Question an value of AR's?

[Spots]

So i've been looking at AR's recently and had some questions. How do you value consumer built AR's. Like company x lower, company y upper, and company z sights. Is it the sum of the parts? And my other question. I have found 4 ar's and need good honest opinons. Lets say these are all the same price, All include 2 mags and some ammo. Which one would you choose?

M&P 15 sport, nib

Bushmaster carbon-15

ATI HD-16 mid-length Troy forearm, flattop

Palmetto state Armory, carbine length, with detachable carry handle

Out of those 4 which is the best for a personal defense weapon, range gun, and coyote gun?

[Smith]

M&P Spot hands down as long as it's under 1k. Melonite treatment, lifetime warranty, ..... the list goes on but it is far better than the others. The Carbon15 and the ATI I wouldn't buy unless they were under $600.

[Oh Shoot]

Sport or PSA, depending on pricing, of course.

 

Sport has a barrel that is only otherwise offered on higher end M&P 15 models, sort of a mystery how it went into production as standard on the Sport. Informal shooting indicates my Sport is my most accurate AR.

 

I have two (mostly) PSA AR's also, and they use excellent FN made barrels, and all the rest of the components are more than fine also, including their mil-spec handle/sight you mention (whoever actually makes it).

 

Lord help ya if you need to deal with PSA CS right now though, SW has that aspect beat hands down.

 

- OS

Edited February 12, 2013 by Oh Shoot

[TMF]

Sport, but not for the price they are now. 

[atlas3025]

PSA's are quality pieces. 

 

When it comes to valuing home-built guns, it is really the price/quality of the major components I look at.  I am pretty comfortable with AR's, so if I spotted a problem in the build, such as the gas block or handguard mis-aligned, I know I can fix that at no cost with minimal work.  But if it was made of parts from suppliers I don't trust or with less than desireable components, I would take that into consideration.  I basically look at the parts list and see what I could build the gun for, and then go from there.  There are parts where the manufacturer doesn't matter, and parts where it does. 

 

If you are not intimate in the building process, it can be tricky to value one correctly. 

Edited February 12, 2013 by atlas3025

[Guest sL1k]

I have the carbon-15 if I had to do it all over again I would have went with the s&w. I do like my bushmaster because it is very light and has been reliable.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

I will always like mine better than theirs, you get my point. Go for price that functions well and wait out this panic crap.

Prices are already falling. Become choosy, unless there is some compelling need. Nothing wrong with an upper from

one place and a lower from another, either.

 

Occasionally , there are deals to be had that way, also. Now, if you want a top notch AR, buy a Noveske or LWRC or

the like, but pad your wallet good.

[Fourtyfive]

S&W , M&P

[knewcomb]

Carbon 15s are garbage.

I walked out of lgs a few weeks ago with a sport and a magpul kit for 950$. Considering the current climate, I was happy with my decision. Since then ive put around 500 rds through it. Very accurate. You wont find a better rifle for that price.

[johnboy]

Sport, but not at current prices.

[Oh Shoot]

Sport, but not at current prices.

 

Current prices are what they are if you want one currently.

 

- OS

[Grand Torino]

The wife has an M&P15. It's been dependable and accurate. If the Sport is anything like it then I'd have to vote for it.

[Oh Shoot]

The wife has an M&P15. It's been dependable and accurate. If the Sport is anything like it then I'd have to vote for it.

 

All 18 of S&W's 5.56 AR rifles are called M&P15, btw.

 

- OS

Edited February 12, 2013 by Oh Shoot

[Randall53]

Current prices are what they are if you want one currently.

 

- OS

 

LOL....you do have strong argument there OS.

[reed1285]

Im with oh shoot, the sport or psa. I have a full psa ar that i built last year and i love it. Not had a single issue out of it. The parts are good quality too.

Ive never owned a sport but ive shot my buddies rifle before. I liked it and can see myself owning one in the next year or so, when prices go back down to normal

When putting a price on built ar's, all that matters to me is round count and the quality of the parts used. I have a franken ar thats got a smorgasboard of different brands on it, but i bought good quality stuff to put in it and its a great gun. The cheapest thing on it is the lower itself, a new frontier polymer. I paid more for the lpk than i did for the lower lol, not counting transfer and background. Edited February 13, 2013 by reed1285

[Wyldk2]

The s&w sport is my choice. Accurate even with the stock iron sights. For the price( before the current nonsense) it was a great deal for what you get.

[Guest sL1k]

you can still build an AR for a decent price if your patient.
I'm still waiting on some parts but I have a pistol build with a Nf polymer lower that cost $745.00
and a gas piston build with a billet lower $990.00.

[Jonnin]

I have 2 of the M&Ps and unless you are looking to compete long range, I cannot see why you would spend $1000 more for *anything* unless you just had the money to spend (fine by me, but I don't GET it).  

 

One of them I have shot thousands of times in 3 gun and for fun, and not a hiccup, still dead on all day long.   The other has my bumpfire stock and it has been abused some with that (gets HOT FAST) and it also has not had the first glitch.  

 

For now, you take whichever one you can get at a decent price, but all things being equal, the M&P is an exceptional gun for its price range. 

[Spots]

Basically a guy is trying to trade me out of my Ruger Mini 30 I just finished building up. He has those to offer, and I'm weighing my options

[Jonnin]

Basically a guy is trying to trade me out of my Ruger Mini 30 I just finished building up. He has those to offer, and I'm weighing my options

 

there is nothing any of them will do that your 30 will not unless you want better long range accuracy (past 300 yards or competition levels at 100) or are annoyed by the way the mags seat.

 

If you can pick ANY of those, get the bushmaster ---- the brand is going away (???) I think (???) and of value (notorious for school shooting).  It will be worth more if you change your mind, and IMHO all of those are equal for function for the most part.  The bush maybe better on top of its value. 

[Spots]

there is nothing any of them will do that your 30 will not unless you want better long range accuracy (past 300 yards or competition levels at 100) or are annoyed by the way the mags seat.

 

If you can pick ANY of those, get the bushmaster ---- the brand is going away (???) I think (???) and of value (notorious for school shooting).  It will be worth more if you change your mind, and IMHO all of those are equal for function for the most part.  The bush maybe better on top of its value. 

From what Ive found online the bush woulda been bottom of my list and the M&P at the top. Just because Ive found thread after thread about carbon-15 issues. The ATI is by far the sexiest looking, but looks dont mean anything if it doesn't run. My only ruger complaint is I've had a couple light strikes on steel cased wolf ammo, I'm gonna order up a stouter hammer spring and see what that does

[rugerla1]

I vote for the M&P as many others have already. Love mine!

[Jonnin]

Yea.  The bush is for the value which is mostly percieved over actual -- brand name recognition.  

The other 2 are the ones to get to SHOOT, as already said by several.

I dunno a thing about the ATI.

[Oh Shoot]

Basically a guy is trying to trade me out of my Ruger Mini 30 I just finished building up. He has those to offer, and I'm weighing my options

 

Well, Mini30 generally cost more than the Sport new, back in the Normal Times, and Mini30's were never as easy to find. And yours is the new improved barrel/sights version, too, so it's not very old.

 

So, I dunno. Might come down to which caliber you like best. I know if I were into 7.62x39, I'd want a Mini 30 even if I had an AK, 'cause even though I have AR's, I love my Mini14s also.

 

Far as EOTWAWKI it, the Ruger has the drawback of a few critical parts, which Ruger won't sell you as backup, while ARs are lego toys.

 

- OS

Edited February 13, 2013 by Oh Shoot

[knewcomb]

there is nothing any of them will do that your 30 will not unless you want better long range accuracy (past 300 yards or competition levels at 100) or are annoyed by the way the mags seat.

If you can pick ANY of those, get the bushmaster ---- the brand is going away (???) I think (???) and of value (notorious for school shooting). It will be worth more if you change your mind, and IMHO all of those are equal for function for the most part. The bush maybe better on top of its value.

The carbon 15? No one is going to pay big money for that pos