[Rotn1]

Hello! Posting because I'm conflicted on getting my first AR15. I was originally planning on getting the M&P Sport 2 as it's decently cheap and seems to have good reviews, but then my friend said that S&W AR's are low quality, not sure the accuracy of his statement lol, then I got latched onto the Ruger 556 which was around $730. Which seems to be just slightly more consistent in the shooting tests I watched. There's just too much information and too many guns out there for a noobie like me to make a solid, informed decision lol. Does anyone of you have any personal experience with the guns listed or have an AR that was around the same price, but very reliable and fun to shoot? Help me out I'm, too jumbled LOL. What should I look for when AR hunting?

Sir,
It is really a “fit for purpose question”.
You already know there are lower end AR’s and that there are very high end / expensive AR’s costing many thousands. The sky is the limit.
You really want a premium weapon you just don’t want to pay for it ( just like the rest of us).
I’ve still got a DPMS gun from circa 2000 as well as several Noveske’s.
The good thing about the AR platform is its modular, so you can change out and upgrade.
After having done all the dumb stuff possible with my own collection my best advice to you is to become an expert with your pistol ( while saving up for the “Best” AR you can afford. It will save you money in the long run.,,,…If you can’t wait buy a “good” used AR.

 

[StinkDoo]

Are you sure you’re not going a little fast here buying all the guns? You know 2 guns in the span of 21 years is a little too much….. ……

😉
Enjoy the hunt, it all part of the fun. And by the way, I bought two shotguns in a couple months when I was 19. My dad was a bit envious, he borrowed one or the other quite often…

This was my view on it haha. Guns are a hobby just like everything else, I guess I just have one of those families who weren't exposed to guns very much.

 

[G29guy06]

Press checks are also a bad idea.

Never said they weren’t. But people do them plenty enough

 

[StinkDoo]

Sir,
It is really a “fit for purpose question”.
You already know there are lower end AR’s and that there are very high end / expensive AR’s costing many thousands. The sky is the limit.
You really want a premium weapon you just don’t want to pay for it ( just like the rest of us).
I’ve still got a DPMS gun from circa 2000 as well as several Noveske’s.
The good thing about the AR platform is its modular, so you can change out and upgrade.
After having done all the dumb stuff possible with my own collection my best advice to you is to become an expert with your pistol ( while saving up for the “Best” AR you can afford. It will save you money in the long run.,,,…If you can’t wait by a “good” used AR.

This is pretty solid advice. It's not that I can't afford a better AR, I'm trying to buy one that will be good for a beginner shooter. Not only that but I definitely plan to upgrade it after what I did to my G43x haha. Therefore opting for the lower budget AR is a good choice for now. I'm newer top guns so in a year or two we'll revisit this thread and see how the collection has grown LOL (I plan to buy a few more throughout 2022)

 

[Colt38SuperDude]

Ok. So for those that do press checks….?

Learn how to chamber the rifle correctly.

 

[StinkDoo]

People love the M&P sport, widely praised entry level rifle. Maybe not what you need if you’re taking several advanced classes per year racking up high round counts, or going for optimal precision from the platform at 100 yards and out. But a perfectly fine entry level range and home defense gun.

Yeah just looking for a fun range gun, something bigger "cooler" haha. It can be used for home defense too, no doubt about that.

 

[Colt38SuperDude]

Never said they weren’t. But people do them plenty enough

Stupid people do stupid stuff.

 

[MrS&W]

Press checks are also a bad idea.

Verifying the condition of your weapon is never a bad idea nor are forward assist. Forward assist are on the overwhelming number of AR15s and have been in use for decades. Your opinion is not backed by real worth facts or satistics. L.E., military, competition shooters, and the general civilian have F.A. capable ARs, and I am not seeing or hearing about a pandemic of issues.

 

[Colt38SuperDude]

Not really.

Apparently reputable AR makers disagree. When an ex-Delta Force guy puts his name on an AR that doesn’t have a forward assist…it might be worth taking some notes.

Paul Howe Tactical Carbine - Wilson Combat

Paul Howe Tactical Carbine combines the unsurpassed build quality and attention to detail of the gunsmiths and engineers at Wilson Combat

www.wilsoncombat.com

 

[5.45 Shooter]

I started with a S&W M&P but found real quick that ARs are like Tinker toys. They are easy to build & everyone likes a little something different on their gun.
So my suggestion is to build your own. Start with a lower, lower build kit & a buffer tube stock set then you are ready for the upper. Find a good forged lower just about any forged lower will work because it is mil-spec & there is only about 3 company's forging lowers to that same military spec so the lowers may have a different name on it but they are all made the same way, one is not any better than the other.
Building your own will give you many hours of fun & the ability to fix anything that may go wrong with your gun.

 

[Colt38SuperDude]

Verifying the condition of your weapon is never a bad idea nor are forward assist. Forward assist are on the overwhelming number of AR15s and have been in use for decades. Your opinion is not backed by real worth facts or satistics. L.E., military, competition shooters, and the general civilian have F.A. capable ARs, and I am not seeing or hearing about a pandemic of issues.

Forward assist was invented because of what underlying problem that plagued the M16? Oh, that’s right, wrong gunpowder was used and it mucked up the chamber.

If Stoner thought that a forward assist was needed, he would have designed one into the AR10 and AR15.

 

[MrS&W]

Sir,
It is really a “fit for purpose question”.
You already know there are lower end AR’s and that there are very high end / expensive AR’s costing many thousands. The sky is the limit.
You really want a premium weapon you just don’t want to pay for it ( just like the rest of us).
I’ve still got a DPMS gun from circa 2000 as well as several Noveske’s.
The good thing about the AR platform is its modular, so you can change out and upgrade.
After having done all the dumb stuff possible with my own collection my best advice to you is to become an expert with your pistol ( while saving up for the “Best” AR you can afford. It will save you money in the long run.,,,…If you can’t wait by a “good” used AR.

The thing is you do not need a "premium" AR to have a reliable, accurate, and functional AR. A lot of these so called "premium" ARs out source many of their parts, and then charge the end user for their branding. The lower, upper, bolt, etc on many of theses reputable ARs regardless of upcharge are milspec and perform the same. CHF Chrome lined barrels are great, but not needed and are over kill on non full auto ARs with non corrosive ammo. Nitride barrels are more than adequate, and are inexpensive to replace on the off chance that you put enough rounds through it to shoot the barrel out which would cost a small fortune at today's ammo prices.

A PSA, Ballistic Advantage, Aero Precision, etc barrel can be had for under $125-$200. If you can afford to shoot out a reputable nitride barrel, a barrel replacement is a drop in the bucket money wise.

 

[Rotn1]

The thing is you do not need a "premium" AR to have a reliable, accurate, and functional AR. A lot of these so called "premium" ARs out source many of their parts, and then charge the end user for their branding. The lower, upper, bolt, etc on many of theses reputable ARs regardless of upcharge are milspec and perform the same. CHF Chrome lined barrels are great, but not needed and are over kill on non full auto ARs with non corrosive ammo. Nitride barrels are more than adequate, and are inexpensive to replace on the off chance that you put enough rounds through it to shoot the barrel out which would cost a small fortune at today's ammo prices.

A PSA, Ballistic Advantage, Aero Precision, etc barrel can be had for under $125-$200. If you can afford to shoot out a reputable nitride barrel, a barrel replacement is a drop in the bucket money wise.

i agree with everything you posted………. But the OP, like many / most will, over time, migrate to / or lust after a premium AR even though he will never really need it.
i don’t need any of the stuff I have either…… but there it hangs.
That’s why I started with the phrase “fit for purpose”.

 

[MrS&W]

Forward assist was invented because of what underlying problem that plagued the M16? Oh, that’s right, wrong gunpowder was used and it mucked up the chamber.

If Stoner thought that a forward assist was needed, he would have designed one into the AR10 and AR15.

It is not needed, but it is useful and not an issue like you attempted to make it seem without any data to back it up. There are several millions of ARs in use ovee decades around the world with FA, and if it was an issue and a like you atempted to make it seem, it would have been removed a long time ago.

You can use your finger to push the BCG in order to push the round into battery, but FA makes it much simpler. As far as either method being a "bad idea", there are many other much more reputable and qualified manufacturers and people in the firearm community who say otherwise. I will take their word for it over a random guy with an unsupported opinion.

 

[vindibona1]

I would like to add one to the list that is rarely mentioned. The Leadstar "Grunt" AR. I was introduced to this AR by a local FFL/Dealer and picked it up in the middle of the "gun drought" of 2020 (at least in this area). When I went to see it what got my attention right away was how smooth and crisp the trigger was. 7.5 pounds with a glass-rod break. The muzzle brake is super effective and the shroud is something I hadn't seen before, going all the way over the barrel to the muzzle brake. It seems that there are a few slightly different iterations floating around as you can see from the attached photo. Cost at around $1000 MSRP. I paid $850 last year and couldn't be happier. All I can say is that it shoots better than I do. I'm not sure why mine has the minimalist stock and Magpul grip. Check out their website for the various variations.
Leadstar Grunt

 

[Kentucky fan]

I have a sport 2 I have shot the piss out of and never had a failure it is a good entry rifle

 

[MarkCO]

Verifying the condition of your weapon is never a bad idea nor are forward assist. Forward assist are on the overwhelming number of AR15s and have been in use for decades. Your opinion is not backed by real worth facts or satistics. L.E., military, competition shooters, and the general civilian have F.A. capable ARs, and I am not seeing or hearing about a pandemic of issues.

You don't have to do a press check to do that. Presence of something does not make it good. I give you Congress as example 1. Example 2, Everyone has a pimple here and there too, does not make them good. Your opinion is that my opinion is wrong. Fine. But if you would hang out with folks that run the AR at high levels, the press check and the FA are superfluous and not used. And yes, I have seen them break and jam up ARs. Even that one time I was hired by a LEA to determine why one of their officer's AR jammed by the FA. Enjoy your day, but your puffery is hollow.

 

[Colt38SuperDude]

It is not needed, but it is useful and not an issue like you attempted to make it seem without any data to back it up. There are several millions of ARs in use ovee decades around the world with FA, and if it was an issue and a like you atempted to make it seem, it would have been removed a long time ago.

You can use your finger to push the BCG in order to push the round into battery, but FA makes it much simpler. As far as either method being a "bad idea", there are many other much more reputable and qualified manufacturers and people in the firearm community who say otherwise. I will take their word for it over a random guy with an unsupported opinion.

And there were plenty of M16s being used all over the world without forward assist as well. Still are being used all over the world.

So, Paul Howe, ex-Delta Force, is a random guy over the internet? Wilson Combat isn’t a reputable manufacturer?

Okay…

 

[Mikey the Barbarian]

I would not buy an AR without the FA. That would be like having a two headed baby. Just wouldn't be right.

 

[mmcbeat]

Colt AR’s are available again. Look around and you can find one for under $1,000. That would be my suggestion.