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Posted: 4/28/2026 11:43:10 PM EDT
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Looking for advice on an over the counter mid price range , for first time owner/ buyer. brand and and such. New to it all. |
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I have a Colt and a S&W both solid platforms, you can customize it in many ways. I have also built to Frankin Gun AR's piston driven both are solid as well. Welcome to the group,  lots of great info in here. just be careful around GD.
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“In my defense, I was left unsupervised and when left unsupervised I make whisky decisions”
| The last over the counter AR I bought was a Ruger AR-556 back when they first came out. Runs like a top. It does have a goofy gas block and delta ring, but other than that it works. If I were buying a AR today, I would get a new S&W M&P Sport III. They can be bought for about $700 locally. Vance Outdoors M&P Sport III $699.00 |
Well, I was drunk the day my mom got out of prison....
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Originally Posted By Schlimmers: Looking for advice on an over the counter mid price range , for first time owner/ buyer. brand and and such. New to it all. IWI Zion is a solid rifle also. Threads like this remind how many good reasonably priced rifles are out there these days. The market is well supplied. |
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First of all - Welcome to the board.... Hang onto your wallet and hang on for the ride.... Do not know all your local laws.... AR's are kind of like vehicles - they all do different things. Want to go pick up mulch and plants - truck Want to go out on a date....depends on the gal - truck/sports car Want to go fast....Sports Car With a few basic tools - the lowers are very easy to build. Order the receiver from PSA - have that shipped to you FFL - go do the paperwork and take that home... Order a lower parts kit - get one with a upgraded stock and trigger... Order a complete upper - then push two pins and you have a sweet AR - built more like you want it...you have an understanding of it and you saved some $$ Whole Kit https://palmettostatearmory.com/psa-18-rifle-length-223-wylde-1-7-stainless-steel-15-lightweight-m-lok-moe-ept-rifle-kit-w-mbus-sight-set-5165450249.html Just the upper https://palmettostatearmory.com/psa-16-mid-length-5-56-nato-1-7-stainless-13-5-m-lok-lightweight-upper-with-bcg-ch-5165448205.html Sweet lower reciver....https://palmettostatearmory.com/psa-gadsden-ar-15-stripped-lower-receiver.html To save the dollars - order the lower parts kit and upper all at the same time... If you do not want to hammer in any roll pins...buy a complete lower and then buy the complete upper shipped to your house...easy peasy.... After that one...build a AR-15 with a dedicated 22LR barrel/bold/mag catch...that will pay for it's self in about four bricks of ammo. Have fun! Red |
B Double-O M Spells BOOM - BF
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Originally Posted By backbencher: Smith & Wesson M&P, Ruger Harrier. Not to hijack and maybe I'm way off base but every time I hear Ruger I think about Bill and the AWB. Is it time I forgive? S&W factory tour was awesome and couldn't have met nicer folks. I like my S&W products without exception. I do have a pre-AWB Ruger but I have always felt a little funny about it. |
| First and foremost, WELCOME. All of the four mentioned AR's are good entry level rifles. You should be warned. This is a highly addictive hobby / sport. I have spent more than $40,000 on multiple HK, Valmets, Galil, FAL, Colt, Noveske, and home built AR's and AK's. That is just rifles. Pistols include Sig, HK, Walther, Colt, FN, and more. If you are single, you're good to go. If you're married it could cost you your marriage. Side note 90% have my guns were bought in the 80s and 90s. Today value exceeds more than double. |
All men are created equal. All guns are not.
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In today’s world, even a cheap-ass Palmetto works well and is more accurate than the majority of people shooting it. As for an AR you can find at store for less than $1200 and have good quality, Colt, Ruger, or S&W. The Colt will probably have the best resell value of the three if you decide to get rid of it later. |
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Originally Posted By cornholio123: Not to hijack and maybe I'm way off base but every time I hear Ruger I think about Bill and the AWB. Is it time I forgive? S&W factory tour was awesome and couldn't have met nicer folks. I like my S&W products without exception. I do have a pre-AWB Ruger but I have always felt a little funny about it. Bill is dead and buried and the ownership has changed. Also S&W kissed Clinton’s ass with the internal lock bullshit. If you can forgive them, you can forgive Ruger. |
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Originally Posted By cornholio123: Not to hijack and maybe I'm way off base but every time I hear Ruger I think about Bill and the AWB. Is it time I forgive? S&W factory tour was awesome and couldn't have met nicer folks. I like my S&W products without exception. I do have a pre-AWB Ruger but I have always felt a little funny about it. Originally Posted By cornholio123: Originally Posted By backbencher: Smith & Wesson M&P, Ruger Harrier. Not to hijack and maybe I'm way off base but every time I hear Ruger I think about Bill and the AWB. Is it time I forgive? S&W factory tour was awesome and couldn't have met nicer folks. I like my S&W products without exception. I do have a pre-AWB Ruger but I have always felt a little funny about it. Bill is dead. Ruger ships 30 round mags w/ their ARs. |
I sell firearms produced by the finest child labor in the world, be it Filipino, Muslim, Mormon, Arizonan, or Texan.
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Originally Posted By badredfish: First of all - Welcome to the board.... Hang onto your wallet and hang on for the ride.... Do not know all your local laws.... AR's are kind of like vehicles - they all do different things. Want to go pick up mulch and plants - truck Want to go out on a date....depends on the gal - truck/sports car Want to go fast....Sports Car With a few basic tools - the lowers are very easy to build. Order the receiver from PSA - have that shipped to you FFL - go do the paperwork and take that home... Order a lower parts kit - get one with a upgraded stock and trigger... Order a complete upper - then push two pins and you have a sweet AR - built more like you want it...you have an understanding of it and you saved some $$ Whole Kit https://palmettostatearmory.com/psa-18-rifle-length-223-wylde-1-7-stainless-steel-15-lightweight-m-lok-moe-ept-rifle-kit-w-mbus-sight-set-5165450249.html Just the upper https://palmettostatearmory.com/psa-16-mid-length-5-56-nato-1-7-stainless-13-5-m-lok-lightweight-upper-with-bcg-ch-5165448205.html Sweet lower reciver....https://palmettostatearmory.com/psa-gadsden-ar-15-stripped-lower-receiver.html To save the dollars - order the lower parts kit and upper all at the same time... If you do not want to hammer in any roll pins...buy a complete lower and then buy the complete upper shipped to your house...easy peasy.... After that one...build a AR-15 with a dedicated 22LR barrel/bold/mag catch...that will pay for it's self in about four bricks of ammo. Have fun! Red I recommend buying OEM first, then go down the DIY rabbit hole once you get some AR experience in. My first AR was a frankengun with a 20" bull barrel. I built it for varmint hunting, however it was too role specific and resulted in several more chasing an ever evolving ideal build. |
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I love my smith and Wesson sport II Suggest you crawl pawn shops for one. Basic beginner rifle with no whistles. 6lbs super light weight for what it is. No free float rail and the trigger is really long on the take up but its known for being quite accurate due to its medium contour barrel. I slapped a larue mbt into the lower, added an h2 and a springco blue + a holosun. One of my lightest do all carbines. |
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Originally Posted By Moondog: I recommend buying OEM first, then go down the DIY rabbit hole once you get some AR experience in. My first AR was a frankengun with a 20" bull barrel. I built it for varmint hunting, however it was too role specific and resulted in several more chasing an ever evolving ideal build. Well an AR is a gun LEGO set - I was just trying to help him cut the corner and get something more akin to what he is wanting... These days - you buy a complete lower from PSA and then pick out the Upper....Pull/Push two pins and you are off to the races... the only thing you are missing is the owners manual, safety lock and a magazine or two. The OP has been here a couple of years.... Red |
B Double-O M Spells BOOM - BF
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They're probably all fine. Personally I'd get a Colt. Keep in mind that if you want to get a forced reset trigger a Colt has a weird lower that probably won't work. M and P (at least mine) came with a semi auto carrier that won't work. My buddy's Ruger had a semi carrier. But Ruger bought Anderson and changed their ARs, so who knows? |
| When I was selling guns Smith and Wesson came out with the Sport and it always seemed like a great value that someone who was paying attention spec'd out. Now I see that they are up to the Sport III. Under $700 with a 1:8 Mid Length 5R barrel and a decent looking rail. That's probably what I'd buy if I had to get a complete gun. Honestly just about any of the name brands will do you just fine so don't waste a lot of time on it. If PSA makes a configuration you like then buying a upper and lower separately from them might save you a few bucks. |
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Normal people like motorcycles. Real people like motorcycles.
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Normal people like motorcycles. Real people like motorcycles.
People who don't like motorcycles are just... weird.
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Honestly, I'd have a tough time finding a complete rifle over the counter I'd be happy with. Just thinking of dishing out around $800 for a Ruger or S&W makes me cringe. I remember not long ago they were half that, and the only thing you're getting nowadays that's functionally different is an upgraded handguard. Colt would be a decent option, they just don't excite me. I highly recommend going for a complete lower from PSA and mating it with a BCM complete upper. Install a LaRue trigger and you'll have a great rifle at your mid-range price. |
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Originally Posted By Bloodloss: Honestly, I'd have a tough time finding a complete rifle over the counter I'd be happy with. Just thinking of dishing out around $800 for a Ruger or S&W makes me cringe. I remember not long ago they were half that, and the only thing you're getting nowadays that's functionally different is an upgraded handguard. Colt would be a decent option, they just don't excite me. I highly recommend going for a complete lower from PSA and mating it with a BCM complete upper. Install a LaRue trigger and you'll have a great rifle at your mid-range price. What's not long ago? I can't think of any guns that have doubled in price in a relatively short timeframe. I don't know much about the new Rugers but the Sport III as an evolution of the Sport for under $700 seems like a solid deal. There's no question you can put together an awesome gun with good parts for the same or less. |
BikerNut:
Normal people like motorcycles. Real people like motorcycles.
People who don't like motorcycles are just... weird.
Normal people like motorcycles. Real people like motorcycles.
People who don't like motorcycles are just... weird.
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Originally Posted By ALASKANFIRE: What's not long ago? I can't think of any guns that have doubled in price in a relatively short timeframe. I don't know much about the new Rugers but the Sport III as an evolution of the Sport for under $700 seems like a solid deal. There's no question you can put together an awesome gun with good parts for the same or less. Haha! I can't remember. Am I wrong about this? Seem like they were between 4 and 5 hundred bucks for quite a while. You would get a sweeter deal whenever they ran a sale like at my local Rural King or rebate promo. I'm sure they are solid guns, it's just that the Ruger and S&W rifles don't seem attractive for the price when I see what I get from a shop like PSA. I'm not recommending a PSA rifle for the OP because he's asking about a mid level price. |
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| I am also in the S&W M&P camp. I have one and have put a lot of rounds through it and it has been flawless. I also run Daniel Defense and have a rifle with a Bravo upper and I can tell you without reservation that the S&W is going to do everything you need it to just starting out. |
This is the old Jack Burton, me. Could not figure out how to get back into my old one. OIFIII/OND Disabled Veteran, U.S. ARMY Retired
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Originally Posted By Aimless: Oh FRT are illegal in CO 8/1, so are AR15s if you don't already have it Lol, so is OP just an anti-gun troll? Or just SOL? https://www.ar15.com/forums/armory/The-Mini-14-is-HOT-in-2026-Why-/52-563158/ |
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