Home Forums Hunting & Shooting AR and Tactical Rifles How many rounds will a $400 AR-15 last?

Unless you get a custom barrel most barrels are overpassed IMHO>. Built to work period so no one has issues. I get that. But I'd rather it be under gassed and I can open that port as needed with bits. But that isn't for everyone..

nice to have a deep pocket sponsor. lol Good info though.

I have a newbie question. If say your bolt cracks a lug, or your gas key fails, can you just replace either the bolt or BCG or do you need to check headspace in either or both cases as I suspect?

Deferring to your knowledge.

Was busy getting ready for work near the end, did I miss something. The only thing really bad in the borescope was fouling. Was the gator skin enough to destroy accuracy to that extent?


Another take.

$3-400 bought 3000 good rounds.

If one were to consider that upper well paid for(free at this point. A $300 barrel, $150 BCG, a few bucks for a gas tube…$500 and you now have a high quality upper. Phoenix rising from the ashes?

If they gauged the muzzle it's likely it's over sized.

It's a testament to what a good design the AR is.

Even a low budget, loose-spec'd upper like a PSA, maintained good accuracy and reliability through 5K rounds of hard use at mostly full auto, suppressed, and minimal lubing.

I haven't found a BCG/barrel extension combo yet that didn't achieve an acceptable headspace. I suppose it could happen, but isn't likely.

I have go/no go gauges and check headspace if a new bolt or barrel is installed. So far no problems. I think it's unlikely to be an issue but it's a little safer to check.

On the original question, I'd guess that most bargain AR-15's will run a long time if normal maintenance is done. At some point you'll need a new barrel or a bolt lug will crack, but that's probably at least 5000 rounds and maybe 10.000 depending on how it's used and what the user's accuracy requirements are. The cost of that much ammunition is far greater than the cost of the rifle, so I think it makes sense to get a better quality rifle but that's just me.

Thanks guys.

We need to remember that it wasn't always the case of buying cheap and it working out. I remember a DPMS 1000 round burn down that caught the hand guards on fire and melted the gas tube in to before it was done. But that didn't keep the bolt release I had from them from snapping in half. Then there was the Bushmaster commercial RE that snapped at the threads. I could go on with a few more things but it's nice to see PSA is procuring some decent parts and charging a great price on their stuff.

I need a youtube channel and an ammo sponsor like Mike has.

Carbon fouling can wreak things. Pressure and accuracy. Copper fouling not so much IMHO. Like not enough to make it look like a dead barrel.

Gator skin will always be there. Just gets worse.

We polished our barrels now and again with diamond paste. To try to smooth out the throat area. Fire lapping would be about the same too. Never got that far.

But for the most part there wasn't a lot of difference between often cleaned barrels and not so often when talking accuracy or barrel life that I could ever tell.

Carbon fouling is hygroscopic and will pit your barrel if you don't at least put a coat of oil on it.

For me, that video proves nobody should be without an AR. No excuse not to have one. I know some people and family members who have plenty of dough, and are just too cheap to buy a rifle to defend themselves and their families. IMHO, there is just NO excuse not to own one. I think that rifle would have lasted a lot more rounds, had it not been getting beat that hard.

Well it certainly shows that someone that wants one or feels they need one, needn’t wait until they can pony up for a DD or other boutique model. The basic design is sound and given decent parts, not necessarily exotic ones, and a little lube now and then, they run.

My first, a mid-level from a major manufacturer, was disappointing, partly due to my ignorance about the various configurations available, but also due to its mediocre accuracy. One thing I’ve found with Bear Creek and PSA is that they offer a tremendous variety of options, which increases the chances of getting what you want from the start instead of having to buy something that requires parts swapping to get there.

At some point I want to get a piston upper, either an Adams or the Brownells. It seems the trend in military rifles is towards pistons, and there are definitely advantages for hard use as well as stocking options. Meanwhile, I’m very happy so far with my economy models with BC uppers on a PSA lower. They certainly shoot well.

The thing that bothers me the most I think. Is that you can buy assembled ones cheaper than the parts. They are so easy to build a monkey could... and getting exactly what you want is often totally impossible unless you part it together. Especially kids rifles... they like to mix colors etc...

BUT Iv'e gotten past some of that and just buy whats close and call it good. Even if it has bells I don't need or want.

Pistons. Since the early 80s I've had gas ARs. I've never had any issue that would drive me to a piston. I have pistons in other guns. Just don't see any place for the real need. So far.

I haven’t been at this long enough to know much, but I’m learning. That BC I bought had everything I wanted, heavy 20” SS Wilde, rifle-length gas tube, side-charger, and enough rail and slots but not too many.

Those pistons draw me for their simplicity and cool, clean running. That might be more of a theoretical advantage than real for me, but we all have our fantasies🤔 The BRN-180 allows for a folding stock which might actually be a real benefit.

There are ways to do a folding stock on a traditional DI AR tho.

But can they be fired when folded?

Besides, that BRN-180 just looks badass….

No - not fired when folded.

I've never encountered a "shot out" ar-15 barrel in 5.56. Some friends say they've had competition guns where the groups open unacceptably and they replace them, but they are thousands of rounds into them.

Also, in a SHTF scenario, I'm going to use what ever is available, as long as it is available, until something better comes along.

Truth is in an EOTWAWKI event, any of us will be lucky to be around long enough to shoot out an AR barrel.

And finally, if you're not sitting on enough ammo to shoot your barrel out, then this isn't relevant to you anyway.

3,000 rounds per 5.56 rifle/barrel (you can stockpile barrels as well) seems a good target.

I gotta go, I'm behind on reloading by my own account.