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Best stock AR under $1,000

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For one who may not have the money, time, or knowledge to build an AR from scratch, what would you all say the best stock AR would be off the shelf for under the $1,000 mark? Where only maybe minor mods would be made just on preference such as the stock, hand guard, scope, etc.

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For one who may not have the money, time, or knowledge to build an AR from scratch, what would you all say the best stock AR would be off the shelf for under the $1,000 mark? Where only maybe minor mods would be made just on preference such as the stock, hand guard, scope, etc.

 

"Money, time or knowledge"?

 

Money = you can spend as much or as little as you want.

 

Time = most time will be spent researching what you want and that is the best thing about building. Assembling a lower can be down in 15 min to an hour.

 

Knowledge = I am the least mechanically inclined person I know and I built my lasted lower buy myself with little issues and no scratches. Plenty of videos out there to show you how. Not hard at all.

 

I haven't built any uppers, just lowers. You can buy a Spikes Tactical for $90 or an Anderson for $50 or so. Lower parts kit, depending on trigger, $30 - $100. Stock kit, $30 - $50. Stock, $45ish to over $100.

 

Buy any decent upper

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For one who may not have the money, time, or knowledge to build an AR from scratch, what would you all say the best stock AR would be off the shelf for under the $1,000 mark? Where only maybe minor mods would be made just on preference such as the stock, hand guard, scope, etc.

 

To directly answer the question, I had the same quandary (i have the skills and interest, but not the time to do a build and all the research).

 

My more limited stock off the shelf-buy research led me to buy a Ruger AR-556: totally standard, no frills, solidly built, decent prices can be found well under your $1,000 ceiling, little or no risk as it is a big name manufacturer.

 

There are tons of other companies out there, but you really have to research to figure which ones are solid.

 

I plan on modding and doing some builds in the future, but the desire to put an AR in the inventory now. First add-on will be optics and that will quickly put me over the $1,000 mark :-) :-(

 

http://www.ruger.com/products/ar556/specSheets/8502.html

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To directly answer the question, I had the same quandary (i have the skills and interest, but not the time to do a build and all the research).

 

My more limited stock off the shelf-buy research led me to buy a Ruger AR-556: totally standard, no frills, solidly built, decent prices can be found well under your $1,000 ceiling, little or no risk as it is a big name manufacturer.

 

There are tons of other companies out there, but you really have to research to figure which ones are solid.

 

I plan on modding and doing some builds in the future, but the desire to put an AR in the inventory now. First add-on will be optics and that will quickly put me over the $1,000 mark :-) :-(

 

http://www.ruger.com/products/ar556/specSheets/8502.html

There is a recent primary & secondary modcast where Steve fisher talks about a recent class where two or three ruger ARs broke during the class. I don't know all the specs on them but they seem to be hobby/consumer grade. That's not to say they shouldn't work for 99% of the people that use them, but it seems they aren't as good as they can be.

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Honestly, i spent like 1200$ on a Sig M400 that was NJ compliant with no muzzle device and such, and ended up regretting it after i picked up my Daniel Defense rifle, Unfired but had been sitting around, for $1,000... I love that thing, and ended up trading off my M400 shortly after purchasing it. My suggestion would be to look for a good deal on a lightly used/like new AR.. For 1000$ youll find plenty of really freakin nice rifles.. a lot of custom builds tend to be slow sellers and people may need the money. Check out the for sale group on mewe.com as well. Someones asking 1100 for a beautiful AR that i would snag up if it wasnt so similar to what i already have. I bet theyd take 1000.

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Thanks for all the input! Obviously the s&w was an option due to its availability and very low price. But just being new to the AR platform was not sure if it would turn out to be a disappointment. Hey, if I can buy one for around $500 and then put another $500 worth of personal mods into it to make it "mine", I'd be happy.

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Aren't those the same things? The answer is still the 6920 colt if the only requirement means it has to be at or under $999.99. I don't even see that as being debatable. A year ago, when BCM was giving away uppers with free BCGs and charging handles, I might have said they were the answer, but that's not the case anymore.

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There is a recent primary & secondary modcast where Steve fisher talks about a recent class where two or three ruger ARs broke during the class. I don't know all the specs on them but they seem to be hobby/consumer grade. That's not to say they shouldn't work for 99% of the people that use them, but it seems they aren't as good as they can be.

 

Interesting. I am not sure what would make the hobby grade, but I'll keep an eye on it.  I  have only put a few hundred rounds down range (note, the time issue stated originally :-)

 

I own an MP15-22 that I really like, but my understanding is that the lower on the MP-15 Sporter was not a off-the-shelf standard so I went with the Ruger. 

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I'd have to read the real specs but it seems there are a few places companies regularly cheap out on builds

 

In the lower:

 

Cheaper lower parts kits (there is a difference)

Commercial vs mil-spec buffer tube

6061 in place of 7075 aluminum used if it is a milspec buffer tube

Carbine buffer vs H or H2 weight buffer

Not properly staking the castle nut

Not properly greasing barrel nut

Using loctite on castle nut

 

In the upper:

 

Semi auto vs m16 bolt carrier

Improperly staked gas key on BCG

Not properly chrome lining the Bolt carrier

Not using 8620 steel on bolt carrier

Not using carpenter 158 steel for bolt

Not properly MPI or HPT bolt

Cheaper barrel steel

No HPT of barrel

Using a non marked Front sight post when it should be F marked

Canted front sight post

Not using proper grease when installing barrel extension

No m4 feed ramps on barrel extension or in upper.

Improper m4 feed ramp cuts in upper after anodizing.

 

 

I'm not saying any of the rifles mentioned here has these issues. Some may. Some may have more. But these are common cost cutting measures you will NOT see on the colt.

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I agree w. the Colt 6920 if you are looking for something right at the $1000 price point.  Parts quality and quality control are going to better than the cheaper guns mentioned.  You may also want to look at lightly used guns.  I picked up a very nice, lightly used Bravo Company mid-length complete upper w. Yankee Hill lower for $700 last year.  I put a Geissele G2S trigger in it and now have a very high quality rifle for under $1000.

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Thanks for all the input! Obviously the s&w was an option due to its availability and very low price. But just being new to the AR platform was not sure if it would turn out to be a disappointment. Hey, if I can buy one for around $500 and then put another $500 worth of personal mods into it to make it "mine", I'd be happy.

That's puttin' lip stick on a pig, and wasting money.  Don't want or have time or money to build it, get something close to your desires and just shoot it  Two vendors have compliant ones for sale on this board. One has a S&W, another a Windom.

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I agree with the 6920 best out of the box under 1k. The other one I would like to see more specs on is the fn15. I'm a fn fan and would like to see how it compares to the 6920. If anyone has these specs I'd appreciate it.

The FN-15 is more or less a 'hobby grade' AR. It may use a lot of 'mil-spec' parts, but that is a term that has to be used carefully. Mil spec is MORE than just materials used to make something, like the grade of aluminum used to make receiver extensions. True mil spec calls for specific ways to heat treat, bead blast, parkerize, and assemble. It even calls out for the specifications on the QA testing these parts go through. There are a LOT of tiny details to make a weapon follow the TDP, and details make a difference.

 

While FN makes a large percentage of the M4's and A4's for the military, Colt owns the TDP (technical data package). Simply put, the TDP is what makes an A4/M4 truly 'mil-spec' (I can hear the groans and arguments starting now...lol).

FN is allowed to make and commercially sell AR rifles, but by contract, they are not allowed to use any knowledge gained in the TDP 'recipe' . That is propriatary Colt property.

 

The FN may, for example, use the same steel for a barrel that the TDP calls for, but they cannot use the same, or ALL of the same tests or inspections that barrel may go through as part of the TDP.

Same with bolts. Their boots may all be HPT, but they may not use all of the other gauging and testing Colt's TDP calls for in the spec.

 

The 6920 can, and does, follow the TDP, because Colt owns it. Besides, it is cheaper from a manufacturing standpoint, to build them 1 way with one set of parts. Aside, of course, from the lack of a full auto FCG.

 

I have heard many good things about the FN-15, but for around the same money, I'd rather have the rifle that is closest to the TDP.

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The FN-15 is more or less a 'hobby grade' AR. It may use a lot of 'mil-spec' parts, but that is a term that has to be used carefully. Mil spec is MORE than just materials used to make something, like the grade of aluminum used to make receiver extensions. True mil spec calls for specific ways to heat treat, bead blast, parkerize, and assemble. It even calls out for the specifications on the QA testing these parts go through. There are a LOT of tiny details to make a weapon follow the TDP, and details make a difference.

 

While FN makes a large percentage of the M4's and A4's for the military, Colt owns the TDP (technical data package). Simply put, the TDP is what makes an A4/M4 truly 'mil-spec' (I can hear the groans and arguments starting now...lol).

FN is allowed to make and commercially sell AR rifles, but by contract, they are not allowed to use any knowledge gained in the TDP 'recipe' . That is propriatary Colt property.

 

The FN may, for example, use the same steel for a barrel that the TDP calls for, but they cannot use the same, or ALL of the same tests or inspections that barrel may go through as part of the TDP.

Same with bolts. Their boots may all be HPT, but they may not use all of the other gauging and testing Colt's TDP calls for in the spec.

 

The 6920 can, and does, follow the TDP, because Colt owns it. Besides, it is cheaper from a manufacturing standpoint, to build them 1 way with one set of parts. Aside, of course, from the lack of a full auto FCG.

 

I have heard many good things about the FN-15, but for around the same money, I'd rather have the rifle that is closest to the TDP.

thanks. and yea i agree the colt is the way to go then. i know there was alot of talk about it not being able to follow the TDP when they first introduced the fn15. but then there was talk of them being able to exceed the TDP. This was all about 2 years ago when they first introduced it. I havent heard or seen any further testing so was just curious.

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