Post Your First AR

[ken_mays]

19 hours ago, Jamie Jackson said:

The reason I  choose the Dissipator was the longer iron sight radius with a relatively shorter OAL for the carbine. Suited my perceived needs at the time. 

Me too, but I don't know why I cared about iron sights back then and wasn't even considering an optic :)

[Jamie Jackson]

5 hours ago, ken_mays said:

Me too, but I don't know why I cared about iron sights back then and wasn't even considering an optic :)

The only optic I considered back then was a scope. I still have a "return to zero" mount that fit the carry handle and it actually worked!

I traded for my first RDS, an EOTech, around 2002-2003 iirc and was sold on thee concept. RDS just weren't a "thing" back then.

But I sure am glad I learned iron sights first!

[Magiccarpetrides]

Now that I've been playing lots of Modern Warfare I've realized all I need is Iron Sights...don't want anything slowing my "aim down the sight" time 

[Ahitchc4]

First Bushmaster from 2009 and one of my current 11.5” builds.

[Prod951]

On 4/6/2020 at 3:53 AM, Jamie Jackson said:

I actually still have my first AR. Like David, it's a 1995 Bushmaster 16" Dissipator. RDS weren't a thing at that time and very few civilian purchase options were available .

The photo was taken August 28th 2005, the day before Katrina hit back home (MS). It was/is a decent gun for the time .

 

Bushmaster is gone forever..

[Magiccarpetrides]

1 hour ago, Prod951 said:

Bushmaster is gone forever..

I wonder if that will make them more valuable 

[DaveTN]

On 4/2/2020 at 10:41 PM, Prod951 said:

Post Your First AR

I can’t. Digital cameras weren’t in common use back then.

[btq96r]

On 4/4/2020 at 6:02 PM, TomInMN said:

How long before we start seeing hipster ARs with quad rails?

I still use quad rails; never got into KeyMod or M-Lok.  Have a Knight's Armament M4 RAS on my SBR and a 13” Troy Bravo rail on my 16" AR.

[quedz]

16 minutes ago, DaveTN said:

I can’t. Digital cameras weren’t in common use back then.

Take a picture of the Polaroid with your phone...

[DaveTN]

2 minutes ago, hughd said:

Take a picture of the Polaroid with your phone...

Take a picture with my phone?? Thats just crazy talk.

[BenZion]

SW MP15 
 7” BA barrel , Sig Romeo5XDR   

[Handsome Rob]

Man, I thought this was the coolest rifle ever built.....

Now it makes my eyes hurt.

[Magiccarpetrides]

It ain’t terrible but it ain’t winning any beauty pageants either lol

[jrmrbcax]

[Prod951]

1 hour ago, Handsome Rob said:

Man, I thought this was the coolest rifle ever built.....

Now it makes my eyes hurt.

That's how I felt about mine..

[asu174]

First was 2003, just before the ban sunset.  Bushmaster ”postban”.  Paid $1100 and was just glad to buy it.  Bought a WASR-10 AK for $299 that same week, along with some cases of Wolf for $69/1K in 7.62x39 and $79/1K for .223.

Pinned stock (can’t actually collapse it), muzzle brake, no bayonet lug.  That one is long gone.

Edited April 19, 2020 by asu174

[jeremy155rr]

1st Stag model 2T w/aimpoint circa 2009 I think

[Guest OMCHamlin]

On 4/2/2020 at 11:41 PM, Prod951 said:

Please dont laugh I thought it was so cool. Lol

Laugh? How could I?

(circa 2003~04 or so, as you can tell by the muzzle brake and non-collapsible stock)

Edited April 20, 2020 by OMCHamlin

[Magiccarpetrides]

11 hours ago, asu174 said:

First was 2003, just before the ban sunset.  Bushmaster ”postban”.  Paid $1100 and was just glad to buy it.  Bought a WASR-10 AK for $299 that same week, along with some cases of Wolf for $69/1K in 7.62x39 and $79/1K for .223.

Pinned stock (can’t actually collapse it), muzzle brake, no bayonet lug.  That one is long gone.

Ahh the cheap ol days of ammo when we still thought it was too much.  I hope people buy plenty next time it drops again which will be sooner than people think...always is.  Personally I don’t think WASRs are worth much more than you paid then.  I remember what used to be said about them ...most of it is still true..you can’t polish a turd but you can cut the ends off and shape it lmao.

[Handsome Rob]

I'm noticing a trend. Did mid length gas systems only come into existence recently? Loooooots of exposed barrels going on........

[Magiccarpetrides]

45 minutes ago, Handsome Rob said:

I'm noticing a trend. Did mid length gas systems only come into existence recently? Loooooots of exposed barrels going on........

Not looking just going off memory I’d say mid length has been a thing since 2010

[Prod951]

I would not say it was a thing to around 2014 most people were still arguing its not milspec and reduce reliability.

[asu174]

45 minutes ago, Prod951 said:

I would not say it was a thing to around 2014 most people were still arguing its not milspec and reduce reliability.

Sounds about right.  Before midlength, we had the Dissipator- 16” barrel, rifle length gas.  With no dwell time, the gas port on the barrel had to be opened up.  

They ended up just putting a carbine (now midlength) gas block under the rifle length handguards and leaving the A2 FSB where it was for the sight radius.  

Gas systems aside, the “long handguard with minimal barrel exposed” era is only a few years old.  Most of my ARs are set up that way.  I was actually looking at my 18” guns over the weekend wondering how weird a 17” handguard would look on them. 

Edited April 20, 2020 by asu174

[bubbadavis]

If it ain't a Pony, its a phony. Still got this pre-ban Colt AR as it was a gift from my Dad many, many years ago.

 

[southernasylum]

Is mine the only first with a TGO logo on it? Surely there were others who's first was the CMT group buy! I'll add a pic when I get a chance. 

-southernasylum