I have a chance to get an Armalite LE marked carbine 16" A2 stock, for $850 it this a good deal?  It's being shipped out of Cali.  The Questions is after inspecting it, it looks like the front sight taper pins are oversized, not GI and it appears it has a lot of gas residue around the front sight tower where it meets the barrel.  Is this normal?  I think a LE marked rifle might be worth some as a collector piece down the line.  Any ideas?   I'll see if i can get some pics and post them.  762

Terrible deal.  I think they are less than that new.

I just got a BCM upper in and I won't know till after I test fire it, but I may have found a new favorite brand.

If its coming out of California, I am assuming that it was an actual LE duty weapon. If this is the case, it was likely subjected to hard use/abuse and this could explain the gas residue. Armalite uses hex screws instead of pins to attach thier FSB, which is bad for a combat weapon. Every Armalite I have ever owned came loose at some point, until they were lock-tited in place which defeats the purpose of having an adjustible FSB. The price is a little high for a hard used LE duty weapon when you can buy a LEO rollmarked AR in brand new condition for that price. In my experience, LEO Armalites are less common than other LEO manufactures which may make them more valuable in the future, but this isn't something one should fret over. I personally haven't had great luck with Armalite, but I sitll reguard them as an excellent manufacture. Nobody gets it right 100% of the time. I have an ISP issue Armalite which I really like and is as good as any of my other AR's and I paid 775.00 for it brand new. I think you can do better.....

yes it is coming out of PRK.  It was a LEO role marked M-15 carbine, Fixed A2 stock 16" barrel with A2 FS.  it was ordered by a FFL dealer for a police officer, it was never used for duty or otherwise it is NIB but it is on the FFL dealers books and he want to get it off his books and he can only move it out of the state.   The front sight base is not set up with set screws, it is two taper pins like original but the taper pins are oversize, not GI spec.  The gas residue is from test firing at the factory as far as I know, but it does look excessive to me.  I'd be interested it it for the Role marked lower as a collectors item only. I looked at dealer cost from AL of the same rifle is about $850 so I'll offer 8 bills and call it good.  762  

I guess it is high priced if it is a beat demo, but it has not been shot much. It is NIB.   The MSRP for a New bushmaster LEO carbine is  around a grand these days.  The only thing that worries me is the large taper pins on it(not standard) with the gas leaking around the front sight base who know if it has probs.    762

Quoted: I don't think Armalite test fires them enough where you would be seeing residue around the front sight tower.  I seriously doubt that weapon is NIB.  It obviously your money, so I don't want you to think I'm giving you a hard time, but I don't want to see you get screwed, and it looks like that is what you are walking into. If its a CA LE weapon that they dealer can't sell, you should be getting a better price.  An A2 stock 16" carbine with nonspec pins and heavy gas residue should be just about given away.  There is almost ZERO demand for this.   While MSRP might be almost a grand on a Bushie, that isn't what they are selling for, so it has no bearing.  The Bushies are running in the $850-900 range for a proper carbine, and those are actually NIB.

Hey Stickman, what nonspec pins are you referring to?  The use of screws in the FSB?

Quoted: I'm not sure, he is commenting that the FSB pins are not standard pins, and look to be oversized.  They may be rollpins, or may be something else that was done, without pics its hard to make a call.

My bad, I was assuming you meant all Armalites.  I paid about $850 for my brand new M15A2 last month.  It has been great.  I would look around in your area for a better deal than the CA AR.