AR-15 opinions
I may be in the market for an AR-15 in the near future and would like to get some opinions from you guys with actual experience with them. I'm leaning towards the Armalite right now. What I would like to know more about is quality of the top 3-4 names(Colt,Armalite,Bushy,?) How about parts availability? Ever had to deal with the factory with regard to service,warranty,etc? What does our military currently use? Are all AR-15 type rifles' parts interchangable? What about barrel length and configuration? If it's any help I'm trying to stay in the $800.00 range as I've found one(Armalite)for around that at a local dealer. Thanks for any help,ideas,suggestions,stirs,etc.[;)]Also,any suggestions as far as ammo(remfg'd,surplus,foreign,bulley weight)?
PS-I know you've probably rehashed this a hundred times and I apologize,but I really don't know that much about them and before I spend what,to me,is a small fortune,I would like to know as much as possible so as to make a more informed decision. I have looked on all their websites as well as on here. I'm looking for personal,hands-on experience with any or all of these rifles-good,bad,or otherwise.
1)"Give me Liberty or give me death!" 2)"Keep your friends close,your enemies closer." 3)"Just how big'n a boy are ya?"
PS-I know you've probably rehashed this a hundred times and I apologize,but I really don't know that much about them and before I spend what,to me,is a small fortune,I would like to know as much as possible so as to make a more informed decision. I have looked on all their websites as well as on here. I'm looking for personal,hands-on experience with any or all of these rifles-good,bad,or otherwise.
1)"Give me Liberty or give me death!" 2)"Keep your friends close,your enemies closer." 3)"Just how big'n a boy are ya?"
0
-
I own an Armalite. That said I have also owned the Bushmaster. Both are mil spec.. I prefer the Armalite. It shoots better for me. With the dollar figure you mentioned you could get a very good Armalite or Bushmaster. My 2 cents [8D]
Greg0 -
I like bushmaster...But whatever you get, buy the HBAR
It is a chrome line Heavy barrel. about 13/4 inches thick at the
chamber and tapers down to about 1 inch at the muzzle. This baby will not get hot!.....0 -
Do not get the HBAR!
They are HEAVY.
The AR is supposed to be a light attack rifle.
If you are going to carry something heavy,get an M1A or FAL.
cpermd0 -
many people swear by colt, saying they are the original. WRONG!! Armalite produced the first ar-15 rifles, colt just got the production contract. there are so many different variations of ar out there that you need to look at your requirements. i will agree that the hbar is great, but it WILL get hot. seven years in the Marine Corps has taught me that. Currently the issue rifle is a colt, with h-bar. FN just recently got the contract, so the newer ones are made by FN. in south carolina i believe. if your price range includes the armalite, and you like it, GET IT. armalite is the best ar, in my opinion. you can always get different uppers for it later, in different calibers, if you like.
SGT USMC
The greatest happiness is to see your enemy scattered before you, to see his village in ashes, and to gather to your bed his wives and daughters.-Genghis Khan 12260 -
The AR is probably the most popular, available rifle right now because of the great numbers of companies making not only the complete rifles but also offering a multitude of accessories for customization.
Point your browser to http://www.ar15.com, check out some of the forum topics there, get a fix on exactly what kind of shooting you want to do with your final choice: plinking, varmint, CMP or NRA high-power competition, etc. There are a lot of variations on what folks thing of as "the" AR-15, you'll need some exposure & time to digest what's out there. You might also want to check out http://www.odcmp.com for a link to a list of clubs in your area that offer CMP clinics & high-power rifle competitions. The CMP clinics are open to non-club members & give interested folks a chance to get to know the AR well & meet others who are involved with these fine weapons.
One manufacturer, making a wide variety of configurations available, is Fulton Armory (http://www.fulton-armory.com). Another popular manufacturer of AR's, often used as the basis for competition shooting, is Rock River Arms (http://www.rockriverarms.com). These, and others, don't include folks who make a business of building up custom rigs (http://whiteoakprecision.com, http://www.compasslake.com, to name two) so be prepared to spend some time.
It's a safe bet once you have one complete rifle, you'll soon find there's something you'll want to buy & attach that'll make it even more fun to shoot!0 -
Thanks all. This is the kind of info I was looking for. Great links,SP.
1)"Give me Liberty or give me death!" 2)"Keep your friends close,your enemies closer." 3)"Just how big'n a boy are ya?"0 -
I still like the HBAR..because if you have to shoot 1000 rounds,
the barrel wont warp, when it cools down. But who shoots that many in a row, any how...After all, we will never have a war in our Backyards?0 -
My Colt 20" HBarrel with a scope weighs around 8 Pounds. Maggie Cat you are correct. FN Manufacturing in Columbia,SC makes the Colts. Pending what you want the gun for, plinking, varmit hunting long range ect. get the barrel twist accordingly. A CAR shorty with a 16" barrel is not gonna shoot with my gun at long range. 0 -
OK so I might be werid but i easily shoot 1000 rounds each trip to the range i take a case of 223 and my AR and my (Mini14 to shoot to let the AR cool down) but still shoot the bulk 800-900 rounds out of the AR.
Personally own Colt Sporter pre HBAR have shot out one barrel and replaced it other than that only AR i have had but have not heard anything bad about Bushy or Arm.
If force ain't work'n... Your not use'n nough of it0 -
I currently own a Rock River LAR15 16" heavy barrel carbine with the fake collapsible stock, A2 sights, & mid length hand guards. It looks cool & shoots great! In the past I've owned the Bushmaster which is basically the same rifle, 16" heavy barrel w/ the full stock.
One thing I would recommend highly is getting a flat top version. For some reason I didn't get one, again, this time around. The flat top version or A3 version is the current military issue. This version will allow you to mount whatever optics you want. Also I know that Rock River includes the carrying handle, which comes with the A2 sights that clamps back onto the rifle and holds your zero. I'm not sure that Armalite includes the carrying handle sights wit their version at no extra charge. The idea behind the flat top is that it allows to keep your cheak on the rifle head down style versus the old mount the scope on top of the handle way. The flap top allows for more accurate comfortable shop/optics shooting.
Get the heavy barrel! Sorry no offense to Cpermend, but that's cr*p! The current issue gun has a heavy barrel. The AR that I had in the Army was a FN M16A2, it had a heavy barrel I will easily shoot 500rds+ at the range with my AR. A light barreled gun would melt or bend.
As far as accessorizing, the sky is the limit. On to the Armalite AR at our shop has one that looks great I swear that has to be the widest barrel I've seen. Looks like that would be a nice one!
Depending what type of shooting you will be doing, you might want to get the full size 20" barrel gun. I like the carbine 16" for its short length; I can easily break it down into 2 pieces and put it in a duffel bag. Looks less like a gun to my neighbors in my apartment complex.
Well good luck to you.
Oh once you get your AR, your going to need all the fun goodies like mag pouches and stuff, you may want to check out http://www.blackhawkindustries.com/
Regards,
FREE IRAQ0
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Comments
10 comments