Frequently I get asked about what AR15 people should buy. I usually ask a lot of questions around budget, niche/purpose and what people are leaning towards.
For the past 4 years, I’ve been recommending West Desert Tactical (WDT) AR15s and I still do. For the price, it can not be beat. If you search my blog for ar15, you’ll see plenty of articles raving about all the details.
Lets recap the WDT AR15s. 1:8 twist, comfortable and expandable handgaurd via keymod. Fully customizable with magpul furniture (no need to buy and then put in box lots of spare parts, just build it the way you want).
IF WDT ar15 were not available, or if someone was remote and unable to build their own with WDT…what would I recommend?
Before I met Austin/WDT, I often recommended Rock River Arms (RRA) ar15s for several reasons, I love their RRA 2stage Match triggers, handgaurds and ruggedness.
I went back to their website and they have A LOT of options! So, let me guide you. Based on my experience/understanding I believe your first ar15 should be a pretty standard M4 for training. Don’t get too radical in your first ar15. After your first ar15 and you have professional training (Marksmanshipmatters.com is the most highly recommended training school), then you can make a “house clearing fantasy rifle or long range sniper fantasy rifle”.
Thomas recommendations/requirements:
- Free float for better accuracy
- 1:8 twist barrel, non-chrome lined if you can find it. This is counter to most of the industry, if you plan to abuse your rifle maybe chrome lined is proper for you. non-chrome is more accurate.
- no fixed frontsight, so if you have a reddot or less than 1.5x magnification, you don’t have a field of view issues.
- 1 MOA or close to 1 MOA (1″ at 100y, 2″ at 200y and so on).
- non-milspec trigger, ugg, the milspec triggers are so nasty. I recommend the rock river match trigger!
- non-poky handgaurd, those quad rails are sure a PIA! I suggest a m-lok 15″ ish handgaurd.
Rocker River Arms (RRA)
- RRA rifles are guaranteed 1 MOA
- RRA rifles are guaranteed for life.
Here is my RRA top picks:
I HIGHLY suggest you find a good deal from (Lake Mountain Guns) & gun.deals slickguns.com
RUGER
Ruger is one of my all time favorite manufacturer and companies. I don’t care for their semi-auto pistols, but I love their revolvers and rifles!
Ruger MPR, only downside is it is 18″, if they have a freefloat in 16″ for the price, I think they would be hard to beat.
Springfield Armory
I’m not sure they make a gun I don’t love 😉 1911, m1a, xd & xdm…all some of my top favs!
I pet’d the saint at shotshow 2017 and really feel in love with it. I think it hits a sweet spot for price/quality. I don’t have a lot of milage with them personally, but I hear they are legendary.
Smith & Wesson ar15
Google nutnfancy and M&P 15, you’ll be impressed, including their ar10 (308)
Bushmaster
Lot of my friends have owned bushmasters and are happy with them.
COLT
My opinion of colt isn’t good. I believe they are mismanaged company (Unionist commies), don’t listen to their customers…on their high horse…much like Glock. If they could sell the Colt 1911 rights to ruger…they could go out of business as far as I’m concerned.
Conclusion
There are literally thousands of ar15 makers. and they are ALL ON SALE! Buy low, sell high, right!?! I’ve never seen ar15s for so little money, I hope you buy 4-5 of them. Next panic, you might be able to sell one to pay for the others 😉
Try some of my recommendations, if you don’t like them, you are not married to them, you can offload them and try something else.
I own a SIG 516 and I really like the quality and features. Not everyone likes this system, but I do. I also own DPMS (my first ar15 I bought about 10 years ago…before that I was on an AK47 kick 😉
Most of what I own are brownells ar15s & WDT ar15s, but I do have a few high ends. If you have the budget, you might look at the SIG MCX
