What ARs to have?

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Hokie_PhD

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After reading the thread showing Ginny's AR collection I started thinking how many different ARs one could have. Now I don't mean brands or parts combinations as those are basically unlimited. So I wondering by purpose

A few that come to mind are

1. General purpose carbine aka 16" with collapsible stock
2. 3 Gun tailored gun
3. Varmit gun
4. 300 Blackout/suppressed
5. AR10/308
6. 6.5 Grendel
7. SBR
8. Pistol length
9. Pistol caliber

I'm sure there are many more but I can't think of them
 
You missed a few

Piston gun
Retro m16 Vietnam build
Bolt upper
Big Bore...458?
410 shotgun...because why not...
22lr dedicated gun
Ultra ultra ultra light
Ar9 glock mag gun
A2 basic build
And you just have to have an 80% lower just for gits and shiggles.
 
Colt (this is totally subjective but I used this as my 'standard' rifle/carbine)
Competition rifle
fauXM-177 or other retro build
Dedicated Pistol cal
Dedicated .22 cal

spare upper/lower or two so you can keep building.
 
Well after building a half dozen uppers im down to a 20" 6.5Gren, and 16" .458 socom. So those are on the list for me lol.
 
I haven't bought a .300 yet but the compatibility of magazines and bolts makes it attractive unlike other calibers.
 
Of non-collectible, regularly shot AR:s I've narrowed it down to:
XM177E2 suppressed SBR (well, it IS collectible, but...)
SP1 w/ 37mm M203
Generic bull barrel varmint/target rifle
9mm suppressed SBR
M4 SBR
Remington R-25

I've thought about experimenting with other calibers too, but the only ones that really interest me are PSA AR47 and long action (.300WM, .338Lapua) offerings once manufacturers - hopefully - come up with a common standard magazine. And no mall ninja rails for me, please; I'm not really keen on installing picatinny mounted satellite dishes, pressure cookers or even über-tactical flashlights to my guns.
 
Guess I'm content with my four

Precision Varminter with a 6.5-20x 40 Leupold VX-III
Custom in .358 WSSM (legal for deer here)
A target grade .223/5.56 with an air gauged match grade barrel for HD and target
Another 16" HD with rails for my wife. Has an M6 laser/flashlight

Can't think of anything these won't do
 
A good, basic 16" AR with fsb and adjustable stock is about as vanilla an AR as it gets, but it does a lot of things pretty well imho. Simple, capable, effective.

If you're only gonna have one (or two), I think anyone would do well to stick to a well made M4 carbine type or mid length equivalent for a "do all" type AR.

If NFA weren't an issue, I'd say keep everything the same but go with a 14.5" or 12.5" barrel.
 
I have one AR. All I do is shoot paper at the range. I'll put a scope (1.5-4.5) on for a while. Then I'll use it with peeps. Club range is 200 yards so the only challenge option is keep reducing target size or shoot against the clock. Though that is fun it is still only 200 yds. I'm not shooting any competitions. That's the norm for me...so I don't expect any additions to the line up. Can't imagine trying to fill every variation of AR going...I mean $$$$$...wow.

Mark
 
I just ordered a Colt M4 22lr and am working on a optics service match build which will pretty much mimic a SDM A4 configuration these are added to the 6 I already have.
8" Blackout pistol
10.5" Mk18 inspired pistol build
14.5" blackout carbine with a pinned and welded faux suppressor
16" WOA barrelled do everything carbine
A2 configuration WOA uppered service match rifle
And a SASS inspired 308.
I can see maybe 2 more in my future a really long range 243 AR10 and a thumper probably a 450BM.
Having a dedicated 22 and the Blackouts I really don't see a need for a pistol caliber.
 
I wasn't looking for brands but rather functions. Thanks for all the great comments

I just thought of another! While not practical the taticool AR with all sorts of junk on it.

IMHO it's not something I'd want but might be fun to build just to see how crazy one could get and still have a functioning AR
 
I wasn't looking for brands but rather functions. Thanks for all the great comments

I just thought of another! While not practical the taticool AR with all sorts of junk on it.

IMHO it's not something I'd want but might be fun to build just to see how crazy one could get and still have a functioning AR
We should start a tactifool challenge......undermount cancannon...er line launcher....
 
Beware the man who owns only one weapon.
He probably knows how to use it.

I've never - ever - found this to be true for any firearms owner. For firearms owners, in general "the man with one weapon" typically doesn't even remember what brand it is, can't shoot it for squat, and hasn't cleaned it since he bought it. So I'm far more prone to say "beware the man with only one weapon, because he probably doesn't have a clue how to use it and might fling a bullet into anything in the vicinity if he ever had to use it in a high stress situation."

As someone who has been training firearms and various martial arts for my entire life, a man with only one weapon, even one he has mastered, is a very easy target as soon as you get him outside of that one weapon's area of strength.
 
As someone who has been training firearms and various martial arts for my entire life, a man with only one weapon, even one he has mastered, is a very easy target as soon as you get him outside of that one weapon's area of strength.
As an even more tangible corollary, special forces operatives receive quite a bit of training with a multitude of weapons. A number of different firearms, bladed weapons and so on. No matter how good someone is with a swiss army knife, he'll never hold a candle to a pro mechanic with a full tool cart and experience using every one of them.

That's why I like to keep my tool cart full and practise with each tool regularly. ;)
 
DPMS in .243 Hello Kitty

hcgKVCc.jpg
 
I think there's a goor argument to have a carbine lentgh--16" and a rifle length--20" in all of the non-pistol calibers a person might want to own. I'd add a heavy varmint/target version in 20-22" length, and perhaps something ao an Aunschutz rig, perhaps,
 
I have to second the pistol caliber carbine. I dearly love mine, it is so much fun.

I told myself I would never own a 9mm. Then 22lr got scarce and I needed something cheap to plink with and reload.. 9mm AR was the answer. It is my "22" now.
 
Two different platforms comes to mind. The AR 15 ,Something in 5.56/223 and an AR 10 in .308. Now you can can buy uppers and try what you think is interesting to you. Then if you so desire you can build or buy a dedicated AR platform in your choice of caliber.
This might become addicting so be careful.
 
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