Read a lot of reviews.
See as many in person as you can.
Check if a Davidson's dealer is nearby.
Check, Check, Check.
So I decided the best buy for my perceived needs was the Ruger AR-556-MPR. I wanted 18", a 5.56 type chamber, a slim fore end and was well prepared to put a $250 trigger into what ever I ended up with.
Well, Gallery of guns showed "allocated" so no price quote on line. Checking my trap line with Ed..." too many letters"... found the little shop around the corner had the rifles for $679. The owner had two in stock. The display gun was quite good and an especially good upper and lower fit, but the trigger pin moved when dry firing the gun...the trigger was gritty but light, both stages.
I asked Tony the owner to see the other stock rifle. Not as great a fit but the trigger was pretty nice just as is the pin was still moving a bit as the oil around the pin made it clear that the pin fit was just so-so. Bought the better-trigger gun. Bolted on a 3x9 VXR in Leupold Mark 2 two piece rings. I had on hand brass, cci military primers 60 grain Sierra hps and H-4895 .loaded some to max over all length in the supplied Magpul magazines.
'Cleaned the bore and the first two shots touched at 100 yards after a super lucky bore site (about 2" high). 30 shots, cleaning the bore every five rounds fired, resulted in groups just over a half inch to just under an inch.
A single five shot group at 200 yards was just over 2". No load development no tuning just a half inch wrench and two allen wrenches to set up the rifle.
Bore is very smooth and it cleans easily. It will take better ammo and optics to get much of an improvement in accuracy.
No malfunctions at all.
None.
Tried another 30 hand loads the following day, this time in SS mags that allowed 2.300" COL instead of the usual 2.250" Groups were 10% larger and a real surprise (to me) about an inch higher on target. So, short loaded ammo for this Ruger.
If it matters I use Forster Bench Rest dies.
Rifle $679
Scope $399
Rings close out $59
Maybe this will help someone wanting a (small) step up from the stripped, basic ARs for sale.
