Do you TRULY want a good AR-15 or do you want crap?

[edporch]

-snip-
The 3rd is the one with the blower and Nitrous.

WOW!

 

[churchmouse]

Right. Prefer the 2nd version. Don’t really care about the blower or nitrous.

I liked that one a lot. It was stupid fast as well.

 

[Hohn]

Just when I thought a thread couldn’t get off track any more, you do this...




...AND TOTALLY REDEEM YOURSELF.

 

[Gabriel]

We had 2 other Harley's at the same time. 1 hardtail and the wife's dyna wide glide. We rode the dyna all other several states
Loved it. Out for days on end.
Now what you do is uber cool. That looks like a great time.

The dual sports great if you don't live in the midwest. The down side to them is to really get them in their element you have to travel, at least from here. The barhoppers are probably better bikes for shorter jaunts, but I don't leave my house unless I need to go to the farm store to buy feed for the animals and I doubt putting 200 pounds of bagged food on the back would be much fun.

 

[Topshot]

Also info to help new buyers. Did you know if you buy a complete factory built rifle the government charges a special tax that the gun maker passes on to you? Yep. That's one reason BCM sells uppers and lowers seperate. So if you want a complete BCM gun buy the BCM lower and The BCM upper of your choice and you will get the same quality and fit but with a lower price for your wallet.

This was probably one of the most useful comments in this thread (if it remains accurate).

In most folk's hands, the $500 rifle probably does shoot as well as the $1500 rifle.

As to "get you home", I think this is where duplicates come in. My home defense rifle has 500 rounds through it to verify function and zero. Then it sits. It is not used for training, a dedicated training rifle is. If the training rifle poos the bed, who cares, that's what it's for. Guns are consumable items.

Now, to be honest I'm a low volume shooter when it comes to the AR. I shoot *maybe* 3k rounds in a good year. Probably closer to 2k most years. I also don't shoot further than 100y. The $500 rifle, for my use and in my context and at my skill level, is functionally the same. I understand that's not the same argument as "it's the same quality" but it fills the intended roll equally well. I would rather have 3 $500 rifles than one $1500 rifle. One for real use, one for training, and one vetted duplicate for when the real use one is sitting in the property room because it did it's job.

Whatever you choose, don't forget the importance of a duplicate/back-up.

I always appreciate BBI's viewpoint.

I'm in the middle of an Aero build. Amazing fit of upper/lower-- better than my DD, actually.

I'm right now spending a lot of time thinking about where it makes sense to spend money. There are lots of things in AR world that you can spend money on without getting much (if anything) in return for the premium above generic mil-spec.

Mil spec triggers suck at pretty much everything except durability. Every penny you spend in trigger upgrades gets you nearly zero in reliability or durability. For a match rifle, that $300 trigger is surely worth considering. For a combat or duty rifle or SHTF EOTWAWKI rifle? Save the money. Or go cheap with an ALG or similar.

Buttstocks, too. Spend as much as it takes to get a well-made one. More adjustments and screws and "features" are often failure points. Maybe a basic fixed A2 isn't so bad? The new BCM looks like a winner and is only $60.

Do you really need a $300 handguard full floated and all that? Yes, if you have to have ultimate accuracy. But if you are OK with minute-of-man, probably a basic USGI arrangement will suffice. This is an easy area to save some cash.

Likewise with muzzle devices. Everyone has a favorite. But you will never beat an A2 birdcage for effectiveness-per-dollar. As a flash hider, it works. And if you *need* a brake on a 5.56 gas gun, you probably need to work on recoil management.

Where to spend money then? IMO, barrel, bolt, bcg, and gas block is the place to splurge enough to get a good one. Arguably, you need not go big dollar on the barrel. Maybe a Faxon is just as good as that $300 FNH. But there's a world of difference in reliability history between them. Maybe that's worth it.

Gas blocks seem to be an endless source of function problems. Get a good one that's installed PROPERLY and you'll not regret it.

Another place to spend money is probably opting for an A5 buffer setup. The improvement in dwell (and hence reliability) is great, and shooting smoothness is way better. Score one for a system that offers really no downside but cost. And with the BCM A5 setup, it's hardly a big-spending endeavor.

Every build I attempt in the future will have A5.

Likewise, if you this is a hell-and-back rifle, you can't pretend your Bushnell TRS-25 is as tough as an Aimpoint. And your irons better be decent ones that can be trusted absolutely. Yes, troys weigh more, but if you can't aim, you can't hit. Don't cheap on the irons.

The converse is also true. For a plinking toy, that Primary arms or Strike Eagle is just fine. Plastic MBUS are OK. No doubt, that faxon barrel will serve well.

More good food for thought.

I know nothing of ARs yet, but my planned usage would be more like BBI. However, I also know given my competition background that I'd be very frustrated if I couldn't easily get <1 MOA from the rifle at that 100-200 yard range.

 

[Ggreen]

I almost forgot this was here

 

[Tsssst]

I had planned to spend about a year buying parts for my first AR ever, and first AR build. I got pretty sucked in and bought most everything in two months.

BCM enhanced lower parts kit, BCM 6 position carbine buffer tube assembly but I'll be using a Spinta Precision flat-wound spring with it, and Mod4 medium latch charging handle.

 

[Tsssst]

Okay cuz I'm bored... It's still just pieces but here's my AR-15...

Aero Precision x15 stripped lower - $79 from Bradis in Camby, Indiana

Aero Precision assembled (not enhanced) upper $82 from Monmouth Reloading

Spinta Precision 16" stainless steel barrel $94.94

Spinta Precision flat-wound buffer spring $19.94

BCM enhanced lower parts kit $107 from grabagun

Brownell's m16 black nitride mp bolt carrier group $89

BCM mod4 charging handle $50

Seekins adjustable gas block brownell's $58

Spike's Tactical carbine length gas tube $17

Yankee Hill Machine 5343 black diamond 12.6" m-lol handguard $120 from rrarms

BCM buffer tube assembly $54.94

Hogue overmold 6 position stock $49 at Plainfield Supply or whatever their name is

JP Enterprisea flash hider... Ugly but does the best job on youtube... $59 i think

 

[Tsssst]

I had always planned in taking the BCI Defense build class for this gun because I switch between living in Camby/Indy and South Bend so I basically think of BCI as a local company to South Bend. I found out you can only take their class with their parts/guns. A little bummed. I don't have much mechanical, building experience with anything.

One of my instagram buddies has built about 40 ARs and swears by Spinta barrels so that's why I went with them. I got lucky with that sale price. Usually like $150 for that one ai think.

 

[Ggreen]

You don't need to be very mechanical to put an AR together. Read and watch a few get assembled and follow along. Buy the right tools and borrow a torque wrench and you'll be done in about 45 minutes

 

[Wheel Gunner]

How does BCM fare on "The Chart"?

 

[MCgrease08]

How does BCM fare on "The Chart"? View attachment 67668

I don't know. I can't read the hand writting of an ant.

 

[Wheel Gunner]

 

[Wheel Gunner]

Yeah. Head over to M4C and get pummeled for awhile if that's your thing.

What's wrong with M4C? Can't you handle the truth that all ARs are not "just as good as".

 

[Wheel Gunner]

Airbus is "just as good as" Boeing.

 

[Wheel Gunner]

I and other members who know our guns have spoke highly of BCM rifles for years now and how these are the best bang for the buck. A rifle that you could go to war with and that will last your lifetime (for the average shooter).
Also some of us on here have talked about how Colts quality has slipped in recent years and for the money you're better off buying a BCM. Well no one listens to people without a YouTube channel so for your entertainment and also because I'm tired of seeing this question pop up every damn day on the forum because no one can use a search bar.

This guy is an INGO member and now a national gun celebrity and also owns his own shop in Indiana called Copper Customs! One of the most knowledgeble and camera handsome men ever, I give you MAC!

[video]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=MwomoGLQkSI[/video]

BCM is the best because "The LAV" says they are the best. Of course, he used to say that DD was the best.....

 

[Wheel Gunner]

I hear people trashing DPMS all the time. I went cheap(by a few years ago standards) and bought a DPMS Oracle. I really like it and is very reliable and accurate.

Did you know that DPMS stands for Doesn't Pass Military Specifications?

 

[Gabriel]

What's wrong with M4C?.

From what i could tell when I went there, much like AR15.com, it is a waste of server space.

 

[Wheel Gunner]

From what i could tell when I went there, much like AR15.com, it is a waste of server space.

Your AR must not fare well on the chart if you disparage M4C.

 

[rhino]

Your AR must not fare well on the chart if you disparage M4C.

What if you don't own an AR and still think M4C is a waste of server space?
What if you own only DD, BCM, etc. and still think M4C is a waste of server space?

I submit that one's opinion of the merit or lack thereof of content on M4C is independent of one's brand selection.