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Posted: 12/6/2014 6:49:48 AM EDT
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Still on the hunt for my first AR and I think I might have found it.
It's primarily going to be a fun gun. To learn AR's, see how I like them and see if I can get into competitive shooting. No experience, but target shooting appeals to me most. It will also be a home defense rifle. The LGS has a new Anderson from Hebron Kentucky with free float barrel and magpul stock for $650. Seems like a great deal to me, especially since the others in this price rangeike the S&w sport don't even have a dust cover and forward assist! The next price range up, the $800 mark would get me a DPMS or a Windham or Bushmaster and these look ok, but they never have the free float barrel which I really want. To get what I really want I would be looking at more like $1000+ but maybe I'm better off spending $650 and having money left over for a good optic, ammo, and be able to play around with some accesories and see what I like. A sling, mags, foregrip, etc.... At the same time though, I don't want a POS. I found an old thread on here about Anderson but it was pretty old and described them as a brand new company. What are the current thoughts on them? This one does have the free float with a 7 inch quad picatinny rail which are features I usually see on $1000 rifles. Are these quality? Is this the steal of a deal I think it is or do you get what you pay for? |
| You get what you pay for. Also, if it sounds to good to be true it usually is. Anderson stuff is bottom shelf and at that price any rail on the gun has to be cheap china junk too since a quality rail runs $150+ usually. You would be better off saving a few bucks more and buy a quality NAME BRAND rifle instead. Get one you will be happy with and one that you can trust with your life. If you want cheap and decent quality check out Palmeto State Armory. I checked out 5-6 different Anderson rifles at the last local gun show and I was not impressed one bit myself. |
| I too am a target - sport shooter. Bought a DPMS a couple of years ago with the idea of fixing whatever might be wrong with it. A little over 2000 rounds later I haven't touched it. 100%. Unless you are planning on becoming a commando or mercenary you won't need the dust cover. None of my semi auto hand guns have them and don't need them. I wouldn't use the FA anyway. If it doesn't shoot I'm going to find out why and remedy it. Combat would be a different situation. A few years ago some of the new manufacturers were having some teething problems but they have been sorted out. All the ones you mentioned will work fine for you. You can spend as much as you like but they are all about the same with nearly all parts interchangeable except for those with carbon fiber lowers. Bottom line is - they all shoot bullets. The folks I shoot with have about every brand out there and not a bad one in the bunch. Good luck and enjoy. |
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Lots of Anderson builds on here with great results, so I would like to some real evidence/facts that the Anderson factory rifle is something "less" than a DPMS or Windham, etc.
Many opinions and no facts... I don't particularly like the look of the handguard, but the Hogue grip and stock is pretty nice and something other than an A2 flash hider. 
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OP, build one for cheaper...
freedom stainless rifle build kit $399 free ship bushmaster lower receiver $49 free ship This setup wouldnt be the free float, but it would make an excellent starter rifle and be $200 cheaper than the anderson, not to mention save you the tax youd have to pay at the local gun shop when buying the anderson. With that $200 you could get a nice free float rail and lo pro gas block, or a decent optic if free float isnt what you require most. You would still need a rear sight whether you build one or buy the complete anderson, so thats a wash. For $100 more you could get this, psa chf upper $499 no free ship, which would absolutely be better than the anderson. my $.02, ymmv |
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Ah ok, good options, although I would prefer to have a low profile gas block on the front over the...a2 style is it?
What is it about Anderson that they are so bad? From my limited knowledge I have gained so far, $650 for a free float barrel complete AR is a great deal. I do like the quad rail handguard, but not if it is some Chinese junk. I am looking for a "Made in not China" AR. I have shied away initially from the S&W sport because it doesn't have a dust cover. It just seems like it has got to be a very cheap part so I wonder why not include one. There are a million, it seems, AR manufacturers these days. Is Anderson the lowest tier? Who else is in that tier to not get? |
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What's the model of Anderson mfg you're looking at? Honestly you do get what you pay for and if you're looking into getting into any matches you should save up. With that being said if you're looking for a good base model to start out with and get a good feel for the weapons system you can't go wrong with an Anderson. A buddy of mine purchased the am-15 with the "no lube" technology which they advertise. STAY AWAY from it, total bs within 100 rounds I had to replace his gas key because the coating for "no lube" literally melted off. Also one down fall I noticed with his was not having the quad rail. This was about 1.5-2 years ago, so changes may have been made but I'd for sure stay away from a complete rifle they sell. Good deals on stripped uppers and lowers though!
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I'm not saying Anderson is bad, there are just better options like the ones I posted for less money.
I went to andersons website to look at the specs of that rifle. 4140 barrel steel - low end, stainless and 4150 are better No specs mentioned for bolt carrier group what so ever - not a good thing. Too many unknowns, assume the worst if it's not listed. No info on free float rail - probably made by them. So you can spend $650 plus tax for a bottom rung rifle or you can build a rifle for $450 that has better specs/materials and upgrade the hand guards to a quality quad rail or tube with a low profile gas block with the extra $200. |
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OP
Sounds like you need to do a little more research before buying. If all you know about it, is who makes it, and what kind of furniture, then you have no idea what you are getting. What are the barrel, and BCG specs? What length gas system? Who makes the quad rail? Is it an Anderson factory gun, or is it a parts gun assembled elsewhere? If its a factory gun, does it have a guarantee? I've used Anderson parts in the past (stripped lowers) but that is way different than a complete rifle. I wouldn't buy a rifle unless I got the right answer to the questions above. |
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You could assemble one:
http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.php/catalog/product/view/id/18868/s/psa-nib-5-56-nato-bolt-carrier-group-and-charging-handle-combo/ $125 http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.php/catalog/product/view/id/18872/s/psa-16-carbine-length-5-56-nato-1-7-freedom-diamond-railed-upper-no-bcg-or-charging-handle/ $300 http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.php/catalog/product/view/id/18862/s/ptac-ar15-blackhawk-complete-lower-receiver/ (must transfer to a dealer) $170 $595 + shipping + transfer fee + (no tax) eta: you'll need sights PSA is one of the go to vendors for budget builders because the price to value ratio is excellent (lots of value for little price). Their prices have helped bring all AR prices down. |
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Thanks. I do need to do more research. That's why I'm here right? Honestly, you guys are the only place I know for somewhat unbiased advice. The gun magazines are absolutely terrible. They like every gun in the reviews. Even the websites that do reviews seem to just rate everything possitively. They must be getting paid. According to people on arfcom some guns suck. According to the magazines they all shoot sub moa. It's hard for a begibner to learn what's better and why. Thanks for the help. It is fun.
I also pay no sales tax locally. |
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Quoted:
Thanks. I do need to do more research. That's why I'm here right? Honestly, you guys are the only place I know for somewhat unbiased advice. The gun magazines are absolutely terrible. They like every gun in the reviews. Even the websites that do reviews seem to just rate everything possitively. They must be getting paid. According to people on arfcom some guns suck. According to the magazines they all shoot sub moa. It's hard for a begibner to learn what's better and why. Thanks for the help. It is fun. I also pay no sales tax locally. They are getting paid, you can't rely on gun magazines for unbiased reviews. Good for you for recognizing that. No sales tax in Or, nice! Do some more research and figure out exactly what you want, as best as you can, then people here can help a little more. |
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