Looking at AR-15 type 223 rifles, there are a lot of different models in the $400-700 range. Some are by very well known companies (colt, ruger, smith & wesson, bushmaster) as well as a lot of less well known names (DPMS, Anderson, AMI).
Which ones are the most and least reliable? What separates a $400 AR rifle from a $700 one?
I’ve heard bushmaster isn’t very good for a rifle but I don’t know.
I thought of asking this on a gun forum, but in my experience theres a lot of gun snobs who want you to spend as much money as possible so I figured I’d ask here instead.
I’ve never heard of AMI. Do you mean, ATI? Bushmaster is fine. I’d go with Bushmaster over everything else on that list, including even Colt depending on the exact model and sale price. DPMS is a solid choice as well. Don’t shy away from them unnecessarily. I wouldn’t personally ever buy anything from Anderson, because I don’t know much about them and their prices don’t seem to be anything spectacular. So there’s no reason to get something from them rather than just pay the same amount to get it from a company I know and trust. I don’t like Ruger and S&W AR-15s. It’s not a quality issue or a function issue, though. It’s more of a personal hang-up in that I don’t consider them AR-15 companies. Plus, I don’t like their M&P pistols at all. Pretty much the only thing I buy from S&W (or Ruger, for that matter) are their revolvers!
So, out of your list in the OP, I’d recommend Colt, Bushmaster and even DPMS. In fact, I own at least one AR-15 from each of those companies, and I’ve had no problem with any of them. I have two from Rock River Arms as well, which I really like. But they’re usually a bit more expensive.
Whatever you do, just stay away from polymer receivers.
I own a $500 ATI AR-15 I bought because it was the cheapest “fully built” AR I could find in my area and you definitely get what you pay for. It will shoot well for 3-4 mags then the 5th mag will just completely fail to feed and then you spend the next 10 minutes disassembling the rifle and reassembling it because apparently the recoil spring or some other spring decided to do something dumb. Definitely cheaper less sturdy materials went into making this gun.
Anderson is a well known cheap brand, especially for their lower receivers. The horse logo gives them the nickname “Poverty Pony.” Lower receivers are basically all the same, added price means added aesthetics but not quality, all name brands are 7075 aluminum. I don’t know much about their other parts.
The standard recommendation for cheap ARs that you’ll hear the most lately is either is Smith & Wesson M&P15 or Ruger.
Stag went out of business for doing illegal stuff and now the brand is under new ownership, I don’t know if quality is the same, but pre-2016 is different.
$400 can buy you quality right now, it’s an all-time low. More price adds some features, but at some point you’re paying a premium for a logo (Colt).
You’re going to be hard pressed to find a terribly unreliable AR. The whole point of ARs is they are tried and true design. Just find one with at least mil-spec parts (which many have) and it will be “good enough” reliability-wise. Some don’t like particular ammo loads and that can usually be fixed by gas block adjustments or finding a better ammo for it. You’ll need to get to know your gun a bit.
As to the difference between a $400 and a $700, that’s going to be two factors, features and brand (brand will wildly change prices). You probably can get a “lesser” brand with, say, a free-floating barrel (which I recommend) for $700 no problem. For $400, probably not, although I have not checked prices for a while.
Sadly ARs seem to mostly be sold out right now (at least at the store I look at).
I may have gotten AMI confused with ATI.
Never heard of doublestar or Stag, not sure about their prices
Whats terrible about a polymer receiver? do most rifles have an aluminum receiver?
Do all models allow for attachments like sights, foregrips, lights, etc. Or does it vary by model.
Sometimes the DPMS Oracle goes on sale for $379, I may hold off and buy it next time I see it at that price if its just as reliable as the more mainstream brands (ruger, colt S&W) which are closer to $600.
Yeah, this is about the worse time possible to try to get a gun. It’s hard to even get ammo right now. Most guns come without any accessories, except maybe iron sights. You’re going to want something with picatinny rails or some another system that accepts accessories like keymod or mlok. I would stick with aluminum to be honest.
Keep in mind that the Oracle does not come with sights of any kind. That’s fine if you’re going to add an optic anyway. But otherwise, expect to spend at least an extra $150 on front/rear sights for it.
They just can’t hold up. The point where the buffer tube screws into the lower receiver is the biggest and most common, but not the only failure point.
Simple answer: It varies by model. Less simple: Regardless of model, there will always be some type of aftermarket attachment device to accommodate your needs. Though, the end results may be less than desirable.
Anything advertised as an A3, or with A3 somewhere in the model number will likely have a removable carry handle and/or a flat top upper receiver. You’re going to want that if you’re attaching some type of scope, optic or reflex sight. As for the hand guards, unless you’re getting something that already has a quad rail, you’re not going to be able to attach anything directly to them. You’ll likely need some kind of bolt-on Picatinny rail, or complete hand guard replacements. There are infinite options available, though, and it’s a lot easier to upgrade than a fixed carry handle/rear sight (non-A3) would be.
Forged aluminum: if lower type not specified, this is what you’re getting. Parts forged together and carved out. Most are in 7075 aluminum alloy, some older ones in 6061.
Billet aluminum: you are paying extra for a pretty design. A chunk of aluminum carved out. Theoretically not as strong as forged, but this isn’t a part that takes much stress.
Polymer: for ultralight builds. Potentially more problematic, on the other hand it’s an easy replacement. Issues will relate more to threads stripping out when replacing parts etc. instead of failure due to firing.
80% lower: a part that is mostly complete, but requires machining by you, eliminating serialization requirements.
0% lower: a solid block of aluminum. A joke.
There are competing connection systems, you just have to make sure accessories match your foregrip.
Picatinny and the older but similar Weaver are the busy looking slots all over the foregrip. M-Lok is the carved out slots. Keymod is the one that has little keyhole design (or dicks if you prefer to see that). I think that’s the current standard?
By the way, manufacturer does matter a lot if you’re buying an AR-10 (the bigger cousin in .308 or other calibers). They have fitment issues. Theoretically, AR-15s are universal, there is some stuff you can look up about “milspec” parts being a slightly different standard, but I don’t feel competent answering that.
If you are thinking of a red dot sight, I’ve had good results with the Vortex Strikefire II. It’s about 200 bucks. I use mine in conjunction with iron sights (co-witness) but many people use them alone. I’ve had mine on a .22LR AR and on a 9mm AR. They don’t have magnification like a scope, just a bright red dot to indicate where the bullet will (hopefully) hit. I usually shoot at 50-60 ft. so it works great for me.
I don’t consider it an easy replacement if getting a new one requires all the steps and hassles of purchasing a new firearm: the forms, the fees, the call-ins, the waiting period, etc. Depending on where one lives, this can be the hardest thing on the firearm to replace.
We need more ‘The gubmint’s gonna take ahr gunz!’ hysteria. I have some AR-15s and an original AR-180 I’d like to sell, and it would help increase the prices!
Me too. It’s the ugliest rifle I have – which is what I like about it. I put one of those Aimpoint red dot sights on it, with a mount from Armalite, but I haven’t been out to the range since I put it on over a decade ago.
I had no idea they were selling for so much. At $1,300, mine would be a bargain!
