Bear Creek or other Budget ARs

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  • YoungMilsurpGuy

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    Nov 18, 2013
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    Crown Point
    Now I am an AK guy, I have been since I graduated high school, but the drying up of foreign imports and especially better quality 5.45 rifles and 5.45 surplus has sort of lead me to look into the AR

    https://www.classicfirearms.com/ar-15-for-sale-m4-flat-top-bear-creek-ar15

    Now is this carbine good to go? Anything worth getting for $500 or are those pretty much garbage rifles?

    I see M&P Sport IIs floating around for $500 and I remember when the sport I could not be found under $750-800. Are the Sport IIs decent rifles?

    And is there any cheap (under $600) 20 inch AR, preferably with a thin profile barrel

    In my thinking, I don't want to do anything special with this gun, just mount a $100 1-4x scope on it, load it with wolf gold, and maybe shoot some matches or take a class with it and just to have in case something happens to have a standard AR pattern 556 chambered gun
     

    wildcatdd

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    Sep 10, 2017
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    Noblesville
    I seem to remember reading something that Bear Creek had an issue a while back with their machinery, but are starting to rebound from the problems. I will say be careful about buying from Classic - my CC info was stolen after making a purchase from them. Received a letter in the mail from them yesterday explaining they had a breech on their servers.
     

    seedubs1

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    Jan 17, 2013
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    IMHO, no reason to buy bottom of the barrel garbage right now. It's buyers market. Top of the line guns are just marginally more expensive than junkers. Eat some ramen :):

    For $700 you can get a Colt 6920 with a Centuiron rail right now. Completely understand if you truly can't afford it, a cheap rifle is better than no rifle. But if you can swing it, that's an extra $200 VERY well spent.

    Lots on here hate on Colt. But Colt is still the .mil gold standard and still supplying to the .gov. Some people just can't handle a new gun with scratches, machine marks, etc..... and some Colts LOOK like they were put together by toddlers. Colt doesn't care about cosmetics on 6920s. They're war machines. They ****ing run. The quality is where it needs to be for a tool. If you want a pretty Barbie gun, look elsewhere.

    https://www.gunsmidwest.com/colt-le6920-r-trooper-5-56-16-30-blk
    Colt LE6920 223/5.56 30+1 Rifle - LE6920-R | CenterfireGuns
     

    warriorbob

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    Feb 6, 2011
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    Buyers market. I like PSA for a budget gun. Their freedom uppers paired with their premium bcg have been pretty impressive for a sub 500 gun. The S&W sport and sport II have been well reviewed and are highly recommended, although I have no personal experience with them. Check the classifieds there have been many great deal pop up on them. Also, check PSAs daily deals for great deals on complete uppers with lower kit. Get an aero lower receiver and your g2g. Assembling lowers isn't that hard.
     

    seedubs1

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    No sense buying the OEM models now. The 6920-r has a centurion rail and all the furniture. They're going for about $700 right now. Thats only $80ish more than you can find an OEM model right now.

    You can lead a horse to.......
     

    Vigilant

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    Jul 12, 2008
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    Plainfield
    No sense buying the OEM models now. The 6920-r has a centurion rail and all the furniture. They're going for about $700 right now. Thats only $80ish more than you can find an OEM model right now.
    True, I hadn't seen those yet. But the original sentiment is the same, some people are gonna spend the little extra, but most are gonna go "as good as", cuz the interwebz sez! The extra $1-200 isn't even the problem, it's the have anything now vs. having the discipline to wait a little longer for better.
     

    seedubs1

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    Yup, right now, it's only $100-200 extra to upgrade from a bottom of the barrel AR to a Colt 6920. That's money well spent.

    And in the AR game, it's pennies. It's a fraction of what you're going to spend on ammo, mags, training, optics, accessories, etc...

    True, I hadn't seen those yet. But the original sentiment is the same, some people are gonna spend the little extra, but most are gonna go "as good as", cuz the interwebz sez! The extra $1-200 isn't even the problem, it's the have anything now vs. having the discipline to wait a little longer for better.
     

    Bapak2ja

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    Dec 17, 2009
    4,580
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    Fort Wayne
    Mohawk Slim posted this yesterday.

    If anyone's asking you about buying an AR right now tell them to hold off for a few weeks. We're going to see Black Friday deals like we haven't seen in 20 years. ARs (the "entry level" ones we're talking about here) will be $349 shipped. Maybe even less. From Wednesday night at 9 through midnight on Cyber Monday they'll be giving away all the Hillary-extravaganza ARs, magazines and accessories.

    At present, people shouldn't be paying over $500 for one including taxes and fees.

    Please, please, PLEEEEAAAASE encourage all buddies/friends to still spend the $1000 for their first AR. $500 on the rifle and the other $500 and ammo and training. We don't need a community of gun owners. We need a community of shooters!

    Source:
    https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/long-guns/416030-best-low-budget-factory-built-off-shelf-ar-15-a-15.html#post7235118, post #141

    If you are serious about an entry-level AR, wait for Black Friday.
     
    Last edited:

    YoungMilsurpGuy

    Sharpshooter
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    4   0   0
    Nov 18, 2013
    436
    43
    Crown Point
    Mohawk Slim posted this yesterday.

    f anyone's asking you about buying an AR right now tell them to hold off for a few weeks. We're going to see Black Friday deals like we haven't seen in 20 years. ARs (the "entry level" ones we're talking about here) will be $349 shipped. Maybe even less. From Wednesday night at 9 through midnight on Cyber Monday they'll be giving away all the Hillary-extravaganza ARs, magazines and accessories.

    At present, people shouldn't be paying over $500 for one including taxes and fees.

    Please, please, PLEEEEAAAASE encourage all buddies/friends to still spend the $1000 for their first AR. $500 on the rifle and the other $500 and ammo and training. We don't need a community of gun owners. We need a community of shooters!

    Source:
    https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/long-guns/416030-best-low-budget-factory-built-off-shelf-ar-15-a-15.html#post7235118, post #141

    If you are serious about an entry-level AR, wait for Black Friday.

    Yeah seems like what Im going to do.

    Truth be told, I already have a AK set up(a good quality polish underfolder) and Im perfectly happy with it besides the optic situation and its a bit heavy. 8m3 ammo or just simple tula softpoints are pretty much superior to event the botique 5.56 rounds for shooting under 100 yards.

    Probably I should just wait and pic up a Milspec AR like a colt over black friday, put a primary arms 1-4x on it and zero it maybe take a class and put it in the safe. I just want it to work and not have to **** around with it like I see other guys with ARs. Like just take Wolf Gold and some CLP and make bang bang bang with no drama and can reliably hit a upper torso target out to the end of a zero at 200-300 yards. Also I have astigmatism so no red dots and shoot some service rifle and did alot of 3 postion small bore so I have no problem hitting things with a sling and irons, and Im not any slower really shooting with a m16a2 large apature versus a non-red dot optic

    Is there going to be any cheap and good deals on 20 inch flatop a2-a4 style gun or is it all just m4geries or free float 16" guns?
    Yup, right now, it's only $100-200 extra to upgrade from a bottom of the barrel AR to a Colt 6920. That's money well spent.

    And in the AR game, it's pennies. It's a fraction of what you're going to spend on ammo, mags, training, optics, accessories, etc...

    See having been an AK guy its different for me, I bought my AK in 2012 for like 575 and besides zeroing and occasional cleaning and liberal application of motor oil I stole from my dad it runs great. And with my gun I have a surplus $7 I bought straight from Russia from the Northern Fleet Morskaya Pehota, a $10 4 cell chest rig, 5 Steel AK mags Im into for about 40 bucks, and steel cased defensive ammo that costs less then the cheapest 5.56 brass case.

    IDK all the stuff for ARs is so expensive and people just eat it up.

    Anyone here also have any advice for cheap and simple ways to carry magazines? Anything wrong with the old vietnam bandoleers or ammo cases or is there anything similar that can be had surplus for on the cheap? Currently I have a surplus pistol belt run with ALICE suspenders, a UM84 holster, and a dump pouch/or surplus 12 shot shell pouch for hunting and shooting in the field and even a bit of 3 gun and I like the old cheap durable stuff instead
     

    seedubs1

    Master
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    Jan 17, 2013
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    Doesn't have to bee too expensive.

    1) Colt 6920-R - $700
    2) 10x Lancer mags - $110
    3) 1k Rounds Federal Independence Ammo - $240 a case from Natchez after rebate right now
    4) Get whatever optic and mount suits you

    You're talking about $1500 by the time you're all said and done with a decent optic and mount. And that includes ammo.

    If you want an actual decent 20" AR, you're going to pay a bit more since they're not produced in as high of quantity as your standard run of the mill 16"er. Colt, FN, Fulton Armory, etc... make good ones. Or build your own. You're talking $900+ to get a good one. There's also a very sexy looking 20" Colt A4 in the classifieds right now.....(not mine). I'd buy it if I had the funds right now.

    Yeah seems like what Im going to do.

    Truth be told, I already have a AK set up(a good quality polish underfolder) and Im perfectly happy with it besides the optic situation and its a bit heavy. 8m3 ammo or just simple tula softpoints are pretty much superior to event the botique 5.56 rounds for shooting under 100 yards.

    Probably I should just wait and pic up a Milspec AR like a colt over black friday, put a primary arms 1-4x on it and zero it maybe take a class and put it in the safe. I just want it to work and not have to **** around with it like I see other guys with ARs. Like just take Wolf Gold and some CLP and make bang bang bang with no drama and can reliably hit a upper torso target out to the end of a zero at 200-300 yards. Also I have astigmatism so no red dots and shoot some service rifle and did alot of 3 postion small bore so I have no problem hitting things with a sling and irons, and Im not any slower really shooting with a m16a2 large apature versus a non-red dot optic

    Is there going to be any cheap and good deals on 20 inch flatop a2-a4 style gun or is it all just m4geries or free float 16" guns?


    See having been an AK guy its different for me, I bought my AK in 2012 for like 575 and besides zeroing and occasional cleaning and liberal application of motor oil I stole from my dad it runs great. And with my gun I have a surplus $7 I bought straight from Russia from the Northern Fleet Morskaya Pehota, a $10 4 cell chest rig, 5 Steel AK mags Im into for about 40 bucks, and steel cased defensive ammo that costs less then the cheapest 5.56 brass case.

    IDK all the stuff for ARs is so expensive and people just eat it up.

    Anyone here also have any advice for cheap and simple ways to carry magazines? Anything wrong with the old vietnam bandoleers or ammo cases or is there anything similar that can be had surplus for on the cheap? Currently I have a surplus pistol belt run with ALICE suspenders, a UM84 holster, and a dump pouch/or surplus 12 shot shell pouch for hunting and shooting in the field and even a bit of 3 gun and I like the old cheap durable stuff instead
     

    YoungMilsurpGuy

    Sharpshooter
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    4   0   0
    Nov 18, 2013
    436
    43
    Crown Point
    So I know that the COLT LE 6920s are goign for cheap but personally I don't care for the government barrel profile(im not going to be mounting a grenade launcher), so I saw they ahve pencil barrel colt AR6720s.

    Is there anything wrong with those pencil barrels or do they shoot any different then the regular Colt M4geries besides having groups open up a bit faster while rapid firing (which I see as not a huge issue since I will not be shooting full auto)?

    Any idea of what kind of accuracy could be expected out of the gun with decent 55 grain m193 spec ammo as that is what I would shoot.
     

    Vigilant

    Grandmaster
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    21   0   0
    Jul 12, 2008
    11,659
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    Plainfield
    6720's are excellent rifles. Accuracy will be better than you are used to with a Polish AK, we're not talking subMOA, but minute of dead at 100, 200, 300, if you do your part.
     

    YoungMilsurpGuy

    Sharpshooter
    Rating - 100%
    4   0   0
    Nov 18, 2013
    436
    43
    Crown Point
    Well Im here to report after a bunch of research, and having a excellent AK as a fallback rifle, I decided to build a rifle instead, something like a 18 inch lightweight tapering barrel, a Cav Arms GWACs polymer lower, and IDK whatever light handguards I can grab and starting out with irons then going towards either a vortex spitfire 1x or a 1-4x depending on what i could use it for.

    Eventually if I get the shekels a 14.5 pinned upper with the spitfire 1x in .300 black would be a carbine upper and the 18inch upper with the 1-4x for a rifle but IDK if I will get there and if the close range weapon cannot be better done by a Draco or m92 Npap with a folding brace
     

    seedubs1

    Master
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    24   0   0
    Jan 17, 2013
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    Sounds like you want to build almost exactly the gun I built. This one's my favorite and gets to the range more than the others. Faxon 18" gunner barrel with a taper pinned FSB and rifle length gas system, rifle buffer system, Elftmann trigger, Noveske BCG, ALG EMR handguard, and a Trijicon Accupower 1-4x. Smoothest shooter I have. Absolutely love this rifle.



    Well Im here to report after a bunch of research, and having a excellent AK as a fallback rifle, I decided to build a rifle instead, something like a 18 inch lightweight tapering barrel, a Cav Arms GWACs polymer lower, and IDK whatever light handguards I can grab and starting out with irons then going towards either a vortex spitfire 1x or a 1-4x depending on what i could use it for.

    Eventually if I get the shekels a 14.5 pinned upper with the spitfire 1x in .300 black would be a carbine upper and the 18inch upper with the 1-4x for a rifle but IDK if I will get there and if the close range weapon cannot be better done by a Draco or m92 Npap with a folding brace
     
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