Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles Why do some AR's cost more than others?

your clueless, mil spec, OMG its the best. everything sucks but mil spec. I want better than mil spec

I've owned a couple of them, in 5.56, 6.8, and .300 Blackout.

For serious use I'd agree with the mil-spec approach; it just reduces the risk of problems at the worst possible time. My "serious" guns are both DD's, and they have shot with good accuracy and total reliability. I had a Colt 6940; sold it for a profit after Sandy Hook, and wish I'd kept it. If anything it out-shot the DD Mk12, despite having a chrome lined barrel.

I'm assembling a gun now with an 18" Noveske barrel. Hopefully it will turn out to be more accurate, and just as reliable.

If I was buying a factory AR it would be Daniel Defense over a Colt.

CC and his anti-mil spec rants... Keep it up even though you have been proven wrong every time you try to substantiate your claims. It's always entertaining.

The Colt is a solid platform to build on even though it will serve you well straight out of the box.

Changing a trigger, stock or hand guard can be done later once you learn what it is you actually want or need. A better idea than buying a bargain gun and building from unknown parts with known problems.

I was going to go through your post line by line but it was just taking too long and you wouldn't listen anyway. So I'm not responding to you and please, by all means, don't bother responding but I'm responding to anyone reading who doesn't know better.

The above quote is by far the most absurd and absolutely wrong thing ever posted by CC.

The BCG is the only part of an AR that I insist on being built to mil-spec standards. It literally does all of the work when an AR fires. Absent catastrophic structural failure of the AR, a malfunction will originate at the BCG. The only two malfunctions I've ever experienced, ever, with an AR were both related directly to the BCG and related buffer spring. In each case, replacing springs fixed the issue. In each case, non-milspec springs (PSA actually) were the culprit.

Nothing on an AR wears out or needs preventative maintenance but the buffer spring and BCG.

Of the barrel I'd be far more concerned with the gas port size and gas system length than the accuracy of the barrel.

Members here have proven that a heavy, gritty trigger can be put to good use.

And the handguard is personal preference.

Educate yourself and put your money into the parts that make the gun work, then put your money into the things that make it easier to shoot or more comfortable for you.

most half way decent BCG's are milspec anyways, you might spend an extra 20 or 30 bucks for it to be milspec. thats no biggie. probably a good idea I even admit. my point was mil spec with some of the parts is actually less than the best. in the case of the BCG there isn't a downside to it being mil spec. I do prefer the coated bolts though just because I predator hunt and load and unload a lot and a coated or chrome BCG goes into battery smoother when I am trying to load a round quietly, often using the forward assist to seat the bolt all the way.

TC1, You done good. My Colts go bang EVERY TIME I EVER WANT THEM TO... and they've done that 1000's upon 1000's of times without a single hiccup ever.

They've eaten a steady diet of Lake City green tip XM855/SS109 62 gr, Federal 55 gr, Privi Partisan M193 55 gr, and occasionally Black Hills 77 gr SMK's.

You've got a damn good rifle, damn good optic. Keep a stash of good ammo around in a non-humid environment and you are good to go for the long haul or SHTF.

All of this is predicated on real prices, not the recent blip that Walmart did when they blew the AR's out at what had to be record low prices.

So do you still dislike the M&P? I haven't shot mine enough to know much. Right now if I were AR-less, it would be M&P for low-end or Colt 6920 for medium. I don't consider that I know enough about truly high-end AR's (IMO $1500 and up) to have an opinion.

I was issued a Colt at PI that you could hear parts move when you shook it. Rough!
Worn on all the edges...just beat up.
A2 in 94, so no telling him many rounds fired, how many times broken down and cleaned....over cleaned.
But I still shot high expert with it.
Colt makes a good product. They owned the market when many of the AR cult fanboys here were still living on thier daddies nuts.

What guns do you have that are not milspec that you shoot 1000 rounds or better per year from "no problemo"

Still clueless.




Travis

I have no quarrel with anyone's opinions or experience here, but I look at this in another way – from the perspective of a corporate lawyer who has dealt extensively with famous brands and trademarks. I'm a big fan of brands.

A brand is the signal by which consumers identify a particular maker or service provider and expect assurance as to quality. As one of my old friends said, "A brand is a promise."

Typically, that reputation is built up over time (though marketing and advertising has some impact.) In the AR industry, there are some top brands that have stayed the course over a long time and others that have established themselves quickly. Now there seem to be several fine ones.

I mentioned in another thread [First Black Rifle] that I have resisted ARs for decades, but finally decided to try them out. I know I can shave a few bucks by a self-build, but how can I know what kind of quality I get?

It is like what we lawyers say about building a family trust to protect your assets from law suits, risk exposure and tax liability, Sure, you can do it yourself or use an untested provider, but how can you know if it works?

I myself do my trusts using the leading administrative company trustee in South Dakota, which has the best laws. I scoped them all out and went with one I know does the job best.

For an AR, I went with a new Colt 6720 at a very fair street price. It is bare bones, I had to hunt for it and maybe I'll try others later, but this brand stands for something.

I too predator hunt w/ my AR. It gets loaded w/ a round chambered at the truck. I hunt w/ the rifle in my hands enroute to the stand, make the stand, hunt to the next stand no problem. Loading quietly doesn't even make sense. There is a device on the left side of the rifle known as a safety. The rifle was designed to be carried w/ a round chambered and the safety on. The safety even allows disengagement in the carry/fire positions by utilizing the right thumb. I shoot right handed.

YMMV


mike r

I am not sure its legal to have a round chambered while in the vehicle. especially a non resident in nevada, which for me happens alot. I would rather be more sure of loading because I hunt with someone else most of the time. if I was hunting by myself I would be less worried about carrying the rifle loaded.

WGAF what the law is?

I usually load mine as I sit down. Still get dogs to come in. I don't think they even notice.




Travis

If they didn't hear the truck driving up, they're not going to hear you chamber a round by pushing the button.

I've killed a lot of coyotes with an AR over the years and have never worried about loading quietly at the truck. Even night hunting in Texas, we loaded our AR's the right way.

we don't slam doors or make excess noise including loading a round with the bolt slamming hard. its just the way I do things. We also try not to walk more than 3-400 yards from the truck, often times quite a bit less. its time saved for more calling. actually what I do is crack the window before I get out of the truck hold the barrel out the top of the window and rack a round that way. either way I prefer the coated bolts because the forward assist is easier to help the bolt into battery if it needs it.

So you've got an AR in the front seat of your truck. Then you crack your window and stick just the tip of your barrel through the little crack. Then you chamber a round. Then you bring the muzzle back into the truck. Then you roll the window back up. Then you open the door and climb out with the gun whose barrel you just stuck out the window, then brought back in.

Is that right?

Here in Missouri my truck rifle stays loaded.........my truck handgun does the same

This is how he invisions it in his mind anyway.