What to look for in an AR-15?

[cruiserdan]

I happen to like the old SP1 Colts.

I have a 6-digit SP1 that I bought ~25 years ago. It shoots very well and it has all the cool pre-ban bits intact.

[Landpimp]

77 vintage SP1 with Colt scope slab side......old PD gun, might have never been fired(i cured that), just sat in the armory of a very small local PD dept

Originally Posted by cruiserdan

I happen to like the old SP1 Colts.

I have a 6-digit SP1 that I bought ~25 years ago. It shoots very well and it has all the cool pre-ban bits intact.

[4WD Toyota Owner Magazine]

Colt all the way. Mine is an M4 Match Target. I can shoot the eye from a fly with this thing. Totally accurate. H&K mags (Pimp would approve). No need for vertical fore grip since not full auto. No lasers and all that nifty crap. Clean and simple. Also it's blueprinted and militarized. (Milspec internals from Maryland armory).

[4WD Toyota Owner Magazine]

Pimp, love the Uzi carbine. BTW, my premiere issue (1983) of International Combat Arms shows the HK91 for $766, SL carbine for $500, and HK94A3 for $720.

[Landpimp]

UZI is fun and ya cant beat em for the price(1K-ish)......but still like my 94's better



ah the SL6 and SL7.......got em both(just got the SL7)

just wish we could have short barrel rifles in WA :(

yes my Bushmaster has all kinda crap on it.....but the Colt is pure

Originally Posted by 4WD Toyota Owner Magazine

Pimp, love the Uzi carbine. BTW, my premiere issue (1983) of International Combat Arms shows the HK91 for $766, SL carbine for $500, and HK94A3 for $720.

[antiguru]

I've got the colt version and love it. they are all pretty reliable though

[netwt12]

i built another ar yesterday.
Larue stealth 16" upper with 13.2 rail
Double Star lower

[Salvo]

I don't know if it was covered here yet or not (didn't read completely) but I would make certain that you get an AR with a chrome lined bore and chamber. This makes service life much longer and cleaning much easier. FWIW I carried a Colt in Iraq (OIF 3 and 4) with no major problems, it didn't like dust thought. I carried a bushmaster MforgeryA3 through five years of law enforcement through some bad conditions on a few occassions with zero problems. My home defense Bushy has about 7k rounds of crappy wolf ammo through it on a pretty lazy maintainence schedule and C products mags. I can remember no malfunctions but I'm sure there have been one or two.

Just my $.02

[bigndn]

Thanks for the information, Salvo. I figured chrome lined was pretty much mandantory.

No one's mentioned Olympic Arms. What's the deal with them? This is in my local area:

OLYMPIC ARMS CAR-15,
.223, synthetic adjustable
stock, flash suppressor, bayonet
lug, semi auto, fewer than
2 boxes of shells through it.
Extra magazines, $700.

I missed out on the LMT in post #8.

[phrogg4evr]

Originally Posted by bigndn

Thanks for the information, Salvo. I figured chrome lined was pretty much mandantory.

No one's mentioned Olympic Arms. What's the deal with them? This is in my local area:

OLYMPIC ARMS CAR-15,
.223, synthetic adjustable
stock, flash suppressor, bayonet
lug, semi auto, fewer than
2 boxes of shells through it.
Extra magazines, $700.

I missed out on the LMT in post #8.

I shot one of their AR-10s, pretty nice. An AR frame is an AR frame, as long as you get it set up the eay you like and it doesn't break the bank, go for it.

[cc93cruiser]

I'd look into stag arms too...

[Brock]

carried an M-4 for many years and a M-16 before that....and now have my AR setup just like my last issued weapon that treated me so well through many tough years....

As mentioned Bushmaster, Colt, RockRiver, StagArms, etc all make good ones....high quality but sometimes huge differences in price. I went with the RockRiver as I have friends in a couple govt jobs that had them and after shooting them extensively I felt they were the best for what I wanted with their options and standard features...but bushmaster was very very close.

I ended up getting a great deal on my RRA AR-15 and had it shipped to a local FFL holder down the street a couple miles.

Depending on your uses for it will impact your choices....if varmint hunting then will want a heavier barrel and not one designed to save weight. If you want for defense...then will want something smaller and maneuverable with good simple accessories. If yo uwant to build it to impress and shoot at targets with friends then the world is your oyster as there is more stuff that nobody needs to throw on these things than I have ever seen before...LOL

I personally went with flattop receiver...rear and front iron sights...aimpoint sight system with removable mount...then co-witnessed iron sights and aimpoint so if one is knocked out of alignment I can tell right away and can transition between them very easily....collapsible m-4 style stock, match trigger, Tac Sling, and a couple other things like hogue pistol grip and a different buffer spring.

good luck....

[bigndn]

Well, here's what I ended up with.....

DPMS flattop upper, detachable carry handle w/A2 rear sight, 20" chrome lined HBAR, A2 round handguards, 6 position m4 adj stock, custom EGA lower (pictured), soft case w/mag pouches, and 4 - 30 rd mags.

Might need a trigger upgrade in the future.

and I'm paying less than $1K for it.
What do you guys think?

[phrogg4evr]

Originally Posted by bigndn

Well, here's what I ended up with.....

DPMS flattop upper, detachable carry handle w/A2 rear sight, 20" chrome lined HBAR, A2 round handguards, 6 position m4 adj stock, custom EGA lower (pictured), soft case w/mag pouches, and 4 - 30 rd mags.

Might need a trigger upgrade in the future.

and I'm paying less than $1K for it.
What do you guys think?

Pretty sweet, where did you have the EGA engraved?

[nat88toy]

Ahh today’s modern assault rifles great for killing today’s super animals like the flying squirrel or the electric eel

[bigndn]

Originally Posted by phrogg4evr

Pretty sweet, where did you have the EGA engraved?

I'm not sure who's doing it for him. He also has these.

[bigndn]

Damn is this rifle fun to shoot! I've GOT to start reloading!! The optic isn't mine, but the detachable carry handle hadn't come in yet, so he let me use this. Sorry for the blurry 2nd pic.

[LoveTractor]

Oh goody. An AR thread.
I did a bunch of research on ar15.com within the last few days and this is what I have planned.

Mega stripped lower
Rock River lower parts kit
6 position stock

Rock River Arms Entry Tactical complete upper
or
Stag 2H complete upper

=$783 tops(this includes $45 FFL transfer fee)
And I'm thinkin' about spending an extra $90 on a Rock River 2-stage trigger assembly.

Magpul PMAGs

And then I start hording Wolf M193 ammo.

[Albin]

Whatever you do, don't buy a late model Colt. It will have the .172 diameter trigger and hammer pins vs. .152 (IRC) diameter standard pins. While you can find replacement parts, it's a lot harder and not worth the effort.


Buy a Bushmaster, Armalite, DPMS, Rock River etc. and you won't go wrong.

Good luck.

Al

[jonb96150]

Originally Posted by nat

I have been interested in building an AR. The lower is what you get from a FFL..........right? If I stick with a Bushmaster lower, I should be good to go? I know there is plenty of options for the upper........5.56 is what I want and of course Calif compliant

I realize this is an old post but... I don't believe Bushmaster lowers are Kali compliant. You need to get a lower that is not on the banned list. You can use Bushy for all the other pieces though.

Check out calguns.net for all you need to know to comply in Kalifornistan.

[informationjunky]

Originally Posted by cruiserdan

I happen to like the old SP1 Colts.

I have a 6-digit SP1 that I bought ~25 years ago. It shoots very well and it has all the cool pre-ban bits intact.

My SP1 is in the 13XXXX range