Help w/ AR-15 Purchase

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  • Ovechtrick

    Active Member
    Mar 7, 2011
    152
    Montgomery County
    I'm looking to purchase my first AR in the next month, but I'm very green when it comes to this system. Can anyone point me in the right direction of what I should be looking for in an AR? My budget is around $1,000. Does anyone have any recommendations for a good rifle in this price range? The rifle will be for range use only. I do not plan on entering any competitions with it. Thanks
     

    Name Taken

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 23, 2010
    11,891
    Central
    I'm looking to purchase my first AR in the next month, but I'm very green when it comes to this system. Can anyone point me in the right direction of what I should be looking for in an AR? My budget is around $1,000. Does anyone have any recommendations for a good rifle in this price range? The rifle will be for range use only. I do not plan on entering any competitions with it. Thanks

    I'm a Colt fan. Daniel Defense puts out some nice rifles. Stag's 3G seems like a nice rifle.

    Smith and Wesson MP-15's are also nice rifles from what I've seen.

    I'd personally save a few more dollars and get a Colt 6920. If nothing else it'll hold it's resale value a bit better and if a "AW Ban" comes back will probably go up in price.
     

    annihilation-time

    MOLON LABE
    Jun 14, 2010
    5,042
    Hazzard County!
    There's a lot of these threads on MDS. You can find a lot of good info by using the search function.

    I like Colt, Daniel Defense, and Spike's Tactical. Spike's is the best bang for your buck.
     

    ATTom

    Active Member
    Aug 17, 2010
    958
    Get a Colt 6920 and you will have no problems out of it. Why not get the real thing? DD is nice nut its still not a Colt.
     

    tech24

    HP rifle shooter
    Dec 15, 2011
    895
    Frederick, MD
    No offense meant but some people like to pay for a rifle not the name on the rifle. Yes they are good rifles but latest prices I've seen make me laugh. But I don't shop around much so take it FWIW
     

    ATTom

    Active Member
    Aug 17, 2010
    958
    A colt sp6920 was 1050 last oct when I bought one. When a bushmaster is 900....I think I get a little more than a name fir 150.00. How about the only tier 1 manufactured rifle available ?
     

    tech24

    HP rifle shooter
    Dec 15, 2011
    895
    Frederick, MD
    A colt sp6920 was 1050 last oct when I bought one. When a bushmaster is 900....I think I get a little more than a name fir 150.00. How about the only tier 1 manufactured rifle available ?

    thats not bad, last one I looked at was almost 1200. But that tier crap means nothing to me. You can assemble an ar with cheapest parts available that shoots 1/2 moa for thousands of rounds without a failure. But to each there own. Nice rifles but I don't need one but surely would take it for 1050 over a bushy and some others.
     

    sailskidrive

    Legalize the Constitution
    Oct 16, 2011
    5,547
    Route 27
    BCM or Spikes. Don't pay the Colt tax if you don't want to.

    Agreed. There are now A LOT of better options beyond what Colt has to offer. If you're stuck on getting a Mil Spec gun, you can buy one at nearly half of what Colt charges.

    The design package and spec is what makes it an M4, not the Colt roll mark.
     

    ATTom

    Active Member
    Aug 17, 2010
    958
    thats not bad, last one I looked at was almost 1200. But that tier crap means nothing to me. You can assemble an ar with cheapest parts available that shoots 1/2 moa for thousands of rounds without a failure. But to each there own. Nice rifles but I don't need one but surely would take it for 1050 over a bushy and some others.

    Ill call bs on that. If that was the case you would not have all the stories of bolt carriers not staked properly. And to say all barrels shoot the same is utter crap as well. Most ar's will find it tough to reach 1/2 moa accuracy. My 6920 with a 4x and hornady steel match does just under one one inch groups at 100y.
    Don't like colts...fine. but don't tell a noon that any combo of parts is fine and that there is no difference because that is incorrect.
     

    tech24

    HP rifle shooter
    Dec 15, 2011
    895
    Frederick, MD
    Ok ok geeze didn't mean to stir the pot. I have 3 ars all built with regular old parts minus trigger and wilson barrels. All shoot 1/2moa or better and never a failure. One even has a facory RRA upper. I'll agree that there are some junk parts and failures out there but its not as bad as its make out to be.

    Only failures get attention and reported, very rarely does anyone talk about how there rifle never has had an issue or shoots well. Yeah maybe saying any combo of parts is good is a little too far. And I don't have a problem with colts just the age long debate on how they are better than everything else in which I feel responsible for starting the inevidable...bad on me and I apologize for that.

    Back on topic: FWIW DOn't know how most feel about RRA but my brother just got one of the cars not sure exatly which model but it performed well on its first day out. Shot 3/4" groups with my 69gn handloads w/no failures but it hasn't been abused much yet. It shot decent with xm193 but not the best but I wasn't suprised by this

    UPDATE: it is a tactical operator with tactical carry handle but I just found out he paid 1200 for it. I thought it was like 900 so thats too much for that particular rifle IMO but it did come with ergo grip, rear sight/carry handle, and operator stock, and says chromed bolt carrier but looks more like TiN coated.
     
    Last edited:

    quad

    Another Hooligan
    Mar 31, 2011
    890
    Allegany County
    Get a Colt 6920 and you will have no problems out of it. Why not get the real thing? DD is nice nut its still not a Colt.

    You're right, its NOT a colt.....Neither is LaRue, LWRC, Les Baer ( and Daniel Defense )...BUT they seem to rank right up there or even higher than colt. :rolleyes:
     

    Mooseman

    R.I.P.- Hooligan #4
    Jan 3, 2012
    18,048
    Western Maryland
    I don't want to get into a pissing contest about ARs. The OP stated he is not interested in competitions. He does not need 1/2 MOA for plinking at rhe range. He just needs an AR that is reliable and reasonably priced.
     

    mikec

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 1, 2007
    11,453
    Off I-83
    I don't want to get into a pissing contest about ARs. The OP stated he is not interested in competitions. He does not need 1/2 MOA for plinking at rhe range. He just needs an AR that is reliable and reasonably priced.

    In that case, a S&W Sport. It would leave enough $$ for ammo. All the OP would then have to do is buy some additional mags and cleaning supplies, if he doesn't have any other .224" caliber rifles.
     

    jimbobborg

    Oddball caliber fan
    Aug 2, 2010
    17,112
    Northern Virginia
    If all you're doing is punching paper and you're not interested in super tiny groups, ANY AR will work for you. $600 will get you a DPMS or S&W. Spend the rest of the money on mags and ammo. If you want super reliability and tack driving performance, get the higher priced rifles. The extra money is for the reliability.
     

    quad

    Another Hooligan
    Mar 31, 2011
    890
    Allegany County
    ^^ This.....Or try to piece together one using the classifieds here and other sites. You can build one new within this price range pretty easily. Some good companies with great prices are BravoCompany, Palmetto State Armory, etc.
     

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