Posted on 05/05/2011 6:03:06 AM PDT by RandallFlagg
I went to the local Sportsman's Warehouse a couple of days ago and held an AR 223 rifle for the very first time. It felt very good! I have little experience with these. Been shooting my Beretta 92F for almost 15 years, and a Ruger Super Blackhawk .44 for about ten. I have an old Marlin .22 that I just sighted in with the scope. three rounds within a half inch at whatever the end of the rail of the range was.
M&P sport. Bare bones, but the price is right.
A friend of mine said he wished he would have bought one of these
http://www.bushmaster.com/catalog_xm15_BCWA30816MLMOE.asp
.308/7.62 NATO
They make a nice .223 carbine too and much cheaper to target shoot.
I have a S&W MP-15 (5.56 NATO but will safely fire .223 for target practice) that I LOVE!!
Right out of the box, this baby rocked!
I got a great buy on an Internet auction site for a DPMS AR-15 with the 6-position stock and the removable carry handle, chromed (lined) barrel. It is a 5.56 so it will shoot either 5.56 or 223.
Whatever you do make sure the underside of the barrel is stamped “5.56” or else you will only be able to fire the lower power 223 rounds. It does not matter what the lower receiver stamp says, you have to make sure the barrel is stamped 5.56.
Any time a firearms-related thread is created on FreeRepublic, please be sure to add the "banglist" keyword to it so that interested FReepers don't miss it. Just a suggestion.
Let Freedom Ring,
How are you defining “good?”
Price? Reliability? Resistance to abuse?. Accuracy? Portability? Upgradability?
What you’re asking is on par with “what’s a good truck?”
Chrome lined bore / receiver. Especially if it is not a gas piston.
Unless you are super careful about the ammo it will get gunked up quick.
Try AR15.com
To make a suggestion regarding your question, my experience with AR-15s is the same as any good machine that you might rely on with your life -- buy quality. It hurts the wallet short-term, but afterwards you never regret it.
If you really want to see what manufacturer's offerings stand up under stress, just review what doesn't break down during something like a three-day tactical training course. You will see that Colt, Daniels Defense and LMT keep running when everyone else is on their knees in the dirt doing field repairs.
Just my own observation.
Take heed. This is sound advice from RandallFlagg.
Well, the Glenlivet’s starting to hit me. So, I must get to bed.
I promise that I’ll reply to all when I get up and to work this evening.
Thank you all for your replies. You folks are the best.
Good day to you all.
Take heed. This is sound advice from RandallFlagg.””
Correction: Advice from the sage MrB.
Don’t know where I heard it, but it stuck in my mind cuz it’s so easy to remember: A, B, C.
Armalite
Bushmaster
Colt
DPMS + EOTech 556 A65 = Pure Joy...
The Sig Sauer 556 is something a little different. It’s a gas piston 556 which means that it’ll fire cleaner and more reliably. This is the same mechanism on which the AK-47 operates that makes it so reliable. But - even better - it’s dead-on accurate like any other AR-15.
I own one of these puppies and have nothing but good things to say about it. The downside is that in a SHTF situation, you’ll be hard-pressed to find parts to repair if a repair is needed.
mmm MREs yummy.
Armalite
Bushmaster
Colt
Rock River Arms
DPMS
The lower receiver is probably the least important of the major components, while the upper receiver is where the money is.
Stick with first and second tier manufacturers and you’re good to go. Some “manufactuers” really just assemble the major components from parts suppliers. Some aren’t even test fired, so there’s no clue on the headspace or accuracy.
Of courese, $900 puts Colt out of the running, but Bushmaster and Rock River are still in and definitely worth the money. Plus, you can get some savings on package deals (rails, etc.). A good free-floated rail system is almost required nowadays.
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