AR-15

Jcalder

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Sep 18, 2012
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Cookeville
I've kinda got a hankering for an AR. I'm pretty ignorant on them so what brands should I stay away from. What brands should I look at. I'm not looking for anything over a grand. I know people build them but I have no idea what's available and what isn't. I did look at some psa uppers, lowers, and complete rifles but I'm just not sold on it yet. Some advice would be greatly appreciated. And yes, I know this isn't the right time to be buying one.
 

backyardtndeer

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Jul 29, 2015
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West Tennessee
Last I checked there were still some available out there. Really what you decide on should depend on the purpose you intend to use it for. Rural king has had some very good deals online, however I have not checked their stock status lately.

Great thing about them is they are easy to upgrade, granted you can find the parts.
 

Tenntrapper

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Aug 29, 2016
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I think it would mostly depend on your intended use. I'm not in to ARs, they just don't do anything for me. However, I've had a few of the less expensive ones, and one really nice one. The less expensive ones were the DPMS, and S&W brands. The "nice" one was a Windham Vex SS. Two completely different intended purposes...and weights.
You like piddling with guns, you might try getting a lower and build what you want. Just my .02 cents.
 

duckriver

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Dec 24, 2013
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River Bottom
I've got a few and are around a lot of them. The 2 best imo bang for the bucks right now are the iwi Zion-15 and the sig tread coil. I just got the coil and a buddy got the Zion and we've done a fair amount of shooting the last little bit with them. The are both excellent for the price point.
I've also got one I built. It's my favorite but off the shelf those 2 beat the M&P 15 I had and are better than my dads Ruger Ar- 5.56
The Ruger and m&p are about the same
 

philsanchez76

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Jul 6, 2019
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Middle TN
Im not an AR guy so I don't know about brands etc. But there isa gun show in Lebanon coming up in the next week or so. I went to the last one in early December and they had plenty of ARs
 

Remington700

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Dec 22, 2016
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West TN
Depends on the quality you want and what you want to spend. If I were buying I would want a Colt 6920 or 6940. Although they will be a premium since Colt has stopped making them. I would also look at a BCM. These are high quality AR's. There are several good ones out there.
 

TheAirMan

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Jun 18, 2001
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Moss, Tennessee
Unless you just want the fun of building it, you won't save much if you are just wanting something basic. Palmetto has a completed upper and lower parts kit for $500. There stripped lower will run you a little over $100 now. They will get you with tax and maybe shipping on the lower. I've seen the M&P's online for $700 lately. Also, the m&p will come with a rear sight. I'm pretty sure the palmetto wont. Now how they compare to each other quality wise, I cant really say. As stated before ammo will probably be double what it was, if you can find it. Also, allow some in the budget for some extra mags.
 

backyardtndeer

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West Tennessee
Cannot speak for psa stuff, have no first hand experience with them. Aero precision is very good especially for their price point.

If you can find one, rock river was at one time very good, my varmint model is still one of the most accurate rifles I own.

If looking to build one, would look at ballistic advantage barrels. For the money, they are hard to beat imo.
 

Crow Terminator

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Oct 23, 1999
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McMinn County
That's sort of the allure of an AR, they are pretty much the same and most all accessories are drop in and fit all brands. It more the less comes down to how you want it to look, aka how customizable you make it. They all break down the same way. They all take the same mags. Well, at least for the 223/556. That is probably the biggest difference, the calibers IMO. Some companies have tighter tolerances and higher end accessories on them out of the box and some you are just paying for the name brand. PSA makes good stuff for the price. Radical brand ain't bad for the price either. Any of them are inflated prices right now and expect to pay right around $1 a round for FMJ 223/556 ammo right now. I almost would like to have one in .308 or at least 7.62x39 but that ammo is hard to find too.
 

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