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.