What is the best value AR15 style rifle (.223/556)

[Doog]

Am thinking of getting a Ruger ranch rifle but noticed a few AR 15 styles that were close in price. Which are the better manufacturers that are still priced under $1000? I know very little about these rifles so some advice wuld be greatly appreciated.

The Colt models are seriously astronomical in price.

 

[DuckRyder]

Depends on how you define value.

Colts can be had for less than 1000.00. (One online seller has FDE A4's for 899 right now) WalMarts regular price on Carbines is about 1049 IIRC.

It'll have a properly staked bolt carrier and a very good quality barrel, and it'll work out of the box.

 

[OtisBlkR1]

PSA Palmento State Armory is a newer (ish) brand that is producing quality rifles at affordable prices. I have a PSA and a Colt LE, both are very good, I can find no noticeable difference between them myself.

 

[dnewton3]

Two come to mind that I recently purchased.

CORE Scout model; was $584 when I got it at Rural King.
http://core15rifles.com/core15-m4-scout-rifle.html

S&W M&P Sport model; was $619 locally.
http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/wcs/s...playErrorView_Y

Both excellent values.

No - they don't have a chrome lined barrel. But those are things you can "upgrade" after the wear becomes excessive. They are well made and come with a nice warranty.

For a no frills, well built, accurate and reliable rig, those two are hard to beat.

 

[29662]

I second PSA. High quality receivers at a good price. I live 5 miles from their store in upstate South Carolina. And several times a year they'll have sales on blemished receivers for less than $100 per. Great deals. They're also producing (308) recievers now.

 

[DuckRyder]

http://www.ar15.com/content/page.html?id=493

A little dated, but gives an idea of what you might want to look for.

http://www.thenewrifleman.com/the-ar15-buyers-guide-simple-steps-for-buying-a-great-rifle/

http://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?7355-Knowledge-Based-Threads

 

[wormwood1978]

think Windham; good quality rifle at a competitive price

 

[Leo99]

I have an M&P Sport. It's a fine rifle. No complaints at all about it. You do realize, however, that it's very easy to slip and go down the rabbit hole with the AR15 platform.

Just like oil, it's easy to say one product is theoretically better than another based on paper specs but in the real world they both perform equivalently.

 

[racin4ds]

I have a PSA custom built using their Stainless FNH barrel and its a TOP NOTCH rifle that is a tack driver! All in I have around $700 in it Can't go wrong with their stuff, just don't be in a hurry because their shipping is slow as heck!

 

[Olas]

ARs are like Meccano, use when it starts to come together you feel like its time for a change of upper/lower/trigger/barrel/butt etc...

If you like to tinker buy the cheapest base model you can find and refine it over time into something that it truly 'your' rifle.
If you prefer to buy something as solid and reliable as a house brick that will take all the abuse you can throw at it while never jamming or failing to cycle, well there's a certain Russian chap by the Name of Kalashnikov who designed something that might appeal to you

 

[Robenstein]

Colt, Windham, and PSA are your best values for what you get.

Colt will likely retain more value later should you decide to sell it.

 

[ueberooo]

Hey guys, sorry to possibly sidetrack the thread a little, but as very much of a non gun person, I just have some random questions about firearms and think it might be silly to put these on a whole new thread. One of these is about the AR15.

I'm wondering if such a small (just about bb sized) caliber weapon would at all be an effective deterrent against super large rodents, in particular brown bears: big ones like one might encounter in northern Montana, but not absolute over the top monsters like the ones you find in Alaska or Kamchatka. I hear that you need something as powerful as the 30-06 to be sure, but will the 5.56 rounds do enough damage to have the bear turn around and most likely get you out of an encounter alive? The AR has a lot of kinetic energy; just the round is small; great accuary weapon with nice range though. Would it be adequate for a bear defense weapon going by low standards?

My 2nd questions, unrelated to above or this thread: can anybody identify this PD type of weapon below; are these 4 single shot barrels?? What and what type of ammo does it shoot?

(It was linked in this story: )

TIA

 

[OVERKILL]

Look like tasers.

 

[Leo99]

The AR15 round is about the same size as a .22LR round. It's small. It's better than a stick against a brown bear but not a very effective round. It's too small to hunt deer with. I'd say it's inadequate. An angry bear probably wont' be deterred by a 5.56 round but if you hit it between the eyes, you'll escape alive. Probably.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: Leo99
The AR15 round is about the same size as a .22LR round. It's small. It's better than a stick against a brown bear but not a very effective round. It's too small to hunt deer with. I'd say it's inadequate. An angry bear probably wont' be deterred by a 5.56 round but if you hit it between the eyes, you'll escape alive. Probably.


Diameter-wise, yes. Length-wise, no. The .223 is a longer projectile and heavier. It also has a much higher velocity, they aren't really comparable. A .223 does a LOT more damage than a .22LR.

 

[Robenstein]

A 5.56x45mm/.223 Remington is NOT recommended against bears. It will work, but not effectively or efficiently. Many states wont let you shoot a deer with one. The problem is while it has a decent amount of energy, it disperses that energy very quickly and there is just too much fur, skin, fat, and meat on a bear before you get to vital organs.If you want an AR platform weapon to use that will effectively put down a bear, you would want an AR10 variant in 7.62x51mm NATO/308 Winchester.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: Robenstein
A 5.56x45mm/.223 Remington is NOT recommended against bears. It will work, but not effectively or efficiently. Many states wont let you shoot a deer with one. The problem is while it has a decent amount of energy, it disperses that energy very quickly and there is just too much fur, skin, fat, and meat on a bear before you get to vital organs.If you want an AR platform weapon to use that will effectively put down a bear, you would want an AR10 variant in 7.62x51mm NATO/308 Winchester.

 

[Cujet]

Guys that hunt hogs get one shot instant kills with 30 caliber weapons. They don't report results as good with the AR15. It does work, but not as well. I can't imagine it would be the choice for bear.

 

[Astro14]

I'd want a minimum of .308 against bear. I've got this rifle http://www.dpmsinc.com/AP4-308762-NATO_ep_125-1.html because it's a great all around performer. It's light weight, quick handling, reliable, accurate, modest in recoil, and is chambered in .308. The all-purpose rifle. It's good for deer and most game. Great for sport and for SD, should I choose to employ it...

Against larger bears, though, I would want a bigger caliber.

 

[Doog]

I would never consider shooting a bear with anything under 44cal. Probably a .444 or a 45-70 would be what I might try. You can shoot a bear in the head and blind him and he will track you by scent.