Quality AR

[UNK]

I've looked over the last year at lots of threads dealing with AR's. It seems I'm still learning new (to me) brands. Aero Precision and PWS (Thx VDM) come to mind as just discovered this week.
I would like to see a thread cut to the chase and make up a list of AR's that experienced users say are good to go. It would be even better if that list remained editable in case a manufacture changed for the better or worse, so they could be added to the list or have their status changed to not recommended.
I would further appreciate if that thread was a Sticky and also provide an opportunity to list current deals on rifles that were on the approved list.
I don't know if all of this is doable. Just throwing it out there.

[Jay Cunningham]

I've looked over the last year at lots of threads dealing with AR's. It seems I'm still learning new (to me) brands. Aero Precision and PWS (Thx VDM) come to mind as just discovered this week.
I would like to see a thread cut to the chase and make up a list of AR's that experienced users say are good to go. It would be even better if that list remained editable in case a manufacture changed for the better or worse, so they could be added to the list or have their status changed to not recommended.
I would further appreciate if that thread was a Sticky and also provide an opportunity to list current deals on rifles that were on the approved list.
I don't know if all of this is doable. Just throwing it out there.

Well, this will just be one big opinion thread - which is fine - but is that what you're looking for?

If you look, there's already a sticky thread at the top of this forum on current deals.

rob_s probably cringes at this point, but whatever final rev of his Chart probably covers a lot of this.

[Jay Cunningham]

Also - are you just looking at manufacturers or are you looking for specific configurations from different manufacturers? This can be a good resource, but it can easily become a rabbit hole.

[UNK]

Just to give an example from a recent thread I saw this recommendation from Chuck Haggard. By experienced users I mean guys who teach or go to a lot of classes or train a lot and have the opportunity to recognize shortfalls from manufactures. Maybe SME type guys?

Whatever a guy decides, the answer is not Bushampster, DPMS, or Oly Arms.



My go-to recommendations are Colt, Daniel Defense, BCM, Noveske, S&W, maybe a few others. I've seen a lot of basic carbines run through patrol rifle classes. The only cheaper versions I'm comfortable with are the S&Ws. The Sport I have been doing a long term test on has been a shockingly good gun for the price.

[nycnoob]

What do people think of the Robar Polymar-15 for $1800? It looks interesting but
I have not heard anything either positive or negative. I know that Pat Rogers
was doing some tests.


http://polymar15.robarguns.com/

[LittleLebowski]

PWS is not something I would consider due to the proprietary parts and cost.

Aero, BCM, Colt, S&W.

[ASH556]

I've begun to describe it to folks like this:
You're buying odds. Are there folks that have Bushmasters that work? Yep. Are there folks that have Colts with issues? Yep. At the end of the day, the odds are that you are less likely to have an issue with a Colt than a Bushmaster.

In my experience and training on the issue, the things that really matter about making a gun run correctly and not give reliability issues are thus (assuming you want a fighting-grade rifle):
-Proper chamber spec, 5.56 Nato or .223 Wylde. Just because it's stamped on the barrel doesn't mean it actually is. Lots of folks putting out .223 chambers in barrels marked 5.56.
-Proper gas port sizing. For a 14.5 or 16 with carbine gas, that means .063 +/- .001. For midlength, that seems to be .07.
-Correctly installed gas key (proper screws, torque, and staking).
-Proper buffer to match gas system. Usually "H" or heavier based on the gas systems discussed above.
-Correctly installed receiver extension (torque, staking).

Other things may deviate based on personal preference and use, such as barrel twist, material, coatings. I personally tend to stick with mil-spec type things whenever possible. Whiz-bang coatings are too often mis-understood and applied incorrectly.

For my guns, I've retreated to Colt. BCM and Daniel Defense will probably be ok and run well. Markings, accessories, and manufacturing choices (DD's gas port sizing & furniture, BCM's lower receiver dimensions) have led me away from them as a first choice.

Beyond that, everyone else has shortcomings and it's tougher than ever to recommend an off-the-shelf rifle from anyone else. Noveske is a far cry from what they were prior to John's death. I've seen firsthand and worked on an alarming number of out-of-spec Noveske parts lately. Knights - probably quality, but botiquey, proprietary parts, tools, etc. LMT - non-taper-pinned FSB's, semi-auto carriers. Not a fan, especially at the price point. Build-wise, it's on par with Smith and Wesson. Again, S&W isn't horrible, but they do take some shortcuts. Only you can decide if you're willing to save $200 to cut some corners. All of the piston AR's outside of something like the HK that was actually built as a piston (PWS, LWRC, etc)....nope. Non-standard proprietary parts that bring their own issues to the table (more weight, more recoil, more parts breakage).

The absolute NOPE list:
Bushmaster
DPMS
Rock River
Diamondback
Core 15
Mossberg/ATI
Olympic


Bottom line, it's really tough to justify not buying a 6920 or 6720 for $850 and going from there with handguards, stocks, etc. That's what makes the 6920 OEM's ($750) such a great thing.

[Chance]

If you look, there's already a sticky thread at the top of this forum on current deals.

I've been thinking about starting something like that thread (which hasn't been updated since 2015...) but rather than "deals", I was looking for "in stock."

[UNK]

The PWS Was specifically recommended because of SBR application and the piston system... https://pistol-forum.com/showthread....7-Discreet-SBR
So already there is a need for a separate list within the thread for SBR Piston Driven Rifles.

PWS is not something I would consider due to the proprietary parts and cost.

Aero, BCM, Colt, S&W.

[UNK]

Odds are with everything you buy. I see your point but there has to be a reasonable line drawn at some point. Items of concern, such as those you have listed, could be listed within the approved list.
I can agree with a Colt as approved but each Brand should be an agreement within the group of people who are making the list.

I've begun to describe it to folks like this:
You're buying odds. Are there folks that have Bushmasters that work? Yep. Are there folks that have Colts with issues? Yep. At the end of the day, the odds are that you are less likely to have an issue with a Colt than a Bushmaster.

In my experience and training on the issue, the things that really matter about making a gun run correctly and not give reliability issues are thus (assuming you want a fighting-grade rifle):
-Proper chamber spec, 5.56 Nato or .223 Wylde. Just because it's stamped on the barrel doesn't mean it actually is. Lots of folks putting out .223 chambers in barrels marked 5.56.
-Proper gas port sizing. For a 14.5 or 16 with carbine gas, that means .063 +/- .001. For midlength, that seems to be .07.
-Correctly installed gas key (proper screws, torque, and staking).
-Proper buffer to match gas system. Usually "H" or heavier based on the gas systems discussed above.
-Correctly installed receiver extension (torque, staking).

Other things may deviate based on personal preference and use, such as barrel twist, material, coatings. I personally tend to stick with mil-spec type things whenever possible. Whiz-bang coatings are too often mis-understood and applied incorrectly.

For my guns, I've retreated to Colt. BCM and Daniel Defense will probably be ok and run well. Markings, accessories, and manufacturing choices (DD's gas port sizing & furniture, BCM's lower receiver dimensions) have led me away from them as a first choice.

Beyond that, everyone else has shortcomings and it's tougher than ever to recommend an off-the-shelf rifle from anyone else. Noveske is a far cry from what they were prior to John's death. I've seen firsthand and worked on an alarming number of out-of-spec Noveske parts lately. Knights - probably quality, but botiquey, proprietary parts, tools, etc. LMT - non-taper-pinned FSB's, semi-auto carriers. Not a fan, especially at the price point. Build-wise, it's on par with Smith and Wesson. Again, S&W isn't horrible, but they do take some shortcuts. Only you can decide if you're willing to save $200 to cut some corners. All of the piston AR's outside of something like the HK that was actually built as a piston (PWS, LWRC, etc)....nope. Non-standard proprietary parts that bring their own issues to the table (more weight, more recoil, more parts breakage).

The absolute NOPE list:
Bushmaster
DPMS
Rock River
Diamondback
Core 15
Mossberg/ATI
Olympic


Bottom line, it's really tough to justify not buying a 6920 or 6720 for $850 and going from there with handguards, stocks, etc. That's what makes the 6920 OEM's ($750) such a great thing.