VANITY: Do you enjoy your AR-15?

[Spandau]

If you own an AR-15, do you like it, or do you tend to leave it in the closet? As a Garand and Mauser guy, I have been thinking about joining the AR-15 bunch. It might be good training to become familiar and have some repetition with the AR. It also might be a good change of pace from the full-power battle rifles. I love 'em, but sometimes they weigh a ton, and the Mauser becomes punishing to shoot after a while.

I have about made up my mind to go with Armalite. Other than a chrome-lined barrel, is there any practical difference between Armalite and their Eagle Arms division? Thanks.

[SamAdams76]

As the days lengthen and the temperatures rise, I've been tending to leave it in the closet more and more. The M16A1 goes so much better with my spring wardrobe.

[GnL]

I love my Rock River Arms M4gery. But I enjoy shooting the Garand sometimes too. It's like women with shoes--go with whatever you're in the mood for, but definitely get yourself the AR-15 to add to your battle set. Have fun!

[CanisLupus]

Ive got a ZM Weapons upper on a Bushmaster lower that shoots great..no hicups whatsoever...My Bushmaster upper is just as reliable

[GnL]

I forgot to add: if you do get one, find yourself as many high capacity magazines as you can and stock up. I have quite a few 30-rounders and it gives me a comfortable feeling knowing there are always several full and ready to go in my gunsafe. You can get lots of surplus GI mags at reasonable prices by shopping around. Just make sure they were manufactured before the cutoff date (Sep/94 if I recall correctly) and don't say "for law enforcement only" or similar (unless of course you are LEO).

[HBAR223]

I will be enjoying mine tomorrow afternoon. Lots of fun with the Leupold CQT scope on the flat-top.

[meyer]

I forgot to add: if you do get one, find yourself as many high capacity magazines as you can and stock up. I have quite a few 30-rounders and it gives me a comfortable feeling knowing there are always several full and ready to go in my gunsafe. You can get lots of surplus GI mags at reasonable prices by shopping around. Just make sure they were manufactured before the cutoff date (Sep/94 if I recall correctly) and don't say "for law enforcement only" or similar (unless of course you are LEO).

You just made me think of yet another use for duct tape. :^)

[meyer]

I have a Bushmaster with heavy barrel. Very accurate and consistent. Cheap to shoot. I do enjoy shooting it on occasion, but like another poster, I tend to enjoy my Garand even more.

[Beelzebubba]

Bang

[SENTINEL]

Everybody needs an AR, and your lady will love it too. My first choice, however, is an M1A.

[Boundless]

> I have been thinking about joining the AR-15 bunch.

They make perfectly pleasant plinkers, and can be
quite accurate.

But if you forsee any self-defense use, I'd suggest
avoiding any Stoner actions, notwithstanding the
widespread use of same by miltary forces.

Stoner actions (AR-15 included) usually have a bolt
assembly that recoils (is gas-blown) back into the
stock. If the bolt hangs up (as in - doesn't fully
reclose), you can't hinge the stock down, open the
action and clear it.

I've seen two AR jams, one a blown primer in the
bolt carrier, the other a case that just got hung
up, and both required 15 MINUTES to clear. These
were on SP1 models (no A2-style forward bolt assist),
but an FBA probably would not have helped. The primer
jam could be avoid by using only ammo with crimped
primers. The other one I'm not sure about.

So be sure to consider alternatives, such as the
Garand-style action in the Ruger Mini-14 family.

[Pete-R-Bilt]

BOOM!

[SJSAMPLE]

Bushmaster, Baby!
As close to Mil-Spec as a semi-auto AR can get.
I covet my Bushy.

[spodefly]

I'm still running thru the woods with my dad's old British .303, drinking tea every few hours and not brushing my teeth for days.

Don't know about those fancy semi-autos.

[Djarum]

Now why does this get to stay in news while this gets moved to chat...

[glock rocks]

fond of both...

use the ar for the 500m shot.

use the mini for the 100m shot.

cheap eats on ammo, and wonderful for the whole family.

buy some xm192 ammo. don't use steel case unless you detest your fine friends.

[red-dawg]

Do I enjoy my AR-15?

You betcha! I have a Colt pre-ban that is a delight to shoot.

is there any practical difference between Armalite and their Eagle Arms division?

I can't help you there because I only have experience with Colt and Bushmaster. The real advantage to owning an AR-15 is that it one of the most "customisable" (is that a word?) rifles in the world. You can go to a gun show and pick up many types of uppers, barrels and handguards to suit your fancy. Competition shooters like free-floating barrels and weighted lowers. The combinations are quite numerous. Just pick up a copy of Shotgun News and look around or go to a gun show without telling the wife. I could not live without mine.

[glock rocks]

gawd. xm193.

preview. sheesh.

Squantos... you know i got a dyslexic thing with numbers, huh?

no, really.

come on, man.

pete?

[Travis McGee]

I'm still running thru the woods with my dad's old British .303, drinking tea every few hours and not brushing my teeth for days. Don't know about those fancy semi-autos.

Sure saves on ammo!

[GladesGuru]

Might I suggest re-reading Hackworth's book ABOUT FACE? Check out his description of the functionality of the AK-47. Any gun which can survive many weeks buried in a swamp and still cycle flawlessly with no cleaning other than a quick swishing in a ditch to wash off the large clods of muck, is arguably better than the AR-15.

In fact, Hackworth didn't seem to think there was any arguement.

By the way, the 7X39 steel round (standard Warsaw Pack issue) will outdo the .223 AP. And the AK is available in .223 if you so desire.

Sometimes it is necessary to recognize excellence, even if Colt Industries didn't make it. And have you ever wondered what Sam Colt would choose to carry in a Jungle?

Or what he might have said to the committee which designed the AR-15?

[Selective Fire]

CAR 15 Shorty, Heavy Barrel

Surprisingly accurate for the length of the barrel.
Good in tight spaces, too!

[SuperLuminal]

"I covet my Bushy"

Ditto!

Especially with it sitting there nestled so comfortably between my AK-47's and Ruger mini-14.

[Centurion2000]

Bump

[chuknospam]

I love my AR-15. It's more complicated than a SKS or AK-47 but it is a blast to shoot. Check out ar15.com for lots of AR fun, hey you can even build one if you like. I also belong to the FDCC Florida Defensive Carbine Club. We hold a shoot once a month, check out the web site.

http://www.floridashootersnetwork.com/fdcc.html

[kAcknor]

Sometimes it is necessary to recognize excellence, even if Colt Industries didn't make it.

kAcknor Sez:

Woah.. Fighting words.. ;)

Bump to the *bang_list!!

"bImejDI' reH betleHlIj yItlhap" (Never leave home without your bat'telh.)

Have you checked the *bang_list today?

[Cpu]

I have a Bushmaster with the 20" barrel and the A2 style rear sights. I like it enough that I sold my Garand. I have a Springfield O3A3 but it sits in the rack.

The AR's as a class run better than the M1A/M14/Garand.

I've run 5k or so rounds thru the Bushmaster and it has never missed a beat. Shot highpower competition for a while and made expert with the stock chrome lined barrel. My crappy handloads shoot just fine. Surplus ammo is so cheap that handloading really isn't worth it unless you are shooting matches. I like the 20 round GI mags better than the 30's. They are getting hard to find tho. The 30's are still widely available.

Take a look at the Bushmaster (they have much cooler T shirts that others).

cpu

[Godebert]

I like the Gewehr 98's too. My favorite is a unit marked 1916 Amberg that saw service with the Bavarian Jaegers. If you want accuracy I'd go with a Bushmaster or Rock River Arms National Match. It's worth the extra money particularly if you ever decide to compete in High Power Rifle matches.

[Squantos]

I have a few original colts, a CAR-15 and their HBAR which is standard except for a few tweeks for leg matches on the mouse gun circuit. I have also a Bushmaster version of the AR that has the Dissipator upper with a rase stock that holds a spare 30 round magazine and a redi-mag spare mag carrier attached to the mag well. Very good rifles.

Suggestion....If your getting the rifle for accuracy get the 1:7 twist barrels and use the 69 grain bullet. If your going to use the rifle for self defense or don't need right eye left eye accuracy beyond 400 meters then go with the 1:9 twist and 55 grain bullet.

If you will scope it then by all means get the flat top reciever as the "handle" brings the scope too high for me yet there are removeable systems that allow it to be switched back and forth from a flat top to a standard AR configuation. I just don't care for em .....personal choice.

If you buy one I suggest the standard target modle aka HBAR style as you'll get more from it than a shorty , XM177, GAU5A/AA style AR.

Stay Safe and have fun at the range !!

[Travis McGee]

Name a battle where hoardes armed with AK-47s have overcome and vanquished armies armed with M-16s.

Stand across a field from an M-16 toting soldier with your AK, and you will be shot before you can get a round near your enemy. One rifle will shoot folks at 500+ yards, the other at 200 "maybe" yards.

[Studebaker Hawk]

I love my Oly CAR-15...

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

***and don't say "for law enforcement only" or similar (unless of course you are
LEO).***

Nonsense. Buy them and keep them in your emergency stash.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

***Don't know about those fancy semi-autos.***

That's because the British have not been able to make a semi-auto that is worth a crap. You have a very good rifle as is.
I regret I ever sold my Jungle Carbine 20 years ago.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

Obviously the armies of the world that use the AR-15 do not agree.

[killjoy]

In general go with a pre-ban if you can afford it. You basically have two parts to an Ar-15. The upper and lower receivers. If you are going to get an AR-15, a pre-ban is going to give you a lot more flexibility if you wish to hang things off of it. If you go with a pre-ban, stick with a Colt or Bushmaster. Avoid any others like the plague. Your best bet would be to try to find an older Colt SP1. You can shoot it as is and if you want and spend the money later on a better upper receiver. If you go for a new upper, spend the money on a flat top with a 16inch chrome barrel. There is really no reason for anything else.

No matter what you get, I highly suggest you swap out the stock with a shorter version. The A2 stock is simply way too long. The A1 is better, but go shorter and the gun works much better. A collapsable (if pre-ban) run all the way in or pulled out to the first notch is ideal. If you have a postban, go with a Rock River Tactical Buttstock

If you later go with a flattop, there are all sort of cool goodies out there; Knight's RAS free float handguard, GG&G rear flipup sight, Aimpoint Comp-M, Surefire M900 grip, etc... More then enough toys to make you go broke.

Avoid the Ruger Mini-14 and Mini-30 at all cost. The quality is horrible and they are some of the few guns that are even more inaccurate than an AK-47 type rifle. To top it off, aftermarket parts are almost non-existant and to get it fixed requires sending it back to Ruger. Big red flag.

[tristam]

I dont believe it a whole thread and no pics.
geesh i would put one up if I had any idea how to.

[11B3]

If you're going to spend the money on the Armalite, why are you going to buy the 5.56? Get the AR-10 and have the best of both worlds - an AR-15 that shoots .308. The magazines are spendy, but the rifle works better than the little one.

I still pick up my M1A or FN/FAL before my 5.56 CAR-15 (unless light weight is a plus).

[Buffalo Head]

"Name a battle where hoardes armed with AK-47s have overcome and vanquished armies armed with M-16s."

You got that right! The Colt M16 and it's sucessors have been our service rifle for almost 40 years; longer than the 1873/78 Springfields, 1898 Krag, 1903/06 Springfields, M1 Garand, M1 Carbine and M14. For good reason.

[Cold Heat]

Geat gun for two legged game!

[Travis McGee]

You got that right. Mr. Stoner knew his stuff.

[VOA]

I got to shoot an AR-15 about 10 years ago; the owner pushed it on me...
guess he thought I needed a change of pace from my black powder rifle.

RAPID fire, even when just squeezing the trigger. (It was legal! Just semiauto)

And no noticeable recoil.
I've not been in the military, but I suspect there aren't much better weapons for
engaging a LOT of live targets in the range of 10-200 yards.
Just my amateur impression.
No matter how much I revere the Garand and other venerable arms.

[CHICAGOFARMER]

Name a battle where hoardes armed with AK-47s have overcome and vanquished armies armed with M-16s.

Stand across a field from an M-16 toting soldier with your AK, and you will be shot before you can get a round near your enemy. One rifle will shoot folks at 500+ yards, the other at 200 "maybe" yards.

Can't let this one go by. Stopping power is nice, but as the swat team, and seals teams say, you will not be arguing the merits of larger caliber when I put two in your heart and one in your head.

The larger caliber A-10 is definately has more pentration power in jungle fighting, however, the merit and arguement for the lighter bullet wa to wound not kill to place a burden on the rear support medical units.

But you better get your bullet proof whatever read ready because my 5.56 ar 15 will put a hole in six inch target at 600 yards. At 1000 yards you will be digging fox holes quickly.

As a varmint hunter, we hunt prairie dogs at 250 to 600 yards everyday. No big deal you say. Well the target zone is a 4" diameter target. At 300 to 400 yards is a fun day shooting. 8 day hunt bagged 600 dogs. Our last day shooting at 450 to 650 yards kills at 507 511 and 576 yards. Don't blieve it check out Varmint mazagine this month.

The weapon is a colt ar 15 H bar A-3 with Les Baer barrel ie 26" Stainless Steel, 1" diameter with 1 in 9 twist, with black diamond 8x 32x 50 power scope. We shoot and hit quarters at 200 yards 50% hit rate. AT 100 years two shots inside a dime with metal all the way around.

[Travis McGee]

Say what you want about the merits of Stoner's gas system in terms of reliability, it is the ONLY semi auto system that is potentially as accurate as a bolt gun from a cold to hot barrel. Properly tweaked, with a free floating barrel untouched at the forward end in many cases, a stiff barreled AR action can do what a bolt gun does accuracy wise IMHO.

[2Jedismom]

Ping!

[Copernicus]

Now why does this get to stay in news while this gets moved to chat...

One of contemporary civilization's many failures- we have "moderators" but no Parliamentarians.

In the classic sense predicted by Kafka in the early years of the 20th Century you have been ruled out of order with no cause given and no opportunity to confront your accuser or appeal or make a rebuttal.

As at least one Freeper has observed: "Reaganism this ain't"

Best regards,

[Spandau]

Gew 98s: I like Ambergs. Still kicking myself for leaving an unmolested 1916 on a table several years ago. I'm also fond of Spandaus and Oberndorfs, even though they seem to be the most common. Simsons are very cool. I'm sure you know that Simson was a Jewish firm. When the Nazis came to power, Simson was made an offer he couldn't refuse. I understand that Simson became Gustloff Werke under the Nazis, which is bcd code on the 98k.

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

Yes I do. Try http://www.ar15.com and go to the hometowns section to find others in your area that like to go shooting. I just went out last weekend with the Washington AR15 guys and we shot up a lot of stuff and had a great time.

[buffer]

Here you go!

Used to have an AR-10b in .308, good close up and at distance. FRgards

[TheErnFormerlyKnownAsBig]

I love my Rock River Arms M4gery

By chance are you active on AR15.com? I got my RRA M4gery through ar15.com a few years ago.

[ezoeni]

"Do you enjoy your AR-15?"

Yes I do.

[ezoeni]

Hey whats that all about - Washington AR15 guys

Fill me in... here in north bend