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Posted: 12/14/2016 1:23:18 PM EDT
| I already have a couple of firearms and plan to buy an AR sometime in the near future. I'm not going to build my first one. I feel like purchasing one is better to start with. I know what style i want, so please don't try to change my mind. I would like a rifle length with a 20" chrome lined, government profile, 1:7 barrel, a fixed a2 stock, and a2 hand guards with a removable carry handle. My question is what company should I go with? Colt, Windham Weaponry, and FNH all make a rifle that fits my basic criteria. The MSRPs are $1099, $1192, and $1149 respectively. If anybody has firsthand experience with any of these companies, or all three, I would like to hear what you have to say. |
I've heard Windham is good, supposedly they were started by the same people that owned Bushmaster. Like others have said though, for what you want, the cheaper of the three might be the best. They're all going to be comparable anyway, and I doubt many of us would be know the difference. Now if you wanted the $3000 bells and whistles version with free float hand guard, stainless ultra-match barrel, ultra light weight BCG, and half pound 3 gun trigger you would probably get a lot more differing views. I think all of the choices you mentioned would serve you well  And to possibly throw a wrench in, PSA sells complete lowers and 20" 1/7 chrome-lined FN barreled uppers from time to time if you catch the deals on the website. Throw on the carry handle of your choice and you've got a great rifle for $150-$200 less than what you're looking at now. In fact, one reviewer said that he would have had less than $700 in the exact type of rifle you're looking for if he didn't put a CMC trigger in his lower. Money for mags, ammo, etc. It's your money, just trying to give you a few more options.
http://palmettostatearmory.com/review/product/list/id/12908/category/4220/ |
| It's funny you mention PSA... I was looking at their website and i could build pretty much the exact same rifle for several hundred dollars cheaper. I think their FN barreled upper and kit is usually about $550 and a lower is about $100. I'm just not sure if I'm mechanically inclined enough to build one. The only guns I've taken apart and put back together were pump action shotguns. |
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It's funny you mention PSA... I was looking at their website and i could build pretty much the exact same rifle for several hundred dollars cheaper. I think their FN barreled upper and kit is usually about $550 and a lower is about $100. I'm just not sure if I'm mechanically inclined enough to build one. The only guns I've taken apart and put back together were pump action shotguns. It's really very, very simple. Nothing a short YouTube video, or the links on here would teach you. It always means more if you built it. Your first AR and put together with your own two hands. Any questions on the built ask on here. We will help you out. I say, go for a kit and build it yourself. |
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My question is what company should I go with? Colt, Windham Weaponry, FNH I've purchased a WW 20" Govt model a month ago. Windham hit the german market this year and I went with their rifle for two reasons: CL barrel and 1:7 twist. Otherwise unavailable from any manufactor around here, although I usually try to support my local dealer/manufactor. I didn't shoot it extensively yet; I've just finished the zeroing procedures and went for some group sizes with irons. Some 70 rounds in total, so my observations may be worth less than 0.01 cents, but here you go: Nice fit and finish, no play between upper & lower. Upper & Carry Handle made by Brass Alloy Forging Enterprise (square mark). Bolt by DPMS, BC according to WW made by WW (somewhere here in the Industrie talk). Average groups for 100 meters around 2 MOA with either 55 or 63 gr FMJ, iron sights form a bench. I already had one malfunction, bolt over base with Geco 63 gr FMJ (subcontractor of RUAG) in a fairly new USGI 20 round magazine (Brownells). No further problems after that. I'll tend to blame it on the magazine. |
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It's really very, very simple. Nothing a short YouTube video, or the links on here would teach you. It always means more if you built it. Your first AR and put together with your own two hands. Any questions on the built ask on here. We will help you out. I say, go for a kit and build it yourself. To be honest, it doesn't mean much to me because it is so easy... you buy some decent stuff, stick it all together and now you have an AR. |
| Haha... and so the pressure begins. I can't add much to your questions, as I am very much a beginner to AR's. I long mulled building versus buying, and am going to give building a go...starting with my lower tomorrow. I would say I am mechanically inclined on maybe an average level., so quite nervous. I watched full hour long building youtube videos over and over, before deciding. There are some good videos out there, and alot of uppers and lower assembled at different levels. Maybe give your self a couple days of research, even the research gets addicting...I would assume the building and firing the end product might have the same effect. |
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I already have a couple of firearms and plan to buy an AR sometime in the near future. ~ ~should I go with? Colt, Windham Weaponry, and FNH all make a rifle that fits my basic criteria. The MSRPs are $1099, $1192, and $1149 respectively. If anybody has firsthand experience with any of these companies, or all three, I would like to hear what you have to say. You can't go wrong with any one of those. I carried and used M16A2s by Colt and FN. The differences between them and the civilian versions are no NFA naughty parts, no provision to take them and the receiver markings are different. I have owned old Bushmaster in the past. Same differences as mentioned above but fit and finish were all slightly better. I have played with Windham  . Same observations and opinion as old Bushmaster from the time when ABC ( Armalite, Bushmaster, Colt) was arfcoms standard buying advice.
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I've heard Windham is good, supposedly they were started by the same people that owned Bushmaster. ~ Bushmaster was founded by Mac Gwynn around 1973. Mac later sold it to Dick Dyke. Dick grew it, ran it and loved it until the Freedom group arm of Cerberus capitol made him an offer just too large and too juicy to resist. Freedom group continued on making Bushmasters in Dicks plant but eventually moved the Bushmaster name from Windham, ME. to the Remington plant in Illion, N.Y. leaving the plant that Dyke still owned and the people who knew what they were doing with nothing to do. The no compete clause that was part of Freedom groups purchase agreement with Dyke expired shortly after. So Dick Dyke made few phone calls. The rest you know. |
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Haha... and so the pressure begins. I can't add much to your questions, as I am very much a beginner to AR's. I long mulled building versus buying, and am going to give building a go...starting with my lower tomorrow. I would say I am mechanically inclined on maybe an average level., so quite nervous. I watched full hour long building youtube videos over and over, before deciding. There are some good videos out there, and alot of uppers and lower assembled at different levels. Maybe give your self a couple days of research, even the research gets addicting...I would assume the building and firing the end product might have the same effect. Welcome to the BRD 
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The hardest part of building is acquiring all parts needed. Actual assembling is a breeze as long as you're following guidelines (especially torque specs).
Make sure you have a vice and a upper receiver vice clamp. Makes installing your barrel a piece of cake without damaging anything. Wheelers makes a cheap clamp. I'd recommend a CMMG lower parts kit because everything is color coordinated. Other brands do it this way too. Good luck!
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So basically you want a semi auto version of an early M16A4 (no RAS handguards). My order of choice would be Colt, FN and then Windham. I had a upper already built for myself but took it apart as my son needed the upper receiver. Just got another flat top headed to the house to rebuild the same rifle. Barrel is a FN 20" 1:7, this will be my rifle for service rifle matches.
CD |
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I have a 20" Windham barrel on my first rifle. 20" CL and 1-7 doesn't exactly grow in trees. Nice barrel. The carry handle sight and the handgaurd hardware I also purchased from them is nice too.
BTW they use a A2 front sight base so to run the carry handle you have to get the .040 taller sight pin or adjust it up. Not a big deal, it doesn't look weird or anything. FWIW I built a pretty nice 20" with a Magpul MIAD grip and MOE handguard for like $800 using pretty decent name brand stuff. I know you don't want to build but at the time (a year ago) a 20" Windham was $1200 on their site. I have a builders LPK hanging in a cart there right now waiting for break so I can get it coming for my grendel build as I type this. |
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It's funny you mention PSA... I was looking at their website and i could build pretty much the exact same rifle for several hundred dollars cheaper. PSA has a pretty fair reputation. The uppers I've purchased have been well worth the money. When you mention building your own, are you thinking starting with an 80% lower, or buying a serialized lower? If you purchase a finished lower, a bit more expensive, putting one together is not much more difficult than assembling a 10/22 with aftermarket parts. An 80% lower is not difficult to do, if you have a decent drill press, a quality router and bits, A QUALITY JIG AND TEMPLATES, and you take your time. You need a good work space, appropriate drifts for the rolled pins, an action block is more than worth the money. The problem with the 80% approach is once equipped, there is an irresistible urge to build more AR's to justify the cost. The biggest advantage to building, is what you learn through the process. Worth more than the savings. |
| I just purchased my first ar after being a long time ak owner. Nothing high end just a basic unit. Never thought I would go black but I'm really having a lot of fun. Have not shot yet but am all ready adding mods. :) armalite eagle arms ar-15. Glad to be a ar owner. How do I access my pictures to add them? Don't see a way to access my photos. Thanks |
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Build what you want......you will save money in the long run (probably $200-$300) having more money for additional items and understand the mechanics better. Even if it's building the lower and purchasing a completed upper.
Only thing you will be missing is the completed rifle warranty........... |
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I just purchased my first ar after being a long time ak owner. Nothing high end just a basic unit. Never thought I would go black but I'm really having a lot of fun. Have not shot yet but am all ready adding mods. :) armalite eagle arms ar-15. Glad to be a ar owner. How do I access my pictures to add them? Don't see a way to access my photos. Thanks When you want to reply to a post, there is a media button a couple lines down from the text box. It lets you select a file and then you can upload it |
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All three are good brands and you would do well with any of them.
If you are interested in the Palmetto State, they do sell complete rifles (Link to PSA rifles) You can get a Palmetto State Armory (PSA) kit and build yourself, as mentioned above. It really is VERY easy to assemble a lower if you follow the directions (Link for assmebly instructions on ARF.com) I've used lower kits from PSA as well as complete uppers and have been very happy with the quality. |
| New here and new to the AR platform but my story is not unusual from what I can tell. I caught the AR bug about Thanksgiving 2016 thanks to my neighbor. I started looking around and doing research online for a complete AR. At first I settled on a Colt LE6920 or AR15A1 but could not decide on which. While trying to decided, I stumbled across a youtube video about 80% AR lowers and was intrigued. One thing lead to another and I ended up with a Broken Arms 80% lower and jig. Added a PSA complete premium rifle kit with 16" SS barrel which contained all the parts needed to assemble the AR with my completed stripped lower. I now have a couple of trips to the range with the neighbor who has a Colt LE6920. He was so impressed with my build that now he wants to order an 80% lower and build an AR of his own. The guys here have told you that assembling an AR is easy, they are not wrong. My kit came with a fully assembled upper and all the parts for the lower. The lower literally took me 30 minutes to assemble. Once I completed the build, I added a Magpul fold down rear sight and EOtech 518 holo sight. Just installed a 2 point sling yesterday. This AR stuff is addictive. I'm not saying you should not buy a complete AR but at least you should spend some time researching 80% lowers or stripped lowers and PSA kits. All that said, I'm still considering the purchase of a new Colt LE6920 or AR15A1 I just can't decide which. |
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