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AR ideas?

Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2012 7:52 pm
by 1s1k52
I don't think I am going to get a chance to hunt this year so I am shifting some efforts to getting into AR's. This has always been something I have WANTED to do but always felt it was really out of my price range. I am learning a little more and more everyday. Had a few people from work giving me some ideas. One of them recommended Model 1 Sales. I googled them and immediately saw nothing but bad things.

To start I think I just want a A3 upper. Just something basic. Durability and functionality are really key because it will be my a problem arises SD gun. All opinions welcome. I was going to try and buy a colt stripped lower and do a slow build. Buddy said recommended buying something cheap and complete JIC and swapping parts out later. I am trying to get gun in hand for 700 or under preferably

Re: AR ideas?

Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2012 7:56 pm
by cyphur
1s1k52 wrote:I don't think I am going to get a chance to hunt this year so I am shifting some efforts to getting into AR's. This has always been something I have WANTED to do but always felt it was really out of my price range. I am learning a little more and more everyday. Had a few people from work giving me some ideas. One of them recommended Model 1 Sales. I googled them and immediately saw nothing but bad things.

To start I think I just want a A3 upper. Just something basic. Durability and functionality are really key because it will be my a problem arises SD gun. All opinions welcome. I was going to try and buy a colt stripped lower and do a slow build. Buddy said recommended buying something cheap and complete JIC and swapping parts out later. I am trying to get gun in hand for 700 or under preferably
Check out PSA - they have lots of deals often, as long as you are OK with the wait times. Could be a few weeks before you get your stuff.

Re: AR ideas?

Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2012 8:08 pm
by A-R
IMHO, this is best deal going right now on a basic AR carbine
http://www.gtdist.com/ProductDetail.asp ... MG-55AE160" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

1/9 twist barrel is only major quibble. But unless you plan a steady diet of heavy 77-grain bullets (works best with 1/7) then 1/9 will work fine and do well with 55- and 62-grain ammo and ok with up to 69-grain as well.

Re: AR ideas?

Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2012 8:38 pm
by eureka40
A-R wrote:IMHO, this is best deal going right now on a basic AR carbine
http://www.gtdist.com/ProductDetail.asp ... MG-55AE160" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

1/9 twist barrel is only major quibble. But unless you plan a steady diet of heavy 77-grain bullets (works best with 1/7) then 1/9 will work fine and do well with 55- and 62-grain ammo and ok with up to 69-grain as well.
:iagree:
I think there is a GT in the Dallas area.

Re: AR ideas?

Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2012 8:40 pm
by Sputz
PSA had a carbine with an aimpoint pro for 999.99 thats a pretty good deal for a decent rifle.

Re: AR ideas?

Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2012 8:51 pm
by 1s1k52
In a perfect world I want a 14.5 inch with the flashider making it the 16" legal carbine. 1:9 twist is pretty much all I see. I really don't want to wait and wait to fondle before I buy. Without time to go to a gun show kind of limiting myself and I know this!

Re: AR ideas?

Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2012 9:12 pm
by Rex B
buy a complete gun first
build the second one

Re: AR ideas?

Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2012 8:27 am
by SDenton
Most of the manufacturers buy their lowers from a limited number of manufacturers (Aero Precision, Mega etc) - they have them made and stamped with their logo. Providing you have an in-spec lower (it is rare to find one that isn't), paying more for a bigger name in most cases means you are paying for a logo and nothing more...

I agree with the above posters regarding PSA (who's lowers are made by Aero Precision last time I checked) - they have a good product, and stand behind it. They also do frequent sales, and many of their uppers use FN barrels that I've been very impressed with. The downside with PSA is they can be slow to ship at times, and I've had one trigger from them that has needed a fair amount of work to smooth out (seems to be the exception, not the rule). You should be able to put together a decent M4 style carbine from them for under $700 quite easily.

I've heard good things about Spikes also, although I'm not that familiar with them.

If you are prepared to buy used, and don't mind owning a franken-gun, you should be able to put together something for even less (I've got an semi auto M16A2 I built from a parts kit a year or so ago, have less than $500 in the gun, everything except the barrel, lower and sling are Colt).

Re: AR ideas?

Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2012 8:34 am
by Rex B
Yessir, if you shop the components $500 - $600 is pretty easy to do.

I do like Palmetto, but be aware that if you get on their email list for deals you will get 2 or 3 emails every day. I had to turn it off after a week.

Re: AR ideas?

Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2012 1:52 pm
by mdoan300
1s1k52 wrote:In a perfect world I want a 14.5 inch with the flashider making it the 16" legal carbine.
I'm running this configuration myself, but I have to ask -- why are you interested in that configuration?

Re: AR ideas?

Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2012 8:39 pm
by 1s1k52
I had to google PSA AR to find what yall were talking about. That is good to know about the 1:9 barrel not eating 77 grain very well. Most guns I see only come with 1:9. Does that apply to just 5.56? Asking because eventually I am getting a 6.8 upper.

WASP vs Chrome seems to be up for debate...

Palmetto shows to be out of stock so??

the 14.5 route is just me trying to get as short of a carbine as possible. So unless I just have something backwards or wrong please let me know.

Re: AR ideas?

Posted: Tue Sep 18, 2012 10:35 pm
by cyphur
1s1k52 wrote:I had to google PSA AR to find what yall were talking about. That is good to know about the 1:9 barrel not eating 77 grain very well. Most guns I see only come with 1:9. Does that apply to just 5.56? Asking because eventually I am getting a 6.8 upper.

WASP vs Chrome seems to be up for debate...

Palmetto shows to be out of stock so??

the 14.5 route is just me trying to get as short of a carbine as possible. So unless I just have something backwards or wrong please let me know.
Different calibers will require different twists. My .308 bolt runs 1in12, the 6.8 I have coming is 1in11. 1in9 is too fast for 6.8......

Re: AR ideas?

Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 12:48 pm
by 1s1k52
cyphur wrote:
1s1k52 wrote:I had to google PSA AR to find what yall were talking about. That is good to know about the 1:9 barrel not eating 77 grain very well. Most guns I see only come with 1:9. Does that apply to just 5.56? Asking because eventually I am getting a 6.8 upper.

WASP vs Chrome seems to be up for debate...

Palmetto shows to be out of stock so??

the 14.5 route is just me trying to get as short of a carbine as possible. So unless I just have something backwards or wrong please let me know.
Different calibers will require different twists. My .308 bolt runs 1in12, the 6.8 I have coming is 1in11. 1in9 is too fast for 6.8......

Thanks man. I appreciate that and the help you added to my scope hunt.

Re: AR ideas?

Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 1:29 pm
by gigag04
DentonTactical wrote:Most of the manufacturers buy their lowers from a limited number of manufacturers (Aero Precision, Mega etc) - they have them made and stamped with their logo. Providing you have an in-spec lower (it is rare to find one that isn't), paying more for a bigger name in most cases means you are paying for a logo and nothing more...
Somewhat true - however investing a small amount up front for a more desirable roll mark, in my experience, will give you much more than that initial increase in cost back in resale value.

Re: AR ideas?

Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2012 5:51 pm
by The Annoyed Man
Rex B wrote:build the second one
buy a complete gun first
Fixed it for you. :mrgreen: