Who makes the best AR-15? - Page 3

essohbe · September 15, 2011, 09:25 PM

I've seen beater AKs, somebody here should put together a real POS AR15, I'm talking made with factory reject bolts and stuff, and the absolute cheapest everything, shoot wolf ammo then and see how long it lasts and if it can keep up with the "big names." LOL!

Yea, let's do it.

Terry A · September 15, 2011, 11:59 PM

I recently traded in my Bushmaster for a Stag Arms 2T. For me, it's everything I'm looking for in the AR platform. Love it!

booker_t · September 16, 2011, 08:34 AM

Northern Competition is a builder of match-grade ARs. They produce some of their own sights and other components for competition target shooting.

OP asked "best out of the box." NC makes a pretty good one for target shooting, from what I've heard (similar to JP but a more narrow product line).

Jim243 · September 16, 2011, 08:55 AM

Quote:

Northern Competition is a builder of match-grade ARs

From their site they are a distribitor of mach grade parts or so it would appear.

Jim

TMUSCLE1 · September 16, 2011, 11:00 AM

Some posters have it right in regards to a rifle. Your use will dictate brand and type.

There are many mfgs that will get the job done with the tactical side. Don't let the elitists at m4carbine.net tell you otherwise. If it was up to them the only thing on the market would be Colt, BCM, and LWRC. RRA, S&W, DPMS, are all well made rifles that will fill many needs.

booker_t · September 16, 2011, 11:57 AM

Quote:

From their site they are a distribitor of mach grade parts or so it would appear.

Check out the PDF catalog. They produce 1/4 NRA rear sights, float tubes with finer threads, expander mandrels, and complete barrels. They distribute for Badger Barrels, which is probably a sister company up there in Bristol, WI. And they sell complete rifles with a variety of custom build options, aimed at competition target shooters.

tirod · September 17, 2011, 11:18 AM

And in my experience, H&R, Colt, GM, and FN are the ONLY brands you can trust. All the others mentioned who aren't government issue cannot certify that all the testing was performed, and cannot show that Tank and Armament Command have accepted them into service.

What good does any of that do when you might want to build a prairie dog shooter in 5.56 and 20"? The Colt 6920 wouldn't rate high, nor the M4. Conversely, why bother mentioning Brands who largely cater to varmint shooting with free float 24" barrels in 6.5G, when the gun needed for the job might be a 14.5" NFA registered piston gun - with silencer?

Brand is useless - except to Children of the Mall who have no other method of understanding firearms except what social group dictates a heirarchy because they ignorantly prefer one over the other. Be advised, real life shooters AREN'T gun designers, they don't have the training to discern chrome vs. nitrided. What they look for is a long track record of reliability they can trust.

Dial telephones would equally qualify with those criteria.

Take the time to study and understand the technology involved, and you don't get trapped into accepting minimal standards of construction based on bureaucratic procedures used to protect the maker. Then you find that hammerforged barrels are the world standard, that other governments expect 1MOA performance, not 2MOA, use nitriding, not chrome, and that the tech in the M4 is spec'd because it was the cheapest way Colt could do the job - and got it their way through adept negotiation.

Brand? Not hardly. What the AR shooting community has done is limit their options by insisting that one company's practices and their bureaucratic acceptance is the standard - when it's not state of the art OR best practice. It's just the cheapest way to get results, and they insist that is what they will also buy from their competitors.

We'll get over this just like all the other uninformed decisions, like those who insist only Curios and Relics that shoot .30 caliber rounds are fit for general issue.

R.Ph. 380 · September 17, 2011, 10:30 PM

ME

ghostman1960 · September 17, 2011, 10:47 PM

RT · September 18, 2011, 06:35 AM

Yes BCM!

booker_t · September 19, 2011, 08:43 AM

tirod; I agree with most of what you say, but at some point as a consumer, one has to choose something. And that something will be manufactured, branded, and sold by at least one entity, perhaps more than one.

The OP asked about an "out of the box" rifle. There are many people out there who have no interest in building their own, they simply want a rifle to plink, hunt, or casually target shoot because it's fun. In which case, we should support them buying one of the many high-quality complete rifles available on the market today, which will inevitably be from one brand or another.

It's similar to buying a house, you'll likely never find the ideal house pre-built. But you can prioritize what elements are most important to you, and then find one that best fits. The house that best fits will have been built by some builder; does that imply they are the best home builder in the region? No, but it is best for that buyer.

For what it's worth, some manufacturer's do post information regarding their testing and certification to meet or exceed Mil-Std, even if their products are not in the hands of Soldiers. Here is an example from Spikes, and I'm thinking you can probably request this supporting documentation from most manufacturers who value their customers and stand behind their products.
http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_2_282/1...Documents.html

flight954 · September 19, 2011, 11:00 AM

The best overall AR I've owned would probably be my LWRCi. I've never owned a Colt or Noveske so I can't comment on them

jolly roger · September 19, 2011, 09:06 PM

Quite happy with my Bushmaster Thank You.

September 15, 2011, 11:59 PM	#52
Terry A Senior Member Join Date: December 27, 2008 Location: Washington, Pa Posts: 764	I recently traded in my Bushmaster for a Stag Arms 2T. For me, it's everything I'm looking for in the AR platform. Love it! __________________ 2 Thes 3:16 "Now may the Lord of peace Himself continually grant you peace in every circumstance. The Lord be with you all! "

September 17, 2011, 10:30 PM	#58
R.Ph. 380 Senior Member Join Date: September 13, 2008 Location: Dallas, TX Area Posts: 151	ME __________________ Space for Witty Signature Line for Rent.......cheap The Bill Of Rights: Void Where Progressives Roam

September 17, 2011, 10:47 PM	#59
ghostman1960 Member Join Date: February 27, 2008 Location: Florida Posts: 99	BCM

September 19, 2011, 08:43 AM	#61
booker_t Senior Member Join Date: July 21, 2009 Posts: 797	tirod; I agree with most of what you say, but at some point as a consumer, one has to choose something. And that something will be manufactured, branded, and sold by at least one entity, perhaps more than one. The OP asked about an "out of the box" rifle. There are many people out there who have no interest in building their own, they simply want a rifle to plink, hunt, or casually target shoot because it's fun. In which case, we should support them buying one of the many high-quality complete rifles available on the market today, which will inevitably be from one brand or another. It's similar to buying a house, you'll likely never find the ideal house pre-built. But you can prioritize what elements are most important to you, and then find one that best fits. The house that best fits will have been built by some builder; does that imply they are the best home builder in the region? No, but it is best for that buyer. For what it's worth, some manufacturer's do post information regarding their testing and certification to meet or exceed Mil-Std, even if their products are not in the hands of Soldiers. Here is an example from Spikes, and I'm thinking you can probably request this supporting documentation from most manufacturers who value their customers and stand behind their products. http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_2_282/1...Documents.html Last edited by booker_t; September 19, 2011 at 11:46 AM.

September 15, 2011, 09:25 PM	#51
essohbe Junior member Join Date: March 22, 2009 Location: U.S.A. Posts: 817	I've seen beater AKs, somebody here should put together a real POS AR15, I'm talking made with factory reject bolts and stuff, and the absolute cheapest everything, shoot wolf ammo then and see how long it lasts and if it can keep up with the "big names." LOL! Yea, let's do it.

September 16, 2011, 08:34 AM	#53
booker_t Senior Member Join Date: July 21, 2009 Posts: 797	Northern Competition is a builder of match-grade ARs. They produce some of their own sights and other components for competition target shooting. OP asked "best out of the box." NC makes a pretty good one for target shooting, from what I've heard (similar to JP but a more narrow product line).

September 16, 2011, 11:00 AM	#55
TMUSCLE1 Senior Member Join Date: February 13, 2009 Posts: 174	Some posters have it right in regards to a rifle. Your use will dictate brand and type. There are many mfgs that will get the job done with the tactical side. Don't let the elitists at m4carbine.net tell you otherwise. If it was up to them the only thing on the market would be Colt, BCM, and LWRC. RRA, S&W, DPMS, are all well made rifles that will fill many needs.

September 17, 2011, 11:18 AM	#57
tirod Junior member Join Date: January 21, 2009 Posts: 1,672	And in my experience, H&R, Colt, GM, and FN are the ONLY brands you can trust. All the others mentioned who aren't government issue cannot certify that all the testing was performed, and cannot show that Tank and Armament Command have accepted them into service. What good does any of that do when you might want to build a prairie dog shooter in 5.56 and 20"? The Colt 6920 wouldn't rate high, nor the M4. Conversely, why bother mentioning Brands who largely cater to varmint shooting with free float 24" barrels in 6.5G, when the gun needed for the job might be a 14.5" NFA registered piston gun - with silencer? Brand is useless - except to Children of the Mall who have no other method of understanding firearms except what social group dictates a heirarchy because they ignorantly prefer one over the other. Be advised, real life shooters AREN'T gun designers, they don't have the training to discern chrome vs. nitrided. What they look for is a long track record of reliability they can trust. Dial telephones would equally qualify with those criteria. Take the time to study and understand the technology involved, and you don't get trapped into accepting minimal standards of construction based on bureaucratic procedures used to protect the maker. Then you find that hammerforged barrels are the world standard, that other governments expect 1MOA performance, not 2MOA, use nitriding, not chrome, and that the tech in the M4 is spec'd because it was the cheapest way Colt could do the job - and got it their way through adept negotiation. Brand? Not hardly. What the AR shooting community has done is limit their options by insisting that one company's practices and their bureaucratic acceptance is the standard - when it's not state of the art OR best practice. It's just the cheapest way to get results, and they insist that is what they will also buy from their competitors. We'll get over this just like all the other uninformed decisions, like those who insist only Curios and Relics that shoot .30 caliber rounds are fit for general issue.

September 18, 2011, 06:35 AM	#60
RT Senior Member Join Date: September 9, 2000 Location: San Antonio, TX Posts: 2,194	Yes BCM!

September 19, 2011, 11:00 AM	#62
flight954 Senior Member Join Date: November 1, 2006 Location: Cypress, Texas Posts: 933	The best overall AR I've owned would probably be my LWRCi. I've never owned a Colt or Noveske so I can't comment on them

September 19, 2011, 09:06 PM	#63
jolly roger Senior Member Join Date: August 15, 2011 Location: Virginia Posts: 179	Quite happy with my Bushmaster Thank You.