what is a financially cheap ar15 that i can add to my collection that is still a durable & reliable gun? thanks.


also, are ar15s as durable and as tough as ak47s in your opinion?

Quoted: also, are ar15s as durable and as tough as ak47s in your opinion?

the answer there is no,  

the other question,  is you might be able to build one for $600 thats good and reliable,  but then again it might be bust.  Same with any other AR though,  you can pay $900 for a colt and it might be a good reliable one,  then again it might be a turd,  never know.  

I think CMMG sells a great AR,  but not cheap,  
Best bet would prolly be a RRA factory gun.  the RRA uppers I have had would chew weeds and spit em out where my colt upper would jam on em.  to reload for the Colt had to use small base dies where the RRA would just eat everything.  

then again the AK's I have built using Romy Kits would chew the weeds and the mower and spit em out,    just need to lay out what your gonna do with it,  then go from there.  I know people get tired of hearing that question qhen you go to the gun store,  but in this case its a good question.  I hate when the people at Cabela's ask me what I am looking to do with a gun and I usually say something like shoot squarrils or mice or ants,  sometimes grasshoppers.  

Del-ton kit (16" , 20")

Mega or Stag receiver- ~$110

Do the math...that's $585 for a rifle with well built parts. Add another $45 for chrome-lining (which is totally worth it in the long run) and you've got an awesome rifle for a very reasonable price.

My 2 cents. No, theyare not as reliable as an AK. You can ask most any vet, including the guys in the sandbox now. the AR will not take the abuse/sand/mud of an AK (typically). Everyone has their opinion on this, but thats mine and most of my friends. The trade off is in the fact that ARs are typically much more precise. This means not only in internal specs but in accuracy downrange. My Ars will outshoot most of my AKs (not all). My personal favorite for "cheaper" ar-15 is DPMS. I have had colts, bushmasters, armalites and DPMS. For the money, DPMS are outstanding... kells81 makes a great point about everyone makes turds but I think DPMS is fairly safe bet.... again all this is only my 2 cents

Quoted: My 2 cents. No, theyare not as reliable as an AK. You can ask most any vet, including the guys in the sandbox now. the AR will not take the abuse/sand/mud of an AK (typically). Everyone has their opinion on this, but thats mine and most of my friends. The trade off is in the fact that ARs are typically much more precise. This means not only in internal specs but in accuracy downrange. My Ars will outshoot most of my AKs (not all). My personal favorite for "cheaper" ar-15 is DPMS. I have had colts, bushmasters, armalites and DPMS. For the money, DPMS are outstanding... kells81 makes a great point about everyone makes turds but I think DPMS is fairly safe bet.... again all this is only my 2 cents

I agree, only DPMS makes inexpensive rifles not "cheap" ones.

Peronally, I would not buy an Oly or DPMS, but I wouldn't have reservations about buying a Stag/CMT.  They're pretty affordable.

Cheap, reliable, AR-15 -- pick any two.  Even a Stag isn't all that "cheap", because you're still going to need to buy some quality USGI mags and a few other must-have items (broken shell extractor, USGI cleaning kit so you can have a rod for emergencies.  I need a freakin' macro for this stuff)  Expect to put out $800 - $850, total.

Good AR's are very durable and are reliable enough.  Decent AKM clones are also durable and reliable -- they just cost less to buy and shoot, the sights aren't as nice, they aren't as ergonomic, and in 7.62x39 the trajectory isn't as conducive to easy marksmanship.

You say you want to add it to a collection; if you want an AR-15 in particular, that's fine.  If you're just looking for a military style semi-auto, then it comes down to how much accuracy you want and how much you want to spend.

i think people buy the ar's for the looks.. they look awesome! however, i have heard this and know from personal experience with the AK47s... they are tough as nails.. but i just dont get the hype of the AR15 that everyone seems to have.. everyone passes up ak47s and goes for the ar15s... i want one and all but i wouldnt give up an AK47 for one.. i was just wanting to get yalls opinions on the matter. thanks to all those who took the time to respond! god bless you all

I've had no problems with my DPMS and I've shot plenty of wolf through it.  Not a hiccup to speak of.  62 gr. and 55 gr.  I occasionally shoot brass through it too.  

down and dirty,  give me the AK,  


BTW if 223 is a factor,  buy a SAR 3,  the one I have EATS brass,  I have never had a gun  like the SAR 3 that made reloading the brass out of it impossible.  


BEst deal would have to be a Del-ton kit and stag lower.  

Quoted: i think people buy the ar's for the looks.. they look awesome! however, i have heard this and know from personal experience with the AK47s... they are tough as nails.. but i just dont get the hype of the AR15 that everyone seems to have.. everyone passes up ak47s and goes for the ar15s... i want one and all but i wouldnt give up an AK47 for one.. i was just wanting to get yalls opinions on the matter. thanks to all those who took the time to respond! god bless you all

In the spirit of AR15.com, I actually have "both".  A couple of MAK-90s and a few AR-15s.  The only AK clones I would consider on the market today are converted Saigas or Arsenal brands.  Sorry, but I can't see myself purchasing a Romy kit gun put together with some substandard receiver here in the US.  

As for reliability, my Bushmaster has been just as reliable as either one of my MAK-90s.  I had one J&T upper that was great, and one that had to be replaced under warranty due to an out of spec gas tube.  Also, one of these days, I will have a POF piston AR-15 upper and I plan to test the hell out of it for "reliability".  

In a SHTF situation, I would trust my life to what ever gun I happen to have in my hands because each one has its particular use.  If I have to travel out into the elements (water, mud, etc.) I plan on having a MAK-90 handy as well as my Glock 21.  If I am going to bunker down in my house, I will have a 16" AR-15 with a telestock and either a Glock 21, S&W 1911PD, or Sig Sauer P226 (or all three handguns) as well as the Remington 870 with 00 buck handy.  Heck, I even have rifles for long range sniper type work, but I already told you too much!

The postitive things about the AR-15 are:
1.  Accuracy
2.  The ability to carry a lot of ammo without being bogged down due to weight

The positive points about the AK style weapon are:
1.  Utmost reliability
2.  Ultra simple to use and maintain with a smaller number of parts than the AR

The jist of my long drawn out point is that ARs and AKs both have there place.  That is just my .02.

You get what you pay for.

factory made or build?

overall, "NO"; AKs are more duarble imo b/c mechanically simplier and structurally they have less parts= less chance of something breaking

h/w, ARs are pretty duarble

Quoted: Do the math...that's $585 for a rifle with well built parts. Add another $45 for chrome-lining (which is totally worth it in the long run) and you've got an awesome rifle for a very reasonable price.

Ok, thats $630 for a chrome lined AR pieced together from random makers.  Or, you can go on the EE, Gunbroker, or GunsAmerica and buy an ALL Bushmaster chrome lined AR for $600-625.  But, its your choice.

WOW.


I have 2 AR's.  One in a classic CAR, and one in "SUPER Varmint" and didn't pay but  $550 for each.    Both are accurate and run like butter w/ all ammo types.

Quoted: My 2 cents. No, theyare not as reliable as an AK. You can ask most any vet, including the guys in the sandbox now. the AR will not take the abuse/sand/mud of an AK (typically). Everyone has their opinion on this, but thats mine and most of my friends. The trade off is in the fact that ARs are typically much more precise. This means not only in internal specs but in accuracy downrange. My Ars will outshoot most of my AKs (not all). My personal favorite for "cheaper" ar-15 is DPMS. I have had colts, bushmasters, armalites and DPMS. For the money, DPMS are outstanding... kells81 makes a great point about everyone makes turds but I think DPMS is fairly safe bet.... again all this is only my 2 cents

You must have missed RustedAce's picture thread, where he beat the crap out of his M16, in the sandbox and it still worked.  Most vet's that I know, who actually know guns, prefer the AR.

The biggest advantage of the AR is the greater accuracy and flatter trajectory - it makes it easier to put rounds on target.

Quoted: i think people buy the ar's for the looks.. they look awesome! however, i have heard this and know from personal experience with the AK47s... they are tough as nails.. but i just dont get the hype of the AR15 that everyone seems to have.. everyone passes up ak47s and goes for the ar15s... i want one and all but i wouldnt give up an AK47 for one.. i was just wanting to get yalls opinions on the matter. thanks to all those who took the time to respond! god bless you all

I traded a used preban Poly AK47 for a NIB preban Colt 6601 in May 2002 and haven't looked back since! The AK was reliable but accuracy was terrible while the AR has proven to be reliable as well and is accurate too. Another thing I liked about the AR over the AK was that it fit better IMO.

Both have their pros 'n cons.....both have the "cool' factor too but I prefer accuracy. Would I buy another AK......maybe; another AR, in a heartbeat! Next in line will probably be an AR carbine .

I think if you had a chance to shoot a quality AR whether its a kit build or a factory build for a short amount of time you may change your mind! DO NOT shoot a "bubbatized" version though to base your observations or opinions on! LOL  While I haven't yet seen a "bubbatized" AR I'm sure they exist.



                                                                                                                                     HTH
                                                                                                                                       CI

Quoted: The biggest advantage of the AR is the greater accuracy and flatter trajectory - it makes it easier to put rounds on target.

And, add these to advantages:

Modularity
Better sights
Better ergonomics
One lower=many guns
Lighter
Easier to accessorize (goes with modularity)

There's reasons, even tho it's not as reliable as an AK, that professional soldiers and special forces choose them over other platforms.

i just love the look of the AR15

Quoted: what is a financially cheap ar15 that i can add to my collection that is still a durable & reliable gun? thanks. also, are ar15s as durable and as tough as ak47s in your opinion?

Buy STAG and call it a day

Quoted: i just love the look of the AR15

That's all that matters.