Best .556 AR15

American Tactical Imports Milsport 5.56mm Optics Ready Semi-Automatic Rifle with KeyMod Rail

What’s “best” is very subjective, and is different for every person, depending on their personal needs, intended use, expectations, experience, budget, etc.

When I was shopping for my first AR, I did a ton of reading and watched scores of gun review videos to gain a basic familiarity with the platform and all the various brands available.

The primary considerations that guided my final choice were:

1. Quality of manufacture.
2. Reliability.
3. Price.
4. Popularity.

I finally settled on the Colt LE6920. Out of all the ARs I looked at, the Colt got the highest marks in the above.

I also liked the fact that Colt was the original supplier of the platform to the U.S. military. Because of that, they’re the only AR manufacturer who can emboss the M-4 rollmark on their rifles.

I opted for the package with Magpul sights, buttstock, and pistol grip. My price was around $850 delivered.

My personal recommendation is to build a lower and buy an upper. For building a lower, you can’t go wrong with Palmetto State Armory.

https://palmettostatearmory.com/

For the upper, I recommend White Oak Armament.

https://www.whiteoakarmament.com/

The most important component in the lower is the trigger assembly...for that, I recommend the Geissele Hi Speed National Match Trigger Set.

https://geissele.com/hi-speed-national-match-trigger-set.html

If you build a lower, then you will need to decide on which type of buttstock you want. M4 Carbine or Rifle. I would highly recommend a rifle buttstock if you plan to shoot off a bench or prone. My preference is the Magpul PRS Gen 3.

https://www.magpul.com/products/prs-gen3-precision-adjustable-stock

I would also recommend a high quality bi-pod/monopod setup. For the bipod, I recommend the AccuShot 3523 Atlas Bipod. For the monopod, I recommend the Accu-Shot PRM (Precision Rail Monopod) Mid-Range (BT13) with Quick Knob Option.

Here’s a link that shows the monopod in action:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1iSKTcDEDQE

If you follow my recommendations, the cost is close to $3000, depending on the upper.

I’ve never signed up for Facebook, so I did not see that. I do hope GWACS is in a position to resume production, with either the MKII (which has always worked well for me), or something similar. From what I’ve read, new molds are NOT cheap, and the AR parts market is exceptionally soft right now. Cavalry Arms apparently made a single prototype MKIII, which (IIRC) had some changes to the stock portion of the unit, but it never went into production...

I’m pretty sure that anyone who’s considering an ATI is not shopping for $3000 ARs, nor is it likely they need one. Building a lower is fine, but not necessary for a first build.

I agree with your suggestion of Palmetto State Armory, but for a first rifle, I’d just source it all there. Some general observations about PSA:
-The “Freedom” nitride uppers are very good quality for the price.
-Carbine length gas system is OK, mid-length gas system is better.
-Their “Enhanced Performance Trigger” is a good upgrade, and some of their complete lower receivers come with it installed.
-The Nickel Boron (also referred to as NiB) or nitride Bolt Carrier Group (BCG) are good upgrades.
-Some uppers come with BCG and charging handle (CH) included. A basic milspec BCG from PSA, Toolcraft, or other quality manufacturer is fine.
-A upgraded charging handle is a useful addition. The milspec version is fine, but if you might want a scope on it someday, you will want an extended one that will not cause you to hit the scope every time you reach for it. This does not apply to red dots, just traditional scopes.
-You don’t need a bipod, or anything else, really, beyond an optic, and/or iron sights. If it were me, I would start with iron sights. BTW, if you buy an AR with an A1/A2 style front sight (the characteristic triangular one in front of the handguard) and later decide to add an optic, you won’t even notice the sight looking through the optic.
-Optics have gotten dependable enough that some people don’t bother with backup iron sights anymore. If you go that route, you don’t need the most expensive optic, but avoid the “eBay specials.” Vortex, Holosun, Primary Arms, and SigSauer all make decent red dots in the $150 and up range.
-Stocks and grips are a matter of preference. You can get by with basic milspec; If you want to upgrade, anything Magpul makes is a safe bet.

If you do opt to build a lower (or an upper) you can tailor it exactly to your preferences. If this is your first AR, you may not have strong preferences yet, so it might be best to just buy one and use it for a while to see what you like and don’t like. If you decide to build one, you will need some specialized tools, and they add up, so you might be better served putting that money towards a better upper.

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