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Old October 11, 2012, 07:14 PM   #1
RevolverOcelot
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Best AR15 Money Can Buy?

I know people are always asking what the best AR is within a certain price range. But what's the best money can buy?
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Old October 11, 2012, 07:19 PM   #2
CharlieDeltaJuliet
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Well that's a can of worms.. Me personally from experience would choose a Noveske, DD or my favorite a HK MR556. But I am sure there are others, these are the best I have used.
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Old October 11, 2012, 07:31 PM   #3
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Buy the 2 you like !!!!
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Old October 11, 2012, 08:15 PM   #4
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Quote:
But what's the best money can buy?
If one went by the "money can buy" aspect, it'd probably be a Seekins, Knights Armament, LMT... or perhaps a Nemo.
CJohnson76's choices are perfectly valid in my book as well.

I guess it's a matter of what means "best" to you... most accurate, most durrable, most reliable, most tacti-cool looking? I've never bought something that was "better" at something than what I could build, but then I've never paid money out of pocket for one of the above brands.

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Old October 11, 2012, 09:32 PM   #5
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A custom made one.
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I own to many AR pattern rifles, I guess that would make me a hoardAR
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Old October 11, 2012, 09:43 PM   #6
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For combat the HK MR556

For precision a Noveske
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Old October 11, 2012, 09:53 PM   #7
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Define "money". Different people have different budgets, needs and purposes for their rifle.
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Old October 11, 2012, 10:56 PM   #8
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I have built many many of them. I am a full time gunsmith and I know the AR inside and out.

My advice is that the best money can buy is NOT the most expensive money can buy. In fact, it's far from it.

The best ones are made from the best part available, and those parts are also not the most expensive in many cases.
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Old October 11, 2012, 11:59 PM   #9
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Best car money can buy?

Hmmm... same dilemma you will get no less than a crap-ton of answers.

There is no best.

However, there is likely the best for your utilization.

For me, it was the LMT CQB16.

Best of luck in your attempt to find the answer, or just to kick the hornet's nest
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Old October 12, 2012, 01:00 AM   #10
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I believe my Daniel Defense M4V1 is a top tier AR and I'd rank it among the best.

Other top shelf brands are LMT, Noveske, LWRC, maybe LaRue.

I'd include HK but I have heard murmurs about piston tilt being a concern in the M416/MR556 platform. I might be off base.

Edit: Oh, and Colt of course

Last edited by LockedBreech; October 12, 2012 at 01:42 PM.
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Old October 12, 2012, 07:54 AM   #11
CharlieDeltaJuliet
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See, dang it, I forgot LMT and Knights Armament... Every choice these guys have listed are Tier 1 AR's. you will be hard pressed to find a better one.
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Old October 12, 2012, 08:06 AM   #12
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Quote:
See, dang it, I forgot LMT and Knights Armament
Don't feel too bad... my

Look! A Chicken!

Where was I... oh yeah, my memory ain't what it use'ta be either.

C
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Old October 12, 2012, 08:25 AM   #13
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It depends on what you want with a rifle. For 3gun just about any would work if reliable. The ranges or distance in 3 gun don't require supper accurate rifles.

If you target shoot, such as service rifle, 200, 300, 600 & 1000 White Oak rules the rost. Just walk down the line of winners and see what they shoot.
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Old October 12, 2012, 08:56 AM   #14
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I have one of the AR's listed above that ran about $1600 when I bought it 5 years ago and another "truck" AR I pieced together from a cheap plastic "Plum Crazy" lower, low priced upper and a spare box of parts for less than $600. Both have over 5K rounds through them and are equally accurate at 100 yards and have never had any repair problems or failures. So which is the best money can buy?
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Old October 12, 2012, 10:42 AM   #15
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I'd probably say a Noveske or LaRue, maybe LWRC if you want a piston gun.

Still, though, all you're really picking up with the Noveske over something like a Colt or BCM would be a greater potential for accuracy.

The AR-15 is an interesting platform partly because of the relatively small price delta between something that is perfectly serviceable and something that is really great. An $800 rifle will do most anything the average person will want done, but a $1200 rifle will probably be about as good a rifle as anybody could hope for... after that, it's all accessories.
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Old October 12, 2012, 10:54 AM   #16
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La rue tactical imo:d
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Old October 12, 2012, 11:30 AM   #17
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I'm looking for something for reliability, not accuracy.
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Old October 12, 2012, 11:38 AM   #18
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I asked that question for a Carbine. I was told the Colt, Noveske or LWRC. I think Daniel Defense fits there, also.

I ended up getting a Noveske Thunder Ranch Carbine. I put an Aimpoint T1 on it with a Vickers 2 point adjustable sling. I sighted the Aimpoint and flip up sights at 50 yards. I haven't looked back. It's a great shooter. I trust it.

For competition or a long range gun, then that's another ball of wax. JP is probably what I'd do for a match grade rifle.
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Old October 13, 2012, 08:04 AM   #19
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IMHO, LaRue or KAC
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Old October 13, 2012, 11:58 AM   #20
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Christensen arms ca-15 recon
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Old October 13, 2012, 02:16 PM   #21
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I would say POF (Patriot Ordnance Factory), I have .308 of theirs and if I could only have one that would be the one I'd choose. It's a piston AR and it has NP3 coating. You can pay more for but you won't get a better rifle.

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Old October 13, 2012, 03:32 PM   #22
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My buddy wanted one of "the best" and bought a "tier 1" Knights Armament for just over $2,000 and decided 15 minutes into our first range visit together that he liked my Spikes mid-length better because of how smoothly my rifle fires.

It's not always the amount of money you spend that matters. To be fair, I had changed some things out on my Spikes (KAC triple tap, geissele trigger, magpul acs, etc). But I had not spent anywhere close to what he had.

Solid reputation for reliability, what you're going to use your AR for, and the way the gun feels (and looks) to you seem to be the more important factors.
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Old October 13, 2012, 03:54 PM   #23
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For me it would be the H&K MR556
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Old October 14, 2012, 12:35 PM   #24
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I can't speak for other "top tier" brands... however... The engineers at LaRue, Noveske, and LMT were all very helpful with my questions, when I was trying to decide on a rifle. All 3 gave me very sound advice and brought up questions about my intended use that I hadn't thought of.

To me, there is value in that.
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Old October 14, 2012, 03:14 PM   #25
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Quote:
You can pay more for but you won't get a better rifle.
In .308 - GAP 10, JP Rifles LRP-07, or the Les Baer .308 barrels are all far better than the POF. For a field gun - LaRue or FN SCAR 17. You'll have to get out and shoot different rifles before you try and make unquivocal statements.
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