(I wrote this just before the big panic buying and AR shortage began.)
So, you want to get an AR. First, shame on you! You’ve got two kids to put through college that you’re supposed to be saving for! But, we can look at this as an investment. Prices right now aren’t bad and you can probably resell your rifle for double what you paid in five to ten years. (Note the potential argument for the wife.)
You can buy a finished rifle or just a lower receiver. The finished rifle will be the most cost effective. Buying a lower and then getting the other parts later will let you build exactly what you want and spread the cost out over time but will be more expensive in the long run. You’ll have to go through a dealer to get a new rifle or lower but the rest of the parts can be mail ordered.
If you decide to go with a finished rifle, the most important thing is to get the barrel length and profile that you want. Again, you can change out the rest of the parts later and as you can afford them. Sixteen inches is the shortest barrel you can get without a special, $200 tax stamp and is also the shortest I would recommend. You start to get a real reduction in muzzle velocity with shorter barrels. I personally like the 20” but most people like a shorter barrel. If you want a long-range target or varmint rifle, 24” or longer make a good choice.
Much as I like integral iron sights on my rifles, you will probably want to go with a flat top upper and gas block. You can add whatever type of back up iron sights to the flat top and it makes things a little easier for mounting optics.
I’m not familiar with all the current brands but I’ll give you a quick rundown on the ones I have second-hand reports for.
LaRue and Noveske are very good but very expensive.
LMT, Stag Arms, Rock River Arms, and Smith and Wesson all make solid rifles.
Windham makes good rifles that aren’t too costly. My rifle is an old Bushmaster. Bushmaster moved their manufacturing overseas and the Bushmaster employees bought the factory and renamed the company Windham. Windham is making good rifles but the current Bushmasters are having some quality control issues. Plus, Bushmaster magazine wells were always a little tight for anything but the GI aluminum magazines.
The Ruger rifles are fairly inexpensive but they use a gas piston. I’m not keen on a gas piston in an AR but a lot of guys like them. You probably wouldn’t put enough rounds through the rifle to see any wear issues with a piston.
I would avoid Sigarms as their quality is not good and they’re overpriced.
I would also avoid H&K as they’re trading on their name and are way overpriced.
Avoid Vulcan, Hesse, or Blackthorne (all the same company) as their quality is extremely poor.
Be careful if you buy a used rifle as it may be built on a quality lower receiver but with inferior or misfitted parts. Just because the lower says Stag Arms doesn’t mean the entire rifle was built by Stag.
Frankly, most ARs are perfectly fine as most companies get their parts from a relatively few manufacturers.
So, you want to get an AR. First, shame on you! You’ve got two kids to put through college that you’re supposed to be saving for! But, we can look at this as an investment. Prices right now aren’t bad and you can probably resell your rifle for double what you paid in five to ten years. (Note the potential argument for the wife.)
You can buy a finished rifle or just a lower receiver. The finished rifle will be the most cost effective. Buying a lower and then getting the other parts later will let you build exactly what you want and spread the cost out over time but will be more expensive in the long run. You’ll have to go through a dealer to get a new rifle or lower but the rest of the parts can be mail ordered.
If you decide to go with a finished rifle, the most important thing is to get the barrel length and profile that you want. Again, you can change out the rest of the parts later and as you can afford them. Sixteen inches is the shortest barrel you can get without a special, $200 tax stamp and is also the shortest I would recommend. You start to get a real reduction in muzzle velocity with shorter barrels. I personally like the 20” but most people like a shorter barrel. If you want a long-range target or varmint rifle, 24” or longer make a good choice.
Much as I like integral iron sights on my rifles, you will probably want to go with a flat top upper and gas block. You can add whatever type of back up iron sights to the flat top and it makes things a little easier for mounting optics.
I’m not familiar with all the current brands but I’ll give you a quick rundown on the ones I have second-hand reports for.
LaRue and Noveske are very good but very expensive.
LMT, Stag Arms, Rock River Arms, and Smith and Wesson all make solid rifles.
Windham makes good rifles that aren’t too costly. My rifle is an old Bushmaster. Bushmaster moved their manufacturing overseas and the Bushmaster employees bought the factory and renamed the company Windham. Windham is making good rifles but the current Bushmasters are having some quality control issues. Plus, Bushmaster magazine wells were always a little tight for anything but the GI aluminum magazines.
The Ruger rifles are fairly inexpensive but they use a gas piston. I’m not keen on a gas piston in an AR but a lot of guys like them. You probably wouldn’t put enough rounds through the rifle to see any wear issues with a piston.
I would avoid Sigarms as their quality is not good and they’re overpriced.
I would also avoid H&K as they’re trading on their name and are way overpriced.
Avoid Vulcan, Hesse, or Blackthorne (all the same company) as their quality is extremely poor.
Be careful if you buy a used rifle as it may be built on a quality lower receiver but with inferior or misfitted parts. Just because the lower says Stag Arms doesn’t mean the entire rifle was built by Stag.
Frankly, most ARs are perfectly fine as most companies get their parts from a relatively few manufacturers.
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