Which AR 15 platform is the best bang for the buck?

[cajunautoxer]

After looking and playing around with several AR-15 platforms, I purchased a new Sig Sauer M400-S (SWAT version) I liked the fact that I can change out the safety selector switch (I am left handed) It is light weight and I can upgrade it when the time comes.

I saved enough money that I'll also be purchasing an Arsenal arms AK 47 in the very near future.

It was a local purchase and I got a good cash deal discount. It's the first time purchasing since I received my CHL (Gotta love the NO fed BG check)

Sooo....What optics to place my my new toy?

You want red dot or scope? Price range

[cprems]

I'm leaning towards a red dot but would like to be accurate out to 200 yards. I looked at the Sparc optic. I really don't have any hands on experience with optics and the AR is a new platform for me.

Now if this was an SA-80...

[cajunautoxer]

I'm a big fan of 1-4x scopes. I'm slowing replacing my Aimpoints with them. Millet DMS is cheap and works okay and also look at Burris TAC30 or MTAC. For red dots Aimpoint or Eotech.

[Abraham]

Take a look at the Mueller Speed Shot 1-4 power illuminated red dot scope.

I have one on my AR and love it!

[MechAg94]

I'm leaning towards a red dot but would like to be accurate out to 200 yards. I looked at the Sparc optic. I really don't have any hands on experience with optics and the AR is a new platform for me.

Now if this was an SA-80...

Most red dots are reasonably accurate to 200 yards though many have a 2 MOA or bigger dot. The EOTech typically has a 1 MOA dot with pretty tight adjustments. I found mine to be decent at 200 yards. Magnification is nice, but not absolutely necessary.

[LSUTiger]

Check out Palmetto State Armory. I have heard many good things about them. They frequently have "Madness" sales where they bundle different options together for low prices. They also have "black Friday" and "cyber Monday" deals. They go quick.

They have different levels of configuration that affect price. They have both milspec and commercial grade items so buyer beware. Know your AR-15 stuff and you can walk away with a pretty good deal. You can buy things by the individual parts, in various kits-upper, lower (minus the lower reciver) or rifle (upper w bcg and charge handle/lower kit minus the lower reciever) kits, stripped lowers, complete lowers or complete rifled in various configurations. All the various configurations and package deals will keep you busy for hours trying to decide what you want.

For my latest acquisition I wanted to build an AR from scratch and for the money/quality could not pass up on the PSA deals:

PSA Semi/Safe High Shelf Stripped Lower $116 (purchased sometime ago, they were as low as $49 for black friday)
PSA 16" CMV Rifle Kit $464 (cyber monday deal)
A3 flat top Upper Kit
Gov profile, 1/7 twist, 16" Carbine Gas (.750)/Chrome Moly Vanadium Chromed Lined Barrel/A2 Flash Hider, F Marked Front Sight Post
M4 Feed Ramp
M16 Auto Bolt 158 Carpenter Steel/Parkerized Finish/Chrome internal
Regular A2 Carbine Handgaurds

Complete Lower parts Kit w collapsable stock

Total Cost $580

Considering the Price/Quality and this isn't my first AR or primary battle rifle, it was worth taking a chance on. I am sure it will work great and I will enjoy the exeperience of assembling it my self.

+1 on BCM, Colt or DD for a first rifle, spend the extra coin, it's worth it. All the thinking has been done for you

[Abraham]

Recently, I saw a basic Bushmaster selling for around $900.00 and a basic Colt 6920 selling for $1000.00 - the difference in quality can't be overstated.

That's often the case for the other higher quality AR's like Noveske, Daniel Defense, etc. versus the lower cost/lower quality AR's. Often, there's relatively few dollars difference in cost between great/average/poor...

If you're ready to fork over $900.00 for a low quality AR, grit your teeth and spend the extra $100.00 for a mucho higher quality AR. That's not a lot of extra money to spend for an enormous difference in quality.

You won't regret it.

Have a look at M4Carbine.net and do some research on the AR's they recommend and those to avoid.

I'm new to the AR world, but with the guidance of Gigag04, I bought a quality AR, well, two now. After my purchases, I started reading M4Carbine and found the AR I bought is highly regarded by the folks on that forum. They're highly critical when it comes to quality AR's and those they think perform poorly and don't beat around the bush about it.

[LadyLightening]

I want to build one but I doubt I would be able to do it myself!

[MeMelYup]

I want to build one but I doubt I would be able to do it myself!

Surprise yourself, just do it. The hardest part is deciding what components to use. Start with a stripped lower and figure out what trigger you want. Go from there. When you get to the barrel you will have the most decisions to make. When you are done it will be unique just like the individual that built it. Have fun.

[LadyLightening]

I want to build one but I doubt I would be able to do it myself!

Surprise yourself, just do it. The hardest part is deciding what components to use. Start with a stripped lower and figure out what trigger you want. Go from there. When you get to the barrel you will have the most decisions to make. When you are done it will be unique just like the individual that built it. Have fun.

You make it sound easy! lol so are you going to be available for tech support? haaa

[JALLEN]

I want to build one but I doubt I would be able to do it myself!

Surprise yourself, just do it. The hardest part is deciding what components to use. Start with a stripped lower and figure out what trigger you want. Go from there. When you get to the barrel you will have the most decisions to make. When you are done it will be unique just like the individual that built it. Have fun.

You make it sound easy! lol so are you going to be available for tech support? haaa

See my posting on page 1. It really is easy and the knowledge you gain is priceless. Just take your time, watch the videos.

You couldn't walk into a gun store in CA back then and buy one. I bought a no name lower when they started selling them in CA, a parts kit and a Stag M4gery upper. It went together pretty easily, although I took some time trying to figure out what went where. No special tools were involved. It has gone bang every time I've pulled the trigger.

I built a second one and put a .22 upper on it. That's a lot of fun but has some jamming issues, almost certainly due to the magazines specially made for that use. I can buy another 5.56 or other upper and pop it on whenever I want.

The bonus is that I know how the gun is put together, can take it apart, etc to a greater degree and with more confidence than any other firearm I have.

[JSThane]

I'm leaning towards a red dot but would like to be accurate out to 200 yards. I looked at the Sparc optic. I really don't have any hands on experience with optics and the AR is a new platform for me.

Now if this was an SA-80...

Most red dots are reasonably accurate to 200 yards though many have a 2 MOA or bigger dot. The EOTech typically has a 1 MOA dot with pretty tight adjustments. I found mine to be decent at 200 yards. Magnification is nice, but not absolutely necessary.

I won't say I -love- my EOTech, but I certainly do -like- it quite a bit! I've got one sitting on a Stag left-handed carbine (hardly the top of the line!) and the rifle is more accurate than I am. As for the sight, while there is no magnification, if you can see a target, you can almost certainly hit it, given proper shooting technique. The 1 MOA dot might be maligned for "precision" work, but really, all the optic does is give you a visual reference; magnification only helps you -see- the target better, not hit it. If you -need- magnification for longer-range shots, by all means pick up a scope, but if you're like me and don't need glasses, you'll probably be fine.

Odd thing is, I have a slight tendency to be -more- accurate and precise without a scope!

As for home defense, I like the EOTech in combination with a decent light. I have a little Surefire G2 on a quick-detach on my carbine, in the thought that a light will not only help with friend/foe and target identification at night, but if it IS a foe, the sudden bright light can have a disorienting effect. The battery-powered EOTech can be turned up in brightness to deal with my own eye-spots after I switch the light off.

[MeMelYup]

I want to build one but I doubt I would be able to do it myself!

Surprise yourself, just do it. The hardest part is deciding what components to use. Start with a stripped lower and figure out what trigger you want. Go from there. When you get to the barrel you will have the most decisions to make. When you are done it will be unique just like the individual that built it. Have fun.

You make it sound easy! lol so are you going to be available for tech support? haaa

See my posting on page 1. It really is easy and the knowledge you gain is priceless. Just take your time, watch the videos.

You couldn't walk into a gun store in CA back then and buy one. I bought a no name lower when they started selling them in CA, a parts kit and a Stag M4gery upper. It went together pretty easily, although I took some time trying to figure out what went where. No special tools were involved. It has gone bang every time I've pulled the trigger.

I built a second one and put a .22 upper on it. That's a lot of fun but has some jamming issues, almost certainly due to the magazines specially made for that use. I can buy another 5.56 or other upper and pop it on whenever I want.

The bonus is that I know how the gun is put together, can take it apart, etc to a greater degree and with more confidence than any other firearm I have.

What's nice is you can build or buy several different uppers for it. If you want a longer range you can build a 6.5 Grendel upper with a 22 to 24 in. barrel and have one for over 800 yards. You can build an upper in 7.62x39 or something else (I think there is even a 50 cal in there) and they will fit the same lower. If you want to go to a longer cartridge use an AR-10 lower and go from there.

[The Annoyed Man]

I want to build one but I doubt I would be able to do it myself!

Surprise yourself, just do it. The hardest part is deciding what components to use. Start with a stripped lower and figure out what trigger you want. Go from there. When you get to the barrel you will have the most decisions to make. When you are done it will be unique just like the individual that built it. Have fun.

You make it sound easy! lol so are you going to be available for tech support? haaa

The only thing you might find is that some specific tools are required, but they are not very expensive at all. Also, once in the past I had to ask a gunsmith to remove a gas block from a barrel for me 'cause I couldn't get it off myself. But my son and I have built several of them over the years. I built my wife's AR. My son and I built mine. He built both of his, his wife's, and his father in law's. He builds them for pay now.