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NJR--Looking to Purchase an AR

10K views 83 replies 29 participants last post by  Uncle Sams Misguided Child 
#1 ·
OK, ok... no sexist comments about my being a female and wanting an AR. And I will go right ahead and admit that I really know very little, at this point, about brands, etc. I currently have a SubCompact XD 9mm from Springfield. My brother has an AR, but money is no object for him, so I don't even bother asking his advice. My dad has one (I have shot both... and I was in love with both) but he bought his used off of a former sheriff. I definitely need to take a class once I get it because if I'm not shooting with one of the guys, I have no clue how to work the thing myself. But... with the she >:) about to take office (still praying for a miracle, but I'm realistic, especially living in a blue state) and with my desire TO learn more about the AR and get better at using it, I want something that's decent but won't break the bank. Oh, it also doesn't hurt that Gander Mountain is having a gun sale this week to pique my interest...

Thanks!
 
#4 ·
You guys are awesome. That's the one I had my eye on!
 
#6 ·
Just bought the wife a dpms oracle, along with all the mods she wanted to go with it. But she has been shorting mine for years. Almost went with the smith but she opted for the lowered price one since we were changing a lot of stuff anyway.
 
#10 ·
i have no issues with building AR's as a hobby gun.

but no ******* way do i build a fighting rifle myself. I'm not an AR armorer. I don't spend all day every day fitting pieces and putting them through quality control.

Just my .02 on built AR's. The most common rifles to have failures at class are home built or low end AR's.

If they can't make it through class i'm sure as shit not going to stake my life on it.
 
#11 ·
My next one will be a POF or LWRC, but my go to gun is a Rock River. It's all about preferences though. Kel-tec has some neat stuff, dpms and bushmaster and all the rest will sell you anything your heart desires. It's all in what u want.
 
#12 ·
Just buy something Milspec from:

Colt
FN
Daniel Defense
Larue
LMT
Noveske
Smith and wesson (bottom of list but still acceptable)

and you'll be fine. if this is your primary/only rifle i'd avoid:

Bushmaster
DPMS
PSA
home built

Avoid slick sided sporting models.

if you have the coin my ideal rifle would include:

15" free floating quad rail
fixed irons or locking flip irons (troy is pretty much the cats meow imho)
an Aimpoint (avoid eotech)
vickers sling
Surefire P2x or P3x fury on a laure mount (although i run a haley strategic mount and like it)

Stock/fore grip/etc is whatever you like.
 
#16 ·
i'd avoid:

Bushmaster
DPMS
PSA
home built
That may be good advice in general but I trust my hobbist gunsmith builds far more than any "out of the box" factory firearms. Very, very few are hand fitted. Get the proper education, tools, and experience and you can produce a trusted firearm that is perfectly reliable, passes all the safety checks, and is built for YOU.

I'm not a big collector; I only have 40 or so; but there are probably only 8 I haven't built or significantly modified. My every day carry is a Wilson Combat Tactical Supergrade Compact. After having them re-work it twice; once for a out of spec extractor and once for a premature slide lock problem; I still modified the slide lock myself until it was 100% reliable. At least 5000 rounds later and it hasn't failed.
 
#18 ·
If Armalite's fit/finish on their AR15s is the same as on their AR10s, don't expect anything pretty. It's a battle ready, time hardened, tried and true tool...no fancy stuff.
To boot, Armalite is the original designer of the AR platform...AR = Armalite Rifle.

I've had a pre-ban Colt 6601 (Match HBAR) forever...never had an issue.
I now have an AR10...lifetime warranty.

The only other AR MFG I would consider is Rock River Arms.

Good luck deciding which one. ;)
 
#20 ·
another vote for S&W. I like mine. was affordable hasn't failed to fire yet.

BTW to get used to it, just spend a bit more time with your family members that have them. you will get it. they aren't hard to learn. they teach kids in the military who have never held a gun how to fire them strip them down and clean them in a matter of a few hours.

no worries about being female and wanting one. my G/F got one before I did LOL
 
#22 ·
No sir I didn't. I've heard their torture test was pretty impressive though.
 
#27 ·
OK, ok... no sexist comments about my being a female and wanting an AR.
Thanks!
Well, you live in Chicagoland, you probably need one more than most of us.

My advice would be to hop on budsgunshop site, and look at the rifles in your preferred price range, you can get them shipped to your local ffl for fairly cheap especially if you use one of their preferred vendors, and in my experience they still come in under what your local shop would charge. Find what is in your preferred cost area and start researching models. As others have stated Larue Tactical, LMT and Noveske would be ideal, but they are cost prohibitive to most people..... Now if your life will depend on this weapon day in and day out, by all means, spend the money, and don't forget quality optics are just as important as the quality of the weapon.

Now, if you are looking at something to tinker around with and familiarize yourself with the ins and outs of this particular weapon I would go with CORE-15, they are made in Ocala, Fl, are milspec plus and have a lifetime warranty. They start around $600 and go up depending on the variation. I personally do not own one, however I have shot three different versions and I would put fit and finish above the DPMS and Bushmaster I have.
 
#30 ·
Asking what type of AR is like asking Ford or Chevy at a redneck bar. Most people have a pretty strong opinion, whether it is based on any actual firsthand knowledge or not, that is a different issue.

Most of the current milspec ones are pretty good. If this is your first one then building it is kind of a waste of time.
 
#31 ·
There isn't a bad AR on the market that I'm aware of and one of the best entry level units is the DPMS. Academy is selling a bare bones DPMS right now for $499. Great way to get your "foot in the door" and add your own style of sights, etc. Also allows you to pay for upgrades as you need and want without spending $1k out the door for stuff you don't want/need.
 
#35 ·
OK, ok... no sexist comments about my being a female and wanting an AR.
Thanks!
Well, you live in Chicagoland, you probably need one more than most of us.

My advice would be to hop on budsgunshop site, and look at the rifles in your preferred price range, you can get them shipped to your local ffl for fairly cheap especially if you use one of their preferred vendors, and in my experience they still come in under what your local shop would charge. Find what is in your preferred cost area and start researching models. As others have stated Larue Tactical, LMT and Noveske would be ideal, but they are cost prohibitive to most people..... Now if your life will depend on this weapon day in and day out, by all means, spend the money, and don't forget quality optics are just as important as the quality of the weapon.

Now, if you are looking at something to tinker around with and familiarize yourself with the ins and outs of this particular weapon I would go with CORE-15, they are made in Ocala, Fl, are milspec plus and have a lifetime warranty. They start around $600 and go up depending on the variation. I personally do not own one, however I have shot three different versions and I would put fit and finish above the DPMS and Bushmaster I have.
Hey, now. I'm not dumb enough to live IN the city. I'm safely tucked away about 45-60 minutes south and west of the city, quite literally surrounded by cornfields. My alarm clock on the weekend this time of year is the sound of rifles duck and/or deer hunting. If it wasn't a damn blue state and flatter than shit (ok, shit's not really flat...), it wouldn't be a half bad place to live.
 
#36 · (Edited)
Hey, now. I'm not dumb enough to live IN the city. I'm safely tucked away about 45-60 minutes south and west of the city, quite literally surrounded by cornfields. My alarm clock on the weekend this time of year is the sound of rifles duck and/or deer hunting. If it wasn't a damn blue state and flatter than shit (ok, shit's not really flat...), it wouldn't be a half bad place to live.
If you don't mind me asking, what the heck are all of those strips of land and water at Lake Renwick Preserve and south of there? Left over from surface mining? Purpose built for wildlife preserves? An elaborate trap to attract RubiCajun or other ********* to the area?

 
#37 ·
I have no idea where that is.
 
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