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Posted: 1/19/2014 8:37:43 PM EDT
| Hi guys, newbie here. Just recently picked up an interest in AR-15 and want to get one for defensive use. I have been overwhelmed at all the info I have gathered over the net and feel I may now be overthinking this. I was considering a KAC SR-15 E3 but then realized it was perhaps too much of a weapon for such a newb despite the price, then started considering a Colt LE6920, or LE6920 Socom 2. I have no particular preference of brands though I have read good things about Noveske, LMT, DD. I have a flexible budget of $1,500 - $2,000 more or less. I was also thinking going with a regular Colt LE6920 at $1050 and perhaps investing on upgrades, however, I wouldn't know where to start. I am not familiar with the components of a AR-15 so the use of links with pics would be helpful. I should also mention I love to upgrade my toys from the get go. Let me apologize in advance if I should have read a particular post before coming to post here. Hope I can get some guidance as I know I am all over the place. Thanks. |
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If you are going to spend anywhere north of $1500 (and you will likely on included upgrades down the road if you buy a 6920) just get the KAC and change out the pistol grip. The KAC is ready to go right otb. I feel I need to work my way up to appreciating such piece, also I think they are in the $2000 + range price point. The more I keep reading, the more I feel I'll be going with a LE6920MP-B and upgrading to a KAC RAS, upgrading to a B5 Sopmod, and getting Aimpoint Pro. Don;t know what else I may looking at upgrading but at least those are in the list. |
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make sure you get or leave room in your budget for a free float rail and maybe a red dot or at least some iron sights.
A lot of ar's can come pretty bare and end up costing you a lot more before you are all done if you don't know what you are looking for from the get go. |
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I feel I need to work my way up to appreciating such piece, also I think they are in the $2000 + range price point. The more I keep reading, the more I feel I'll be going with a LE6920MP-B and upgrading to a KAC RAS, upgrading to a B5 Sopmod, and getting Aimpoint Pro. Don;t know what else I may looking at upgrading but at least those are in the list. Quoted:
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If you are going to spend anywhere north of $1500 (and you will likely on included upgrades down the road if you buy a 6920) just get the KAC and change out the pistol grip. The KAC is ready to go right otb. I feel I need to work my way up to appreciating such piece, also I think they are in the $2000 + range price point. The more I keep reading, the more I feel I'll be going with a LE6920MP-B and upgrading to a KAC RAS, upgrading to a B5 Sopmod, and getting Aimpoint Pro. Don;t know what else I may looking at upgrading but at least those are in the list. The KAC RAS is very expensive for what it is. |
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The KAC RAS is very expensive for what it is. Quoted:
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If you are going to spend anywhere north of $1500 (and you will likely on included upgrades down the road if you buy a 6920) just get the KAC and change out the pistol grip. The KAC is ready to go right otb. I feel I need to work my way up to appreciating such piece, also I think they are in the $2000 + range price point. The more I keep reading, the more I feel I'll be going with a LE6920MP-B and upgrading to a KAC RAS, upgrading to a B5 Sopmod, and getting Aimpoint Pro. Don;t know what else I may looking at upgrading but at least those are in the list. The KAC RAS is very expensive for what it is. OK say I wanted a KAC SR-15 E3, where could I find one online? They seem very hard to get. |
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Hi guys, newbie here. Just recently picked up an interest in AR-15 and want to get one for defensive use. I have been overwhelmed at all the info I have gathered over the net and feel I may now be overthinking this. I was considering a KAC SR-15 E3 but then realized it was perhaps too much of a weapon for such a newb despite the price, then started considering a Colt LE6920, or LE6920 Socom 2. I have no particular preference of brands though I have read good things about Noveske, LMT, DD. I have a flexible budget of $1,500 - $2,000 more or less. I was also thinking going with a regular Colt LE6920 at $1050 and perhaps investing on upgrades, however, I wouldn't know where to start. I am not familiar with the components of a AR-15 so the use of links with pics would be helpful. I should also mention I love to upgrade my toys from the get go. Let me apologize in advance if I should have read a particular post before coming to post here. Hope I can get some guidance as I know I am all over the place. Thanks. Just my .02, but... There's no such thing as "too much of a weapon" for newbs, quality is quality and it never hurts. The Colt you mention is a nice rifle. If you're using it for defensive purposes the standard model will be fine, no need to spend extra money on the SOCOM model, esp if you want to tinker with it. Speaking of that, the KAC rifle you mention also looks like a nice rifle, but it's expensive because it already has a lot of fancy parts on it. No need to spend that kind of money if you're going to replace the furniture anyway... If it was me, I'd go with the Colt (around $1000), B5 SOPMOD stock ($100), and DD M4A1 RIS II FSP hand guards ($400). I know the hand guards seem kind of pricey, but they give you a longer grip length and let you keep the stock front sight which is a good thing IMO. So figure about $1500 so far, and you can still spend $400 on the Aimpoint and make your $2000 budget. |
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I would highly recommend a Colt. I recently went through two months of search and deliberation in an effort make an informed purchase on a new AR.
Search AR15.com for my original detailed post on my experience (COLT AR6720). With that introduction, check out these photos of the Colt AR6720 LE. My digital postal scale indicates 5.9 lbs. The rifle carries perfectly balanced in my hands with a full 20 rd magazine. Impressive build quality. Accurate beyond my capabilities at long range with "peep sight" aperture sights. The 4th photo shows a frying pan lid I suspended with string to serve as a homemade redneck silhouette target placed at 300 yards distance. Standing upright with handguard braced against a tree. 20 rounds fired, 9 hits.... NO WAY! I COULD HARDLY SEE THE DAMN THING AGAINST THE FRONT SIGHT POST AT THAT RANGE! Did I say I like this rifle yet? Wow. Hats off to Colt USA. http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/zz318/TommySohappy/dab909b6-149b-431e-973f-d223ca58a46d_zps40b14f64.jpg http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/zz318/TommySohappy/20131227_230647_zps6d62cad1.jpg http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/zz318/TommySohappy/20131227_231323_zps2382aeca.jpeg http://i839.photobucket.com/albums/zz318/TommySohappy/20140118_145926_zps62d114d3.jpg Snug15 |
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The KAC RAS is very expensive for what it is. Quoted:
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If you are going to spend anywhere north of $1500 (and you will likely on included upgrades down the road if you buy a 6920) just get the KAC and change out the pistol grip. The KAC is ready to go right otb. I feel I need to work my way up to appreciating such piece, also I think they are in the $2000 + range price point. The more I keep reading, the more I feel I'll be going with a LE6920MP-B and upgrading to a KAC RAS, upgrading to a B5 Sopmod, and getting Aimpoint Pro. Don;t know what else I may looking at upgrading but at least those are in the list. The KAC RAS is very expensive for what it is. I would say it is a bit expensive for what it is ($351 retail price) though it is a GREAT rail system. And there are viable options, like the fact that you can pick up RAS Seconds (Slightly Blemished) directly from KAC for $150. That's a 58% discount and from everything I hear, the blemishes are usually unable to even be found. |
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OK say I wanted a KAC SR-15 E3, where could I find one online? They seem very hard to get. Quoted:
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If you are going to spend anywhere north of $1500 (and you will likely on included upgrades down the road if you buy a 6920) just get the KAC and change out the pistol grip. The KAC is ready to go right otb. I feel I need to work my way up to appreciating such piece, also I think they are in the $2000 + range price point. The more I keep reading, the more I feel I'll be going with a LE6920MP-B and upgrading to a KAC RAS, upgrading to a B5 Sopmod, and getting Aimpoint Pro. Don;t know what else I may looking at upgrading but at least those are in the list. The KAC RAS is very expensive for what it is. OK say I wanted a KAC SR-15 E3, where could I find one online? They seem very hard to get. I bought one from "Lawmens and shooters supply". The Colt is not a bad rifle by any means, especially if you keep it stock. The reason I think you should go with the KAC is because you are considering it as an option in the first place. That tells me that inside of 6 months you will probably drop about 500 to 600 dollars on a handguard , stock and trigger replacement. With the KAC you won't replace anything but the pistol grip and they can be had at just under $2k if you shop around. |
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Quoted:
I feel I need to work my way up to appreciating such piece, also I think they are in the $2000 + range price point. The more I keep reading, the more I feel I'll be going with a LE6920MP-B and upgrading to a KAC RAS, upgrading to a B5 Sopmod, and getting Aimpoint Pro. Don;t know what else I may looking at upgrading but at least those are in the list. Quoted:
Quoted:
If you are going to spend anywhere north of $1500 (and you will likely on included upgrades down the road if you buy a 6920) just get the KAC and change out the pistol grip. The KAC is ready to go right otb. I feel I need to work my way up to appreciating such piece, also I think they are in the $2000 + range price point. The more I keep reading, the more I feel I'll be going with a LE6920MP-B and upgrading to a KAC RAS, upgrading to a B5 Sopmod, and getting Aimpoint Pro. Don;t know what else I may looking at upgrading but at least those are in the list. Looks like you've done a good amount of research if you're already pulling ideas like this together. However, I wouldn't get one all Magpulled out if you are just going to swap the hand guard and stock. I'd go with the standard Colt 6920, then add the RAS and Sopmod stock. In your OP, you mention defensive purposes so I'd also start looking at lights and mounts. A decent 2 point sling like the Magpul MS3 would work well also. Don't make this more complicated than it is. You have some good ideas and It's a great place to start. |
| Thank you all for the vote of confidence on the Colt. I was talking to a friend who highly recommended a POF P415 over the KAC SR-15 as it is not as overpriced and is pretty much good to go from the get go. Is the POF P415 favorable to you guys? I am able to get one brand new at $1750 OTD. I am still considering the LE6920 + upgrades but just want to consider all options out there. Also, what is the advantage of going with a 16" barrel instead of 14.5"? |
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Do you have a little bit of mechanical ability? Nobody made what I wanted so I researched like crazy, went to gun shows and got touchy-feely with components, and built mine. I don't have to chance anything because all my "upgrades" were the original parts to my rifle. Taught me what all the parts do in my rifle as well, and it's pretty amazing how simple of a machine the AR is.
If this interests you watch these and decide it you can manage building, they made it so simple Icould do it, bet you can do it too... http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/lid=11004/learn/ |
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First , stop talking to the friend who recommended POF over KAC, he doesn't know what he is talking about.
KAC is ready right out of the box. Colt would be less expensive., and you can change out the handguards to something else. I'm a big KAC fan, so if you can swing a KAC I'd say do it. Also if you ever need to sell the KAC will it will fetch alot more than the Colt. |
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Thanks again for the replies. My friend just lent me these two AR-15s. One seems like an older generation KAC SR-15 M4 and the other one, a POF P415. Both are setup pretty much the same. I will give them a try on Thursday. My friend pretty much prefers the gas piston rather than the direct impingement which I got no clue about what he's talking about. He likes the fact that there's no need to oil a gas piston as opposed to a DI. Anyhow I can definitely say that I like the balance and weight of the KAC better. Now I'll shoot them both and see if I can tell the difference and asses which I like best. If I happen to like and choose the KAC, what's there to upgrade if anything. Also, what optics do you all like for it? Eotech? Aimpoint Pro? I seem to prefer the Aimpoint Pro. My friend is suggesting the Trijicon Reflex because it lasts years and doesn't require battery. Let me know your thoughts please. Thanks.
http://s30.postimg.org/sscqjoc6p/DSC_1344.jpg http://s23.postimg.org/hz3v758jf/DSC_1345.jpg http://s12.postimg.org/9rh6o9yp9/DSC_1346.jpg |
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