TFB: Buying Your 1st AR-15

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  • Hohn

    Master
    Rating - 100%
    1   0   0
    Jul 5, 2012
    4,444
    63
    USA
    Step 1: Stop being poor.

    Not sure who it's being addressed to, but many of the guys I see complaining about AR prices are driving a $40,000 truck and posting to INGO on a $1000 smart phone.

    They are poor alright. Poor managers of money.
     

    Usmccookie

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 100%
    6   0   0
    Jan 28, 2017
    5,838
    113
    nwi
    But my favorite ar wasn't listed as the best available.... obviously they don't know a thing and this article is crap!
     

    JeepHammer

    SHOOTER
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Aug 2, 2018
    1,904
    83
    SW Indiana
    Sure, sure, just wanted to get our own criteria for buying first AR-15.

    What would INGO recommend people consider?

    INGO people?........ That covers a wide cross section. From novice to tinfoil hat bunches!

    I know it's WAY out of style, but READ A BOOK WRITTEN BY A PROFESSIONAL!
    You will QUICKLY find you can't buy a rock solid AR for under $1,000
    (It cost $1,000 for military grade or better parts, when you can find them)

    Barring actual research so you know what you are looking at, buy as close to a military quality firearm as possible.
    Colt, Sig, BCM, all have versions as close to military grade as possible, but it's a lot more than $299 farm store specials.
    Several have 'Consumer' grade rifles, which are no where close to military grade, and it's just a matter of time before you have problems.

    First time owners don't know how to maintain the rifle, so when you start cheap it's all down hill from there.
    You get what you pay for- *IF* you know what you are looking at. Buyer beware!
    There are a LOT of third rate rifles out there for high dollar prices, 'Tacti-Cool' attachments doesn't mean quality materials or workmanship.

    I have found VERY little wrong with BCM rifle company rifles, but getting one can be frustrating.
    Solid, accurate, reliable, no crazy claims, just a solid, nearly military grade rifle that's hard to beat.
    Military grade being the 'Timex' of ARs, takes a licking & keeps on ticking...

    No matter how 'Tacti-Cool' it looks,
    If the barrel is crap, the bolt is crap, or the trigger is crap, you aren't going to hit anything, ever...
    If you never heard of the barrel maker, Run! Run Fast!
     

    MarkC

    Master
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    2   0   0
    Mar 6, 2016
    2,082
    63
    Mooresville
    INGO people?........ That covers a wide cross section. From novice to tinfoil hat bunches!

    I know it's WAY out of style, but READ A BOOK WRITTEN BY A PROFESSIONAL!
    You will QUICKLY find you can't buy a rock solid AR for under $1,000
    (It cost $1,000 for military grade or better parts, when you can find them)

    Barring actual research so you know what you are looking at, buy as close to a military quality firearm as possible.
    Colt, Sig, BCM, all have versions as close to military grade as possible, but it's a lot more than $299 farm store specials.
    Several have 'Consumer' grade rifles, which are no where close to military grade, and it's just a matter of time before you have problems.

    First time owners don't know how to maintain the rifle, so when you start cheap it's all down hill from there.
    You get what you pay for- *IF* you know what you are looking at. Buyer beware!
    There are a LOT of third rate rifles out there for high dollar prices, 'Tacti-Cool' attachments doesn't mean quality materials or workmanship.

    I have found VERY little wrong with BCM rifle company rifles, but getting one can be frustrating.
    Solid, accurate, reliable, no crazy claims, just a solid, nearly military grade rifle that's hard to beat.
    Military grade being the 'Timex' of ARs, takes a licking & keeps on ticking...

    No matter how 'Tacti-Cool' it looks,
    If the barrel is crap, the bolt is crap, or the trigger is crap, you aren't going to hit anything, ever...
    If you never heard of the barrel maker, Run! Run Fast!

    Tinfoil hat? Who, us? :whistle:

    And why would I want to do research? That's crazy talk! The expert at the LGS told me they're all good, don't pay all that fancy money for a fancy name!

    I also heard the lifetime LTCH was going away!
     

    JeepHammer

    SHOOTER
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Aug 2, 2018
    1,904
    83
    SW Indiana
    YUP!
    A friend of mine walked into a gun store in St. Louis wanting a .38spl. or .357 revolver and they tried real hard to sell him a .500 mag.

    A guy in my reloading class a few years ago went into one of the super stores (gander mtn. Etc) and wanted a single 'O' ring press,
    They talked him into a Lee Load Master.
    He had never even seen a round loaded first hand when he went in there...
    I told him to take the press back and we would use mine until he found what he liked.

    I get a LOT of ARs with 'Issues' to fix, some work I won't take because EVERYTHING is wrong.
    When the gas leaks outnumber the rounds fired before you have to see a gunsmith, the low purchase price isn't worth it...

    If you don't know a M-4 feed ramp from a lawnmower, best consult someone that does!
     

    bwframe

    Loneranger
    Site Supporter
    Rating - 100%
    93   0   0
    Feb 11, 2008
    38,170
    113
    Btown Rural
    The only AR's I've ever bought weren't rifles at all. They were stripped lowers.

    It's worked very well for me. It certainly isn't cheap though to put together nice guns that work optimally.
     

    JeepHammer

    SHOOTER
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Aug 2, 2018
    1,904
    83
    SW Indiana
    The only AR's I've ever bought weren't rifles at all. They were stripped lowers.

    It's worked very well for me. It certainly isn't cheap though to put together nice guns that work optimally.

    No it's not!
    And if you don't know what you don't know when you start out...
    MOST of the ARs I see still haven't had the upper receiver faced off square (cocked barrel when you don't), haven't had the chamber nut fitted to the upper so feed ramps don't have a ridge,
    All too often gas blocks are leaking at the barrel (poor fitment), headspace is wrong, gas key isn't staked in place, ... that list goes on endlessly.

    About half the time wrong buffer and/or spring, and one of awful junk triggers that isn't even case hardened.
     

    Brad69

    Grandmaster
    Rating - 0%
    0   0   0
    Jul 16, 2016
    5,104
    77
    Perry county
    Not being a professional or anything I do attend several AR/Carbine classes a year two the tune of around 3,000 rounds or more in classes and probably about another 2,500 in prep and self training. This has given me the chance to witness in person the operation of many different brands of AR’s here is some notable observations.

    1. A great quality AR does not make up for a lack of training the $2500 someone’s spent does not mean crap if they cannot run it.
    This is way more common than a person would think.

    2. The majority of AR’s will not see 2,500 rounds in a lifetime. I still struggle with this “mil spec” thing. Having been issued more M16 series rifles than I can recall they ranged from shot out junk to brand new from a dizzying amount of makers.
    IMO it doesn’t have to be “mil spec” to work.

    3. IME in the real world “Franken Guns” no matter the quality of parts malfunction more than the cheap factory built one with even more catastrophe failures. That’s not saying many INGO peeps I have shot with do not do well with what they have built.

    Low end recommendations

    Ruger - They appear to work well and seem to be accurate

    S&W sport II - adequate do not seem as well made as the Ruger I think most people would not ever notice the difference

    Windham- I think they are worth more than the price well made and run well

    MID Range

    SIG M400 - I use this one works fine seems to be more accurate than most

    Colt - Well made works good and well its a Colt

    FN - Very well made some of the best government issued M16 I had were FN’s it seems to have carried over to the AR’s

    High End

    Daniel Defense - They seem to live up to the reputation

    BCM - same as above

    IME training far outweighs the rifle any good AR with a decent Optic can outperform most shooters. Buy a decent AR or build one then spend $$ on training.

    BTW
    Please don’t buy a $2500 rifle and put a $100 red dot on it. Balance between optic and rifle a cheaper rifle with a better optic will serve you well.
     
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