AR help; Stag Arms?

[and103]

Hey guys, I'm looking at an AR (it will be my first) and I found a local fully loaded Stag Arms for $1475 OTD. I don't know a whole lot about ARs, so any input would be appreciated. Unfortunately, all I have is a picture of it from facebook to post.

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1580943836544&set=a.1407492940380.2058219.1024131257

 

[CB900F]

And103;

I just went to Stag's website: www.stagarms.com. You didn't say what exact gun you've been looking at, but in my quick perusal of their right hand guns, I didn't see anything as expensive as that. You might want to shop around.

If nothing else, look over the Stag site & tell us just what it is that your local shop is offering for near $1,500.00. Since you said "out the door" I presume that there are additional costs other than the gun itself. What are those costs for & how much money do they amount to?

If you look, there's probably an FFL holder near you that will order & transfer for less than what that shop is asking. They seem expensive to me, but that's without knowing all the information too.

900F

 

[kwelz]

I would not even think about purchasing a Stag for 1500 dollars. No matter how much crap you put on it, it is still a Stag, which isn't that great of a gun to start with.
And it looks like the stuff put on it isn't even all that good.
Looks like it has a Knockoff ACOG on it and a light about 4X to big for a weapon light. That gun is worth maybe 800. And honestly I wouldn't even pay that for it.

For that money you could buy a Noveske or a fairly well equipped BMC or DD.

 

[Sky]

That sounds like a bit much to pay for the AR without knowing more but you probably know better than me.

I would take a few moments to read the following thread and make up your own mind if it is the deal you desire. We have some really knowledgeable guys at THR with their own opinions about price/comparison issues that will be along shortly. The comparison thread is a side by side and to me is very informative. The last two ARs I purchased were listed around 12 to $1400 from the manufactures but were sold to me for $1000 or less. Just gotta look around and don't fall in love with the first pretty one you see. If money is not an issue and it is what you want then go for it. Myself, part of the satisfaction of owning something is the feeling I get when I know it was a good deal at time of purchase.

http://forums.officer.com/forums/showthread.php?81462-So-you-want-to-buy-an-AR-15-huh

 

[Sky]

hahahahhehehe you guys are quick!!!

 

[and103]

You guys ARE fast! Thanks for the tips. I also know of a slightly used Colt with a Bipod, not sure what model Colt it is, but they are asking $995 for it. Maybe that would be the better buy, and I'll just put my own scope on it? I know Colts make decent ARs.

 

[kwelz]

That price on the Colt could be either ok or not that great.

New Colt 6920s can be had for under 1100 now and you could go with one of the other brands I mentioned new for about that money. I suggest you get one of those and then build it out the way you want it. You will be happier in the long run and have a better gun.

 

[and103]

That price on the Colt could be either ok or not that great.

New Colt 6920s can be had for under 1100 now and you could go with one of the other brands I mentioned new for about that money. I suggest you get one of those and then build it out the way you want it. You will be happier in the long run and have a better gun.

The only problem with "building it the way I want" is I am new to ARs. I have NO idea what I want. lol just a good shooting rifle that is decent, and I know will last. It would be nice to have a decent scope or sights setup too.

The link posted above was very helpful, thank you for that.

 

[CB900F]

And103;

The Stag's a good gun in my opinion. I've got some experience with one and would buy another without a second thought. I just think the shop's pricey. If you liked what they had, continue to go for it, just take a different route.

900F

 

[kwelz]

I understand. How about this then we can assume your budget is about 1500 based off the cost of the original gun.

Purchase a complete Daniel Defense upper.
They run about 800-850 at most shops and cheaper online.
Then buy the Lower of your choice for 300-400. The "assembly" at this point is pushing 2 pins together.
That still leaves you money to spend on optics and lights.

 

[greyling22]

if you're new to shooting might I suggest you buy a lower end AR. they can be had all day long for $700. unless you're going to run thousands of rounds through it a year or absolute demand the best even if you don't need it, a low end will be perfectly serviceable. (ex: not everybody needs a fancy BMW. toyota is just fine for most) that way you don't have so much money tied up in 1 gun. you can always sell it later if you decide shooting or AR's aren't your thing. or buy lots of ammo with the saved $800. or a 2 other $400 guns. 9mm pistol? 357 revolver? bolt action rifle? .22 rifle or pistol? silencer for your AR.

if you think of it as driving, why make your first car a jacked up pickup with loud exhaust and kc lights etc. you might drive it a bit and wish you had a regular truck, or a mini-van. or camry.

or to put it another way, why buy a fishtank all set up with fish inside. most of the fun is setting it up they way you want, with your plants and fish and rocks and tiny skeleton and GI joe underwater fight scene.

 

[kwelz]

I have to disagree with Greyling. Buy cheap buy twice. The argument is more along the lines of why buy a Kia of questionable quality for 20,000 when you could buy a known reliable Honda for 22,000.

 

[and103]

Well also, I am not new to shooting, just new to ARs. I have a few shot guns and hand guns, and even a couple of simple bolt action rifles.

 

[Sky]

greyling22 good points.

I have Del-Ton, Bushmasters, and CMMGs and would grab anyone of them for hunting or HD. Once the above comparison is read you know what to look for in a build and can check out what you are buying with your newly acquired product knowledge.

There are manufactured ARs that are reputedly more dependable and they are. Define dependable for your uses.

If you are gonna shoot 2000 every weekend I would certainly try to get the best BCG and barrel I could find yet for most of us hunters or plinkers a $2000 anything does not make much sense especially as a first platform.

Doctor friend has a set up that is close to $4000 with optics. It works for him and he is happy. For me I would not spend that kinda money for the intended use; plinking and hunting but would spend that much for diverse weapon platforms.

Different strokes for different mind sets and piles of cash.

 

[nwilliams]

$1,500 seems too high for that Stag, even with the extras.

Stag makes a decent AR but on a $1,500 budget I would look at getting a Colt, LMT or Daniel Defense and you could buy any of those new and probably still be under $1,500. I have a Daniel Defense and I love it, you can find them brand new for well under $1,500 and that would leave you with money left over to buy ammo and accessories.

 

[Al Thompson]

Agree that buying a lower and upper will get you a nice rifle for less money. If you want to save a few dollars on a assembled rifle, S&W is getting the nod from Pat Rogers. Use the saved money for a good optic, ammo and training!

 

[and103]

You know, I didn't even think about it.. I am in the Police academy, and we are going to the range next week where they will teach us all about the AR, and I will qualify with it.

 

[Al Thompson]

all about the AR

Well, teach yes, but perhaps not as up to speed as some of the civilian instructors like Pat Rogers or Tiger McKee or Randy Cain. Institutions and organizations can be very, very resistant to new methods or ideas. I spent a lot of years in the Army and have some real horror stories.

 

[NWdude83]

Stags are pretty good (I own ARs and used to sell guns) but not for that price.

 

[FlyinBryan]

that would be a great starter but that is way too much for it.

you should be able to find a nice rifle for 1k or less.

forget about all the bells and whistles for now. find a nice stag, s&w, bushmaster, dpms, or something along those lines for 800-900, buy a bunch of ammo, and start practicing with iron sights.

many ppl swear by those cmmg bargain bin rifles, and they can be had for around 600.00????

thats a 900 dollar difference.

 

[Frankl03]

I agree that a mid range AR is a great way to go. S&W M&Ps have chrome lined barrels, chamber and bolt carriers. Great gun. CDNN had them (optics ready version) for $699. This is a good buy and you are good to go (you will have to add front and rear sights or optics). I would not (personally) go for the way top end AR for my first one.

 

[ThePunisher'sArmory]

Purchase a complete Daniel Defense upper.
They run about 800-850 at most shops and cheaper online.
Then buy the Lower of your choice for 300-400. The "assembly" at this point is pushing 2 pins together.
That still leaves you money to spend on optics and lights

Normally I take this guy with a grain of salt, but I have to agree with this post.

 

[TonyAngel]

Since this is going to be your first AR, I would suggest that you just get a basic rifle and then add stuff as you NEED it. I know that rails and such are all the rage and people like to hang lights, sights and other accessories off of them, but that all adds up in terms of weight. You'd be surprised at the number of 10+ pound carbines I see at the range. If all you are doing is going to the range with it and will be shooting from a bench, then get all of the cool tactical stuff that you need to make you happy.

If you are actually going to be carrying the rifle, I'd consider a few things. The first is that 10lbs feel like a LOT more than 7lbs after you've hiked a few miles with it on your back and I don't care how big you are.

I'd start with something that has plain Jane hand guards (or MOEs) and a simple telescoping stock. Right now, Spike's seems to be the flavor of the month at about $850 for a complete rifle that is built with attention to detail using good milspec parts. In I were in the market for a basic rifle, the price would have to be a lot better than $850 before I'd buy something else. You could, of course spend more for other premium brands and it may well be money well spent.

You could check out aimsurplus.com and order a complete upper and a complete lower and throw them together to save you a little cash. That will leave you with money for a good optics mount and a decent optic.

As far as rails go, I tend to avoid them unless I need them. I've found them to be less comfortable than standard handguards (or MOEs) and they generally add weight/bulk.

I don't have anything against the Stag brand and know a few people that own them, but I wouldn't pay that much money for a Stag rifle, no matter what it had on it. Well, if it had a Nightforce 3.5-15X on it, I'd buy it for the scope and turn around and sell the rifle.

The point is that there are better options for the money. I've seen a good number of Daniel Defense rifles and fit and finish on all of them was top notch. I recently built a rifle around a Daniel Defense upper and was pleasantly surprised by how clean the machine work was, the finish and the tight tolerances.

 

[and103]

Ok how about this one?

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Item=197456764

 

[TonyAngel]

Best bang for the buck right now is the Spike's Tactical at around $850, unless you can find one of those S&W MP15s for $599.