Best brand/price point for first AR?

IloveTHIS

IloveTHIS

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Title. I'm looking at getting my first AR soon. The weird thing with AR-15s and I guess guns in generally really is that you can find new AR15s from $400 to $3000. How much better is a $1000 Bushmaster from a no-name $500 rifle? Do they all pretty much have the same reliability and shooting accuracy, and it just comes down to features and looks?

itll be used just for recreational shooting one a month, and possible home defense if I need to light someone up.

What are some manufacturers to look for and avoid?

liberals need not reply
 
IloveTHIS said:
Title. I'm looking at getting my first AR soon. The weird thing with AR-15s and I guess guns in generally really is that you can find new AR15s from $400 to $3000. How much better is a $1000 Bushmaster from a no-name $500 rifle? Do they all pretty much have the same reliability and shooting accuracy, and it just comes down to features and looks?

itll be used just for recreational shooting one a month, and possible home defense if I need to light someone up.

What are some manufacturers to look for and avoid?

liberals need not reply
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I applied and am waiting for my firearm owner identification card from the state of Illinois. I too will be in the market for my first AR-15 and had similar questions.


For me, this meme is actually true:

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The S&W M&P is a fine gun for recreational use, and is near the lower end in price. there's really no reason to go higher end unless you just want to. There are others in that price range that are good guns, the M&P is just the first that comes to mind.
Sad that we couldn't make it 3 replies without some pussified anti making an asshole of himself.
 
I'd be careful using that for home defense. Any AR caliber can easily penetrate interior walls and hit a loved one on the other side. I'd play outside with the AR and get a good 12-gauge for home defense. Just food for thought.
 
You'd have done better to post this in the Weapons sub-forum. Anyways, you can get a military spec (mil-spec) AR15 for about 700 bucks. People pay premium for better optics, barrel, hand grip, and trigger. Honestly, if you were just to plink with it once a month and use it for home defense, Mil-spec would keep you happy for a long time.

Any reputable brand is good. I pieced my AR together starting with a no-name lower receiver and using other parts kits to do the rest. Putting a Lower Receiver together is a little tricky, but most people can do it.
Lower Receiver, $80
Lower Parts Kit, $70
Buffer tube and stock, $100

That's going to be your lower parts. I recommend getting an entire upper assembled: Barrel, hand-guard, and upper receiver. A decent one can be had for $400 or less. From then on, you can customize until the cows come home. They are the Honda Civic of rifles.

So there are some slight savings to be had if you can wait for a sale, but figure $ 650-700 for a stock rifle.
 
IloveTHIS said:
Title. I'm looking at getting my first AR soon. The weird thing with AR-15s and I guess guns in generally really is that you can find new AR15s from $400 to $3000. How much better is a $1000 Bushmaster from a no-name $500 rifle? Do they all pretty much have the same reliability and shooting accuracy, and it just comes down to features and looks?

itll be used just for recreational shooting one a month, and possible home defense if I need to light someone up.

What are some manufacturers to look for and avoid?

liberals need not reply
Click to expand...

Remake it here and we'll give you some good answers. These threads in the berry and war room are always shit shows and get moved here anyway.

http://forums.sherdog.com/forums/weapons-and-tactics.65/
 
Goon Dog said:
I'd be careful using that for home defense. Any AR caliber can easily penetrate interior walls and hit a loved one on the other side. I'd play outside with the AR and get a good 12-gauge for home defense. Just food for thought.
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12 gauge with lethal ammo will penetrate just as much.
 
P.S. If you live in Kommiefornia (as I do), or any such freedom hating state, prices/tax/fees do and may apply.
 
My only problem with AR’s are they’re hideous. One of those things where muh brain says get an AR and muh heart says ranch rifle.
 
Goon Dog said:
I'd be careful using that for home defense. Any AR caliber can easily penetrate interior walls and hit a loved one on the other side. I'd play outside with the AR and get a good 12-gauge for home defense. Just food for thought.
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Personally I would choose a quality semi-automatic over a shotgun for home defense any day of the week. Semi-automatics like the AR are lighter and have a higher capacity than shotguns.

Now it's not that a good 12 gauge is a bad choice for self defense, because it's an excellent choice. It's just that the AR seems like a better choice given the circumstances.
 
FacePunch said:
12 gauge with lethal ammo will penetrate just as much.
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No it won't. #1 or #00 buckshot shoots a nice pattern (you'll be rattled during a home invasion so the pattern gives you a better chance of hitting your target than a slug or rifle bullet), gives lethal penetration yet loses much of its energy if it's able to penetrate a wall.

A 223 or 556 can easily kill an aimed target at 1000 yards, an incidental target at over 2000. Not the best choice for home defense in a residential neighborhood.
 
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Goon Dog said:
A 223 or 556 can easily kill an aimed target at 1000 yards, an incidental target at over 2000. Not the best choice for home defense in a residential neighborhood.
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In unaltered flight it can, but it tumbles, changes direction, and loses energy after it touches something. Your comment has no bearing on shooting inside of a house.
 
Goon Dog said:
Interesting. I'll bet I've read a dozen studies of impact energy/penetration and have never seen those results duplicated. Guess I need to look some more. I'd still worry about an AR's ability to reach out beyond my home and take out a neighbor's kid.
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It is a well-founded concern. My point is that a 12 gauge with lethal ammo is not without over penetration issues itself. It's a very common misconception.

There are many other reasons that make an AR superior to a shotgun for HD, imo.

- ammo capacity
- rate of fire
- supressor compatible
- variable calibers with HD intent, like 300 Blackout
- semi-automatic
- pistol-length barrels are extremely portable
- less recoil
 
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