Looking to get my first AR-15, what's the best bang for buck, brand and model?

[hi-impact]

Given, the current prices and supply and demand, I think it might be a good time to get my first AR-15. I'm looking for the best bang for the buck. I want it to be as authentic/conventional to the design as possible. I'm thinking about a bushmaster QRC, Smith and Wesson M&P Sport II, Palmetto State Armory Freedom. I think I'm ruling out the Ruger AR-556, because I was told it's not as authentic, certain parts won't interchange from other brands? I don't know, again this will be my first AR15. I'm only interested in a brand new, fully assembled rifle. Given, I never had an AR-15 before, I don't want to attempt to assemble one together at this time.

Are there any other brands and models that are more authentic and a better value than the 3 AR's I mentioned?

Warranty is pretty important. I leaning towards the S&W because of the lifetime warranty. Bushmaster has a 1 year warranty and I don't know about PSA.

Which of the 3 I mentioned would you choose? Or would you choose none of them and you suggest a better option?

Thanks in advance.

 

[redneck2]

This same thing gets asked about once a week. If you in a hurry, just look back a couple pages

In no particular order, your replies will be....

(1)..Buy the Ruger. Best bang for the buck. You're an idiot if you don't

(2)..buy a S&W. accurate and well made. You're an idiot if you don't

(3)..buy a PSA. they're cheaper and a great value. You're an idiot if you don't

(4)..I'd buy a separate upper and lower from PSA and snap them together. Saves $100 in tax and takes 30 seconds. You're an idiot if you don't.

(5)..Colt is THE original. Holds its value and runs 100% of the time. You're an idiot if you don't.

See. I have it all covered.

The actual answer IMO is to look at the sticky thread above about building one. I know, you said you didn't want to build. That's OK. What you really should figure out is what configuration you want. What are you gonna do with it.

Yeah. I know. Shoot it. At what, when? Carbine class/home defense? Precision/varmint/target? Bench shooting or carry? Irons, scope, or red dot? You need to mount a light, etc?

Until you answer these questions, any answer is....uhhhh....foolish. I can pick what I want. I can't pick what you want. I have four AR's and all are different

 

[redneck2]

Or would you choose none of them and you suggest a better option?

Define "better". Better for what?

One of mine is a .358 WSSM. I use it for deer hunting. You have to hand form brass and hand load all your ammo. It's better for deer.

I have a Varminter with a 24" air gauged barrel. Shoots sub 1/2" groups. Has a 6.5-20 scope. It's better for prairie dogs.

I have a flat top carbine with a Trijcon holo sight. Super for CQ use. It's better for HD applications.

 

[1911 guy]

What they said. One of the attractions of the AR is its versatility. I have one that is a dedicated varmint gun and has a 20 inch barrel, fixed stock and free float tube. Another is a "fun gun" for the range, lightweight 16 inch barrel and collapsible stock. Yet another is my (former job) work gun.

Decide what you want to do with the rifle and go from there. If you want something specific, you're usually better off getting it from the beginning instead of buying a rifle and upgrading later. But if you don't have a specific configuration in mind, keep your eye out for deals and be prepared to jump on something that tickles your fancy.

 

[Mosin Bubba]

I like iron sights, and for a first-time AR owner, I figure you want something that's good to go out of the box. So I'd grab the Smith.

That being said - these companies all just assemble the exact same parts made by the exact same 2 or 3 vendors. If I electrical-taped the logo on 10 budget ARs and asked people to shoot them all, I bet they wouldn't be able to tell a difference between them.

 

[theblakester]

This same thing gets asked about once a week. If you in a hurry, just look back a couple pages

In no particular order, your replies will be....

(1)..Buy the Ruger. Best bang for the buck. You're an idiot if you don't

(2)..buy a S&W. accurate and well made. You're an idiot if you don't

(3)..buy a PSA. they're cheaper and a great value. You're an idiot if you don't

(4)..I'd buy a separate upper and lower from PSA and snap them together. Saves $100 in tax and takes 30 seconds. You're an idiot if you don't.

(5)..Colt is THE original. Holds its value and runs 100% of the time. You're an idiot if you don't.

See. I have it all covered.

The actual answer IMO is to look at the sticky thread above about building one. I know, you said you didn't want to build. That's OK. What you really should figure out is what configuration you want. What are you gonna do with it.

Yeah. I know. Shoot it. At what, when? Carbine class/home defense? Precision/varmint/target? Bench shooting or carry? Irons, scope, or red dot? You need to mount a light, etc?

Until you answer these questions, any answer is....uhhhh....foolish. I can pick what I want. I can't pick what you want. I have four AR's and all are different

lol I choose #4 with a PSA freedom upper
(4)..I'd buy a separate upper and lower from PSA and snap them together. Saves $100 in tax and takes 30 seconds. You're an idiot if you don't.

 

[Hokie_PhD]

Redneck2 summed it up.
A PSA blemished lower and then their lowest cost upper that includes the BCG and charging handle is hard to beat. Get on their mailing list and see the deal of the day.

The S&W is a bit more expensive but probably is the best value from a big name company.

The thing with ARs is they're a lot of fun to shoot. Once you get one you'll love it. Be warned they're a HIGHLY ADDICTIVE drug!

I bought one, then sold it when things got hard. I liked it but it had a few things I wanted changed. So when I got a little money I got a PSA lower. A few months later I bought an upper, then a scope. I really like the PSA. It shoots well and is the gun I'll grab if SHTF.

Of course there are a few things that I want different in another AR. Such as a better trigger and a different twist rate. The PSA is a 16" carbine. So I decided to build another one. I picked up a stripped lower, got a PSA lower parts kit with the Magpul pistol grip and ALG trigger. It went together easy and I'm thrilled. I'm about to build the upper when I get the money to get the parts.

The thing is that I'm starting to plan another build. So the cycle continues and the drug screams for a pnother fix.

So proceed with caution and you've been warned!

 

[mjsdwash]

This same thing gets asked about once a week. If you in a hurry, just look back a couple pages

In no particular order, your replies will be....

(1)..Buy the Ruger. Best bang for the buck. You're an idiot if you don't

(2)..buy a S&W. accurate and well made. You're an idiot if you don't

(3)..buy a PSA. they're cheaper and a great value. You're an idiot if you don't

(4)..I'd buy a separate upper and lower from PSA and snap them together. Saves $100 in tax and takes 30 seconds. You're an idiot if you don't.

(5)..Colt is THE original. Holds its value and runs 100% of the time. You're an idiot if you don't.

See. I have it all covered.

The actual answer IMO is to look at the sticky thread above about building one. I know, you said you didn't want to build. That's OK. What you really should figure out is what configuration you want. What are you gonna do with it.

Yeah. I know. Shoot it. At what, when? Carbine class/home defense? Precision/varmint/target? Bench shooting or carry? Irons, scope, or red dot? You need to mount a light, etc?

Until you answer these questions, any answer is....uhhhh....foolish. I can pick what I want. I can't pick what you want. I have four AR's and all are different

pretty good but you forgot the "buy a kit from (insert name, often PSA, but sometimes others), they can be had for under 100$ if you wait, order a lower, and you have a complete tactical superrifle for 130$, your an idiot if you don't. But I cant produce a receipt, or screenshot.

 

[mjsdwash]

while I cant say any one is better than another, I will say whatever you get, get a lightweight barrel, and a pencil weight if you can. Heavy barrels destroy the handling. Get at least one 20 round magazine. If you get a 16", get a midlength.

 

[ilbob]

Think carefully about why you want one. Than buy what handles what you want.

My guess is there will be $400 ARs available in the not too distant future and maybe for sometime to come. Can probably get close to that now.

 

[Schlegel]

Saw a complete ar for 399 today. Polymer lower. I think. Prices are very tempting now for all the basic rifles.

 

[MistWolf]

Buy a basic, plain Jane carbine and shoot it until you figure out what you want it to do

 

[hdwhit]

hi-impact wrote:
I'm looking for the best bang for the buck. I want it to be as authentic/conventional to the design as possible.

What do you mean by "authentic"?

The "authentic" version (after the corrections made following its problematic introduction in Vietnam) was a fully automatic rifle with a 20 inch chrome-lined barrel made of 4150 steel, fixed buttstock and carrying handle with integral sight. The rifles you are looking at share none of these characteristics.

The rifles you mentioned in your original post are modeled on the M4 Carbine version of the rifle that are semi-automatic, have a 16 inch non-chrome barrel made of 4140 steel, an adjustable buttstock, no carrying handle, a flat-top receiver and auxillary optical sights.

The Ruger, S&W, Bushmaster & PSA are all fine civilian derivatives of the Stoner design backed by established companies that will provide you years of satisfactory shooting. If you're going to buy the rifle and then use it as it comes out of the box, I doubt any of them would fail to meet an "optimal bang for the buck" criteria.

If you're going to buy one of these rifles and then start replacing parts on it willy-nilly, then I suggest you buy "None of the Above" and instead shop for a factory-configured rifle with the parts you want on it already.

I own and shoot a 181-series Ruger Mini-14, so I don't "have a dog in this AR fight". When I joined the herd and went looking for an AR for each of my sons in fear of a Hillary victory, I regarded the Ruger, S&W, Bushmaster and Colt Expanse as effectively being the same rifle and chose the S&W M&P-15. It was available locally, had a good warranty and was $20 to $50 cheaper than the Ruger or Bushmaster and almost $200 less than the Colt.

 

[hdwhit]

mjsdwash wrote:
If you get a 16", get a midlength.

Why?

When you make these kinds of recommendations, please take the time to explain the reason why you are making them. Why should I get a mid-length gas system versus a carbine-length gas system? Am I just trusting your "sage wisdom" or is there a reason? If you don't explain the reason behind your pronouncements, nobody else on the forum gets a chance to benefit from your knowledge and experience.

 

[hdwhit]

OP, the reason some posters will suggest that you get a mid-length gas system is that the closer to the chamber the propellant gasses are tapped, the hotter and more erosive they are. Carbine-length gas systems will "wear out" from erosion faster than mid-length or full-length gas systems. But the differences are marginal and unless you're at the range every week blasting through several magazines, the difference in life will probably be a concern only to your heirs.

 

[Mosin Bubba]

while I cant say any one is better than another, I will say whatever you get, get a lightweight barrel, and a pencil weight if you can. Heavy barrels destroy the handling. Get at least one 20 round magazine. If you get a 16", get a midlength.

I don't get why every manufacturer insists on the A2 barrel.

When I was shopping for an AR, cheap and pencil barrel were the only requirements I had. I didn't worry about all the AR spreadsheet specs - tested bolt, 6061 buffer tube, etc - because I frankly don't shoot enough to see a real-world difference. But with a pencil barrel, you feel the difference every time you pick the gun up.

A Delton Sport was about the only budget gun I could find that even had a pencil barrel, so I ended up with one of those. Love the way it handles with a 20 rounder and so far I have had 0 regrets.

 

[JeeperCreeper]

I posted the following on another forum when a poster asked about getting an upper and lower for a bullet-hose beater gun. I tried to break down alot of the specs pretty simple for someone who has no real experience buying or building. Having said that, if I were to give you the short answer, I'd recommend an M&P Sport II overall as a new rifle (non-build) because of the track record, warranty (lifetime), and overall accuracy during reviews.

I always go with Palmetto State Armory. There are so many companies that do uppers anymore, and I'm starting to figure out what specs are best, and I always find PSA to be the best bang for buck. I have 3 from PSA (low grade, mid grade, high grade) and nothing but great things to say from all across the price range. I've used Anderson and Spikes lowers, and didn't notice a difference in quality on either.

http://palmettostatearmory.com


For a bullet hose, barrel will be most important:

If you're gonna be dumping ammo, def stay away from stainless barrels. PSA has their FN made CHF "machine gun steel" barrels on sale every few weeks if you want a really good barrel. But I'd aim for at least 4150 (over 4140) steel with nitride/melonite over phosphate finish... but phosphate isn't bad. Chrome lined is good for mag dumps, but I'm not really a fan of it... I'd rather have nitride.

Bolt Carrier Group is kinda important after the barrel:

My favorite finish for the the BCG is probably Nitride, because it is a metal treatment. Nickel Boron BCGs can be really good, but if the treatment is bad they can chip off. Nitride is a hardened metal treatment that affects the composition, so it is more permanent. Phosphate, like the barrels, are considered "base model".

Normally, the price grade for steel finish is (low to high):
1. phosphate
2. nitride/melonite
3. nickel boron

For steel of the bolt, go with 158 carpenter steel over 9130. Both are good, but 158 is considered more consistent. 8620 is low grade, and should be for carriers, but not bolts IMO since 158 and 9130 are most common.

Gas system length shouldn't matter:

Carbine is good. Midlength is considered "better" for 5.56 to be softer and still reliable. But I dunno, Carbine might spit out the brass more violent, which might help if you're dumping ammo.




But I dunno, this is just ranting and you may know most of this already. Plus, I'm no expert so someone might dispute this.

I'd just go with cheap, and look for good stuff as a bonus if the price is right.

 

[cdb1]

Windham, Ruger, Stag, DPMS, S&W would be my choices in order. Why? Because they are the ones I have experience with that I think are good. I'd stay away from a new Bushmaster but would buy a pre-Freedom Group Bushmaster in a flash.

I also have experience with Colt and they are excellent too but for me they haven't reached mythical status as they have with many. So I will let a Colt maven extol upon why you should buy a Colt and you are an idiot if you don't. I am an idiot by the way.

 

[grampajack]

Given, the current prices and supply and demand, I think it might be a good time to get my first AR-15. I'm looking for the best bang for the buck. I want it to be as authentic/conventional to the design as possible. I'm thinking about a bushmaster QRC, Smith and Wesson M&P Sport II, Palmetto State Armory Freedom. I think I'm ruling out the Ruger AR-556, because I was told it's not as authentic, certain parts won't interchange from other brands? I don't know, again this will be my first AR15. I'm only interested in a brand new, fully assembled rifle. Given, I never had an AR-15 before, I don't want to attempt to assemble one together at this time.

Are there any other brands and models that are more authentic and a better value than the 3 AR's I mentioned?

Warranty is pretty important. I leaning towards the S&W because of the lifetime warranty. Bushmaster has a 1 year warranty and I don't know about PSA.

Which of the 3 I mentioned would you choose? Or would you choose none of them and you suggest a better option?

Thanks in advance.

No one can help you without knowing what you want it for. Plinking, home defense, hunting, competition? All of the above? You have no idea you just want one? All good reasons to buy an AR but we need to know which ones apply to you.

Whatever you do, I would highly advise buying used. I just saw a 1200 dollar BCM on Armslist the other day for 900. Why pay retail just to have it lose a third of its value the minute you shoot it? By buying local used, you also save on taxes and/or shipping/FFL costs.

As others have mentioned, you'll also have to be more specific about what you mean by authentic. Technically speaking, Colt makes the only "authentic" AR15, as they bought the rights to it from Armalite way back in the day. If you mean faithful to the military versions of it inside and out, then Colt, FN, and LMT are good bets. If you just want it authentic in terms of looks and interchangeability of parts then pretty much anything besides the Ruger or S&W. You could get a very authentic looking PSA, for example. You can even get a 14.5'' pinned upper that will look very much like an M4 upper without having to register it as an SBR. There are also some very faithful replicas of historical AR15 variants being made by Troy, Colt, and others.

IMHO, though, authentic is way behind the times. I would get a mid length at the very least. They don't necessarily cost any more and have all kinds of benefits.

 

[FL-NC]

Saw the Ruger ($450) and the S&W ($500) last weekend at a gun show. Would own either.

 

[hi-impact]

More specifically, it will be strictly for home defense. Therefore, in order of importance, reliability, durability, accuracy. By "Authentic" I mean interchangeability of parts. Therefore, if that rules out the Ruger and S&W, what brands and models fit my criteria? Is PSA authentic?

 

[Hokie_PhD]

More specifically, it will be strictly for home defense. Therefore, in order of importance, reliability, durability, accuracy. By "Authentic" I mean interchangeability of parts. Therefore, if that rules out the Ruger and S&W, what brands and models fit my criteria? Is PSA authentic?

I think by "authentic" you mean Mil-Spec.

I'm not sure who told you the S&W isn't. I don't know much about the Ruger, but I'm pretty sure it is standard also. I know the PSAs and S&Ws are.

 

[bassjam]

I think it's the delta ring and barrel nut on the Ruger that's not mil spec. Honestly I wouldn't be afraid of that, I talked my brother into getting the Ruger just to see how it compares to my M&P. They both seem like solid guns that are backed by great companies.

I know it's new to the market, but I'm curious about the Savage AR as well. If it shoots anything like other Savage rifles it should be a great bargain as well.

 

[ilbob]

More specifically, it will be strictly for home defense. Therefore, in order of importance, reliability, durability, accuracy. By "Authentic" I mean interchangeability of parts. Therefore, if that rules out the Ruger and S&W, what brands and models fit my criteria? Is PSA authentic?

Depends on what parts you want to interchange. The reality is that most of the parts in most AR pattern rifles will interchange. However, there are a lot of cases where manufacturers have made an improvement (or so they think) that means a specific part is not interchangeable.

Some AR lower receivers are made with the trigger guard an integral part of the forging. That means you can't use the bottom trigger guard on those receivers that comes from another rifle. But so what?

Some upper receivers have a special nut to accommodate forearms so you can mount rails.

There are different rail mounting systems that are incompatible with each other.

One of the great things about ARs is how adaptable they are. That also means inevitably you will end up with a part on a gun that can't be used on another gun.

Some AR pattern rifles don't even come with sights these days.

 

[grampajack]

More specifically, it will be strictly for home defense. Therefore, in order of importance, reliability, durability, accuracy. By "Authentic" I mean interchangeability of parts. Therefore, if that rules out the Ruger and S&W, what brands and models fit my criteria? Is PSA authentic?

You're not going to get a high quality carbine for less than the price of a Glock. You need to stop looking at hobby/plinking brands and start looking for a high quality, no nonsense one. It doesn't have to be Colt, it doesn't even have to be "milspec," it doesn't even have to be an AR for crying out loud. You could use an Arsenal AK74, Sig 550 variant, SCAR 16, Tavor if you're into bullpups, etc. But whatever you choose, make sure it's a decent brand with a history of real world use and a reputation for halfway decent quality control. You wouldn't trust a 450 dollar AK, so why trust a 450 dollar AR?

I'm sure lots of people are going to get butthurt over this post, but I'm here to tell you that you get what you pay for in the gun market. If you're going to rely on it for home defense, don't screw around. Pick up a nice used carbine, whatever you like, and then get a used high quality red dot and weapon light. You can pick up used scout lights for under 100, and you should be able to find an Aimpoint PRO for around 400. Just stay away from Vortex, Primary Arms, Holosun, Hilux, etc. If it looks to good to be true it most likely is.