AR-15 Recommendation Sought

[w1ksz]

Looking to get an AR-15 before they get outlawed !!

Which make and model would you recommend ? Going to be used primarily for Target shooting and
Home Defense.

Thanks for your suggestions,

Richard

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[nvshooter]

I like Windham Weaponry, which was originally Bushmaster. Spike's Tactical is also a good brand. A good rifle should fall at around $650 or so. A Daniel Defense is kissing towards $2,000; too rich for my blood.

 

[billdeserthill]

I built a whole bunch of AR's & most of them with some of the cheapest parts available. I say get a cheap one, the magic of the modular design makes it easy to change parts. In fact if you are interested, you can buy the upper & lower already assembled & just slide the two pins together. Or buy it already assembled & pay the extra to let someone else clip the two halves together. I would stick with a .223 to begin-- they are really hard to goof up, other calibers can sometimes cause issues

I remember hitting steel out at 200 yards while shooting a friend's AR-15 for the first time with standard sights-- I needed a scope on my Mini-14 to do that

This isn't a bad deal

https://www.sportsmansguide.com/product/index/radical-firearms-rf-15-socom-semi-automatic-556-nato-223-rem-16-barrel-301-rounds?a=2253051

 

[w1ksz]

Where do you find those $650 rifles ?? I can't seem to find any, most are twice that price.

rs

 

[nvshooter]

8 Cheapest AR-15 Rifles for $500. Prices Start at $350! - 2024 -

Buy the best $500 AR-15s for sale in 2023. Get a cheap AR-15 that punches well above its weight from Radical, ATI, Ruger and more.

www.usa-gun-shop.com

The above link takes you to a very long page. Be ready to scroll and scroll and scroll...

I like the Windham SRC (sight-ready carbine). The gas block is a Picatinny rail for easy attachment of a flip-up sight, or just leave no sight on it so it doesn't bugger-up the view through your scope or red-dot...

 

[1971Chevelle]

My local gun shop has some good deals online. You will need to pick it up at their shop, but they have the best customer service of any gun shop I have ever been to. If you are looking for your first AR-15, you can't go wrong with a Diamondback. My first one is that brand and it is a solid rifle. You can also look at S&W, POF, Sig Sauer, Springfield, etc.

American Guns & Ammo | rifles > semi-automatic-rifles

rifles > semi-automatic-rifles - American Guns & Ammo - America's largest online firearms and accessories mall.

shop.americangunsandammo.com

 

[nvshooter]

Del-ton Echo 316l Optics Ready - For Sale - New :: Guns.com

The Del-Ton 316H is a semi-automatic AR-15 rifle chambered in 5.56x45mm (5.56 NATO). It features a manganese phosphated chrome moly vanadium heavy contour 16 barrel with threaded muzzle and standard A2 flash finder mil-spec phosphated 8620 steel carrier assembly Carpenter 158 bolt chrome lined...

www.guns.com

This item is in-stock.

 

[billdeserthill]

Where do you find those $650 rifles ?? I can't seem to find any, most are twice that price.

rs

WikiArms Newsletter

https://www.wikiarms.com/?utm_source=Wikiarms+Newsletter&utm_campaign=866448c6e6-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_4_15_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_7b8e71b25c-866448c6e6-339077525

 

[billdeserthill]

Here's a cheap AR $440

BattleHawk Armory | Best Shooting & Hunting Gear

battlehawkarmory.com

Its all ready for a slide-on stabilizer but it's not a sin to leave it as is--handles nicer in close quarters without a stock

 

[AMproducts]

I'm going to say two things that are going to leave everyone saying wtf...

I prefer quality guns that are tested and tried.

I recommend PSA....

Wyndham has a long history of being a quality gunmaker, the Wyndham name is on a lot of the M4 Carbine TDP drawings. That said, PSA is producing large amounts of guns in a lot of different configs and most importantly delivers a lot of value.

Generally speaking, if you're a pedestrian AR user, you probably want something that looks modern ish, and cool. I would look at a gun with a free float handguard, probably MLOK, in a 16"bbl with a mid-length gas system. Nitride is ok, Cold hammer forge-Chrome Lined is great, I'd probably stay away from just parkerized, or blued. Midwest industries makes good handguards and sells them to OEMs. If you are willing to spend the coin, Aero makes pretty good guns on their custom M4E platform. I'd stick with 5.56 unless you really have a need for another cartridge. Look into an optic, If you want home defense, with some plinking, this usually means some variety of dot sight. Sig Romeo is often recommended, but I do know people who kill them. I have a few DI Optical red dots, and a few from Primary Arms. The Bushnell TRS-25 is a very good value sight, and probably beats a lot of the others I've named. Keep spare batteries for it (CR2032) You will need a riser to make the TRS-25 work, go with a .7" or 1".

I'd stay away from Piston guns.

I'm a commercial ammo manufacturer, and we use a lot of different guns for doing demos, we have a few different PSA uppers most are 10.5" or 8" (.300BLK) and one or two long barrel guns, that we put on top of Post-86 full auto lowers, screw cans onto and go shoot steel targets. These guns get a lot of rounds when we do demos. Even after firing hundreds of rounds suppressed, pull that BCG out, wipe it down with rem oil, clean the inside of the receiver with more rem oil and a rag, and put it back into service.

We had a lot of problems with a few piston guns from other manufacturers who were supposed to have this "solved" fouling up and eating bubblegum. The problem I always see with piston guns, especially running suppressed, is they tend to open too quickly, and regurgitate the contents of the barrel back into the receiver, making them run dirtier.

You can build your own AR from purchased parts, this is frequently a good way to save money, you can buy a quality lower from a local source, and then see what uppers, and parts kits are available to build the gun you want. I suggest sticking with a mid-tier lower, spikes, wyndham, Aero. Andersen lowers are really common, and often pretty cheap, but quality on them can drift a bit, they usually work, but I think the big issue people were having recently was the mag wells were a hair too loose, and if you were pushing on the magazine (like against a barricade) it could stop the bolt catch from activating when the magazine runs out. I have a few andersens, I have not had this issue but YMMV.


Anyways, not to talk your ear off too much. I don't wanna tell you what to buy, but what to look for. If you just wanna go buy something, go see what PSA has on sale, you probably won't regret it.

 

[billdeserthill]

Here's a cheap AR $440

BattleHawk Armory | Best Shooting & Hunting Gear

battlehawkarmory.com

Its all ready for a slide-on stabilizer but it's not a sin to leave it as is--handles nicer in close quarters without a stock

I'm posting one last AR-15, this is the cheapest one yet--$350

Guns and Ammo Collaboration

Bear Creek Arsenal is a manufacture of AR-15, AR-10, Uppers, Lowers, Barrels, Assemblies, and more!

www.bearcreekarsenal.com

 

[billdeserthill]

Here is another view

BC-15 | .223 Wylde Rifle | 16” Parkerized M4 Barrel | 1:8 Twist | Carbine Length Gas System | 15” MLOK | No Magazine

This Bear Creek Arsenal AR-15 16” .223 Complete Rifle features the new handguard is guaranteed to give you top performance and accuracy at a great price!

www.bearcreekarsenal.com

 

[Belevolk]

Being that your local, have you wandered into the Ace on Houghton? or Murphy's? or Second Amendment? or any of the pawn shops in town.

I personally own an Armalite AR10 (used at Murphy's). I do not see the sense in a gun I can not take a deer with legally.

I believe you get what you pay for low dollar rifles concern me. Will they work when need?

Home defense, I have an old 870 police riot gun, 12 gauge.
Did not bother with the extended mag or other nonsense.
I figure the 870 will get the attention of most of my neighborhood. After the first round.

I know a lot of folks have short barrels on the AR's and consider them good for defense. I do not I will not be on top of my game if I have to use it. So I want something that will offer a bit of coverage for me not being so accurate in that moment of crisis

 

[Whisky Tahoe]

Here's a cheap AR $440

BattleHawk Armory | Best Shooting & Hunting Gear

battlehawkarmory.com

Its all ready for a slide-on stabilizer but it's not a sin to leave it as is--handles nicer in close quarters without a stock

+1 for Radical Firearms. They have great products for the value and above all are reliable. if you filter out the reviews from people who aren't actually owners, it's mostly good feedback. I know I'm very happy with mine.
The AR pistol is an excellent way to have a SBR like experience without needed NFA stamps. You can legally replace the upper with any short barreled upper like 300 BO for example because you started with a pistol.
The key here is when registering, double check that the FFL transfer is listing the purchase as a Pistol.

gun.deals is a great source for weekly sales.

https://gun.deals/

For instance there's a 16" barreled Radical AR15 for $399 also at Battlehawk Armory.

https://gun.deals/product/radical-firearms-fr16-556soc-15rpr-car-ar-rifle-556-16-bbl-30rd-mag-42999

While you can buy all the parts and build an AR15, there's a certain comfort to buying an assembled rifle that is ready to shoot.

What would you need to upgrade to make the Radical a better shooter? Precision trigger and Target Barrel are the essential upgrades though others might dress up other parts. The milspec quality parts that come with the Radical focus on one primary goal and that is functionality however they do deliver acceptable accuracy for most.

 

[AMproducts]

In order to buy a gun that you will like, and will be useful for home defense, You are going to buy a gun, buy an optic, buy a light, probably some rail stuff, maybe a bipod, maybe a grip-pod, maybe a VFG, or maybe you'll do a pistol. Every single bit of this enterprise costs money, don't buy on price, buy on value. A $350AR, with a $30 walmart dot site, with a chinesium amazon LED flashlight might work, but I can pretty much guarantee it's not going to work as well as a marginally more expensive gun.

 

[DunRanull]

My decades of experience personal advice that I would give a friend- a pre-Windham Bushmaster, Windham, or a Colt. There are likely others just as good but my personal experience with these has been great. That said, I'm a Prancing Pony guy and my money has been put where my mouth is...
YMMV!

 

[CAMPMEAT]

I've had a Rock River for years. I have a suppressor on it only.

 

[nvshooter]

The AR pistol is an excellent way to have a SBR-like experience without needed NFA stamps. . .

The stock is by KAK Industries; is beveled on both sides for righty or lefty shooters. 11.5-inch barrel. Nightstrike forward grip; can't be "too vertical" because a handgun cannot have a "vertical forward grip." Flip-up front sight. Removable carrying handle. I do not remember how much I paid-out to build this one...

 

[DunRanull]

The stock is by KAK Industries; is beveled on both sides for righty or lefty shooters. 11.5-inch barrel. Nightstrike forward grip; can't be "too vertical" because a handgun cannot have a "vertical forward grip." Flip-up front sight. Removable carrying handle. I do not remember how much I paid-out to build this one...

View attachment 19556

This is an AR pistol? I read somewhere recently that the BAT-men were planning to make these SBR-registerable- but in light of the Bruinen USSC decision, that may all be moot anyway.
It would be awful tempting (to me) to slap a buttstock on that puppy and just never show it around. But I am scrupulously by the law in all my gun stuff. So, until the application of Bruinen, that would remain a pipe-dream...

 

[nvshooter]

It would be awful tempting (to me) to slap a buttstock on that puppy and just never show it around. But I am scrupulously by the law in all my gun stuff. So, until the application of Bruinen, that would remain a pipe-dream...

I made sure when I built this thing that it was legal from one end to the other. I chose the "stock" of the thing because it was so much removed from the thin, "blade" type of stock. The grip under the handguard cannot be "too vertical," such that it's like the forward grip on the original Thompson M-1928A-1. I made every effort to make sure the completed gun was legal; it wasn't just thrown together without respect for what was legal and what wasn't.