Which black rifle?

[jl1966]

Got my yearly bonus check today and am gonna stimulate the economy by purchasing an AR-15 of some kind. Which do you guys recomend? Looking at Olynpic arms right now, or bushmaster or armalite. Saw a used Colt at the gun show the other day, had that Vietnam look to it, triangular handguard and such, what about those? I do not want a heavy bench gun, or a shorty tactical either, kind of an in between. What have you got or have had and why do you like or dislike it?

[skeet]

I just bought another one. It is a rifle made from all new parts. It is a a DPMS lower with their guts. The upper I am not sure. It sports a medium 20 inch bbl with a flat top receiver. I got sights for it but right at this time it sports an old Weaver 2x7 Challenger scope I had laying around with a set of talley mounts. And I actually got the whole thing put together(by a friend and myself) for under 750 bucks. But I bought the lower for a VERY good price. I also have another upper that I can put on it with a match type bbl.
If buying a rifle already assembled..I like Bushmaster....or Colt of course

[jmarriott]

Might go ahead and get the tactical now with all the post ban goodies you can get as it seems the political climate might just change for the worse in November. ( I Hope not ).

Once you have the Lower unit you can switch out uppers fairly easy and the aftermarket stocks and barrels are plentiful. Been eyeing a .260 setup at the local gun shop a bit lately.

I like the two stage comp triggers as an option on mine, Still i don't see a lot of the Mil/Police M4 models made factory with the lighter triggers. So like skeet said they can be home built with the options you like fairly easy.

I got the bushmaster stainless varmint special at about 350 less then the MSRP when my local FFL got 10 of them placed on one order and have picked up a few parts a pieces at gun shows since.

[fabsroman]

Me, I am currently debating between DPMS and JP, neither of which are cheap. I'm going to sleep on it for a couple of months before I pull the trigger. LOL

[spike1]

I'm not the AR expert and I couldn't decide. so I got the cheapest Bushmaster I could to start. I was told it is A-B-C ,, Armalite, Bushmaster then Colt ??? so they say.

Here is the AR I got.

E2S A1 M4 Type Carbine http://www.davidsonsinc.com/consumers/subsites/inven_product.asp?dealer_id=686943&item=BCWA1F%2D16M4&instock=all&manufact_combo=Bushmaster&mod_ser_combo=None&category_combo=None&model=None&g_type=None&act_type=&finish_type=None&calib_combo=223&sight_class_combo=None&price_range=None&left_handed=&youth=&Offset_rec=0&num_rec=50&item_num=

Here I am shooting it 300 yards with a cheap scope on it <$80 ? I guess thats good, or good enough :confused:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-WYUzAIb-8

I have no clue, I could just be lucky with the one I got and all the rest are junk? Or all AR's are better than I gave them credit for ?

[Tall Shadow]

While many might argue that "they only buy _____!"
I'd have to say that unless you are buying from some 3 world country, An AR15, is pretty much, an AR15.

Case in point......

After many hours of talk, I helped a very good friend put together an AR15. It was a Rock River lower, with a 24" stainless bull barrel A3 (flat top) kit from J&T. We put a better trigger on it, but still came in WAY UNDER $900.

My good friend is a retired Federal SORT Sniper, and his standards are, needless to say, quite high.

This rifle has already made him VERY, VERY happy....and It was just the first of 3 we have built for other fellow shooters.....Who also are quite impressed with what can be put together, WITHOUT having to buy a "Custom Rifle" from one of the "Big Names".

As far as I am concerned, a lower, is pretty much a lower...as long as it is a "Mil-spec" lower, they are basically all the same, as far as functionality goes.
The uppers can vary I suppose, but I have found that most of the "Major" suppliers (as found in Shotgun news ads) can supply you with whatever your heart desires.

Tall Shadow

[Tater]

I've had a Bushy since 2002 and I love it. Shoots great and it only cost $800. Just my $.02.

[fabsroman]

I just looked at the Rock River website and their guns look pretty good and pretty affordable. How are their two stage match triggers? Any opinions would be appreciated. I hate the trigger on my brother's Bushmaster and do not want anything like that on any AR-15/AR-10 I buy.

[Skinny Shooter]

Did you want a fun gun to play with or to hunt with?
I've got a Bushie Hbar xm15e2 20" post-ban. Its fun to shoot but am looking at a Rock River Arms Varmint A4 (http://www.rockriverarms.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_id=228&CFID=8531125&CFTOKEN=87114759)

Check out this gun: Standard A4 (http://www.rockriverarms.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_id=225)
or the 18" Varmint EOP (http://www.rockriverarms.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_id=227)

Let us know what you come up with. :)

[fabsroman]

Skinny,

Was that question "aimed" at me? If so, I am looking for a gun for both. I want to be able to have fun shooting at paper, and I want to be able to hunt with it.

I looked at the Rock River Arms varmint rifles, and the 18" Varmint EOP link comes up black for me because I already visited that one yesterday. For the price, I am really thinking about getting one of them. The J&P I was looking at was $2,600. Rock River Arms is less than half of that. The only thing I am worried about is the trigger because my brother's trigger is really heavy. I guess I could always replace the trigger with something better if I don't like it.

Now, I just need to find a friend with an FFL in the area.

[Skinny Shooter]

Hi Fabs, I actually meant jl1966 but thats ok. :)
Have heard the RRA two-stage is ok but this is supposed to be much better: http://www.jprifles.com/1.4.8.3.php

[fabsroman]

Yeah, the JP trigger is supposed to be the best, and that is why I was leaning toward the JP rifles. However, at $2,600 a piece, they ain't cheap. Might just go with the RRA varmint rifles and replace the triggers with the JP triggers. I'd use the real JP triggers and not the drop in models. I think I could handle installing them, but who knows.

[Larryjk]

Originally posted by jl1966
Got my yearly bonus check today and am gonna stimulate the economy by purchasing an AR-15 of some kind. Which do you guys recomend? Looking at Olynpic arms right now, or bushmaster or armalite. Saw a used Colt at the gun show the other day, had that Vietnam look to it, triangular handguard and such, what about those? I do not want a heavy bench gun, or a shorty tactical either, kind of an in between. What have you got or have had and why do you like or dislike it? :) I am partial to the Rock River black rifles. Very well made and very accurate. The Rock River guys are so busy making .223 rifles they don't have time to bring out the .308.

[fabsroman]

Larry,

I thought I saw a varmint setup in .308 on their website. It was pretty reasonable too. I think I am going to go the RRA route in lieu of JP or DPMS. Both of those rifles are insanely expensive for my first AR rifle. Plus, the good thing about AR's is that almost everything can be upgraded. If accuracy sucks, I can swap out the upper for something else. If the trigger sucks, I can put in a JP trigger or some other after market trigger. My wife even likes the sound of $1,100 versus $2,500.

[Larryjk]

Originally posted by fabsroman
Larry,

I thought I saw a varmint setup in .308 on their website. It was pretty reasonable too. I think I am going to go the RRA route in lieu of JP or DPMS. Both of those rifles are insanely expensive for my first AR rifle. Plus, the good thing about AR's is that almost everything can be upgraded. If accuracy sucks, I can swap out the upper for something else. If the trigger sucks, I can put in a JP trigger or some other after market trigger. My wife even likes the sound of $1,100 versus $2,500. :) As of about 3 months ago, Rock River hadn't started production on the 308 version because of other priorities. (Behind on the .223 versions.)
I ordered a .308 from another company, a great quality rifle, but at about double what Rock River sells for.

[Montana Cowboy]

Fabsroman
I have two Rock River AR-15's with the two stage match trigger. It is an excellent trigger and both are accurate rifles. Fit and finish is very good too. Hope this helped. MC

[BILLY D.]

Both Rock River and DPMS offer rifles that guarantee less than MOA.

At least thats what I glean from a Predator forum I am on. Although i wouldn't own an AR if they were free. I have absolutely no use for one. PERIOD.

Back when I first started to use one, they seemed much trimmer and lighter. Have they changed that much or am I just getting old? Now they seem as heavy as a Garand.

Best wishes,Bill

[fabsroman]

Thanks Montana Cowboy. I think I'm going to end up getting one of their AR-15's with the two stage trigger and evaluate it for myself. Based on that, I'll either put a JP trigger in it, or keep it the way it is and order an AR-10 from them if they have started building them.

[Montana Cowboy]

Welcome Fab. You will like the Rock River with the match trigger. Friend of mine has an AR-10 in .308 and that rifle is a tack driver . It is also on the heavy side weight wise.
Take the time and look over all the options when it comes to AR type rifles. I didn't and that is why I have two of them. When I bought my first one I later realized that I would like to mount an optic on it but couldn't due to it not being a flat top. My second one is and I have a scope on it with flip-up front and rear sights. Both shoot very good. I think if you stick to one of the brand name AR'S you will get a good one.
If you are thinking of piecing one together from a parts kit that is cool too. I didn't because by the time I figured in the cost of the tools it was cheaper to just buy one. MC

[fabsroman]

I already know I want one of the varminters. The only question is going to be which length barrel.

I thought about piecing one together because I like doing mechanical stuff, but I just don't have the time right now. The one thing I would like to change on the Rock River AR is the forearm grip. I'd prefer the JP one, but who knows. If I'm going to have a scope on it and use it for semi long range shooting, I probably don't need to mount any accessories (e.g., red dot and light). Might buy a second upper for it in a carbine and use that with the JP forearm, or maybe just buy an entire carbine instead. I'm going to start with the one and then see where I go from there.

Thanks again.

[skeet]

from start to finish it took about an hour and a half from parts to finished. Really isn't hard to do and you don't really "need" all that many tools. Gonna do one tomorrow at a gun show we are doing. The whole bunch of parts cost in the neighborhood of 650 bucks. DPMS parts BTW

I also have plans for a little critter you can put in the receiver called a lightning link. It makes it so you can shoot the thing full auto...pop the pin and open her up drop it out and it is semi auto. Really neat and works too.

[Larryjk]

Skeet, The AR-15 is a very simple rifle, and not hard to work on once a few necessary tools are purchased. But advice from a friend, don't get caught with the lightning link. Anything that makes them rat-a-tat-tat can cause you serious problems. Someone is always listening and there is nothing more telling than the rat-a-tat-tat of an auto turned on. Careful!

[Montana Cowboy]

Fab it was a time thing with me too, I'm busy with many things and that is the reason I didn't puy one together myself. As Skeet said it dosen't take all that long. One thing for sure AR'S are modular so the sky is the limit as to what you want your AR to look like / do for you. MC

[skeet]

Heck I'm taking a Colt Lightweight Sporter to the gun show this weekend. Maybe I'll sell it. Colts for some reason go pretty high. This one has never been shot..:p