Never owned an AR before

If you just want a basic example of the rifle with no frills, I'd look at Smith & Wesson, DPMS, Bushmaster, or Delton. For a bit more than your budget you can get a Rock River Arms (which I'm particularly fond of).

Of course, if you wanted to explore building your own AR, you could come out a bit cheaper. However, I usually recommend that someone's first AR should be pre-assembled and with a warranty. There's nothing more frustrating than trying to put together and troubleshoot a rifle that you aren't already very familiar with.

There are lots of "budget" or "economy" rifles out there, but not many that would qualify as junk these days. Most of the parts come from just a handful of sources, and a lot of the price difference is in fit & finish, although barrel is a significant factor.

IMO, you should definitely investigate building your own. PSA has some pretty awesome deals on kits or complete uppers and lowers with good quality components, such that you can come out with a dang nice AR for $600 or $700. And if you go the complete upper and complete lower route, "assembly" is literally pushing two pins in. Of course, should you find a rifle kit you like, assembling a lower is really easy, too, with lots of written and video tutorials out there.

I have 3 Pre Ban Colts nice old rifles. I bought a DPMS Panther M4 for $499. I put a less expensive scope and a red laser on the little folder. It shoots and functions just fine. The little rifle lives be side the driver seat in my Jeep.

I run a Franken gun. Works fine.
Treat it like an ex wife too.
If it's crappy weather in 6 hrs I'll drag it out coyote hunting.

Anderson Mfg Optics Ready carbine on sale (Buds) for $504 with free shipping. Certainly not junk.

Plenty other options...

SC

The Aero Precision AC15 is in my opinion the best budget gun out there. Doesn't have a lot of the corner cuts that some of the others have, ie non chrome lined barrel.

That being said you are within 200 buck of a Colt 6920 (the lightweight barrel version 6720 is usually a little cheaper if you find one in stock) and then you don't have to worry about "did I buy junk".

Your price range, Smith and Wesson M and P 15 sport .

I have thousands of flawless rounds in mine, never a single failure.
I have a few others that are much more $$$$$, and have just as much faith In The M and P.

At this point you can get a really nice (quality) AR in the $500 range.

Two things I would consider. First is the BCG (bolt carrier group). The bolt takes most of the beating from firing, so it makes since to get a really strong one. A FA (full auto) appears to be the strongest.

The other thing I would try to figure out is the front hand guard. If you get the older style clamshell fore end, you'll have a harder time adding a laser, etc. If you just want iron sights or use a red dot only, any fore end will do.

Remember the term "best" is relative. What suits me may not suit you. If you should elect to assemble the lower yourself, you'll know more of how it works if you're at all into that. Think of an AR as a Lego set that you can tear apart and build up differently.

There's a local manufacturer where I bought my last one. They build a total rifle from a pile of parts in 15-18 minutes. I'd had just a vague idea how they assembled, and I built my upper there in about 15 minutes. I'd advise against building your upper unless you get the right specialized tools.

My favorites in your price range would be Windham and then Ruger AR556. About the last AR I'd buy would be a Bushmaster.

My first AR was a Colt SP1 Sporter, basically the only game in town when I bought it. Still have it in fact and it's been a super reliable and accurate rifle all these years. My next AR was something I put together from assorted parts mainly from Bushmaster, Olympic Arms, and Colt. Also a solid performer. If I were looking today for another AR already built I would go with a S&W Sport II or up the price a bit and get a Colt Expanse.

dickydalton said:

I saw S&W M&Ps on GB for less than &500 today. I am thinking of one of them.

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I see the M&P .22lr version for the lesser price on GB but not the .223/5.56

I build my own, carefully selecting each component.

I'd recommend the S&W M&P Sport in a heartbeat. Usually a little over your budget, but worth every penny.

www.slickguns.com for all the current rifle and pistol deals. M&P Sport 2's have been going for $499.

I have nothing but Colts and RRA (well, I did just get a DDM4 V11 Tornado for buying a table at our local Friends of NRA event), but these days I advise folks wanting to dip their toe into the AR water to consider:
1. S&W Sport II (as others have stated, it can be found online for under $500).
2. Ruger AR556

It's hard to go against the M&P for under $500!

I saw S&W M&Ps on GB for less than &500 today. I am thinking of one of them.

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You'll find that there are many here who think highly of this carbine.

After keeping the AR platform at arm's length for so long and with the egregious California gun law disaster looming on the horizon, I broke down and purchased an M&P Sport II (the "II" adds a dust cover and fwd assist) late last summer.

Been busy with other firearms and handloading so I haven't used it yet.

I think primalmu nailed it. "If you just want a basic example of the rifle with no frills, I'd look at Smith & Wesson, DPMS, Bushmaster, or Delton. For a bit more than your budget you can get a Rock River Arms (which I'm particularly fond of)."

Everything else is complication. Having said that, AR15's are a BLAST to over complicate!

I've got about 4000 rounds through my M&P Sport and its trucking right along. I did have to get the bolt replaced, free of charge from S&W, but that can happen to any rifle.

I would piece one together. Not even talking about building/assembling one. I mean buying a complete PSA lower and then an Upper of your choice and popping two pins together. Even something as simple as that will save you money.

I have a variety of AR's to choose and my favorite one is a PSA lower with an A2 stock ($159) and a BCM 20" inch upper and a Midwest Industries rail.

You could buy whichever BCM Upper you like though.

http://www.bravocompanyusa.com/AR15-Upper-Receiver-Groups-s/1.htm

Eventually I put on a Trijicon Accupoint TR-22 2.5-10x56 with a LaRue LT-105 mount and rings, a Troy H&K BUIS, a Harris Bipod and a Streamlight TLR-1HL light for hog hunting.

I've assembled others from stripped Anderson and PSA receivers and used PSA uppers to save even more money, but just buying complete lowers and uppers and then popping the two together is something that even someone who has no idea how to assemble anything AR related can do to save money.

Virtually all lower end AR's from any major manufacturer is going to be essentially the same gun.

Buy what you can afford,then tweek it the way you want as you can afford it. AR's are the 350 Chevy engine of guns,you can get anything for it...welcome to the fold

Prices are really falling, so, some patience will be rewarded.
Yesterday (Saturday) at the Lewisville Gun Show there were ARs from $1500 to $500--which were largely the same gun.
The middle ground seemed to be $750, with many dealers taking $700 or less for cash.
Saw no Colts, and not many Bushmasters, either.

That's down about $250 just from December.

C-Grunt's suggestion to spend a few more $$$ and get a Colt is spot on in my opinion. For the money you are not likely to get better assembly and parts quality than a LE6720 or LE6920.

On another site there are posts from a blog by a guy who runs Battlefield Vegas, a full auto rental range, and he has noted that his Colts seem to hold up very very well, in fact so far no failures of Colt bolts whereas most others only go about 20K rounds before they start cracking bolt lugs. In fairness 20K is a lot of ammo down the pipe (especially in full auto) and the barrel will be gone before that and you replace the bolt when you replace the barrel.

Some other perspective on the care feeding, and quality of the AR platform from the late great Pat Rogers:



At about 21:00 he goes into what fails and the differences between a hobby grade gun like a S&W and a duty grade gun like a Colt, Bravo Company Machine, Daniel Defense, Knights Armament, LMT, or SIONICS.

The whole video is excellent and all AR owners or prospective owners should watch it.