterday. He was old enough to know better. His childhood was filled with bawling, drooling and incontinence, much like his adulthood. Survivors include 3 small cacti and Keith Richards. Services will be held in a van down by the river.

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The best I can with what I got

I should have said you don’t get to publish your own obituary unless you have an ironclad agreement with the newspaper and a stipulation in the will. And even then, the survivors can publish a rebuttal . . .

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Wisdom comes thru fear . . .

Given the environment you're considering, you're gonna want a hard chrome finish on the bore & chamber. You're not gonna get that with the Sport. There's also a few other details like no heat shield in the hand guard. I used to swap electrons with a guy who at the time was CO of the USAMTU. He stated that the non chrome bore treatments didn't stand up to rapid fire like hard chrome does.

The folks who make barrels/gas blocks/bolt carriers (very limited # on the last) likely don't waste time doing different exterior finishes, they're probably all mil-spec or very close to it. The anodizing on the aluminum parts is gonna be done by the manufacturer. Remember many of those makers are also selling either parts or complete rifles to the DOD or other government agencies. (But beware the low bidder!)

Given personal experience with both manufacturers, I'd go S&W, but I'd pony up the extra $ to get the M&P15 rather than the sport. Or, go Rock River.

Careful, ARs can be a slippery slope…

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I once wrote this eulogy for myself...

"Ol' whatshisface was quite the character, walking the line between that of a complete genius and a total fool, a poetic philosopher and a raving lunatic, a altruist and a misanthrope. Practically everything he ever said was one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point, in his rambling, incoherent responses, was he even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room was dumber for having listened to him. I award him no points, and may God have mercy on his soul."

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Shooting Comfort is bilateral.

I have 9 ARs… 3 of which are SBRs. Only one that was completely factory built was my Colt 6920.

Got it for the price ($900 from PSA) and being it is close to what I qualify with at work. We actually have one 6920 in rotation with the M4s. I got it when I ditched the Tavor. Aimpoint PRO, Surefire Scout light… mostly everything else is OEM Colt (ambidextrous selector is, but I put in a Norgon magazine release). It isn’t my most commonly used AR, but if I don’t want to file the paperwork to take the SBR… it’s a good option.

Most of the ARs out there will be fine for 95% of people. One of my SBRs is a PSA with a binary trigger… and that thing runs like a raped ape. I did have to send it back because the front sight block was canted so the rear sight was pushed all the way to one side, but they got it squared away. Find a manufacturer that covers their firearms, shoot it to confirm it works… if something breaks, send it back for repair and start shooting it again to confirm it works.

I may buy one of the PSA/H&R retro rifles… just because I always wanted one with the triangle handguard. But if I were getting something for another reason, like a specific purpose AR, I’d likely build a stripped lower and find an upper that meets my needs. I’ve built uppers before, but end of the day… if there is a problem with a build, it is likely going to be with the upper. Factory upper doesn’t work, send it back for repair.

Everyone should know how to assemble an AR. That will allow you to know your rifle inside and out.

Tonight, I removed the pistol buffer tubes and braces from the two AR's that I SBR'd and replaced them with carbine buffers and adjustable stocks. And, wonder of wonder, I didn't lose any springs or detents in the process.

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Only a cold warrior

+1 for Stag Arms. I have an older Stag and a new Stag with the new logo. Both have been excellent rifles.

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Find a way or make one.

What's SBR'd?

OP, get yourself a Palmetto State Armory M4 Carbine. They're affordable, well made, and PSA is a great company. I have a smattering of Colts, Bushmaster, Core-15s, and PSAs. I've had DPMSs, Spike's Tacticals, and Rock Island Armory.

In the end, a PSA will do just fine.

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GOA FL Dir. & Nat. Spokesman

NFA classification

Short Barreled Rifle

Don’t have an AR15, never really liked them but after I retired 10 years ago I built several AR.45s using CNC greasegun mag lowers, olympic arms and then cmmg bcgs and barrels. I’ve also built a dedicated AR.22. I’ve been shooting the AR.22 alot since the primer insanity. One of my favorite toys.

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Thanks for all of the feedback/suggestions!

Currently I'm most interested in some M&P15 police trade-ins I've been seeing online because they're priced at around $550 and I honestly dig police trade-ins because they have some real character as well as a bit of mystique to them from the actual duty wear on them.

However, should the sales dry up before I can get to them, then I will absolutely begin looking into some of the other budget options suggested here.

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Shooting Comfort is bilateral.

That's an OK approach too. Another way to "build" is buying a stripped lower to build up and an assembled upper. The upper is the more challenging assembly. The lower really requires no special tools at all.

Acquiring the building habit is first had if you decide to replace the trigger. Which requires nothing more than a punch to drift out the pins.

Attached is a "sort of" GAU 5 that I built up. Similar to what I carried overseas +5 decades ago. I kind of like the triangle handguard look. Aluminum two position stock and Colt pistol grip.

IMG_0657.jpg

I've got a bunch of scoped and fancier ARs. This one is pretty simple, works fine.

In case anyone asks - the shotgun is a Franchi Aspire and the revolver is a 1968 Colt Cobra.

The Colt haters show up even here in a AR thread. The S&W AR's are fine for a basic rifle. I own a 6940 (6920 with a rail), a Bushmaster XM15 and SA Saint. Only the Colt has been fired.

A 7.62x39 upper is a good way to get a 308 caliber in an AR-15

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Send lawyers, guns & money...

Who said anything about "hating" Colts? What did I miss?
Sorry but HATE is a really strong word that is just so ridiculously over-used these days.
Don't like something - you're a "hater".
Disagree with an opinion or a position - you're a "hater".
As a society we've got to dial down the hyperbole in the way we speak to one another IMO.
Sorry for the rant...

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Send lawyers, guns & money...

People talk about the expensive guns holding their value better. I did make a big profit on a Colt SP-01 that I sold but I've also made great profits on all the ARs I assembled and sold. They were all 100 percent reliable and quite accurate and I would trust my life with one and I never spent more than 500 bucks on one.

When posters put down Colts at every opportunity, I believe they are Colt haters. If you disagree that's OK. I own Colts, Smiths and others. I just get tired of seeing posters denigrate them all the time. The Colt 6920 is the bench mark for AR;s. Some brands are better and some worse. YMMV

You must either have a reading comprehension problem or a chip on your shoulder that you have to defend Colt as the only good AR.

I just re-read EVERY single post containing word COLT in this whole thread and there is not ONE comment bashing the Colt AR. NOT ONE.

There are a few comments that say other products are as good as a Colt, and a few that say for the money there are other brands that are a better value or "good enough, and there lot of comments that have something positive to say about Colt ARs.

There are no Colt haters in here - but there does seem to be one "all other AR brands" hater...

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Send lawyers, guns & money...

A 7.62×39 upper requires a matching 7.62x39 lower which is not interchangeable with an ordinary AR lower.



.308 bullets are too small in diameter for acceptable accuracy when loaded in 7.62x39 cases which are factory loaded with .311 bullets.

Actually OP I've read your post a few times and think you'd be happy enough with an already built AR platform rifle like a S&W Sport or Sport-II.

I've owned several AR brands in the past, Colt, Olympic Arms, Sig Sauer, and I currently own a Ruger AR-556 but truthfully I've enjoyed them all.

I do like the post that refers to keeping an eye out for moisture but I wound up adding stainless barrels, nickel boron BCG's and enough other unnecessary stuff over time to have dang near built a complete rifle anyway.

Just keep it oiled, have fun and go from there.

I ain't firin' no filthy commie cartridge through my all-American Alpha Romeo One-Fiver!

But seriously, 7.62x39 isn't as powerful as .308, requires more than just an upper, and .300 BO was designed to replicate the performance of 7.62x39 in a cartridge as American as mom.and apple pie.

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Shooting Comfort is bilateral.

ARs in 7.62 ChiCom caliber all have one flaw…good, reliable magazines. The magazine well is not designed for the necessary curvature of the 7.62x39 round so good magazines are critical to reliable functioning.

Well Ruger does make that SFAR in .308 and MagPul does make 20 round magazines.

As far as sharks go...a stick of dynamite in a bloody fish carcass maybe?

Any time a politician does not want you to own something. Thats the time to buy as many of that item as you can possibly afford. I do not trust any politician. 99.9 percent of them are crooks. Guys keep on buying those AR 15's.

I beg to differ.
I personally own a Bear Creek 7.62x39 upper that I mated to a standard run-of-the-mill Anderson AR-15 lower, and it has always functioned 100%. I also bought some good quality steel 7.62x39 mags specifically designed for the AR lower to go with it, so maybe that is what makes the difference?

And yes, you are correct, 7.63x39 isn't exactly a .308 caliber, but for purposes of this discussion it is close enough.

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Send lawyers, guns & money...

Just bought a PSA AR10 lower for $200 shipped, on a one day sale. Now waiting on another one day sale special to pick up an upper.
My first venture into AR10 territory.
I have a 300 BLK SBR.

It is true that 7.62x39 AK ammo isn't as powerful as standard .308 (basically the 7.62x51) ammo, but it is reasonably close.

Personally I wouldn't mind also having a .300 BO upper as well. Though it would add just one more caliber to my reloading bench. But since I found a good deal on the 7.62x39 upper, I bought one. The fact that it is a Russian (AK) cartridge isn't a deterrent for me - especially since I already have an AK too.

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Send lawyers, guns & money...

I
And if the government says you don't need a SPECIFIC type of gun, then you DEFINITELY need one!

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Send lawyers, guns & money...

If it's decent you'll be ok. Not sure about prices these days. I have found through personal experience and observation, if purchased new by the PD, their rifles, carbines, and shotguns have less rounds through them than the average privately - owned weapon. Scuffs don't count.

So you have no idea how reliable the Bushmaster and SA Saint are and how their accuracy compares with your Colt.

I don’t hate Colt firearms.

I brought a new Holy Grail SAA. Paid a lot of money for it. It was a beautiful gun gun out of the box. The nickel finish blew off of the front of the cylinder when I shot the first box of 50 cartridges. So I sent the cylinder back to be refinished. Then the nickel finish on the frame peeled off so I had to send it back.

I could not get it to shoot good groups. I even had Bob Munden shoot it. However a lot of experimentation I discovered the cylinder throats where .457”+. I sent it back to the factory and Colt refused to replace it. Instead I got a note saying the gun was “within factory specs” and I should just enjoy owning a “collectable firearm”.

So Colt AR’s are better that everyone else’s yet they can’t win any military contracts. Screw me once shame on you. Screw me twice shame on me.