Sell two, buy one

[jstory]

Been selling and trading off alot myself this past year. Just finished thinning the herd myself. I had bought many Mosin Nagant 91/30s when they could be had for less than $100. I just traded off the last 3 for a Marlin 1895. It's going to be my new deer rifle for the upcoming season. Very happy with the decision to thin the herd, as others stated, quality over quantity...

 

[Winamac]

I have sold two in order to buy one. Been there done that and I do not regret it. I have some very quality pieces now that I am thrilled with. Granted... my collection is a bit smaller since doing this, but the quality is higher. I say " Just Do It".

 

[bonkers1919]

The verdict is in, quality over quantity. I wish I had never fondled a DD weapon.

 

[6mm Shoot]

I guess I just don't under stand Quality in a AR. If you are talking about a rail running all the way down the barrel, I don't like them. If you are talking about a good trigger I understand that.

To me and I am just saying me. If a AR has a length of pull that fits me, a good trigger, a accurate barrel, a first focal plain scope and a free float hand guard that don't have a bunch of crap hanging on it. I'm good to go.

We are not talking about a bolt gun that has great wood and deep bluing. That the fit looks like the wood grew out of the steel. The action is so very smooth with no slop in the bolt and the trigger brakes like glass. Other than the trigger the AR don't have things like a bolt rifle or a lever action.

You have metal to metal fit with a AR and I have never had one that didn't fit tight. In fact I have had to take some metal off the upper to get it to fit to the lower. I know that there are parts that cost a bunch more than others. You can pay from $80 to well over $200 for a BCG, a free floating hand guard can run from $50 to well over $300. Lowers and uppers can be had for $50 each to over $500 for matched pair. I have no idea what makes them a matched pair.

My point is my son has a AR that he paid over $2000 for and it don't shoot any better than the one I built for $800. What is the point of buying a so called quality AR? Are they just a AR built with pricey parts and matched lower and upper?

I look at ARs just like I look at Glocks they are tools. They are not like a 1911 or a high end bolt gun. They are tools that work great.

Don't get me wrong I like my ARs and Glocks. I just have more feeling for the Browning High Power, 1911 and my bolt guns than I ever will the ARs or Glocks.

 

[phylodog]

Typically AR15 rifles will begin to reveal their quality when run hard. You can check with any of the "big name" traveling instructors out there and they can give you a run down on which manufacturers are putting out good quality and which aren't based on the rifles that go down during their classes. For recreational shooting, most rifle manufacturers are putting out rifles that will get the job done. If you start hammering 500+ rounds through a rifle suppressed in a day the quality will begin to reveal itself.

We don't see half of the hard use the aforementioned instructors put their student's rifles through but we push them hard enough to see poor quality rifles begin to have issues. We caution our officers against going to the 1500 and buying a bag of parts and slapping them together but some do it anyway and end up with rifles we won't allow to be carried when they fail at the range. I won't pretend to know all of the differences between the higher end manufacturers and the lower end, to be honest I don't care to know. What I can tell you is that there is proof in the pudding and I've seen it enough that I save my pennies and spend my money on those manufacturers whose parts I have faith in.

 

[6mm Shoot]

phylodog I under stand what you are saying. I don't put a AR through 500 rounds in a day and I don't shoot any of my weapons everyday. I buy mid priced barrels and high end BCG for my special builds and mid priced BCG for my 5.56 builds. Other parts that I buy depends on what I want the rifle to do. For example most of my ARs have a 5 pound trigger, but on my special builds I use a 3 pound trigger. I like the VoDo lower parts kit and use them most of the time.

I would think that about the only thing to fail on a AR would be the BCG. Yes I know anything can brake. I have heard of the back of the lower braking where the stock tube goes. I would think it broke due to rough handling. I have never seen it happen, but then I don't craw around in the dirt with any of my guns. A long time back when I was a young man I crawled around with a bolt gun shooting targets. It never broke and I abused it.

So as I thought most people don't need a two grand AR. Most people are lucky if they put 500 rounds a year through their AR. I know after I get one built and get it broken in it only gets a 100 or so rounds a year through it. As an example when I get the 6.5 built it will get a lot of rounds put through it working up a couple loads for it. One target and one hunting. Plus I will practice with it till I am comfortable with it and how it shoots. Then it will be put in the safe and brought out every couple months and put thirty or so rounds through it for fun and up keep.

 

[phylodog]

There is nothing wrong with building to suit your needs. It sounds like you have a handle on it. I tend to demand pretty extreme performance from mine so I build/buy them accordingly.

 

[Goodcat]

As others have said, do both serve a different purpose? That purpose could even be creating a peace of mind by having two ARs. If so, keep them if they run well. If one is your AR and the other is just an AR sitting around, you won't regret the fit and finish of a nicer AR. Me, I've build many, tend to keep one at a time per role. I don't have a really nice AR, but also don't care if I don't have a really nice AR. For my purposes, one midline custom built serves my purposes and has never had a hiccup.

 

[tomray3of4]

Easy, just buy it and have three. It's only money. No Regerts!

 

[bonkers1919]

It's only money, if you have the money. I am going to keep both rifles and set each one for 2 different purposes.

The price difference between selling my 2 AR's and buying a DD AR is 500.00 to 800.00. 500.00 to 800.00 allows for many upgrades on both weapons. Also buys a bunch of ammo.

Thanks for everyone's input.

 

[tomray3of4]

It's only money, if you have the money.

i know I was only kidding.

 

[RW97]

There are items I drool over, guns, motorcycles, etc. This is much like me trading two Yamaha motorcycles for the Ducati.

This is exactly what it sounds like, couldn't be said better. Couldn't go wrong with it either. When you have two things, you have two things to fix, clean, ect. Quality is better than quantity IMO

 

[The Sandman HD]

After owning more then one AR, putting money into one really good one is always the best way to go.

 

[smidrow]

Same here.

Done it myself

 

[Tombs]

It's only money, if you have the money. I am going to keep both rifles and set each one for 2 different purposes.

The price difference between selling my 2 AR's and buying a DD AR is 500.00 to 800.00. 500.00 to 800.00 allows for many upgrades on both weapons. Also buys a bunch of ammo.

Thanks for everyone's input.

I would advise against thinking upgrades = better rifle in the end.

At the point you're physically moving it to a categorically higher tier, you're replacing everything but the lower receiver anyway.

I'd personally suggest getting a complete BCM upper, bolt carrier and all, and not messing with it internally. In most cases "upgrades" from a known quantity are at best only an unknown. And if you want to turn around and sell one of these "upgraded" rifles, I don't know of anyone who would give extra money for it. I certainly wouldn't buy something that someone has "upgraded."

At the end of the day if you sell off one of your rifles to get a quality upper, and maybe throw some money into a milspec trigger group or anything else that can be trusted, you'll have a much better rifle for probably little to no additional money.

You don't need a DD to get into a reliable hard use rifle, but if the name and factory equipment tickles your fancy, then by all means.

 

[rmasters744]

After owning many ar's I am a firm believer in buying the best you can afford. You certainly will not regret it.