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Posted: 1/23/2008 11:01:20 PM EDT
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heI really want a reliable AR-15 and need your help. Some background: I like handguns alot. I have owned/ do own many. My mind set is toward reliability in my weapons. For example. I owned Colt, S&W and Ruger revolvers in .357 magnum. Now I only own the Rugers as I have no ejector rods unscrewing loose or DA revos going out of timing. I have owned Sig, Beretta, CZ, Glock and HK semi-autos. I found the Glock 17/26 combo to be more to my liking for reliability. This is not meant to start an arguement; just letting you know my sense of style. The Beretta and Sigs were sweet to look at and shoot accurately but, I like to shoot alot of rounds. So, when it comes to the plethora of AR-15 choices is there a brand or type of AR-15 that may not be the prettiest to look at but has a reputation for reliability? I would like a versatile weapon so, I guess one that can shoot .223 and 5.56? Or, does this even matter? Chrome lined barrels or heavy barrels to maintain accuracy when the barrel gets heated from shooting alot of rounds? This would be a combat rifle meant to take a beating and keep on ticking ....so to speak. Any thoughts or experiences would be much appreciated. Thank you |
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I just finished building this over the weekend: Stag lower Delton chrome-lined 16' flat top upper Delton LPK Magpul CTR stock And I also stocked up on some Magpul PMAGS. I went to the range with it today for the first time and shot about 400 rounds of different ammo, Wolf, Lake City, Hornady, a bunch of cheap stuff I didn't even recognize, all in different weights. Anyway, I didn't have a single FTE/F. Whatever round I put into the gun would feed, fire, and extract/eject. I was also doing this in about a half-hour, maybe. 400 rounds in a half-hour can get the barrel a little hot. My barrel was smoking when I was done, there was what looked like steam coming off my GB, and it didn't affect the accuracy one bit, nor did it affect the functioning of the rifle. However, none of what I just said means crap because every rifle is different. I could tell you to build a $3000 rifle and you could still have FTE/F issues with certain ammo. I would say you definitely want a chromelined barrel though if you're going to be shooting it a lot. Buy spare parts! ETA: if the barrel si marked 5.56, you can shoot both, if it's marked .223, it could be potentially dangerous to put 5.56 ammo in it. |
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FACTORY LMT Defender 2000 M4 14.5 1/7twist with EXTRAS Runs 100% and is Very Very ACCURATE for a Machinegun Barrel ( SUB MOA BH 77 ) FOR LESS CASH MY HOME MADE BUILD I order a LMT 14.5 upper from BRAVOCOMPANY Slap on the M4 upper to my Bushmaster/VLTOR Lower The HOME MADE M4 is just as ACCURATE AS FActory LMT M4 and runs 100% I like LMT 14.5 M4 OVER the COLT 6920 My Factory Defender came with Better OPTIONS 2 stage trigger SOPMOD Telestaock TD Battle Grip A Highly accurate 14.5 M4 barrel Not those LONG ASS 16inch M4 types Dont get me wrong I LOVE COLT NOVESKE N4 To me its BETTER THAN COLT AND LMT VERY ACCURATE LIKE LMT MORE ATTENTION TO DETAIL NOVESKE N4 LMT 14.5 M4 COLT 6920 16inch M4 Besides my COLT I bought in 1983 I also Bought 2 BUSHMASTERS A1 20 HBAR wich was Very accurate with federal 69gr OTM A1 Bushmaster Carbine 14.7 hbar ( I cut the 16inch barrel in 2001 ) The A1 Carbine was a AMMO WHORE it would FEED ANY AMMO NEVER EVER JAMMED and was accurate. liked 77gr ammo also The A1 20hbar had a burr in the feed ramps But after going back to bushmaster It ran 100% on any ammo AGAIN THESES ARE THE BEST NOVESKE N4 LMT Defender M4 14.5 Colt 6920 |
| Get a Wolf extractor spring and heavy buffer for reliable action. For barrels chrome lined is the way to go. I would go with a lightweight or medium profile barrel for an AR15, but that's just me. Remember the lighter the barrel the faster it heats up, but it also cools down faster as well. Heavy barrels are better for full-auto. |
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Colt, LMT, CMMG, RRA, Bushmaster, Stag etc etc etc. Buy an AR the fits your budget and configuration needs from a site sponsor here and rest peacefully knowing your AR will perform reliably. For me personally, I have CMMG, RRA, Bushmaster and Spikes Tactical and they are all as reliable as the other. |
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"This would be a combat rifle meant to take a beating and keep on ticking ....so to speak." Any thoughts or experiences would be much appreciated. Thank you Purchase the Noveske N4 Light Carbine and you won't have to worry about reliably. LOOK HERE PLEASE |
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I'd just build it....but thats me. You'll get exactly what you want the first time around and save money (might be a bigger up front investment) rifle or carbine? what kind of accuracy are you looking for? what are you going to use the rifle for? whats your budget? (give us a $$$ amount) factory warranty important or are you willing to try to troubleshoot on your own? (i.e. build it or buy a factory rifle) are bragging rights important to you? (*more on this below*) optics or irons? magnified optics or red dots/holo sights? Now what I mentioned before about bragging rights. Everyone has their favorite brand be it for appearance, reliability, or the fact they paid a lot of money for it. obviously names like COLT and LMT are big names in the game...they also demand a bigger price tag ($1K plus for a basic rifle). A lot of people also have unfounded brand loyalties because of the price they paid, and you rarely hear smack talk about them because they go straight to the manufacturer when something bad happens instead of coming on here and complaining about it, which is common with the lesser name companies. Some people guage quality on other scales like how it looks (fit and finish). Combat weapons aren't tight fitting, they have looser tolerances to allow for reliability. So thats something to consider that tight does not always mean better. As far as the exterior appearance of the rifle, if it's a safe queen and you want to brag about it to all your friends then that might be important to you...but if you're using it as a duty gun or something like that, a scratch on the receiver or a small dimple in the metal wont matter because you're going to be putting more on it, same goes for the color of the receiver being uniform. I mentioned tolerances earlier, looser tolerances allow the firearm to run when it's dirtier, be it carbon build up from cheap ammo, dirt, dust, sand, poor lubrication, ect. If the tolerances are to tight then it will take less to bind up the action and cause a jam. then once you get all that cleared up you have to ask yourself, "what pretty accessories should I add to my rifle? 
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Without getting into the brand pissing match, my suggestions for reliability would be: 1) Stay as close to the original, Gene Stoner designed 20" rifle as possible. 16" carbines are cool (I own one), collapsible stocks are cool, but anything you change from the original design has a reliability compromise. The 20" rifle runs fine with the original, wimpy extractor spring and the old, blue rubber insert. Carbines, not so much. 2) Buy good mags. A whole bunch of 'rifle' malfunctions are actually magazines failures. I use C Products stainless steel mags and have never had a failure in shooting from a bench, 3 gun, of at rifle class. The PMags look pretty damn good too. 3) Be religious about cleaning. ARs will keep working if dirty AND lubed, but will fail is run dry and dirty. They run best when clean and lubed. 4) Have you considered a 5.56 AK? The Arsenal SLR106 is (in my experience) durable and uber rugged. That rifle will tolerate shit that will kill a AR and just keep on chugging. BSW  
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Thanks for all the responses. I had not considered the AK as of right now. Still learning about these great AR-15's. BRD (black rifle disease) is VERY contagious I hear. It would seem that there are many good makers of this type of rifles. It also seems that there are few brands that stand out. Thank you agin for giving some options to research. I will let you know what I decide and how she shoots. |
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Can only comment on what I've actually owned. All 3 have been exceptionaly reliable. 1) Colt SP1. 1980's manufacture. Owned 2. Neither one ever jammed with LC ball or handloads. Aprox. 1500 rounds fired through each. Yes, I miss em.  I'm sure the current Colt's are every bit as reliable. Aprox. $1300.00 new for 6920 model.2) RRA's Entry Tactical model. Purchased new last year and has seen aprox. 1200 rounds of Wolf ( 500 ), LC ball M193? ( 100 ), and 600 rounds of Rem UMC 55 gr. The only hicup was 1 ( one ) short stroke with the Wolf when the weapon was new. Wolf is known to be under powered as is RRA's reputation for building tight weapons. The failure was in the 2nd 30rd. mag and I have had NO other failures in the subsiquent 1100+ rounds. Price is aprox. $1000.00 new. Sometimes a few bucks less from the folks here ( can you say "Legal Transfers"? ) 3) Home built Frankengun ( lower ) useing a Mega Machine lower as the foundation filled with quality parts ( RRA's LPK, Buffer, and spring ) At this point, I'm still mating it to the above RRA's upper. It functions flawlessly with aprox. 500 rounds of the Rem. UMC. Add a quality upper from any one of the many links above, and you end up spending about $800.00. As mentioned, you can ( and in my opinion, should ) build one yourself. Reasons are it's cheaper, if built correctly and with quality parts, its every bit as reliable as any Colt, LMT, or any other make. Before any defender gets their pantys in a bunch, I said "built correctly, and with Quality parts". And as most of us know, that is easily done thanks to the variety of excellent vedors that advertise here as well as the top notch build section that makes it almost too easy. Of the 3 listings above, I have to say I like my self-built one the best. I was able to build it exactly as I wanted and at the pace I could afford. I also dont worry about lowering the value of it as I change things to suit my desires/needs as would be the case with the 1st two. Building it also gave me better insight into how things interact and improved my trouble shooting skills if they ever should be called upon. Last but not least, it was fun.  Stay away from Hess/Vulcan/Blackthorn and you will be fine. Pick a rollmark you like, and go for it!
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Above is true Statement ^ Dept Owned Colt M4 14.5- I Like It. But when its my money I love my personally owned Rock River Arms EliteCAR A4 Middy. John |
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