Noob looking for a AR

[reguR 22]

Well i guess I am also mindfull that I live across the street from a federal prison. If things went really bad I can protect the homestead from a little logner distance.

[reguR 22]

Originally Posted by str8shooter

Let me take a guess here and say you're looking for an AR just to have one. Election day is coming, speculation of another ban fills the forums and you haven't really put together in your head an exact reason what you want one for, but you know you do before it's too late.

Am I close?

I apologize if I missed the mark completely, but that's where I was when I first started looking and the more questions I asked, the more I had. Here's what I did when I first started looking:

Make a crude chart, nothing fancy, but if you want to use a spread sheet fine, but I drew some lines on a piece of paper that I could carry around. A lot of scratch offs and erases, but I didn't need a thumb drive and computer each time I wanted to add information.

Include the questions asked above to your chart. Budget, accuracy, purpose, and also add name brand recognition (i.e. bragging rights), what to avoid, must have accessories, can add later accessories. How much you will shoot, where you will shoot, what you will shoot. Do you want one ready to fire out of the box, are you mechanically inclined and like the idea of saying "I made this", do you have the time and space to build your own, would you be happy buying a complete upper and matching it to a complete lower to have a somewhat custom rifle that costs a little less without taking the risk of not having the time and tools to finish an expensive project?

Think about these things, give them a priority on your chart/spreadsheet, and the AR you want may drop through the filter and be a no-brainer. Otherwise, you will have at least narrowed down the choices and be able to ask a few more specific questions about those remaining.

ETA: a few other responses came in as I typed including your first thoughts on a budget. For $1200 you can get a high quality AR out of the box, for a couple hundred less, you can buy a seperate upper and lower, but essentially have the same thing. Putting them together is as easy as changing a light bulb. For even less, you can buy stripped parts, but then you're getting into an area where you better have a lot time available for learning and building to get it right.

No think that you nailed it on the head with that. I do fear the Clinton Ban returning.

I like your idea for a spreadsheet! That just might be the ticket. I do think I will try to buy a complete gun. I am not too much of a mechanic.

[Shawn.L]

Originally Posted by reguR 22

Very nice looking firearm! How does it shoot?
.

How far are from PGH ?
Come up to the Sept group shoot and you can run a few mags if you like.

I run cheap Wolf ammo (yeah the internet doesnt approve) and havent scoped it or shot from a rest so I couldnt tell you in regards to MOA. But it hasnt had any sort of failures at all once I firgured out I had my hammer spring in backwards. I havent cleaned it in a few hundred (under 500 but over 300) and prob wont, cause I dont need to. It'll hit what I aim at if I do my part.

[Shawn.L]

Originally Posted by reguR 22

I do think I will try to buy a complete gun. I am not too much of a mechanic.

If you can build IKEA furniture you can build an AR.

Actually, the IKEA furniture is harder, more steps, and requires more tools.

[str8shooter]

Originally Posted by reguR 22

I have more 870's, SBE's, 500's, and .22's than I can shake a stick at. I am very tactical with the shotgun. I need another shotgun like i need another hole in my head.

Like I said I want to break into the Ar 15. I was thinking about one with the flip down sights and a rail that I could mount optics on.

If you would give me links to your suggestions that would be great too.

Kind of curt, no? You didn't say you wanted to break into the AR-15, you said you were breaking out of the pistol world, and elaborated by saying you wanted something for home defense. Since you're new to the forum please understand that we like to help, and I'm glad you liked my suggestion, but getting snapped at if the answers we give aren't exactly to your liking isn't going to get others to rush out and try harder to find exactly what you're looking for.

[reguR 22]

Originally Posted by str8shooter

Kind of curt, no? You didn't say you wanted to break into the AR-15, you said you were breaking out of the pistol world, and elaborated by saying you wanted something for home defense. Since you're new to the forum please understand that we like to help, but getting snapped at if the answers we give aren't exactly to your liking isn't going to get others to rush out and try harder to find exactly what you're looking for.

Yeah I thought I put the little next to that when I typed it. My bad!

[str8shooter]

Originally Posted by reguR 22

Yeah I thought I put the little next to that when I typed it. My bad!

No worries, our egos usually overrule our sensitivities so we generally keep answering even if some posts come out in type different than intended by the poster.

[reguR 22]

Originally Posted by str8shooter

No worries, our egos usually overrule our sensitivities so we generally keep answering even if some posts come out in type different than intended by the poster.

yeah sometimes its hard to put humor in type! Again I didn't mean to sound snappy!

I was looking at one of the Smith and Wesson M&P's It had the picatiny rail and the fold down iron sights on it. I was kind of digging that if that helps you in providing guidance.

Thanks!

[Brown-Bear]

You can stay way under your $1200 budget by buying a lower parts kit and then a sperate upper assembly, not to hard to put them together. But since there are so many options and makers, I would suggets going to the gun shows and just see if they have fully asembled that you like. They almost always have a wide variety at each table, I'm sure you'll be able to find one you like.

Dave

[ssom003]

Originally Posted by reguR 22

I was looking at one of the Smith and Wesson M&P's It had the picatiny rail and the fold down iron sights on it. I was kind of digging that if that helps you in providing guidance.

Thanks!

Got this at the last gun show farm show complex new for $1050.00 plus $365 for the EOTech...