Affordable AR for rural area.

[TGS]

You're recommending rifles that have a long track record of being poor quality...My personal experience with PSA rifles and parts are that they are a crap shoot at best and my recommendation is to stay away from them unless they're a range toy.

Which line of rifles are you talking about?

There's a dramatic difference between the Premium line and PTAC. One is held to a standard, individual MPI/HPT bolts, etc.....the others are seconds, often out of spec. PSA practically says so, or at least used to in the past.

[schüler]

Colby, what's the max end of affordable for you - not including any optics or other accessories? Also, what are the likely ranges of yotes in your area?

A "defense" role for a multi-purpose rifle usually means a carbine or shorter barrel and a product reputable for reliability. It doesn't have to be free-float but free float from the beginning is cheaper in the long run and can significantly affect consistency if you intend to shoot yotes at extended carbine range as well.

Think about the whole package - 5.56 mil chamber isn't the best starting point for high accuracy on demand if that's what you need. No rifle achieves regular accuracy with cheap ammunition. Short barrels don't help with longer range shooting. But sometimes magic pills like Mk262 and DOPE proficiency can make it very workable.

Like Clusterfrack I prefer BCM as my bottom line. All of my and family's carbines are 14.5" BCM mid-length with pinned muzzle devices. Lowers are LMT, BCM. We've tried the cheaper ones but every single time there's been some stupid low-cost hang-up. Takedown pin out of spec, weak buffer springs, light weight carbine buffers, etc. We end up spending money and more time to bring them up to speed anyway.

If a BCM or similar is out of your price range you may look at the Colt Trooper AR.

These are machines. They can break. If it's truly a serious use tool think about a getting a second one in the future. Have a quality white light on each and get trained on them if you aren't already.

Good luck, happy hunting.

[HCM]

I have two PSA rifle, but I haven't put enough rounds through them to say if they are good rifles or not. If I were getting those rifles over again, I might look at this Aero precision rifle at Brownells (LINK). I don't have any experience with Aero precision, but based on other's comments, I think that they are a reputable manufacturer. AIM Surplus has an Aero Precision for $50 cheaper (LINK).

Aero’s receivers (which they make in house) are great, same with their scope mounts (in house) and barrels which are made by their subsidiary, Ballistic Advantage.

Aero’s complete rifles are another matter. The issues I’ve seen in their complete guns primarily involve parts they buy from outside vendors like BCG, lower parts kits etc the issue is they take a good quality barrel and receiver and build it out with the cheapest parts they can find. I’ve also seen some assembly errors.

[leathermaneod]

Aero’s receivers (which they make in house) are great, same with their scope mounts (in house) and barrels which are made by their subsidiary, Ballistic Advantage.

Aero’s complete rifles are another matter. The issues I’ve seen in their complete guns primarily involve parts they buy from outside vendors like BCG, lower parts kits etc the issue is they take a good quality barrel and receiver and build it out with the cheapest parts they can find. I’ve also seen some assembly errors.

Who do you recommend for small parts? BCM?


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[HCM]

Colby, what's the max end of affordable for you - not including any optics or other accessories? Also, what are the likely ranges of yotes in your area?

A "defense" role for a multi-purpose rifle usually means a carbine or shorter barrel and a product reputable for reliability. It doesn't have to be free-float but free float from the beginning is cheaper in the long run and can significantly affect consistency if you intend to shoot yotes at extended carbine range as well.

Think about the whole package - 5.56 mil chamber isn't the best starting point for high accuracy on demand if that's what you need. No rifle achieves regular accuracy with cheap ammunition. Short barrels don't help with longer range shooting. But sometimes magic pills like Mk262 and DOPE proficiency can make it very workable.

Like Clusterfrack I prefer BCM as my bottom line. All of my and family's carbines are 14.5" BCM mid-length with pinned muzzle devices. Lowers are LMT, BCM. We've tried the cheaper ones but every single time there's been some stupid low-cost hang-up. Takedown pin out of spec, weak buffer springs, light weight carbine buffers, etc. We end up spending money and more time to bring them up to speed anyway.

If a BCM or similar is out of your price range you may look at the Colt Trooper AR.

These are machines. They can break. If it's truly a serious use tool think about a getting a second one in the future. Have a quality white light on each and get trained on them if you aren't already.

Good luck, happy hunting.

Colby, this ^^^ is solid advice. A BCM or Colt Trooper with a free float is my idea of a reasonably priced “do it all” rifle.

I will say if you are on a strict budget the S&W sport seems to be the best in its class of $500 is or less, same with the Leupold AR 1.25-4.

You can add a free float rail and a better trigger later. For the $$ it’s hard to beat ALG defense rails and triggers. Especially during their periodic holiday or Black Friday sales.

[HCM]

Who do you recommend for small parts? BCM?


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BCM
SIONICS
Sons of Liberty Gun Works
Colt
White Oak Armament

All of these LPK are made by Schmidt tool.

I believe DD LPK are, or were made by Schmidt tool as well.

ALG Defense.

Personally I’ve had good luck with Spikes LPKs but I purchased them 10 years ago. I can’t speak to their current quality.

[leathermaneod]

BCM
SIONICS
Sons of Liberty Gun Works
Colt
White Oak Armament

All of these LPK are made by Schmidt tool.

I believe DD LPK are, or were made by Schmidt tool as well.

ALG Defense.

Personally I’ve had good luck with Spikes LPKs but I purchased them 10 years ago. I can’t speak to their current quality.

Thank you!


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[Colby]

Thanks for all the input guys. I’ll do some price checking with an ffl buddy of mine on some of the more expensive suggestions. I’ve had a couple of different ARs in the past and had some limited training with them. Truth is they don’t get used a lot by me but I do like to have one around if needed, that’s what has prompted me to look for kinda the minimum cost but still reasonably effective set up.
As far as range on coyotes probably out to 2-300 yds max mostly used as a truck gun for that, I have plenty of bolt guns if I want to stretch out and shoot further.

Thx

[Totem Polar]

Be patient, and shop around, e.g. https://pistol-forum.com/showthread....-in-M-amp-P-15

[HCM]

Be patient, and shop around, e.g. https://pistol-forum.com/showthread....-in-M-amp-P-15

Another option is to buy a complete lower then buy an upper. If you are patient and wait for sales you can get a pretty good gun for les $$.