Posted on 06/26/2011 4:49:51 PM PDT by verum ago
Hey all, I'm looking into getting an AR15, but am totally overwhelmed by all the choices. What I want is something that's reliable, and has a rifle length barrel. Cheaper is better. I am not looking into getting a crazy customizable hyper-accurate super gun. Just a plinker. I've seen the Olympic Arms plinker, looked kinda rough.
Ar 15 w iron sights is dead accurate at 100 yards. From 9 or of ten events - this will be fine.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2739845/posts
I happen to live in a quiet *proper* upscale community. A crazy incident, which brought 3 cop cars to our street b/c of an individual freaking out with some kind rage over who knows what, happened a week ago. I see it in the way people drive, how they act in the supermarket and unusual outbursts in social settings [like the example of the disgruntled woman at Target.] Things gave changed IMO.
I admit to being lazy, especially in the hot summertime of carrying my S&W.... but after my observations of how normally sedate folks are behaving lately, it's only a matter of time before I'm going to need to protect myself and mine.
Be safe, be well armed my FRiend.
Shotgun News, or gunsamerica.com, or gunbroker.com are good starting places.
Do check the user forums on the Internet. For example, PerfectUnion has a super forum for the Mini-14. There are forums for just about any gun.
Huzzah for Appleseed shoots! Thee BEST way to learn how to shoot your rifle, IMHO. They teach all the basics, and a little American History too on the side.
ALL and all, a good time indeed! All of you who are thinking of increasing your rifle skills MUST attend the Appleseed shoots.
You will learn and do things you never imagined, with iron sights too.
Most people say it’s as simple as A, B, C.
Armalite
Bushmaster
Colt
That reminds me I need to get a Mossberg 500 and some ammo. Who is a good manufacturer of AK-74s?
I bought a receiver and then a kit and built mine.
The Bulgarian model is the best I’ve seen. It has a mounting gadget for side mount scope and is light and accurate from 200 yards in. The iron sights are excellent for target acquisition, so I wouldn’t mount a scope. But if you wanted to, it is easy and stays zeroed very well. Machine takes 30 and 40 round mags. With a thirty on it, a man can shhot it one handed at arms length if one wanted to. Wound channels for the round are massively deadly ripping affairs.
I have an Armalite AE-10, so while I can’t specifically speak to the quality of their -15’s, the materials, workmanship, accuracy and reliability of mine are nothing short of outstanding.
Ooops. My #49 should be AR-10, not AE-!0.
LMT, Daniel and Larue are considered “boutique” ARs.
Excellent quality, but far more than the first-time AR user needs. A LOT of the features on those aren’t “mil-spec” because the spec calls for something different.
Bushy and RR are far from “hobbyist” (government and LE contracts) and and avoiding them would be a huge mistake, because they offer some of the best bang/buck value.
Colt is good, but their fire control pins is the kicker. That puts them out of mil-spec on that alone. Otherwise, Colt would be near the top if it weren’t for the $300 increase for name alone. I have a 6721, but a similar AR can be had for $400 less.
Bushmaster is the #1 manufacturer of ARs for civilian use and has been so for DECADES. Better customer service than the third-tier manufacturers, to be sure. Also a metric ton more options.
- Accuracy
- Reliability
- Customizability
- Magazines
- The ability to reliably and accurately mount optics
...
The list goes on and on.
By the time you’ve thrown a crapload of cash trying to make a Mini-14 work, you could’ve had an AR.
Just sayin’.
Two things done right. First, the price. More importantly, you went to an appleseed where you learned how to shoot it. If you shot a rifleman score, you could outshoot 90pct of the people on this thread. Easily.
STAG makes a good weapon. Bought one for $740.00, left hand, Stag 2. 30 round mag.
I LOVE my Daniel Defense DDM4. Accurate, reliable and priced right.
Saiga
Okay, the next question is where can I get one?
My Mini-14 worked fine for my purposes right out of the box.
wrote:
By the time you’ve thrown a crapload of cash trying to make a Mini-14 work, you could’ve had an AR.
Just sayin’.
I've had good luck with Ruger mags. My Mini-14 has been great on reliablility so long as I use the Ruger mags.
I did buy one 30 round mag from another source which hasn't always fed as reliably as the Ruger 20 round mags. I'm pretty sure the problem is with the 30 round mag, and not the rifle.
I do have a scope on mine. I don't have a lot to compare to, but it didn't seem to be much of a problem putting that on.
The Mini-14 is never going to be as accurate as an AR-15. I knew that when I got it. Up to 100 yards or so, it's accurate enough for my purposes. I can plink 2 liter bottles or gallon milk jugs from up to 100 yards or so. Plinking cans at that distance can be a challenge. That's all I need really. Where I hunt, and where I live, I'm unlikely to ever have a clear shot at a distance over 100 yards. Closer shots are even easier.
Actually, the prices have come down on AR's since I bought my Mini-14. And the Mini-14's seem to have gotten more expensive, too. At the time I got mine, I could have had 2 or maybe even 3 brand new Mini 14's for the price of an old, worn out, used AR.
I might get an AR-15 at some point. It would definitely be an upgrade for me. But the Mini-14 suits my purposes fine, and it was a much better deal when I got it than any AR-15 I could find at the time.
I own an Olympic Arms 16” free floating bull barrel and am pleased with it. I would suggest a flat top and as someone said its about the sights.
Buy at a gun show, or a private owner. There are a ton of weapons out there that guys purchased, fired it once or twice and are now hard up for money. Deals are everywhere.
Enjoy.
Stag Arms.
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