AR 15 comparisons

[rebAL]

Is there one website that compares the various AR15's?  I want to do more research prior to purchase.

[SharonAnne]

That I know of there is no one place that has a rational comparison of the various ARs. Sorry.

[rugerfan.64]

Sharron Ann is right. As many people that are completely happy with one brand there are that many that think that same brand is a peice of junk. Sharron did you ever do the trigger job on yours?

[bulletstuffer]

I was in cabelas yesterday and there was a huge line there just as there was in the other stores that sell guns.  All the AR 15s were gone from cabelas.  Stop by your local gun dealer soon as the selections have all but dried up.


Kind of like asking what brand magazine is the best.   The best one is the one that you find.



Good luck,


Bulletstuffer

[SharonAnne]

Rugerfan, no I have not, shame on me.

I suggest you look in the non standard places for ARs. Pawn shops and say the cowboy gun stores. They take trades.

[Empty Quiver]

arf.com has "the chart" I believe it is called. Spend some time looking around there you'll find it. There are both worshippers and detractors. Boils down to how much cred you put into being exactly milspec.
 
While I find no real problem with milspec, it is not always needed nor necessary, it comes with a cost. Things such as proper staking of fastners can't hurt, but if loc-tite is holding just fine does it really matter? Chrome lined barrels are not as big an issue if you are able to maintain your weapon every afternoon after a trip to the range. You can have the crappy milspec trigger my AR is not now, nor will it ever be, a weapon used on the battlefield.
 
It can be argued that there is better than milspec... which would not be milspec now would it. Things like DI vs. piston operation, change the equation. Some find it better some find it worse some find it simply different.

[jmayton]

"The Chart" used to be on M4Carbine.net, but was removed because a particular manufacturer used it to promote their product. 


Honestly, it all depends on what you want an AR to do.  If you want ultimate reliability on a DI gun, then the chart is quite useful.  If you want a varmint rifle, then it's pretty useless.  I have a friend who built a 1/2moa varmint rig from a Model 1 parts kit.  His runs great when it's clean and will out-shoot my Colt all day long.  But I can clean mine with sand and lube it with pig blood and it'll still shoot.  If his gets a spec of dirt near it, it quits.  When I look for one, I look at the fit, proper staking, good barrel, and good bcg.  Read a lot and educate yourself.