AR platform choices

Used to be, a few years ago you could get a good mil spec name brand for $700-800 bucks... Bushmaster, Colt, Olympic, Armalite... even DPMS... those were the names of the 90's.
Now you have a lot of cheap $500 knock-offs, $700-900 lower-end entry models, a few good $1000-1200 middle-of-the-road rifles and then the array $1800+ designer rifles... not counting optics.

Sure, the high dollar guns will give you quality parts but IMO you're paying a premium for the name... and some of them lock you into their products with proprietary designs...

If your just now getting into the AR , I would recommend getting a basic mid-level 16" 5.56 all mill-spec in the 800-1200 range like a Colt 6920 or similar. You can probably find a good used one and I would say to buy from a private seller FTF with cash if possible... get a decent optic like a red-dot or 1-6 Low Power Variable Optic (LPVO) and don't forget a good 2 point sling and a few magazines (20 & 30 rd)... then get a case of ammo and go to the range to get familiar with it.

Do your research and don't listen to the fanbois... stay away from Chineseium, and beware of glitz, glamour and gimmicks... once you get seasoned you can upgrade to your own preferences.

K-Mo said:

All of the 9/45/7.62 nonsense are just toy guns. There are a few Tier 1 battle rifles. 5.56 is the only choice for an AR platform that is meant to be a weapon, unless you want to step up to building an AR-10. What you want is a full MilSpec rifle, that has been build by a reliable manufacturer. One of the best for the money is a BCM. Nothing wrong with a LaRue, Knights Armament, LMT, Daniel Defense, Wilson Combat, etc. SnW, Rock River, Palmettos, Spikes, etc are all budget rifles that won’t hold up well to what you describe and are certainly not something you want to stake your life on. After you have a high quality battle rifle to train with, the other guns are fun to build and play around with, and generally serve their intended purpose.

Click to expand...

I wouldn’t go as far as saying “toys” but I kind of get your point. A 9mm will kill you just as dead.

Buy the best that you can afford. Palmetto State rifles will do a fantastic job for what 99% of the population will use a rifle for. Shooting less than a thousand rounds a year and it sitting by the bed.

I have A LOT of AR’s, some with over 10k through them. None are factory, all are built with quality parts. That’s what makes an AR great, they’re like Lego.
This was built using a PSA lower that cos $50, it’s had a new firing pin and is due for a new barrel at some point. It’s been run in about 30, 2 gun matches, It’s been painted 3 times, dropped, slid around in a truck bed, had lots of different optics on it. It has never failed.

If it’s your first AR, go for a 5.56. That’s what they were designed for originally.

DesertRider said:

Used to be, a few years ago you could get a good mil spec name brand for $700-800 bucks... Bushmaster, Colt, Olympic, Armalite... even DPMS... those were the names of the 90's.
Now you have a lot of cheap $500 knock-offs, $700-900 lower-end entry models, a few good $1000-1200 middle-of-the-road rifles and then the array $1800+ designer rifles... not counting optics.

Sure, the high dollar guns will give you quality parts but IMO you're paying a premium for the name... and some of them lock you into their products with proprietary designs...

If your just now getting into the AR , I would recommend getting a basic mid-level 16" 5.56 all mill-spec in the 800-1200 range like a Colt 6920 or similar. You can probably find a good used one and I would say to buy from a private seller FTF with cash if possible... get a decent optic like a red-dot or 1-6 Low Power Variable Optic (LPVO) and don't forget a good 2 point sling and a few magazines (20 & 30 rd)... then get a case of ammo and go to the range to get familiar with it.

Do your research and don't listen to the fanbois... stay away from Chineseium, and beware of glitz, glamour and gimmicks... once you get seasoned you can upgrade to your own preferences.

Click to expand...

I’ll agree for the most part, but Didn’t Pass Mil Spec, otherwise known as DPMS, has always been junk. The Colts are tough, but don’t expect much more than “minute of man” accuracy out of them. Can you build a good rifle from budget parts? Maybe. But it’s the attention to details like protective coatings on the barrel before the front site/gas block is installed, staking all the correct nuts and bolts, and doing it correctly, barrel linings, quality BCG’s, etc that make a high quality rifle. A good builder can turn out a quality rifle for cheaper than a big name brand, and of course that’s half the fun, and an entire other rabbit hole to dive down. It’s basically gunsmithing without a lathe or mill. But when you start trying to change design parameters to things like shooting pistol cartridges and 7.62 and such, you’re stepping outside proven, reliable, and most importantly battle tested design concepts. If you want a pistol caliber carbine, get an MP5. If you want a 7.62, buy an AK47. If you want a battle rifle, get a milspec AR in 5.56, and train train train. Little Rock has one of the absolute best tactical training academies in the country. One weekend course require, I think, 2K rounds of ammo. And that’s not including pistol ammo. A couple weeks of training will put more ammo through your weapon than most guys will shoot recreationally in a lifetime.