Hello Everyone. I'm new here, and i've some questions about a reliable and high quality configuration for an 11.5'' AR-15 for CQB, funshooting and homeland defense purposes..

btw: i'm swiss. so forgive me my limited english skills and my lack of knowledge 'bout the "black rifle", it's not very common here because it's VERY hard to get here... (your export laws sux ;)

2 collegues of mine have an ar15, and i want to get 1 of em 2!
most likely, i can get an armalite, or maybe (very unlikely)  a RRA or a bushmaster, eveything else will not be possible. what brand would be ur first choice? is armalite a good one or crap?

i think of an 11.5'' barrel (the length isn't a probleme, it's legal here) but i'm not sure if i should take an hbar or a bull barrel like my collegues did. one of em said that the bull barrel is more precise... true? would u guys go with a bull or a hbar? whats the difference in weight between the two in grams?  (remeber, barrel length 11.5'') i guess it should be chrome lined.

carry handle (and optics)... a2 or a3? no clue... i prefer the simpler a2 type with an aimpoint in top of the fixed carry handle. or would an a3 be the better way? i'm not sure. besides: i dont want to see stuff from the rifle in the optic, so a perfect witness-optic mount would drive me crazy, so i guess i would be happier with the a2 type? another question: is it possible to mount an eotech on an a2 carry handle or would this be stupid?

later on, i'm planning to mount a surefire light and maybe this: http://www.grippod.com/
anyone know this, is it any good?

i'm looking forward to your suggestions, i'm stuck with 2many options to decide on my own h.gif

greetings!

Good to know that Europeans aren't that rare here! Sadly we are stuck here with junk DPMS or extremely overpriced Oberland Arms stuff.

An A3 flattop is MUCH more versatile than a A2 receiver. If you plan on mounting a scope some day, its the only way to go. Folding front and rear sight is a good idea if you don't want anything in your field of view.

If you are not planning on doing A LOT of full auto- shooting, the government profile is always preferable to H-bar or bull. You want a fast-handling carbine, not one that will weigh you down. Only if you plan to shoot at 300m+ I would consider a Noveske stainless barrel- and they have to be heavy.But good luck getting a 11.5" out of the USA. The State Department thinks they are much meaner than the 16"+ barrels. Btw, I don't think Armalite produces one anyway.
However, I guess you could get a short barreled Ar15- maybe even a Colt- on the Swiss used guns market? I would recommend against cutting one down- not many gunsmith know how to work on Ar15 here.

If you are getting a 11.5" barrel, get a Noveske flashhider too- its much more comfortable to shoot it with one installed.

The grippod things are junk IMHO, get a Tango Down foregrip or a SureFire M900 instead!

Btw, this would be very close to my ideal configuration:

Bushmaster 11.5" (I think they come as a hbar, no choice in the matter). It is pretty accurate, no trouble hitting a 12" plate at 200m.

The A3 upper is pretty handy, you can always revert back to the conventional sights.

With the aimpoint, you dont notice the sights unless you flip them up.

Quoted: Btw, this would be very close to my ideal configuration:

I like that one.

That is a very good suppressor. What mfg/model?

Quoted: Hello Everyone. I'm new here, and i've some questions about a reliable and high quality configuration for an 11.5'' AR-15 for CQB, funshooting and homeland defense purposes.. Welcome to the Board! 2 collegues of mine have an ar15, and i want to get 1 of em 2! most likely, i can get an armalite, or maybe (very unlikely)  a RRA or a bushmaster, eveything else will not be possible. what brand would be ur first choice? is armalite a good one or crap? Armalite is a good brand. It is up there in the "quality / reliability" foodchain. Bushmaster is also good and a lot of members here have RRA. i think of an 11.5'' barrel (the length isn't a probleme, it's legal here) but i'm not sure if i should take an hbar or a bull barrel like my collegues did. one of em said that the bull barrel is more precise... true? would u guys go with a bull or a hbar? Bull / heavy barrel, lightweight it does not really make that much of a difference IMO in terms of accuracy. Since you specified that it is for CQB use and only personal defense (I assume you meant personal and not "homeland"), then you will not be using your rifle for long and sustained ammo dumps. So it's up to you if you prefer the HBAR profile or the lightweight one. Going chrome lined is always a good idea in terms of it being low maintenance. But then again in terms of accuracy, it will have very minimal effect. carry handle (and optics)... a2 or a3? no clue... i prefer the simpler a2 type with an aimpoint in top of the fixed carry handle. or would an a3 be the better way? i'm not sure. besides: i dont want to see stuff from the rifle in the optic, so a perfect witness-optic mount would drive me crazy, so i guess i would be happier with the a2 type? another question: is it possible to mount an eotech on an a2 carry handle or would this be stupid? Go with the a3. It gives you more flexibility in terms of setup options. Always remember that anything you can do on an a2 you can do with an a3. BUT you cannot do some things on an a3 with an a2. You can mount an EOtech on the carry handle, but most here find that too high. later on, i'm planning to mount a surefire light and maybe this: http://www.grippod.com/ anyone know this, is it any good? You will never go wrong with a Surefire. The Grippod .... not my type. i'm looking forward to your suggestions, i'm stuck with 2many options to decide on my own greetings! Good luck!

Quoted: Quoted: That is a very good suppressor. What mfg/model? www.adcofirearms.com/acc/acimages/DSC04647.JPG

looks like you must have removed some paint from that DD railed forearm

Quoted: Quoted: That is a very good suppressor. What mfg/model? www.adcofirearms.com/acc/acimages/DSC04647.JPG

Not to hijack the thread, but can you advise what the inside diameter of the DD rail is?

thx for ur advice guys, so it ll be an A3 upper. paperwork will start next week... hope it will work with the export.

dont know about the noveske thingy, looks a bit strange ;)

I like mine......

14.5 bushmaster I had cut down to 11.5, Larue 9.0, aimpoint and troy flip up sites, gemtech halo.