What is the best AR15 for under $850?

[tacticalmedic]

I got my Doublestar M4 from Buds Guns Shop for $669. It is better tht my Bushmaster XM. Look them up online, www.budsgunshop.com

[WhyteP38]

The title pretty much says it all.

Well ... almost. I might also add that "best" also depends on purpose, at least for people like me for whom purpose and price are related. For example, I would not spend $850 for a plinker, but I might spend $850 or more for a self/home-defense rifle. An expensive plinker to me is a waste of money in that I won't get full use of the better features; a cheap for a self/home-defense rifle is also a waste in that it likely would not fulfill its purpose.

For a plinker, I'd spend the least amount possible for something that functions reliably (in the sense that it won't blow apart and cause an injury). It might not be the exact configuration I wanted, but I'd be willing to compromise on a few things. For a self/home-defense rifle, I'd pay more attention to the details of the components and configuration, and I'd be unwilling to compromise on anything critical.

[omahahaha]

Whyte, Are you talking about any particular brands? Do you think you can piece together a dependable one for around $850? Do you have any brands for parts you would trust more than others?

[WhyteP38]

Again, it depends on the purpose. Dependable for what? Busting prairie dogs? Target shooting? Self-defense?

You can put something together relatively cheaply, but you'll need to learn who makes quality parts and need to find sales, plus buy the tools. I have purchased a rifle custom-built for me, purchased assembled rifles, purchased assembled uppers and assembled lowers and put the two together, and purchased parts over time that I assembled into an entire rifle. For my most recent rifle, I wanted something for self-defense. After looking at the particular parts I wanted, and finding a NIB Colt on sale, I bought the Colt because it had all the features I wanted, was already assembled, had a warranty, and was only about $50 more than I would have spent on parts.

My self-build was fun and informative, but I'm not as lucky as others in finding sales, so I saved only $100 or so.

For a plinker, I would not spend the same coin as I did on the Colt. I'd probably get an Oly in that case. I'm not a dedicated target shooter, so I can't help you there.

I think that once you decide what the purpose of the rifle is, you would be well-served to go to The Chart and see what features you must have and what features don't matter much to you and then pick accordingly, or buy the components that allow you to build what you want. I don't see any one particular path to your destination as long as you start out relatively informed, so I can't advocate any one particular path.

[zombieslayer]

Stag makes good affordable AR's.

[WhyteP38]

I've had a couple of Stags. I needed to restake the gas key bolts and stake the castle nuts on the receiver extensions, but those are relatively minor fixes. I was happy with them and would not hesitate to own another.

[DubC-Hicks]

I'm still trying to find out more about the Rocky Point Guns Ar15s from classicarms.com. I'm fairly certain they are forged recievers. Does anyone have any experience with them. Their flat top carbine comes with everything I want. (flat top, 4 railed gas block, quad rails, red dot scope and bipod)

[D_Eagle_Meister]

I went ahead and threw myself under the bus for everyone.... Here it goes:

I purchased the National Arsenal AR-15 from Rocky Point Guns and paid approximately $740. This price included the FFL fee and the current generation Magpul rear MBUS. Took it to the range last week and went through a box of 20 Remington UMC 55 grain. My finest group was my last one... 1 inch at 50 yards. 2 were practically touching and the other was about an inch to the right. I'm right handed so it was likely me and not the rifle itself. Bare in mind I got better and better with each 3 shot grouping. Fit and finish is impeccable aside from the Tapco stock this model came with. It came with 2 cheap 30 round magazines that wobble slightly. That said, however, they work well in spite. It fed the ammo like a champion. This model has the standard M4 barrel with 1 in 9 twist and chrome lining. Overall this bad boy is well worth the money, especially given the lifetime warranty. It gets my endorsement thus far. I'll keep you all posted once I get to really test it out more thoroughly.

[Aiko]

Can't you get a Colt for $75-80 more? If not, M&P, Stag and Spikes. Would avoid DPMS (and I own one).

[wingman]

2011 Stag Model 3, $735 excellent quality, tight,staking good, shooting less
then 1.5 inches at 100 yards some groups less then 1.0 with my reloads.

[D_Eagle_Meister]

I went ahead and did a more in-depth review. My last post was rather weak.

Towards the end of this review I entirely explain why I made this purchase. I don't doubt those brands to be good, or even great. I'm merely trying to show my support for a business in my state that is trying to step into the flooded AR-15 market. The people at Rocky Point Guns seem like good folks and stand behind their product. If you want to contact them I'd try phone over e-mail, as my e-mail response time with them was relatively long sometimes. I'm also trying to get into the gear review game, sort of like my personal hero Sootch00 and the always awesome Nutnfancy (hate them or love them). I'm also only 24 years old and a "shepherd" (non-military or LE - I don't use "Civilian Sheep Dog") rookie so cut me some slack =P Anyway... here it goes:

Rating Scale: 5 = F, 6 = D, 7 = C, 8 = B, 9 = A, 10 = BAMF

The Low-Down:
I purchased the National Arsenal AR-15 from Rocky Point Guns via Classic Arms last week and paid just under $740. This price included the FFL fee and the current generation Magpul rear MBUS. It did not come with a carry handle/rear sight. I was going to buy the Magpul MBUS anyway so definitely take that into consideration. Note... this IS NOT the model they currently have posted on their site. It looks entirely the same except with the Magpul MBUS. This is the National Arsenal.

Fit and Finish:
The upper and lower receivers mate perfectly. The fit on this weapon is impeccable. TIGHT. I can't word it any other way. The finish, while not entirely the best, IS extremely consistent with this National Arsenal model. One issue, however, is that it shipped with a standard M4/AR telescopic stock from Tapco. This Tapco product isn't as tight as I'd like it, but it definitely operates well in spite. 8/10

Upper Receiver:
Standard chrome lined barrel with a 1 in 9 twist, standard A2 front sight post, and standard handguard. According to the RPG representative I e-mailed the barrel is entirely mil-spec. Given that it didn't come with any sort of sight is forgivable to me because, as stated earlier, I was going to throw a Magpul MBUS on it anyway. I'll touch on accuracy before my final comments so keep reading. 8/10

Lower Receiver:
Breaking the lower from the upper was a bit tough on the first try because the pins were very tight. This likely attributes to how tight the two portions come together, right? They push in and out smoothly now after having field stripped it a few times for practice. Is it still as tight? Absolutely. This thing fits together better than the Fabrique Nationable M16 I used during my brief college Army ROTC stint a few years back. The trigger is not mil-spec, or so I believe. It is FAR TOO CRISP. This trigger is absolutely amazing. The pistol grip is just a standard M16/4 series style. The fit is like every other part. Safety lever, etc. Sounds too good to be true, right? Yes and no. As stated above the Tapco stock isn't as good as, say, a Magpul MOE stock (which will inevitably replace this Tapco one). 7/10

Accessories:
It comes without a carry handle or rear sight of any kind. It shipped bare flat top. The Magpul MBUS I added (awesome) was an additional 40 bucks to the overall purchase (ergo the $740 approximate price). This is neither hit-or-miss for me. Those of you that expect it to come with SOMETHING would consider it a miss. The sling is some generic two point cheapo. This, again, is neither a hit or miss for me because I'm going to upgrade as I can afford to do so. For the time being this is a hit. Think Murphy's Law... if it's stupid, but works, it isn't stupid. It also came with 2 Okay 30 round magazines. They wobble slightly more than I'd like them to but work. Again, I'm buying PMAGs, so my opinion on that is "whatever" because they work. 6/10

Accuracy:
I'm not going to lie. I've only put 20 rounds of Remington UMC 55 grain through it. I sighted it in with 3 shot grouping (like the military does). Let me clarify ahead of time that I am an amateur shooter. That said, however, I made immense progress with a mere 20 rounds. By rounds number 28-30 (on an earlier run I only shot two rounds) I was shooting out to 50 yards. It produced an inch group with two holes basically touching and one slightly off to the right about an inch. Being an amateur shooter let me say that I believe the stray to be entirely my error and should not reflect the accuracy of the weapon itself. By rookie I mean, prior to taking this out, I'd only shot an M16A2 in Army ROTC in college about 30 times. Back then I couldn't have grouped that well even at 25 yards. This brings me to believe that the Rocky Point Guns AR-15 is a fine weapon when it comes to accuracy. I've read some posts that say it's only a 100 yard gun. After this brief first glance I'd have to disagree. I feel confident that this will prove more than adequate out to 200 yards... maybe even 250 or 300. Only time will tell. 8/10 ... for now.

Overall Thoughts:
I purchased this because, as a true patriot, I support local businesses. Classic Arms is located very close to where I live in N.C. so it only seemed right to purchase through them. The fact that Rocky Point Guns is also a N.C. business is what ultimately made me take on this risky purchase. I'm not sure if you can get the National Arsenal version now because it isn't listed on their site, or Classic Arms for that matter. I don't doubt their current offering is any better or less than the one I currently own.

So you're probably wondering... is buying this relatively unknown brand worth taking the risk? I wouldn't entirely say take a leap of faith because, as mentioned, I'm an amateur and have extremely limited time behind the AR platform. I haven't tried out any CMMG, Del-Ton, DPMS, Spikes, Bushmasters etc. whatevers. In my unbiased opinion this is a fine weapon, worthy of any broke or entry-level shooter such as myself. Do I trust it? At this early stage I'd have to say absolutely. Would I take it into combat? It's my only carbine so... yes. Better than nothing. I trust it so that's all that matters to me. Adapt and overcome should your system fail. Would I endorse this weapon? Maybe. I'll test it more thoroughly in the future and eventually post a Youtube video of some live fire stuff. It is extremely promising.

Try them out if you're ever willing to say f*** it and buy one just because North Carolina dominates when it comes to college basketball (what more reason would you need?). Otherwise give me more time to put it through the paces and I'll get back to you with something more in-depth on Youtube.

Stay frosty and God bless.

[Marquezj16]

Nice review and way to support your local state business. I only have one thing to add.

Standard chrome lined barrel with a 1 in 9 twist, standard A2 front sight post, and standard handguard. According to the RPG representative I e-mailed the barrel is entirely mil-spec.

Milspec M4 barrel is 14.5" with a 1:7 twist. Read article from link below.

http://www.americanrifleman.org/Arti...?id=2288&cid=1

Otherwise, enjoy your rifle and hope it serves you well.

Safe shooting.

BTW, I wonder what the OP purchased as his AR15. It's been over a year since the original post.

[Marquezj16]

2011 Stag Model 3, $735 excellent quality, tight,staking good, shooting less
then 1.5 inches at 100 yards some groups less then 1.0 with my reloads.

What type scope were you using?

[wingman]

Quote:
2011 Stag Model 3, $735 excellent quality, tight,staking good, shooting less
then 1.5 inches at 100 yards some groups less then 1.0 with my reloads.

What type scope were you using?

Weaver 5-20x44, 4plex reticle which is a little thick for my taste but otherwise acceptable clarity I switch over to a Eotech for 50 yard play.
The weaver is heavy the eotech changes it to the lightweight carbine it's suppose to be.

[Marquezj16]

Weaver 5-20x44, 4plex reticle which is a little thick for my taste but otherwise acceptable clarity I switch over to a Eotech for 50 yard play.
The weaver is heavy the eotech changes it to the lightweight carbine it's suppose to be.

Nice set-up. I've taken my scope off my M&P 15 OR. I was grouping well with my Burris 3-9X but I've been on a Red Dot (Vortex Strikefire) and iron sight mode lately. I use nothing but iron sights on my M&P Sport too. Pretty darn accurate, might put a scope on it just to check if it's MOA or less accurate.

I was thinking of getting the 4H upper or model 7 from Stag. I've heard nothing but good things about them.

Safe shooting.

[tahunua001]

I swear by the DPMS sportical, a lot of guys swear by the smith and wesson MP15. I bet a lot of those guys have never shot a sportical if you are willing to build your own then a palmetto state armory kit will give you the closest thing to an M16 you can get without going full auto.

[Glock.45]

Hmmmm build your own seems to be the cheapest way.
I think Ill just have to try it

[Marquezj16]

I swear by the DPMS sportical, a lot of guys swear by the smith and wesson MP15. I bet a lot of those guys have never shot a sportical

Matter of fact, I have shot the Sportical. It was okay in my book. Comparable to my Sport but I would definitely go Sport over Sportical if I had to chose one. Why? Fit and finish and I am more accurate with it.

[blacksky]

DPMS Panther 5.56 NATO Oracle Factory New in box

Whether you are buying your first AR rifle,
or need an affordable yet accurate plinking gun.
Includes Case and 2 30 Round Magazines.

Barrel:
•16" Lite Contour w/A2 flash hider (birdcage)
•4140 chrome-moly steel
•6 grooves, right-hand 1x9 twist, button rifled

Chamber:
•5.56x45mm (NATO)

Method of Operation:
•Gas operated rotating bolt

Bolt & Carrier:
•8620 steel bolt carrier, heat treated and plated per Mil Spec
•Phosphated steel bolt, heat treated and plated per Mil Spec

Weight:
•Empty - 6.3 lbs.

Length:
•Extended: 36 3/8"
•Collapsed: 32 1/2"

Upper Receiver:
•A3 Style Flat Top, Forged
•7075-T6 aircraft aluminum alloy
•Hard coat anodized per Mil Spec and Teflon coated black
•Dust cover
•Shell deflector
•Round forward assist
•Right hand ejection

Lower Receiver:
•Forged 7075-T6 aircraft aluminum alloy
•Hard coat anodized per Mil Spec
•Semi-Auto trigger group
•Aluminum trigger guard
•Aluminum magazine release button

Stock:
•DPMS Pardus Carbine Stock

Handguards:
•DPMS Glacialguards; Oval Carbine Length
•Aluminum Delta Ring

http://www.surplusammo.com/products/...ew-in-Box.html

[D_Eagle_Meister]

Yeah... I was quoting the RPG employee's e-mail response on the "mil-spec" thing. So far so good on the RPG AR-15. I'm exactly 200 rounds through without a single malfunction. Per the site, and the whole steel case ammo voiding the warranty ordeal, I have yet to try any TulAmmo or Wolf. Or anything other than what I used previously for that matter. Thus far I've only been able to get my hands on that Remington 55 grain mentioned earlier. It costs more but the results I've been getting are phenomenal. This bad boy continues to amaze me.

Latest range report:
I'm definitely going to stick with 55 grain because, for some reason, that's the only grain Wal-Mart carries in .223 caliber. Over the last weekend I was able to really get down and dirty. I've yet to throw any optics on it yet, however the iron sights have been proving more than sufficient. The 1 inch group I was getting at 50 yards carried on out 75 yards this time around. Under 1 inch at 25 yards. Much of this can be attributed to me getting more comfortable and familiar with the platform. I went to my grandmother's out in the boondocks and had a much larger space to work with. At 100 yards I was able to produce just over 1.5 inch groups. With mere iron sights, and this being my third or fourth time handling the AR platform, I'm extremely impressed. Everything up until the finale was benchrest shooting for accuracy.

I had a two part finale. 10 rounds at 200 yards (all hit the half-human silhoutte but 1 - I knowingly jerked the trigger by accident) in the prone unsupported firing position. I was extremely happy with the accuracy results at that extended range. Up until then I hadn't shot out that far. It was more of a "I wonder if I can do this" sort of thing, as opposed to an intended test. The last part was the test I looked forward to doing the most: 2 full magazine dumps, 1 after dropping it into a shallow creek and 1 throwing some mud into the mix. I'm pleased to report that both 30 round magazines cycled just fine without any jams. Everything about this AR-15 (other than that ****ty Tapco stock) is extremely tight. I can't stress that enough.

Hopefully next weekend I'll be able to reach the 4-500 round mark. I feel confident that it will get my full endorsement after that. Until then, however, my endorsement still stands as a maybe. All things considered, up to this point, I still trust it. I'm producing amazing results, it's been able to handle what little abuse I'm willing to put it through, and accuracy is spot on from what I can tell using only irons.

Side-note... I'm looking into putting a Primary Arms micro T-1 or M4 Comp series knock off on it. Say what you want about the brand, from what I've seen on Youtube it should prove more than sufficient considering I'm neither LE or military. Do any of you have some thoughts on optics under $200 that aren't complete garbage? I'm not dead set on Primary Arms just yet so feel free to throw some suggestions out there.

[Beentown71]

Vortex Strikefire.

[havgunwiltrav]

hands down this one


http://palmettostatearmory.com/8923.php

[Palmetto-Pride]

I have priced putting together rifles and I just havent been able to price all the parts and come out cheaper.....I have asked many times to provide a list to prove otherwise, hasn't happened yet.

[Fishbed77]

hands down this one


http://palmettostatearmory.com/8923.php

Ditto. This may be the best raging-value out there for a quality AR.

[DubC-Hicks]

Hey guys, I ended up getting a great deal on a new Spikes Tactical M4 LE. This thing is perfect IMO. I got it last August, and so far I have 2500-3000 rounds thru it and it has never jammed. The Spikes seems just as good as, if not better than some of the other brands I have looked at (BCM, Colt, Bushy, S&W). It was well worth the money.