I don't currently own a center fire rifle and have never owned an AR, but I'm considering buying one, and I know little about them. The uses I foresee are occasional target shooting, on hand for defense, and investment. Not that I expect value to increase but just not decrease as fast as my dollars in the bank! And I know some firearms have a tendency to hold their value better than others. I'm undecided on optics/sights at this point but open sights would be nice, maybe add a red dot later. Like with any firearm I appreciate quality, smooth functioning controls, and a nice trigger. What else? Could $1,000-$2,000 get me something decent out of the box? So far I've looked at Ruger and Springfield.
Springfield https://www.springfield-armory...dge-556-ar-15-rifle/ I see they have a rebate until the end of the year.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ridewv,

FN 15 Patrol Carbine M-LOK 16"

quote:

Originally posted by ridewv:
Could $1,000-$2,000 get me something decent out of the box?

Yes, but in that price range I'd look above the big name manufacturers like Ruger and Springfield, and instead go for a step up into something like Bravo Company.

You can buy a complete BCM rifle for ~$1500, or buy a lower receiver assembly for ~$500 and an upper receiver assembly for ~$700 and save yourself a couple hundred bucks by slapping in two pins.

BCM is a step up in quality for not much in price.

Thanks Para and Rogue.

Another question, shorter bull pup versions would be more maneuverable but my guess may not be as accurate? Seems like the triggers might not be as nice, am I correct?

Bullpup rifles have pros and cons. But there's nothing inherently more/less accurate about bullpup designs. (And there's no such thing as a "bullpup version of an AR" like it seems you're referencing... Those are different types of rifle.)

Bullpup Pros:
-More compact with a shorter overall length without sacrificing barrel length and corresponding velocity
-Weight tends to be centered towards the rear, which combined with the shorter OAL, means they can be wielded more easily with one hand while the other hand is manipulating something (like opening a door)

Bullpup Cons:
-Typically have poorer triggers, due to the long trigger linkage required
-More awkward ergonomics, with a steeper learning curve and more involved malfunction clearing
-Some - but not all - designs aren't left shoulder friendly (which isn't just an issue for lefties because there are situations in which you'd want to shoot from your opposite shoulder, such as when utilizing cover)
-More expensive overall, with few-to-no inexpensive but quality options like there are with more widespread rifles like the AR
-Lack of accessories and parts, compared to more widespread rifle types

For a first/only rifle, I'd definitely stick with a quality AR15.

I also have had nothing but good experiences with my BCM rifles. I currently have 2 and am looking at a 3rd.
https://www.bravocompanymfg.com/bcm-recce16-mcmr.html

If you're talking about just one rifle, a good quality AR-15 is all you need. Parts and accessories all over the place. Avoid bullpups or anything esoteric. Stay on the main road.

Avoid SA, inc. (some people call them Springfield Armory, but that's a laugh). The FN AR I've suggested is available on gunbroker for about 1300 bucks. Get it and be happy. You would love it.

Replace that folding rear sight with a Daniel Defense A1.5. I use this on my primary AR carbine and I love it. Very sturdy, damn near bulletproof. You don't need a red dot sight or magnified optics to hit targets at 50 or 100 yards.

Get a good sling- Magpul's MS1 or better yet, Blue Force Gear's VCAS.

Get a couple dozen Magpul PMags, gen 2 or 3.

Mount a light on your rifle. That Magpul handguard lends itself quite well to mounting.

Keep the weight down by avoiding optics and anything else other than a sling, a light and its mount. Ounces turn into pounds.

For the money, it would be really hard to beat that FN carbine. They ate Colt's lunch and took the military contract back in 2017 and they're still the contractor for the M4/M4A1. The only thing left from my first PSA is the FN midlength barrel and that's for a reason. FN makes a damn good AR.

Oh, one last thing. Do you see that metallic sling mount on the bottom of the buttstock? Yeah, don't use it. If you use it to mount your sling, your rifle will not sit flat on your chest; it will want to roll away from your body. You could just run your sling through that slot above it, but your sling can get bunched up in the slot.

The better solution is this:

GG&G Sling Thing rear GGG-1010

To compensate for the weight of this adapter, you can remove that sling mount from the bottom of the stock. If you're a lefty, this adapter is ambidextrous .

quote:

Originally posted by ridewv:
Thanks Para and Rogue.

Another question, shorter bull pup versions would be more maneuverable but my guess may not be as accurate? Seems like the triggers might not be as nice, am I correct?

Bullpups have a funky manual of arms. Mag changes are a bit slower, and triggers are generally heavy and gritty because of the necessary long transfer bar.


If the weight of an AR is a factor, a few things.

Handle several different barrel configurations. A light or medium contour barrel handles much different than a heavy barrel. Unless you are wanting to shoot long range like NRA High Power, avoid a heavy barrel.

If a standard carbine is too heavy, Lead Star made a rifle that they called the Helium. I think that they may have renamed it since it came out. But it is SERIOUSLY light. Like under 5 lbs.

Most adults can handle an AR with a light or medium contour 16" barrel.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
If you're talking about just one rifle, a good quality AR-15 is all you need. Parts and accessories all over the place. Avoid bullpups or anything esoteric. Stay on the main road.

...Avoid SA, inc.....

....Keep the weight down by avoiding optics and anything else other than a sling, a light and its mount. Ounces turn into pounds.

You've convinced me and I'm done shopping. Thank you Para and the rest of you!

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
FN 15 Patrol Carbine M-LOK 16"

FN makes an excellent rifle.

If your eyes necessitate it, you could go this route and add an Aimpoint. Still within your price range and the battery life of an Aimpoint is measured in years. I change mine once a year

https://fnamerica.com/products...series/fn-15-srp-g2/ .

Thanks Indiana. Since my cataract procedure I have been able to focus pretty well on the rear sight, front sight, and target, so I've been shooting open sight rifles more (and actually hitting things). My intent is to keep this pretty basic but I don't have a red dot on anything so I may try one on this. More importantly now I need to procure ammo because it should be here next week.

You ordered an FN? You must post pics when you get it.

Remember- sling, light and magazines.

Yep, a Patrol same you suggested. It should be here next week but deer season for rifle starts Monday and I bet my FFL will be somewhere hunting for a few days, then Thanksgiving, so I might not have until the following week but I will post a couple pics.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
You ordered an FN? You must post pics when you get it.

Remember- sling, light and magazines.

Reminds me, again, that I still need to add a light to mine.

Excellent. A few accessories- and ammunition, of course- and you will be set.

A couple of things- light and light mount. If you really want to do it right, get a Surefire M300. But, if you don't want to invest that amount, you can actually use a Surefire flashlight. Just make sure whatever you use is single-mode. That is to say that it's either off, or it's on at full output. Don't use anything that gives you full output along with, say, a 15 lumen mode. Bad idea.

Either way, I recommend IWC light mounts.

Shown with an M300:

https://www.impactweaponscompo...-light-mount-n-slot/

Shown with a ring light mount which will accept flashlights which have a 1" diameter body.

https://www.impactweaponscompo...mc-light-mount-1-00/

These mounts are ambidextrous.

Choose a flashlight that has a switch which will stay lit with a press-and-click, and not a light that you have to keep pressing the switch for it to remain lit. There are inexpensive switch kits which turn press-only switches into click switches. Ask me for specifics if you go this route.

Shown is an M300 and IWC SMC Scout Light Mount-N-Slot. Mounted this way on the Magpul handguard, the switch falls under your thumb. A great and simple setup.



Sling: Blue Force Gear VCAS (also shown in the pic above)

None finer, but damn, they've gotten expensive.


Lastly, lubrication. A smooth-running AR15 is like good sex: Clean or dirty, it's gotta be wet. Absolutely essential.

SLIP2000 Specifically, I recommend EWL30 and EWG grease. These two products can be mixed to obtain a desired viscosity.





Something to whet your appetite while you're waiting to take delivery.

The rifle:
Colt 6920 OEM2 with your preferred handguard added is hard to beat.

The FN patrol carbine Para linked is also great.

The FN15 Tac3 is also great.

Optic:
I prefer aimpoint red dots. Don’t cheap out here, avoid Chinesium. A used T2 on a Unity or Arisaka 2.26” mount with a Unity flip down magnifier mount and Aimpoint 3x-c is ann awesome combo. The AR15.com equipment exchange always has deals to be found for gently used optics, including all manner of aimpoint.

Light, mount, and switches:
Arisaka Defense for all things illumination. Their light mounts majorly outclass IWC. And I’m not sure IWC continues to function after Earl’s death.

Arisaka 600 series body, E2HTv2 head, and your choice of momentary tail cap, pressure switch, hot button, etc.

Sling: Blueforce Gear VCAS. Definitely get QD sling swivels/mounts. Removing the sling will save you the pain of toppling over other items in the safe as you drag out your AR.

Mags: minimum of 20. Magpul pmag gen3 are great. So are USGI aluminum mags with Magpul followers. I like having a few 20 round mags for sighting in.

Ammo: Buy a minimum of 1k of quality brass case. Keep adding more every month or two.

quote:

Sling: Blueforce Gear VCAS. Definitely get QD sling swivels/mounts. Removing the sling will save you the pain of toppling over other items in the safe as you drag out your AR.

Not if you get this:
Sentry Strap
I use them on all my carbines. That magnetic strap holder is stronger than it looks.

quote:

Originally posted by KMitch200:

quote:

Sling: Blueforce Gear VCAS. Definitely get QD sling swivels/mounts. Removing the sling will save you the pain of toppling over other items in the safe as you drag out your AR.

Not if you get this:
Sentry Strap
I use them on all my carbines. That magnetic strap holder is stronger than it looks.

Or as an alternative, Blue Force Gear offers their own solution at a fraction of the price ($8 instead of $40), the Sling Sleeve:

https://www.blueforcegear.com/sling-sleeve.html

You thread the back of the sling through the elastic sleeve to install it between the two rear sling buckles on the VCAS sling. Then when you want to stow the sling, you Z-fold the sling (much like with the Sentry Strap) and then slide the elastic sleeve over the folded section. This keeps the sling wrangled along the side of the rifle. When you need the sling, a quick tug on the front half of the sling pops the folded section free of the elastic sleeve and out to its full size.