Wanting 3 new weapons, need some help

[waste land]

Little introduction so you know my knowledge base.

I'm a US Marine serving on my second tour in Afghan. I have a fine understanding of maintenance and shooting (both long distance marksmanship and combat). Currently own a few shotguns that I have hunted with since I was young, and a Llama .45ACP 1911 that I'm the third generation to own.

Now, when it comes to civilian rifles and such I don’t know a good buy from a hole in the ground. Here is what I'm looking for.

1. A new 1911. I currently have my heart set on a Kimber Pro Carry II as my concealed weapon

2. An AR variant. Flat top with rail mounted carrying handle/iron sight telescoping stock, 14.5" barrel maybe smaller depending on what’s available, replaced hand guards with rail system, bayonet stud preferred. Accepts Sling

I have been looking at the Double Star brand rifles and many seemed pleased base on reviews. This rifle will be used for sport/home defense. 200 to 300 yard for fun shooting. Weapon will be equipped with some form of red dot sight later down the road, along with a light and forward grip. I have tons of crap left over such as rail rubbers, forward handgrips, magazines, rifle bag,and emergency iron sights left over from military so not a huge problem. Looking at spending under $1000 for initial setup, not including optics and such

3. Looking for a cheap bolt action .22LR that is capable of taking a bi-pod, sling, and a decent scope. Been checking out the Savage Mark II F. Looks like it is available new without gizmos in the $160-180 area. Can anyone tell me if this is rifle is worth that much? Will be used for plinking and fun shooting, not for comp shooting or anything.

I'm thinking of purchasing the weapons in that order. Once I return home (6 months left) fingers crossed

My unit does quite a bit of moving around, and for the moment I am at a little base that actually has internet, will be back out on the ground again within a week or less. Thanks in advance for any advice you guys have for me, I apologize if I don’t respond for awhile.

[GAR700]

I can only speak to the Kimber and the Savage. Both are fine choices for what you are looking for.
I have never had any negative experience with the Kimbers but I hear rumors (some would call them lies) that they are more picky about functioning dirty. You wrote that you are familiar with both the 1911 and general firearm maintenance so this probably won't be a problem.
The Savage is great. I have never found or heard anything that would lead me to shy away from buying one. They should be worth every bit of 160-180. I am personally a Marlin guy for my bolt 22's simply because they have never let me down so I don't see any reason to switch.
Good Luck,
GAR

[jsimmons]

1911 - I have a (massaged) Springfield GI. I love it. I've heard really good things about RIA 1911's which are about 30% less than a comparable Springfield. Before putting money on a Kimber, look at the RIA 1911.

AR-15 - I recommend the Smith&Wesson M&P15. It's solid, reliable, and shoots both steel and brass ammo without a hiccup. You simply can't go wrong with a M&P15.

Bolt-action .22 - The CZ-452 is inexpensive and accurate. I have one, and it's a GREAT bolt-action rifle.

[motorhead0922]

Savage Mark II is a great choice. Just make sure you get one with the accutrigger. It is soooo sweet.

Welcome to TFL, and thanks for serving!

[JackieNeil]

I have the Kimber Compact SS and love it.

[kaylorinhi]

Semper Devil,

For the Kimber, I have an STS UC II, The only problem I have had is that it does not chamber Cor-Bon 185+P DPX ammo. Their Hollow Point is just to wide/sharp. I have had no other problems with my Kimber including 6 other types of ammo.

For the AR, I bought a DPMS PantherLite 16. It will not fit your Pre-Req's as it has a bayonet lug but our new issued bayonets will not fit snug. The ring that would fit around the rear portion of the Compensator sits about two inches behind the rear of the birdcage. My personal experience with DPMS is all pound cake! 0 FTF/FTF, 0 Stovepipe, 0 Double Feed. Accuracy is sufficient for HD/plinking! She likes GI mags but loves those P-Mags "Their like Butter". Hope this helps.

[IZZY]

1911 COLT, maybe the IMBEL ( "Springfield" the youngest name in arms) both are forged and the colt holds a premium over many other chepaer models.

AR- COLT ( Cdnn investments seems to have some good deals on them recently) OR CMMG or...?

.22 Zavasta Z5 , if you want to go cheap the MARLIN 795 ( ok semi) can be had for a little over a hundred. I had to send my savage bolt in to be "tuned" to feed properly, but it was accurate. My marlin feeds great and is just as accurate with irons.

[ChadCD]

My most recent 1911 is a Nighthawk GRP Recon, like it enough that I may start using the platform as a ccw after several years away from the 1911, been running the XD or M&P.

AR - all of mine are custom jobs but if I was buying off the shelf I would look at LMT, LaRue or Daniel Defense.....with an Aimpoint T1.

For the .22, Savage seems to do very well for the price, my experience is with their .17hmr and it has been a good buy, for a .22 I went with the CZ452.

S/F

[Duxman]

1911 - I second the suggestion of a Springfield Armory for the price range that you are looking at.


AR - I go with Chad on this one - get an LMT or a Colt 6920. (1k) If you want the top of the line and are willing to spend a little more: KAC SR15.

.22 - go with the classic - the 10/22.

[HelterSkelter]

i don't know much about ar's or .22 rifles but the kimber pro carry 2 is a nice little gun. it has a really nice trigger. even though it's small i would not try to carry it. although many people argue that since the 1911 is not wide it is easy to carry i still find it quite large even with the pro carry's 3 inch barrel, and with that short barrel you sacrifice quite a bit in terms of power and accuracy. if you are looking to buy a 1911 the pro carry is a really neat little gun, but if you are looking for a carry weapon go with a revolver, more powerful, more reliable, nuff said.

[BusGunner007]

Thank you for serving, Sir.
I second the COLT recommendations for the 1911 & AR. You may get a great discount because of your service.
For a .22LR rifle...a really cool option would be a Remington 552 Speedmaster which would give you the option of shooting .22 S,L,or LR in a tube-fed autoloader; the only one of its kind on the market. Timeless and versatile, not to mention a lot of FUN.
I would suggest TWO 1911's, and see if you can work a deal on that.

:D

[Powderman]

One other thing...you mentioned that you wanted a 14.5 inch barrel.

You're probably thinking about your M4--also known as the Colt 6921. This is a select fire short barreled rifle, and as such, is highly regulated by the National Firearms Act (NFA).

In all likelihood, since the 6921 was manufactured after 1986 (when they closed the NFA register) you will not find one that is transferable to you.

The closest that you can get (as mentioned by other posters) is the Colt LE6920. The only difference between that and your current issued rifle is that it is semiautomatic only, and has a 16" barrel. Other than that, it is exactly the same gun--chrome lined barrel and chamber, MPI inspected and proofed, and GI serviceable/milspec parts (complete with NSN and CAGE codes). You can not go wrong if you purchase one of those rifles.

[94bluerat]

My DoubleStar shoots better than I do. It is a very good company. Those folks make great rifles!

[waste land]

displeased I'm not allowed to own smaller then a 16"....due to my small height the 14" just feals so comfortable even if its only a 2" diffrence.

As far as the AR goes, I'm thinking of the

DPMS A3 Lite 16
http://www.dpmsinc.com/store/products/?prod=5428&cat=1891

The website calls for a 759 dollar sale price, how much of a price diffrence am I loking at when I start looking to buy from a local store?



For the 1911....I'm thinking Kimber is my gun after looking(not shooting). Most of the colts I liked seem to run the same price or more



For the .22....I do believe my wife has decided to buy me a savage mark ii F for my birthday and coming home present

What all would I need to attach a scope to this rifle? and looking for suggestions for scope around the $110 range

[Achilles11B]

While I can't really help with 1911 or bolt-action .22 advice, I completely recommend looking at LaRue for the AR. I have one built around their Stealth upper receivers, and I absolutely love it. Accurate, reliable, and if you want to go the NFA route, they have a 12" upper you might be interested in. Outstanding customer service, too.

[GAR700]

I like a 4x scope for a 22. As far as brand goes, there are lots of choices for 110 dollar range. Make sure you do a little research about the customer service department for your scope maker.
GAR