Shopping for an AR and Pistol help

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Ain't going to comment on a particular AR. Pick the one you like the best in your price range from a reputable maker and you are good to go.

I work the gun counter at a very large dealer and have come to the conclusion that a person should choose the handgun that feels best in their hand. Ruger, S&W, Sig, Glock, Springfield, CZ, etc. It really doesn't matter. And when I say it doesn't matter I'm obviously excluding HiPoint and guns of their ilk. And ignore your friends advice.
 
Right, I'll go out and buy a $900 gun so I can measure something that you are advocating. Your answer says more than you think.
 
I'm also of the mindset that Colt makes an excellent AR. But speaking of the 6920 it may shoot better than the PSA you used to have, but that doesn't mean it shoots better than other AR's costing the same or less. In our family we have Colt 6920's, DPMS, Stag, Windham and a Ruger AR556. The two most accurate are a DPMS A2 Classic and the Windham and both cost less than $800.00. It's the luck of the draw which sub $1,000.00 AR will be the most accurate. It's also been my experience, albeit limited, that chrome lined barrels aren't as accurate as chrome moly. I'll take better accuracy over longer barrel life. Most people I know will take the opposite even though I seriously doubt any of them will ever burn an AR barrel out.
 
cdb1 said:
It's also been my experience, albeit limited, that chrome lined barrels aren't as accurate as chrome moly. I'll take better accuracy over longer barrel life. Most people I know will take the opposite even though I seriously doubt any of them will ever burn an AR barrel out.
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Your experience reflects reality; quality of manufacture being equal, an unlined barrel will reliably be more accurate than a lined one. Furthermore, nitrided (Melonited) barrels are as tough as chrome lined for all practical purposes, especially where semi auto rifles are concerned. QC is also far easier with nitrided button rifled tubes than chrome lined ones, so you can get a better barrel for less money.
 
Also added to the list of maybes for the AR15 is the Ruger AR556 and the SA Saint. I've found the Saint as cheap as $560 and read a few reviews that for the money its one of the better entry level AR's, for the money, the quality of the rifle and reliability of the rifle between the SA Saint, Ruger AR556, and the M&P15 which one would I be most likely to not have to upgrade. I've read / heard that the M&P15 is about as bare bones as you can get when it comes to features and read a lot of back and forth on the Ruger AR556 and SA Saint.
 
Also I live in the state of Washington which has pretty chill gun laws. If I buy a rifle online do I still have to have it shipped to an FFL.
 
I have bought and shot a lot of guns over the last number of years. After a lot of buying and trying and a number of training classes and a lot of ammo and money later, I have come to a few conclusions. One is that there are a lot of quality guns out there and a lot is dictated by preference and in some cases budget. A few things to consider though. There service life of a gun is very long. Most people don't wear them out. A few hundred dollars over the service life of the gun is negligible.

If I could go back and tell myself what I know now and what to buy it would probably be the following: BCM 16" mid length with an aimpoint micro. BCM is where I think the sweet spot is on quality and price. I currently own a three other brands some costing more and some costing less. You can't go wrong with a BCM.

For a handgun there are a number of good choices. I'd probably tell myself to buy a Glock 19 and be done with it. Every good holster and accessory is offered for that gun. It is a very efficient size. It is big enough to be a primary handgun or range gun and yet can be carried easily in all kinds of attire with the right holster. It is a truly great gun. That said I could probably live a happy life a number of other guns. Guns like the VP9, sig 320, PPQ, etc are great and will do the job. If I was narrowing down to one it would probably be the G19 though. The VP9 might be my second choice. I like my Steyr much as those guns and shooting the PPQ side by side with the VP 9 makes me think I could live with it too. However, as time has come by logistics and support for a gun has become more important to me.

As to your budget prices vary by region. That said a good used glock can be found around here for as low as $400 fairly easily. That would leave some extra money for the AR. I really would encourage you to spend a bit more and get something you know you will be happy with.
 
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NWcityguy2 said:
Right, I'll go out and buy a $900 gun so I can measure something that you are advocating. Your answer says more than you think.
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I said get, not buy. Borrow one from a friend, if you don't want to spend the money, and find out for yourself. Go shoot the rifle.

I said shoots better, not more accurately. I had no complaints about the accuracy of the PSA I had. The only AR I've seen that had bad accuracy had a worn out barrel
 
MistWolf said:
I said get, not buy. Borrow one from a friend, if you don't want to spend the money, and find out for yourself. Go shoot the rifle.

I said shoots better, not more accurately. I had no complaints about the accuracy of the PSA I had. The only AR I've seen that had bad accuracy had a worn out barrel
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What does shoot better mean?
 
"To me, the Colt 6920 shot smoother right out of the box and it's recoil was easier to control."

I don't know exactly what you mean by smoother. I'm somewhat recoil averse but recoil in an AR is so light I've never noticed recoil in one being easier to control than another. Maybe I haven't shot enough AR's
 
Easier to control recoil? Not buying that for a second.

With two mil-spec carbines, the only causes for a difference in recoil are all of the contributors to carrier speed: load, port dia, gas system length, carrier weight, spring rate, buffer weight.

I'll assume you compared apples to apples with the same load.

Since the 6920 is a carbine length gas and a standardized port dia, I'll also assume there's no significant difference there.

So now you're only talking about buffer and carrier weight and spring rate. A $500 PSA plus a $25 Colt spring matches up for spring rate - not that it usually actually makes any significant difference if you're using two mil-spec springs, and M16 carriers are available for either, so I'm prone to believe one simply had a carbine buffer and your colt had an H2.

So for $30 and under 2min of shop time, you could drop in an H2 buffer and have the same depressed recoil impulse you found favorable in the Colt.

They're simple machines, it's really not so difficult to make them run right, even if there isn't a pony on the side.
 
BSA1 said it well. I can't offer an opinion on the AR, but I will on the handgun. I'm a newbie - less than 4000 rounds through my Sig SP2022 and Sig GSR 1911. But everyone reacts differently to the type of handgun he is shooting.

Double action revolver, single action 1911, DA/SA Sigs/HKs/CZs, strikers (too many to list, but Glocks lead the way) - find a range that offers rentals and shoot everything. I'm willing to bet that what you find best "fits" you is not what fits your shooting buddies. You'll find yourself dreading going to the range if you buy what someone tells you to and it's not the right fit for you.

You mentioned taking a training class - yes!!!

I'm not trying to diss on everyone's comments here. We all have our favorites. (I'm a Sig guy - DA/SA w/ decocker and the hell with "high bore axis" ;)) But guns are very personal. Have fun with your search. You may ending up teaching your friends a thing or two!

Enjoy the ride!
 
S&W makes a fine AR-15. I've carried one for work for better than 8 years now (I've also carried a Colt in the past). My work S&W MP AR-15 probably has upwards of 10,000 rounds through it, and gets used as a utility weapon in the field. It runs just fine, and has never failed on me. I had to replace the safety detent about 1,000 rounds back (safety was sticking in the "FIRE" position), but it has been flawless otherwise. The Colt I previously carried was a fine gun, too.

Honestly, the AR-15 has really taken off in the last 20 years. I'll agree with others in saying that the Colt fan boys are demonstrating some serious brand loyalty, but it certainly doesn't meant that's because Colt makes the best AR-15. There are a lot of great AR-15 manufacturers out there these days, and Colt is neither the best or worst of the bunch. A LOT of companies make good AR-15 rifles these days, and it's hard to know what you really want until you get some time behind one.

If you can't get the opportunity to shoot a few AR-15's before you buy one, then at least try to think about what you might enjoy shooting the most. I have several AR-15's currently (and have had others in the past). Each gun serves its own role in my fleet. The shorter barreled guns (including an actual NFA short barreled rifle) are great for defensive use, and in situations where a short length matters. But, the gun I really enjoy shooting the most is a 20" barrel A2 style AR-15 that I bought back in the 1990's (when the government was still making us crown barrels and grind off bayonet lugs for "safety"). Anyway, that gun just has a perfect balance in my hands, and has been the most accurate of the AR-15's I own. It's an open sighted gun that I just enjoy taking to the range. But, it's not the ideal home defense gun when compared to other AR-15's I own (or have owned).
 
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