First AR-15 (budget or save up)

[DuckBeav]

My $.02 may not be worth anything, but there are some good suggestions above. I've owned high end AR's, low end and have built a plethora of them over the years. I have some experience in their usage. If one shops around, one can find a decent AR to fulfill a wide range of scenarios. I've posted my S&W M&P15OR in a few threads now and will share it again here. I picked it up for $450 and I think it was a police trade in. Didn't look to have ever been fired. There was no wear marks that I could find after getting it home and disassembling it. I of course, did upgrade some external parts to suite my fancy. This rifle will probably out last me the way I shoot and will definitely cover any situation I might find myself in. YMMV. OP, I wish you the best in your journey and hope it is a positive learning experience.

When I got it...



As it looks now...

 

[crasig]

I am currently at 4 guns and at this point the only gap in my minimalist collection seems to be an AR-15/AK/SKS or some form of rifle in intermediate caliber.

I am still unsure if I will even get one but if I do decide to get my fifth gun I am leaning heavily towards an AR-15 due to 5.56 ammo prices compared to 7.62x39. That leaves only a few unanswered questions.

1. Do I even need an AR or would it just sit in my safe? What has been your experience is it just an expensive range toy or do you feel your AR is a critical part of your collection?

2. Do I need to shell out several thousand to have a rifle that is truly ready for anything or is a more budget friendly rifle like an M&P or Ruger good enough if a break glass in case of emergency situation arises?

3. What are some things you wish someone told you before you got your first AR? What are some things a newbie should know before diving into this?

thanks in advance!

In my admittedly Jaded opinion - I'd buy an AK FIRST (7.62X39) with proper care & stewardship it can be very accurate. Where it truely shines is: Durability - It will function under adverse conditions & will never be Finicky about ammo, dirt, water.
It was designed for conscripts, & primitive operators to use, & it will gratify you with good care, & will last generations. I have owned a folding Romanian SAR-1 AK for over 20 years with never a hiccup. I have fitted it with a Ukranian military 4X scope for my old eyes. I had lengthened the sighting radius by using a U.S. made rear peep sight kit. It is very accuracte & should last forever. IF you shop around, you will find some new good quality, Polish made AKs starting about $600.
I like the caliber, & gas operated action that cancels most recoil. I never wanted an AR - still don't want one.
I also own a Romanian 7.62X54R PSL Rifle (AK version of SVD sniper) BIG FAN !
Hope that helps, C.

 

[ISCS Yoda]

Would it change things if I said this would be the ONE I have for life.

Not really. ARs are as ubiquitous in America as you can get, it's called "America's Rifle" for a reason, and if you're not going to shoot it competitively, you'll probably never wear any part of it out. Learn how to use it, how to take it apart/clean it, practice with it here and there, and you'll be good to go.

A $600 Palmetto State Armory AR will be perfect for you but there are so many quality ARs out there you'll just have fun making the decision.

My third AR was a Stag 15 and it never came out of it's case so I finally sold it back to my FFL for $500 just to get it out of the way.



Excellent company, and they had a recent sale, and the company itself is out of stock on everything!

 

[gunsnjeeps]

As a Service Rifle competitor, my first 3 AT's were a Rock River National Match A2, the old Rock River NMA2 upper on a lower with pur club logo and a Rock River build kit. ( I bought a new upper for matches at 3500 rounds for the first rifle.) Then I built a scoped flat top when CMP added 1 to 4.5 power scopes. When I started shooting 3 Gun, briefly due to get local matches. I went with a PSA upper with some lower kit on a $40 Bushmaster lower. For a newer AR shooter there isn't much difference, for me the PSA is over 1 MOA and the Rock River is under 1MOA from a sand bag. The PSA was about $400, the Rock River was over$1000. Bottom line, buy for your use. Both will hit out to 300 yards.

 

[WolvesFan]

Would it change things if I said this would be the ONE I have for life. I will not be buying a second, I am already iffy on whether or not I would buy one because I am a minimalist. All of my guns are tools and I am not a collector, I will use this as a tool not a range toy or collector item. This would be a barbarians are at the gates, break glass in case of emergency gun. Would a 600$ gun be durable enough if there is an extreme emergency like the BLM riots? I am fine with saving for Knights Armament or Geissele or Daniel Defense if they are THAT much better in terms of reliability and durability. I just do not want to buy a PSA and find out its not up to snuff if I have to put 300 rounds through one in an hour.

If a PSA/Ruger/S&W can handle that kind of scenario I am fine with it but I do not want to find out I got a rifle that is not up to snuff if I absolutely need it to be.

There are many videos on youtube of PSA being put through torture tests and they pass with very high marks, but so do a lot of AR's. Boils down to what you want to spend, really.

 

[Imissedagain]

My boy and his Marine Gunnery Sergeant buddy, both bought Colt 6920s, while the Marine was TDY, locally.
At 300 yds, with the OEM sights, the Marine only missed the target, three times, over a few years of shooting.
He got my boy to hit consistently at 200, and taught him to clean them, to almost White Glove.
Grip made in '79, for my long gone SP1. Other side is Gaboon Ebony.
Still in use.
Put a Volquartsen SSP in one of our 6920s.

If you buy anything but a Colt, you can never say to a new shooter,
"Let's take a Pony out of the stable, and shoot it."

 

[YeshuaIsa53]

Never shot one wasn't a Colt.
I love a good AK, too.

 

[TJm15.38]

There are many videos on youtube of PSA being put through torture tests and they pass with very high marks, but so do a lot of AR's. Boils down to what you want to spend, really.

Even though I recommended the Colt M4, I can certainly say good things about PSA. I put together my 20" rifle in parts; bought the lower on sale and searched for a good deal on the rifle-length upper. I installed a premium PSA nickel-boron bolt carrier group paired with a standard PSA charging handle. The only thing in it that is not PSA is the BCM PNT enhanced milspec trigger group. This rifle is super reliable with decent accuracy. With a 1 in 7" twist nitride barrel, it shoots all bullet weights well. I've put every kind of ammo through it including Russian steel-cased and it has never malfunctioned. This was a $700 rifle.

 

[jakerudy]

From everything you've said, I suggest buying a Colt 6920 M4 Carbine. It will cost you some bucks, but you won't need another AR.

https://www.sportsmans.com/shooting-gear-gun-supplies/modern-sporting-rifles/colt-6920-m4-carbine-556mm-nato-161in-matte-black-semi-automatic-modern-sporting-rifle-301-rounds/p/1663887?srsltid=AfmBOoqfG-e6YFOORCjl7gHZmoySk5getvXV8FC-JPRz_RWuzo1_plCI

After trying a few a friend / dealer talked me into one of these. Put a good scope on it and for about 20 years I've never needed another 5.56. It has served as a truck gun and is accurate and has never failed. I'm not an AR enthusiast but they are a very useful platform.

 

[stumper]

Second the concept of staying away from home built guns. There are a lot of them out there these days built from someone from receiver up. Many work fine, some dont - and there's no warranty …

 

[BB4XL]

I am currently at 4 guns and at this point the only gap in my minimalist collection seems to be an AR-15/AK/SKS or some form of rifle in intermediate caliber.

I am still unsure if I will even get one but if I do decide to get my fifth gun I am leaning heavily towards an AR-15 due to 5.56 ammo prices compared to 7.62x39. That leaves only a few unanswered questions.

1. Do I even need an AR or would it just sit in my safe? What has been your experience is it just an expensive range toy or do you feel your AR is a critical part of your collection?

2. Do I need to shell out several thousand to have a rifle that is truly ready for anything or is a more budget friendly rifle like an M&P or Ruger good enough if a break glass in case of emergency situation arises?

3. What are some things you wish someone told you before you got your first AR? What are some things a newbie should know before diving into this?

thanks in advance!

Have you shot one? Do you have somewhere to shoot it? Or is it just must have? I would not spend a lot of money on one. You are not even sure if you will like it. .223/556 is the way to go. 7.62 x39 is pricey and scarce for anything cheap. There are lots of place you can shoot it in Ohio. State ODNR ranges and a lot of clubs. I shoot at Tusco rifle club near New Philadelphia.

Just don't buy some junk one.. Then if you do not like it or do not use you can sell it and get a good part of your money back. I would stay away from building one at this point. Who knows what the next election will bring. If the Dems get their way they will go after a ban. Buy at least 10 30 round mags while they are cheap. There is a lot of info on AR.com. Good luck.

 

[Thirsty Traveler]

I have both the S&W M&P AR and the PSA AR . I changed the triggers on both, (I don't like the grind on the OEM triggers)

Having said the above, the S&W feels and shoots a little better than the PSA AR, IMO. I bough the S&W first, on a good sale with a rebate, added a drop-in handguard, grip, scope and trigger. I bought the PSA 2 years latter, (added a scope and trigger, it came with a decent handguard), to keep at my 2nd home, so I don't have to travel with it, that's why I own 2. All the firearms I own serve a purpose. I only have a few sentimental collectibles handed down from my dad and I do also own the PSA AK 47. Their AK is awesome! I've changed out all furniture and added a HS green dot, this is my fun gun! PSA does gives you good "bang" for the buck!

But I would still buy the S&W AR over the PSA. Just wait for a sale and a rebate if available.

TT

 

[wood714]

Maybe you should look at the HK MR556A1. A person on the Harley forum has around a dozen of them. Claims their the best he's ever shot.

https://www.guns.com/search?keyword=hk%20mr556a1

 

[rockquarry]

I had no experience with ARs until about ten years ago. I developed a curiosity (as opposed to an interest) and decided I wanted to learn all about them and handload for them as well. I got three new Colt ARs. I spent six months shooting factory ammo and well-developed handloads using top quality bullets. All three guns have been flawless in performance and all are quite accurate with my handloads or expensive factory match ammo. I tried about ten cheap factory/bulk ammos; all were a waste of money for someone with an interest in accuracy.

I chose Colt ARs rather than copies simply because I've had good results with Colt products. They may cost more, but hold value well and are desirable to others at resale or trade if such becomes necessary. Tired comments about prancing ponies and Colt snobbery aside, I've found these to be excellent guns despite the preaching of Internet self-professed experts. However, other ARs may work just as well, so take your pick. Except for sights/scopes on two of my Colt's, my guns remain as they came from the box. I never ran across any aftermarket accessory or modification that I wanted or that was even worth having.

The new quickly wore off the ARs for me. I seldom shoot them. For me, there is no advantage whatsoever over an accurate bolt-action rifle. I was hoping to discover the attraction so many others find in these guns. It just wasn't there.

 

[langss]

Back in the "Dark Ages" when the only thing you could buy was COLT, that's what I bought. So I have a nice collection. But like all who are afflicted with BLACK RIFLE DISEASE, I wanted more. And I've gone down that Rabbit Hole ever since. My first was just a Gun Show Upper kit. I had a book by Duncan Long, how to build, but I had no idea what I was doing. So on the side of my bed with a few punches and some masking tape, I assembled this thing, and I was sure it would kill me. So sure I took it to the range the very next day, and laying on it side on a towel covering it just to contain the blast, I fired the first round. Well 100rds later it was still going and its still going today. Although they no longer have Gun Shows where I live, I have bought quite a few Palmetto State Armory upper kits, and I have yet to be disappointed. So in a word, I would never buy an off the shelf name brand again. For everything I will ever use them for, I have spares...No worries.

 

[OutAtTheEdge]

Kind of an open-ended set of questions, but i'll give it a go....
First, do you need an AR? At the risk of brushing up against a gun-control debate, nobody actually needs one. There are plenty of ways to deal with firearm related issues that don't necessarily involve an AR-platform rifle, unless you're planning on participating in an AR-specific competition. So the real question is, do you want one? Personally, I can't imagine why anyone would want "one", when you can have several.

Next, what are you going to do with it? Are you going to hunt with it, and if so, what are you going to hunt? Will you be toting it around a lot, and in what kind of terrain? Are you going to shoot it off a bench, off sandbags or rest, or a bipod? What distances? Are you planning on deploying it as a top-tier home defense gun? Consider - realistically - what your actual needs will be, whether they are serious needs or simply wish-list needs.

Finally, bits of random advice. Before buying and bolting on every gadget and tacticool gizmo you can think of, seriously consider whether you really need it or not...unless, of course, that's the gun you're dreaming of (and most AR owners have gone down that road at least once.) Stay away from el-cheapo components, but that doesn't mean you need a $3k scope or an unobtainium bolt carrier. If you start with a modest priced base rifle, then shoot it a lot, you will eventually determine what needs changing, and that really is the best part of owning ARs; they can be easily morphed into any configuration you want.

 

[wood714]

Back in the "Dark Ages" when the only thing you could buy was COLT, that's what I bought. So I have a nice collection. But like all who are afflicted with BLACK RIFLE DISEASE, I wanted more. And I've gone down that Rabbit Hole ever since. My first was just a Gun Show Upper kit. I had a book by Duncan Long, how to build, but I had no idea what I was doing. So on the side of my bed with a few punches and some masking tape, I assembled this thing, and I was sure it would kill me. So sure I took it to the range the very next day, and laying on it side on a towel covering it just to contain the blast, I fired the first round. Well 100rds later it was still going and its still going today. Although they no longer have Gun Shows where I live, I have bought quite a few Palmetto State Armory upper kits, and I have yet to be disappointed. So in a word, I would never buy an off the shelf name brand again. For everything I will ever use them for, I have spares...No worries.

The Duncan Long book was our Youtube back in the day.

 

[mlbinkley]

I am currently at 4 guns and at this point the only gap in my minimalist collection seems to be an AR-15/AK/SKS or some form of rifle in intermediate caliber.

I am still unsure if I will even get one but if I do decide to get my fifth gun I am leaning heavily towards an AR-15 due to 5.56 ammo prices compared to 7.62x39. That leaves only a few unanswered questions.

1. Do I even need an AR or would it just sit in my safe? What has been your experience is it just an expensive range toy or do you feel your AR is a critical part of your collection?

2. Do I need to shell out several thousand to have a rifle that is truly ready for anything or is a more budget friendly rifle like an M&P or Ruger good enough if a break glass in case of emergency situation arises?

3. What are some things you wish someone told you before you got your first AR? What are some things a newbie should know before diving into this?

thanks in advance!

I favor Rock River Arms, but you don't have to go even that expensive. Buying the two halves from Palmetto State and putting them together is cheaper than buying the complete gun. I've done several for right at $400. You have to factor in whatever your local gun shop charges for transfer of the lower. Palmetto State arms work just fine. I really don't think you can go wrong with any of the current manufacturers with the exception of those that use polymer lowers and/or uppers such as ATI. These are not good.