First AR and need reccomendations please

NavyVet88 · August 24, 2017, 06:49 AM

Hello all,

I am new to the site and wanted to ask a couple questions. I am in the market for my first AR(privately owned). I toted an M4 extensively in my 8 years active duty in the Navy so the nomenclature I am already familiar with, but only in the Colt flavor.

1) I can't fork out the money for the Colt that I would like to purchase, so with budget in mind can you guys recommend a good complete setup in the range of $7-800?

2) Would Franken building my AR yield better results with my budget above? Quality speaking of course. I've been told that you can have better quality in piecing the gun together versus a manufacturers "budget" setup.

This gun will be a home defense/bug out type of set up.

I am open to any and all criticism and I appreciate your time. Thank you. NV.

qmasterarms · August 24, 2017, 06:52 AM

I would suggest building it yourself by purchasing and assembling the parts if you are mechanically inclined. The armorers tools required are relatively inexpensive. I unfortunately did the opposite and ended up rebuilding virtually everything and would have saved a great deal of money if I had simply built it from scratch myself.

THE GUNSLINGER

Mobuck · August 24, 2017, 07:03 AM

You can buy an "OK" AR carbine for under $500(maybe under 400). When you start "building" you begin to incur "expenses" such as tools and excess parts and such. If you want to stay on a minimal budget, I doubt you can "save" anything by "building" at this time. "Better quality" by piecing together?? You might(?) but no guarantee.
PSA, Anderson, DelTon(my favorite), and a host of others are in the "good enough" (or even into the best value) category IMHO.
I've toted a DelTon as my "winter EDC AR" since 2008 and it doesn't disappoint me in any way.

cecILL · August 24, 2017, 07:11 AM

A used Colt would fit the budget.

jimbob86 · August 24, 2017, 07:47 AM

I assembled my AR from a PSA stripped lower, barreled upper and LPK for about 700 bucks at a time when the Colt LE 6920 was running about $1200. It works just fine. I imagine you could do the same thing for less these days.

NavyVet88 · August 24, 2017, 07:49 AM

Thanks guys for the info! Mobuck- I have been looking into the Delton line up in my research and they do seem impressive.

Qmasterarms- that is an impressive looking rifle sir. My hat is off to you on that one.

I have been looking in to Rugers Ar556 lately as well and for a hair over 500 bucks it seems to be a good candidate as well as S&W MP Sport models.

NavyVet88 · August 24, 2017, 07:51 AM

I haven't made up my mind if this rifle I'm seeking will mainly serve a dual home/car EDC or if it will stay at home and I'll just carry my pistol in my Get home bag. Lots of options to consider obviously.

pat701 · August 24, 2017, 08:30 AM

Save up for the $800 Colt. Prices are coming down, God forbid a incident that will start panic buying. Buy once buy right.

Eazyeach · August 24, 2017, 10:28 AM

Dude, Google Colt 6920 for sale and I guarantee you'll find one in your price range. I forget where I saw it , but someone is selling a Colt trooper 6920 for $799 and that has a free-floated centurion rail on it. Sweet deal if you ask me. Even though i prefer the 6720.

O4L · August 24, 2017, 11:42 AM

Hello NavyVet. There have been several "First AR" threads in this section lately.

If you browse through them you will find most of the recommendations that folks give here.

Hope you find the one you're looking for!

Metal god · August 24, 2017, 11:53 AM

I have one complete Del-ton and one that I used a bunch of Del-ton parts to build . Both have been great . The FDE one is the complete rifle , the other is the build .

I just finished this build a couple months ago for just over $600 not including tools .10 different manufacturers parts . With PSA ( Palmetto State Armory ) supplying the barrel , BCG & stripped lower .

With optic ( primary arms 1x6x24 gen 3 ) and mount the total was about $950 .

PSA sells complete rifles pretty cheap and none of these are sale prices . keep checking the daily deals and something real nice will come up
http://palmettostatearmory.com/ar-15...15-rifles.html

S&W , M&P-15 for $500 https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/....223%2F5.56+16

Independent George · August 24, 2017, 01:53 PM

The short answer is that below around $600 or so, the budget ARs are probably better than what you can build on your own. From $600 to around $1,200 or so, it's about a wash, and over $1,200 you're better off building your own.

That's a very rough approximation that doesn't factor in sales and so forth, but I'll stand by the general sentiment.

I know people go nuts over Colt, but I don't think you're paying for anything but a logo. Quality has gone up and prices gone down across the board to the point where I think you can now get better quality at the same price, or equal quality at lower prices.

Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk

Targa · August 24, 2017, 02:10 PM

This is a quality rifle at a $700-$800 price point and a border line steal for the price they want for it. Of course by the time you buy sights and a few mags for it you will be pushing that $700 price point... http://www.brownells.com/firearms/ri...prod82606.aspx

If you want a platform to build on this is an excellent start.... http://www.brownells.com/firearms/ri...prod81838.aspx

Inazone · August 24, 2017, 05:01 PM

If this is going to be bought/built with defensive use in mind, take things like ammo, rails and optics into consideration. I don't know about the Navy specifically, but I suspect that your Colt had a 1:7 twist barrel, and that you were probably issued 62gr M855/SS109 ammo. For defensive purposes, there are far more ammo options available to you as a civilian, and many of the most highly regarded defensive ammo offerings are on the heavy-for-caliber end of the spectrum, in the 68-77gr range depending on manufacturer. This is a topic that you could spend days or weeks researching, but the point is that you will want the appropriate twist rate for the ammo you intend to use for your purposes, especially if you're looking beyond in-home defense and wanting long-range precision. A lot of the least expensive ARs tend to have 1:9 twist rates, which is not considered optimal for the heavyweight bullets. Of course, some brands offer the same basic bullet design in a variety of weights. For instance, the popular Speer Gold Dot .223 is available in 55gr, 64gr and 75gr weights, with fairly comparable results across the product line.

I've seen a couple of online retailers selling the Colt 6920 for around $800, which I think is a great price considering that most name-brand budget models are going to sell for $500 without the Colt's chrome-lined barrel. Some also lack a forward assist and dust cover, if those matter to you. But if you pick out an upper and lower separately, you may be able to get the exact same features as the Colt (minus the Colt logo) for a bit less money.

Odds are, you will be perfectly happy with any AR from a reputable manufacturer. Given the current state of the industry, anyone with a poor reputation doesn't last for long. I've bought a couple of complete rifles and a handful of uppers/lowers to "mix and match" over the years, and have no complaints about any, regardless of manufacturer.

ronl · August 24, 2017, 05:33 PM

I just put together an AR from PSA for $419.98, which included the transfer fee on the lower. Stainless mid-length 16" upper. Magpul "blemished" lower. The rifle shoots very well. I'd consider something like that and spend the rest on ammo and sights.

rickyrick · August 24, 2017, 06:07 PM

Every frankengun AR I've assembled for myself exceeds the military issued rifles (except select fire)
They are fairly easy to assemble with acceptable tools and enjoyable too. However frankenguns are really only valuable to the owners, resale would be poor in these times. That doesn't matter to me but it does to many and with good reason.

A colt would probably hold some value longer, especially in the panic eras.

stephen426 · August 24, 2017, 07:18 PM

I think the S&W M&P Sport would fit the bill (pun intended). It lacks some of the frills, but they are decent quality rifles and reliable. I am not sure what your intended purpose is, but it is a great starter rifle that can be upgraded. Bushmasters are also a great value and good quality rifles. Colts have the name, (I have one), but I don't think they are really that much better that the S&Ws or Bushmasters.

stagpanther · August 24, 2017, 07:31 PM

Hmmm..that's a loaded question. : ) All but one of my more than a few AR's was built from scratch; but honestly, given the low prices on completely assembled AR's today I really don't think you can compete with a manufactured rifle unless you want an uncommon caliber/barrel type not commonly found.

I agree that AR's are basically very easy to build. The fine-tuning "inner secrets" though, takes time and experience (at least it did in my case)--so you might also take into consideration reliability vs learning curve in your selection.

My less than 2 cents.

Tomac · August 26, 2017, 12:13 PM

Budget? As previously mentioned, pick up a PSA lower of your choice and one of their Premium/CHF uppers (Freedom uppers are decent, I own a couple but not long enough to comment on long-term use) and avoid the Federal firearms tax on assembled firearms.

Or, check out/save up for the Colt 6720 which is the 6920 w/a thinner pencil bbl, makes for a very light fast-handling carbine right out of the box. Add an H2 buffer w/some mags, ammo and sights/optic of your choice and go to town!

Tomac

Metal god · August 27, 2017, 07:46 PM

Here you go PSA complete rifle for $460 with MOE furniture and enhanced EMT trigger with rear MBUS . Not to bad
http://palmettostatearmory.com/psa-1...516446600.html

Sale ends at midnight .

agtman · August 27, 2017, 08:32 PM

Don't waste $800 on an iffy "parted together" AR or on some Colt-wannabe clone from the latest start-up AR company with the word "Tactical" in its corporate banner ...

If Navy Seals wouldn't buy it, why should you?

Quote:

A used Colt would fit the budget.

That's one place to start, but a slight expansion of the OP's defense budget to a ceiling of $1000 gets him a new Colt AR, and a few Magpul 30-rd mags.

Here's all of 2-minutes of google-fu/research that yielded a link to one online vendor selling a new Colt model 6720 for $900 and a new model 6920 for $950:

https://adcofirearms.com/products/ca...rearms/page/2/

Why "settle" for an also-ran, when you can buy the real deal? That's the one with the Pony on it. Everything else ... is just a cloney.

August 24, 2017, 06:49 AM	#1
NavyVet88 Junior Member Join Date: August 23, 2017 Posts: 3	First AR and need reccomendations please Hello all, I am new to the site and wanted to ask a couple questions. I am in the market for my first AR(privately owned). I toted an M4 extensively in my 8 years active duty in the Navy so the nomenclature I am already familiar with, but only in the Colt flavor. 1) I can't fork out the money for the Colt that I would like to purchase, so with budget in mind can you guys recommend a good complete setup in the range of $7-800? 2) Would Franken building my AR yield better results with my budget above? Quality speaking of course. I've been told that you can have better quality in piecing the gun together versus a manufacturers "budget" setup. This gun will be a home defense/bug out type of set up. I am open to any and all criticism and I appreciate your time. Thank you. NV. Last edited by NavyVet88; August 24, 2017 at 06:57 AM.

August 24, 2017, 06:52 AM	#2
qmasterarms Junior Member Join Date: August 7, 2017 Posts: 12	First AR and need reccomendations please I would suggest building it yourself by purchasing and assembling the parts if you are mechanically inclined. The armorers tools required are relatively inexpensive. I unfortunately did the opposite and ended up rebuilding virtually everything and would have saved a great deal of money if I had simply built it from scratch myself. THE GUNSLINGER Last edited by qmasterarms; August 24, 2017 at 07:04 AM.

August 24, 2017, 11:53 AM	#11
Metal god Senior Member Join Date: April 10, 2012 Location: San Diego CA Posts: 6,876	I have one complete Del-ton and one that I used a bunch of Del-ton parts to build . Both have been great . The FDE one is the complete rifle , the other is the build . I just finished this build a couple months ago for just over $600 not including tools .10 different manufacturers parts . With PSA ( Palmetto State Armory ) supplying the barrel , BCG & stripped lower . With optic ( primary arms 1x6x24 gen 3 ) and mount the total was about $950 . PSA sells complete rifles pretty cheap and none of these are sale prices . keep checking the daily deals and something real nice will come up http://palmettostatearmory.com/ar-15...15-rifles.html S&W , M&P-15 for $500 https://www.budsgunshop.com/catalog/....223%2F5.56+16 __________________ If Jesus had a gun , he'd probably still be alive ! I almost always write my posts regardless of content in a jovial manor and intent . If that's not how you took it , please try again .

August 24, 2017, 01:53 PM	#12
Independent George Senior Member Join Date: September 7, 2013 Posts: 573	The short answer is that below around $600 or so, the budget ARs are probably better than what you can build on your own. From $600 to around $1,200 or so, it's about a wash, and over $1,200 you're better off building your own. That's a very rough approximation that doesn't factor in sales and so forth, but I'll stand by the general sentiment. I know people go nuts over Colt, but I don't think you're paying for anything but a logo. Quality has gone up and prices gone down across the board to the point where I think you can now get better quality at the same price, or equal quality at lower prices. Sent from my SM-G920V using Tapatalk Last edited by Independent George; August 24, 2017 at 01:59 PM.

August 24, 2017, 02:10 PM	#13
Targa Senior Member Join Date: March 20, 2014 Posts: 2,084	This is a quality rifle at a $700-$800 price point and a border line steal for the price they want for it. Of course by the time you buy sights and a few mags for it you will be pushing that $700 price point... http://www.brownells.com/firearms/ri...prod82606.aspx If you want a platform to build on this is an excellent start.... http://www.brownells.com/firearms/ri...prod81838.aspx Last edited by Targa; August 24, 2017 at 02:16 PM.

August 24, 2017, 07:03 AM	#3
Mobuck Junior member Join Date: February 2, 2010 Posts: 6,846	You can buy an "OK" AR carbine for under $500(maybe under 400). When you start "building" you begin to incur "expenses" such as tools and excess parts and such. If you want to stay on a minimal budget, I doubt you can "save" anything by "building" at this time. "Better quality" by piecing together?? You might(?) but no guarantee. PSA, Anderson, DelTon(my favorite), and a host of others are in the "good enough" (or even into the best value) category IMHO. I've toted a DelTon as my "winter EDC AR" since 2008 and it doesn't disappoint me in any way.

August 24, 2017, 07:11 AM	#4
cecILL Senior Member Join Date: August 13, 2001 Location: central IL Posts: 769	A used Colt would fit the budget.

August 24, 2017, 07:47 AM	#5
jimbob86 Junior member Join Date: October 4, 2007 Location: All the way to NEBRASKA Posts: 8,722	I assembled my AR from a PSA stripped lower, barreled upper and LPK for about 700 bucks at a time when the Colt LE 6920 was running about $1200. It works just fine. I imagine you could do the same thing for less these days.

August 24, 2017, 07:49 AM	#6
NavyVet88 Junior Member Join Date: August 23, 2017 Posts: 3	Thanks guys for the info! Mobuck- I have been looking into the Delton line up in my research and they do seem impressive. Qmasterarms- that is an impressive looking rifle sir. My hat is off to you on that one. I have been looking in to Rugers Ar556 lately as well and for a hair over 500 bucks it seems to be a good candidate as well as S&W MP Sport models.

August 24, 2017, 07:51 AM	#7
NavyVet88 Junior Member Join Date: August 23, 2017 Posts: 3	I haven't made up my mind if this rifle I'm seeking will mainly serve a dual home/car EDC or if it will stay at home and I'll just carry my pistol in my Get home bag. Lots of options to consider obviously.

August 24, 2017, 08:30 AM	#8
pat701 Senior Member Join Date: November 6, 2005 Location: South west Missouri Posts: 315	Save up for the $800 Colt. Prices are coming down, God forbid a incident that will start panic buying. Buy once buy right.

August 24, 2017, 10:28 AM	#9
Eazyeach Senior Member Join Date: January 14, 2014 Posts: 706	Dude, Google Colt 6920 for sale and I guarantee you'll find one in your price range. I forget where I saw it , but someone is selling a Colt trooper 6920 for $799 and that has a free-floated centurion rail on it. Sweet deal if you ask me. Even though i prefer the 6720.

August 24, 2017, 11:42 AM	#10
O4L Senior Member Join Date: September 16, 2015 Posts: 646	Hello NavyVet. There have been several "First AR" threads in this section lately. If you browse through them you will find most of the recommendations that folks give here. Hope you find the one you're looking for!

August 24, 2017, 05:01 PM	#14
Inazone Member Join Date: April 27, 2012 Location: Minnesota, USA Posts: 89	If this is going to be bought/built with defensive use in mind, take things like ammo, rails and optics into consideration. I don't know about the Navy specifically, but I suspect that your Colt had a 1:7 twist barrel, and that you were probably issued 62gr M855/SS109 ammo. For defensive purposes, there are far more ammo options available to you as a civilian, and many of the most highly regarded defensive ammo offerings are on the heavy-for-caliber end of the spectrum, in the 68-77gr range depending on manufacturer. This is a topic that you could spend days or weeks researching, but the point is that you will want the appropriate twist rate for the ammo you intend to use for your purposes, especially if you're looking beyond in-home defense and wanting long-range precision. A lot of the least expensive ARs tend to have 1:9 twist rates, which is not considered optimal for the heavyweight bullets. Of course, some brands offer the same basic bullet design in a variety of weights. For instance, the popular Speer Gold Dot .223 is available in 55gr, 64gr and 75gr weights, with fairly comparable results across the product line. I've seen a couple of online retailers selling the Colt 6920 for around $800, which I think is a great price considering that most name-brand budget models are going to sell for $500 without the Colt's chrome-lined barrel. Some also lack a forward assist and dust cover, if those matter to you. But if you pick out an upper and lower separately, you may be able to get the exact same features as the Colt (minus the Colt logo) for a bit less money. Odds are, you will be perfectly happy with any AR from a reputable manufacturer. Given the current state of the industry, anyone with a poor reputation doesn't last for long. I've bought a couple of complete rifles and a handful of uppers/lowers to "mix and match" over the years, and have no complaints about any, regardless of manufacturer.

August 24, 2017, 05:33 PM	#15
ronl Senior Member Join Date: December 2, 2007 Posts: 1,100	I just put together an AR from PSA for $419.98, which included the transfer fee on the lower. Stainless mid-length 16" upper. Magpul "blemished" lower. The rifle shoots very well. I'd consider something like that and spend the rest on ammo and sights.

August 24, 2017, 06:07 PM	#16
rickyrick Senior Member Join Date: March 15, 2010 Posts: 8,237	Every frankengun AR I've assembled for myself exceeds the military issued rifles (except select fire) They are fairly easy to assemble with acceptable tools and enjoyable too. However frankenguns are really only valuable to the owners, resale would be poor in these times. That doesn't matter to me but it does to many and with good reason. A colt would probably hold some value longer, especially in the panic eras.

August 24, 2017, 07:18 PM	#17
stephen426 Senior Member Join Date: March 11, 2005 Posts: 3,840	I think the S&W M&P Sport would fit the bill (pun intended). It lacks some of the frills, but they are decent quality rifles and reliable. I am not sure what your intended purpose is, but it is a great starter rifle that can be upgraded. Bushmasters are also a great value and good quality rifles. Colts have the name, (I have one), but I don't think they are really that much better that the S&Ws or Bushmasters. __________________ The ATF should be a convenience store instead of a government agency!

August 24, 2017, 07:31 PM	#18
stagpanther Senior Member Join Date: March 2, 2014 Posts: 11,787	Hmmm..that's a loaded question. : ) All but one of my more than a few AR's was built from scratch; but honestly, given the low prices on completely assembled AR's today I really don't think you can compete with a manufactured rifle unless you want an uncommon caliber/barrel type not commonly found. I agree that AR's are basically very easy to build. The fine-tuning "inner secrets" though, takes time and experience (at least it did in my case)--so you might also take into consideration reliability vs learning curve in your selection. My less than 2 cents. __________________ "Everyone speaks gun."--Robert O'Neill *I am NOT an expert--I do not have any formal experience or certification in firearms use or testing; use any information I post at your own risk!*

August 26, 2017, 12:13 PM	#19
Tomac Senior Member Join Date: December 15, 2001 Location: Caldwell, Idaho Posts: 511	Budget? As previously mentioned, pick up a PSA lower of your choice and one of their Premium/CHF uppers (Freedom uppers are decent, I own a couple but not long enough to comment on long-term use) and avoid the Federal firearms tax on assembled firearms. Or, check out/save up for the Colt 6720 which is the 6920 w/a thinner pencil bbl, makes for a very light fast-handling carbine right out of the box. Add an H2 buffer w/some mags, ammo and sights/optic of your choice and go to town! Tomac __________________ "His Universe, His rules." - Tomac

August 27, 2017, 07:46 PM	#20
Metal god Senior Member Join Date: April 10, 2012 Location: San Diego CA Posts: 6,876	Here you go PSA complete rifle for $460 with MOE furniture and enhanced EMT trigger with rear MBUS . Not to bad http://palmettostatearmory.com/psa-1...516446600.html Sale ends at midnight . __________________ If Jesus had a gun , he'd probably still be alive ! I almost always write my posts regardless of content in a jovial manor and intent . If that's not how you took it , please try again .