# what brands of semi auto .223 rifles in the $400-700 range are good or bad **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 26, 2020, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-brands-of-semi-auto-223-rifles-in-the-400-700-range-are-good-or-bad/852634 "2020-04-26T20:57:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Asuka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@Asuka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asuka)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2020, 6:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-brands-of-semi-auto-223-rifles-in-the-400-700-range-are-good-or-bad/852634/21 "2020-04-30T06:33:57Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > 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! 😛 I remember in the .22 Apocalypse of 2013 where for whatever reason people thought because .22LR was impossible to find that meant somehow all .22 weapons were highly desirable, so people were selling their old .22LR bolt action rifles for $600 on GunBroker. That and you have the opposite, multiple guys with a brick of 500 rounds of .22LR thought they had literal gold on his hands and wanted to trade it for a complete AR-15 or full size pistol. ---
**Author:** ![Bear\_Nenno](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bear_nenno/32/3358_2.png) [@Bear\_Nenno](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bear_Nenno)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2020, 11:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-brands-of-semi-auto-223-rifles-in-the-400-700-range-are-good-or-bad/852634/22 "2020-04-30T11:21:54Z")
> [@GaryM](#): > > They do work, though I’d not use them for heavy duty operations. I believe it. And they would appear to be cheap and easy enough to produce once they break. I’ve never seen those. I’m familiar with 80% lowers and even 3D printed lowers. Both of which are a pain in the ass and/or require special machines and tools. These things require nothing. Interesting. I might have to pick up a set when I get back to the states just to play with. ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2020, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-brands-of-semi-auto-223-rifles-in-the-400-700-range-are-good-or-bad/852634/23 "2020-04-30T13:14:47Z")
They hold up for range and other “light duty” purposes. I’ve loaned my molds to others and they’ve made reds and blues for their kids or grand kids. They think it’s super to have a red AR lower. I switched to milling aluminum with the 5D jig after we used up all the resin that came with the original purchase. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2020, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-brands-of-semi-auto-223-rifles-in-the-400-700-range-are-good-or-bad/852634/24 "2020-04-30T14:33:52Z")
> [@Asuka](#): > > I remember in the .22 Apocalypse of 2013 where for whatever reason people thought because .22LR was impossible to find that meant somehow all .22 weapons were highly desirable, so people were selling their old .22LR bolt action rifles for $600 on GunBroker. I have a NIB Winchester 9422 that I could easily sell for $600. (But I won’t. 😉 ) ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2020, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-brands-of-semi-auto-223-rifles-in-the-400-700-range-are-good-or-bad/852634/25 "2020-04-30T21:17:42Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > 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](https://www.gunbroker.com/Rifles/search?Keywords=%22ar-180%22&Sort=13&PageSize=24). At $1,300, mine would be a bargain! 😛 Brownell’s is now making AR-18 style uppers for AR-15. [They’re not cheap](https://www.brownells.com/rifle-parts/receiver-parts/receivers/upper-receivers/brn-180-ar-15-complete-upper-receiver-assembly-prod122861.aspx). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-brands-of-semi-auto-223-rifles-in-the-400-700-range-are-good-or-bad/852634.md?page=1)