This one has an upper with mid-length gas system.
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.
This one has an upper with mid-length gas system.
Thank you all for the replies. And, I apologize for not responding in a more timely manner.
I’m working graveyards this week, and these 12-hour shifts kick me pretty hard.
I want one for a combination of plinking and defense.
Really don’t want to end up with a, “Brand Name,” model just to pay extra for the, “Brand Name,” when another will work just as well.
Something that I can attach a good scope on as I found out that I’m REALLY GOOD at distance shooting (Yeah, I was surprised at this) with my .22 Marlin. And whatever other accessories I might think up in the future.
The adjustable stock is mandatory.
As for attempting to build my own? I wouldn’t trust myself to this until I’ve owned one for at least a year. My Beretta 92F was easy to figure out.
Anyhoo, I’ve got to get back to bed again. I’ll reply as I am able. Thank you all for the help.
Also if you could, please post links to your favorites. I need as much data as I can get.
Good day to all of you.
An AR15 would not be my first choice for home defense unless I lived alone, with no neighbors for blocks. 12ga #4 shot for long guns is my choice.
Plinking is another matter. I used to buy bandoliers with stripper clips and magazine guides for quick loading. I could go through 500 rounds on a zombie hunt real easy. Write my name on the walls of coal pits.
Speaking of .22s, I have been spending so much on ammo, sometimes over $100 per week, I’ve been considering getting something like the Mossberg Tactical 22 or getting a 22 upper for my AR. I am leaning towards the Mossberg because I would rather spend $300 on something just to go plinking with than $600 on an upper and risking putting even more wear and tear on a $900 AR.
Anyone have an opinion on the best way to go?
I think there is a point of diminishing returns when it comes to paying for AR-15 "prestige" brands (e.g. - Bushmaster makes a great product, but they are way overpriced, IMHO). You can get a decent model for little more than half of their prices. But you do need to pay attention to some details; in particular, the construction of the barrel and the bolt assembly. Adjustable stocks are standard on most models I've handled recently.
As for scopes, you can pay over $450 for an EOTech 512 or 516 sight, but there's nothing wrong with a good old flip-up "ghost ring" ($70) if you practice with it. If you do opt for the Holographic sight (and it is very cool to use), consider that the newer EOtech 516/A65 sits 7mm higher on your picatinny rail (and can be positioned further forward), which will prevent you from using the iron sights, if you don't mind that. Good shooting!
For the adjustable stock, MagPul rules the roost.
Best carbine option is either the Magpul CTR or the MOE.
The CTR has an extra lever to cinch the stock more tightly to the tube, but I always forget to use it. The MOE doesn’t have the extra lever and is almost as solid. Either are great and better than others in their class.
The real benefit to brand name models is that they stand by their work and they’re not slapped together like some gun show parts guns.
There are conversion kits (Ceiner, et al) for converting your AR to .22. DON’T DO IT. You’ll just lead up your AR barrel.
As for a dedicated upper, they’re nice, but you can get a complete AR-type rifle in .22 for about $550. Colt, Smith&Wesson and others make them and many of the components appear to be common, so you can switch your red-dot back and forth (you’ll need to re-zero, of course). The .22 can not be converted back to 5.56mm.
See my previous post. DPMS is a fine weapon, and you won’t pay an “arm/leg” for it.
It's a very versatile, rugged and compact design. Unlike a lot of scopes, it comes with its own mounting system and is ready to be mounted on either a rail or a traditional AR carrying handle. It includes a screw-in sunshade and flip-up dust covers, and the reticle has five brightness settings in both red and green depending on light conditions. Better yet, when the battery is dead or the power is off, you still have a black reticle.
Like I said, it's not optimum for precision long range stuff (the center reticle dot is 3 mils) but it does allow for pretty rapid target acquisition. The body of the sight itself has addition rails if you want to slap a small laser, flashlight or even a small 0X holo-sight on it.
FWIW, I'm very pleased with mine.
Daniel Defense, Noveske, Colt or BCM. You could really drop some $$$ and go with Knight’s.
Go to M4Carbine.net and do some reading.
Since you have no experience with the weapon, take a training course.
I would suggest staying away from DPMS and Olympic unless you are just plinking.
Lewis Machine and tool makes Olympics uppers and lowers. Olympic's claim to fame was their barrels when they were SGW. Educate yourself on upper receiver roll marks...just Google it. A close investigation of gun porn will reveal that Remington and Rock River often use Cerro Forge uppers, and they can be had from J&T Distributing if you wanna do a Franken-gun.
Sabre Defense or Rock River...both excellent choices IMO.
Solid, reliable and light weight (unless of course you load up a quad rail).
However I have heard very good things about these guys...
http://www.core15rifles.com/models/carbine.html
Well, I did an impulse buy and bought a Hi-Point model 4095 Carbine. I’ll let you all know how she does after some range time -possibly tomorrow.
IMHO, depending on what you plan on using it for, I'm not sure it would be that great a match as a 3X site would probably be a little excessive for a pistol cartridge carbine, although to each his own. Keep in mind the Burris has a BDC (bullet drop compensating) reticle that's made for a 5.56 for 100 to 500 yards in 100 yard increments, so it might also be a little busy for a carbine made for CQB type applications.
On the other hand, if age is making your eyes a little weaker than they used to be, 3X might be just the ticket...and while it's not the only site out there with the feature, I really enjoythe multiple brightness reticle settings in both green and red. I've shot it in conditions from dim and cloudy to bright Louisiana sunshine against targets of various colors and so far, it has been able to provide a brightness/color setting that has been just about ideal.
So, it’d be better to put the Burris on the AR. Got it.
I happily admit that the 4095 was an impulse buy. I was just in such a good mood after finally picking up my CCW this morning.
I’ll still be getting an AR, though.
Eventually....
Thanks.
Yep...it was designed specifically for use on a 5.56 AR type rifle, although I've used mine on my 7.62 AR10, with really good results.
When I got the AR10, I was looking for something that was compact, rugged, with decent optics in the 3-4X power range with a reticle suitable for CQB. There are really only three sights/scopes that fit everything I was looking for: The Burris, the British SUSAT and the Elcan Specter. Of the three the Burris is by far and away the most affordable, and actually has some features the other two don't. It's not made as a purpose built sniper scope for precision long range work, but is probably better thought of as spectacularly enhanced, low magnification iron-sights that will help you consistently drill man-sized targets out to 500 yards +, but is still low-powered enough to rapidly pick up targets at close quarters ranges too.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.