ok here's the deal...

i have been shooting for years and have always liked (loved?) guns, but recently i have been getting more and more interested in exploring different weapons, owning them and becoming very proficient in their respective uses.  i have always had a variety of pistols and shotguns, but joining this site has really piqued my interest in the AR-15 format.  i always assumed that they were just itty bitty bullets that would only make itty bitty holes, but after reading some of the ballistics research on here, i may be changing my view.

the other thing you need to know is that i will be using it for recreational shooting and possibly as the go-to long gun in a home defense scenario.  also know that i am a gadget freak and would consider "unnecessary mods" to be SOP.

what should i get?

colt? bushmaster? olympic? --i don't necessarily want to spend a ton

5.56? .223?

what barrel length?

what barrel twist?

what goodies would you tack on to make it a most UN-PC looking machine of death?

i want quality (to a degree)....accuracy is fairly important....bad-ass looks is up there on my list (as shallow as that sounds)...and reasonable cost


what say you all?

start with a stripped lower and get a parts kit with all the "EVIL FEATURES" you want.

you'll have to be kind of specific as i have never really looked at AR's before and am mildly retarded about the subject

Quoted: ok here's the deal... i have been shooting for years and have always liked (loved?) guns, but recently i have been getting more and more interested in exploring different weapons, owning them and becoming very proficient in their respective uses.  i have always had a variety of pistols and shotguns, but joining this site has really piqued my interest in the AR-15 format.  i always assumed that they were just itty bitty bullets that would only make itty bitty holes, but after reading some of the ballistics research on here, i may be changing my view. the other thing you need to know is that i will be using it for recreational shooting and possibly as the go-to long gun in a home defense scenario.  also know that i am a gadget freak and would consider "unnecessary mods" to be SOP. what should i get? go for an M4 variant with a telescopic stock colt? bushmaster? olympic? --i don't necessarily want to spend a ton Bushmaster, Rock River Arms, Stag Arms, or build your own! 5.56? .223? Generally the same unless you are going for an ultra match rifle what barrel length?16" since you want to go for a home defense weapon what barrel twist?1/7 for heavier grain bullets or 1/9 for 55 grain what goodies would you tack on to make it a most UN-PC looking machine of death?rails, eotech/aimpoint/acog, verticle grip with surefire light, and a beta mag light.  Throw a bayonet on there while you are at it  EDIT:  I personally don't care for rails, foregrips, or bayonets, but you are going for un-pc, so that should be OK! i want quality (to a degree)....accuracy is fairly important....bad-ass looks is up there on my list (as shallow as that sounds)...and reasonable costThat rules out Colt because they are generally much higher in cost than Bushmaster, Rock River, Stag, and the whole slew of others out there.  I recommend staying away from Olympic and DPMS, but that is just me. what say you all? read my opinion in blue

oopppsss.....sorry 'bout that..

well, start with either a Stag, MEGA, RRA, Laurer , or any other companys for the lower reciever..Most are listed in teh industry section  here . You'll need a FFL to do the transfer for you.

a good place to start on the kit is either Del-Ton or JTDISTRIBUTING, JT will work with you on getting the parts kit you want with a Rail System from KAC or YHM. Usually you can have it shipped within the week.

Stick with USGI mags, they can be found for around 12-15 bucks, also check the EE for mags, and parts kits...

check here for info on building the lower and tips on your build   here

Might want to check with Denny at GTS. Great buys.

globaltactical.com  

Good info so far.  I'm a big fan of Bushmaster as far as quality/price.  However, I do own an Olympic, which I beat the hell out of and have never had a problem.  Seems that OLY has a bad rep due to some quality issues a few years back.  I don't know.  But for a first (and there will be more) AR, I'd go with Bushmaster.  To save money, building an AR yourself is the best bet.  Good luck!

Quoted: start with a stripped lower and get a parts kit with all the "EVIL FEATURES" you want.

I've never owned a Stag lower but I've heard alot of good things about them. And their fairly cheap.  

top brands: ABCDR, Lmt, Cmt

would opt for RRA or bushmaster

overall, 5.56 --www.ammo-oracle.com

16in overall should run for just about anything; middy setup

read the oracle--probably a 1-9 or 1-7

tac light, sling, USGI mags and good ammo-just the essentials to make it run

For your first AR-15 I would say buy a complete rifle from Bushie in 5.56, with a M4 16" barrel flattop A3 (it's really an A4).  

Then buy a rail forearm (KAC, non-free floated because you'll be able to install it without removing the delta ring, flash suppressor, and FSB), get a Tango Down grip, a BUIS (LMT / ARMS), a shock resistant bright flashlight (I like LEDs for the battery life) with mount, and an Aimpoint ML3 with quick detach mount (ARMS / Larue).

You'll have a evil rifle that will easily take you out to 200 yards (vs. man size targets) with very little effort on your part, and you'll be able to take out the zombies in your house at night if SHTF.

Only after you've used / know the AR-15 intimately should you consider building one on your own.  It's so much easier to be able to refer to a working model when assembling / building a rifle for the first time.  Plus you’re covered under warranty and guaranteed a working rifle (which may not be the case if you build it yourself).

Quoted: NotoriousSEG, I would strongly recommend you look through the picture threads, and get an idea what equipment is bolted on, and what look you are going for.  Next, start reading the threads in this section.  The more you read, the better you will start to grasp all of the different aspects of the AR15 family.  The best apart about reading, is that you will answer questions you didn't even know you had. Don't be one of the people who is lacking info, buys a weapon, then figures out it isn't what they really wanted.  There is a ton of good info in these threads. Welcome to the board.

Good advice here, NotoriousSEG

the answers are in-depth and vary  based on your shooting disciplines, interests, and longer ranged plans

Spending a few hours here, looking, reading, and studying the endless configurations is priceless.

There are forums for Building your own, Manufacturer's, and this one which is the technical forum far all things AR15.

Oh, and my recommendation would be to spend enough that you do not have to re-do it or settle for less than you want.

Paying a little more now, will save a ton in the  long run

welcome aboard!!

You have a few key choices to make.

1. Decide on a "M4" or "M16" like configuration, i.e. a 16" barrel with a collapsible stock or a 20" barrel with a fixed stock.

2. Decide on a removable carry handle, no carry handle or a fixed (non-removable) carry handle. With the carry handle removed, you have a rail on which to mount either a scope of some sort or an iron sight. For flexibility purposes, I would recommend that you at least buy an AR with a removable carry handle even if you don't currently plan to install a scope.

3. Decide on a chrome-lined or non-chrome lined (i.e., chrome moly) barrel.

4. Once you have answered 1, 2 and 3 above, decide on the brand of rifle you want. Good choices to pick from are Colt, Bushmaster, Rock River, Armalite, DPMS and Stag. Each of these rifles brands likely has more choices for you to make.

5. You also need to think about what you are going to use your rifle for, i.e., do you want a military-spec or a law enforcement spec rifle?

I have a 20" Bushy (looks like an M16) and a 16" Rock River Entry Tactical (M4 style). On balance, both are great weapons. The Bushy is closer to military spec. Rock River rifles come from the factory with more goodies for the money. My RRA came from the factory with a Yankee Hill free-float quad rail, Hogue grip, and two-stage trigger. I then added an ACOG TA31 RCO scope.

For my Bushy, I free-floated the barrel and installed a Hogue grip, tuned Rock River two-stage trigger and a Leupold MR/T 3x9x36 scope.

I would encourage you to surf ar15.com, go to a few gun shows, go by the gun range and then buy with confidence. Depending how trick you want your rifle(s) to be, this can be an expensive hobby. We haven't even started talking about ammo, magazines, magpul anti-tilt followers, GI .50 caliber ammo cans, dessicants, and on and on. Good luck.

I've got an Olympic arms K-16 with the heavy barrel (paid about 750 for it) that is the most accurate thing!  No complaints at all.  Just my 2 cents worth.

I too am new to this forum and new to the AR15 family.  After two tours of duty in Nam back in the 60"s I literally fell in love with my 16.  It was my lifeline companion and my "third arm".  I did a lot of research on this and other forums to gain knowledge and information about my first purchase.  This was conclusion:  I want a very unique weapon that makes a statement, but since I've been away from these weapons for such a long time I decided to purchase one that was very reasonable in price, yet would give me plenty of satisfaction in reacquaintance.  I read about a law enforcement unit down in texas that compared several makes of AR15's on their practice range and in competition and they discovered that the Olympic actually gave equal or better performance than any of the other makes.  This coupled with the fact that they come with a lifetime warranty and priced under $600 brand new, it seemed the perfect beginner.  This will give me an inexpensive beginner with which to familiarize myself, and later I will have a good basic working knowledge of how to build a really unique rifle for my individual tastes; and not have an arm and a leg invested.  Just my nickels worth.  Good luck and staight shootin.