BIGMAC Posted March 9, 2010 at 07:22 AM Posted March 9, 2010 at 07:22 AM Hey guys, looking for a little knowledge. I'm looking for an AR, but what is the difference in caliber? What would be best for range and home defense?
Kenny Posted March 9, 2010 at 07:59 AM Posted March 9, 2010 at 07:59 AM Hey guys, looking for a little knowledge. I'm looking for an AR, but what is the difference in caliber? What would be best for range and home defense? You can get them in almost any cal. anymore but i would stick with the 5.56 for your first one for sure.
Jay Posted March 9, 2010 at 08:16 AM Posted March 9, 2010 at 08:16 AM Hey guys, looking for a little knowledge. I'm looking for an AR, but what is the difference in caliber? What would be best for range and home defense? Yes, definitely what Kenny said, 5.56 is the way to go. That way, you have the best of both worlds, you can shoot 5.56 and .223 ammo in it. But, if you get a .223, it's recommend that you do not use 5.56 ammo in it. 5.56 is loaded hotter than .223, and there is a difference in pressure. That's why a 5.56 rifle would handle both, but not a .223 rifle. Plus, the .223 ammo is available almost everywhere, (or it's at all the places I've looked, like Walmart and stuff). And with 5.56 being a military caliber, you can find various surplus ammo available on the cheap end.
ShadowForce Posted March 9, 2010 at 10:45 AM Posted March 9, 2010 at 10:45 AM I would recommend an AR chambered in 5.56mm for the reasons already stated. I would also recommend buying a good rifle to begin with. If this rifle is going to see heavy use from classes, home defense duty, SHTF, etc. etc. I would recommend you buy LMT, Colt, RRA, BCM, or Noveske. I have an LMT, and absolutely love it. DON'T be that guy that buys a $550 rifle, puts $1,000 worth of accessories on it, and wonders why his rifle keeps malfunctioning when he takes a carbine class. Buy from a company that is well known, and that produces a quality rifle that will take abuse.
Kenny Posted March 9, 2010 at 01:16 PM Posted March 9, 2010 at 01:16 PM All AR's are created equal for the most part. If you stay away from the DPMS Sportical you should be OK. I myself don't care for DPMS, Bushmaster, or Colt that much. My brand of choice is CMMG, they are reasonably priced & in my opinion have the best machined lowers with exceptional fit & finish.
Jay Posted March 9, 2010 at 02:29 PM Posted March 9, 2010 at 02:29 PM All AR's are created equal for the most part. If you stay away from the DPMS Sportical you should be OK. I myself don't care for DPMS, Bushmaster, or Colt that much. My brand of choice is CMMG, they are reasonably priced & in my opinion have the best machined lowers with exceptional fit & finish. Why stay away from the Sportical? I've shot one and haven't had any problems as of yet..... Plus, the lower receiver is the same as the others, right?
TyGuy Posted March 9, 2010 at 02:54 PM Posted March 9, 2010 at 02:54 PM This reminds me of another post about 5.56 or .223. I mistakenly said that my AR-15 was .223 and I was told to stay away from the hotter 5.56. I was wrong. I had been putting .223 through it, because I was correctly told when I purchased it that since it was 5.56 it would fire .223 and they had a good sale on .223 so I bought a about 200 rounds. Anyway, I was glad to see 5.56 stamped on there. Also, I have the DPMS Sportical and I love it. Feel free to check out this article http://www.shootingillustrated.com/Guns/Semi-Auto%20Rifles/DPMSsportical.html I don't care about the forward assist. The dust cover would be nice, but it's not necessary, and for under $700 it's a great rifle.
Kenny Posted March 9, 2010 at 03:43 PM Posted March 9, 2010 at 03:43 PM All AR's are created equal for the most part. If you stay away from the DPMS Sportical you should be OK. I myself don't care for DPMS, Bushmaster, or Colt that much. My brand of choice is CMMG, they are reasonably priced & in my opinion have the best machined lowers with exceptional fit & finish. Why stay away from the Sportical? I've shot one and haven't had any problems as of yet..... Plus, the lower receiver is the same as the others, right? They don't hold value like others for one reason. I said it was just an opinion I don't care for anything DPMS to be honest with you.
moparcardave Posted March 9, 2010 at 03:48 PM Posted March 9, 2010 at 03:48 PM While the .223/5.56 isn't a high powered rifle compared to deer rifles, it is out military standard choice and that makes it cheaper to shoot. Buying any other caliber for a plinker/defense makes the price of ammo climb. Buy other uppers if you want but the first one should be 5.56. Also you can never have enough ammo and it's dropped in price a bit. Ammo, gold and food are all handy and very barterable in case of a worst case senerieo.
Jay Posted March 9, 2010 at 04:01 PM Posted March 9, 2010 at 04:01 PM All AR's are created equal for the most part. If you stay away from the DPMS Sportical you should be OK. I myself don't care for DPMS, Bushmaster, or Colt that much. My brand of choice is CMMG, they are reasonably priced & in my opinion have the best machined lowers with exceptional fit & finish. Why stay away from the Sportical? I've shot one and haven't had any problems as of yet..... Plus, the lower receiver is the same as the others, right? They don't hold value like others for one reason. I said it was just an opinion I don't care for anything DPMS to be honest with you. Ahh, gotcha! IMO, AR's are like soda, everyone has a favorite brand or flavor!! The way I look at it is that the upper can be replaced at any time for basically pocket change, and then you've got whatever flavor you want. For me, it's a starting point, no more, no less.
moparcardave Posted March 9, 2010 at 04:01 PM Posted March 9, 2010 at 04:01 PM I agree they are all pretty equal besides most anything on any AR is pretty much compatable across brand. (not all) If you are one that plans on shooting many thousands of rounds and burn ammo like it's popcorn go for chrome lined. If you shoot a semi auto like it's a semi auto you are pretty much ok without the chrome lined bore and chamber. My M16A1 was chrome lined, they learned to do that and put a forward assist on shortly after troops found in Vietnem they had extraction and chambering problems especially in that climate. I perfer one that is lined, I come from the old school but thats me. As for brands of any gun and having a ffl years ago I always look at it this way. Never diss a man's choice in firearms, his choice might not be your choice. Besides in doing so you might lose a potential sale that leads to other sales. It's like cars, mine are toys and old mopars but it might not be yours and hey to me that's fine. You have to be happy with the car you drive or the firearms you shoot.
CraigC Posted March 9, 2010 at 05:05 PM Posted March 9, 2010 at 05:05 PM As for brands of any gun and having a ffl years ago I always look at it this way. Never diss a man's choice in firearms, his choice might not be your choice. Besides in doing so you might lose a potential sale that leads to other sales. It's like cars, mine are toys and old mopars but it might not be yours and hey to me that's fine. You have to be happy with the car you drive or the firearms you shoot. While a generally agree with you... what would you do if his choice was from Olympic Arms???
templar223 Posted March 9, 2010 at 05:13 PM Posted March 9, 2010 at 05:13 PM Get your first AR in 5.56 unless you have pockets lined with gold or you intend for it to be a safe queen fired 20 rounds a year. If you intend to learn how to use it and fight with it, then buy 5.56. Get yourself 20-30 magazines. 44mag.com is a good place. To learn more about everything from slings to sights - and there's a lot to learn - take a intro to defensive carbine class after you take an Appleseed - or visit AR15.com's "AR15" subforum. There's a college course worth of info out there that you would be wise to know if you're not going to waste money buying poor quality or things you don't need. I'd also add that I will "diss" another man's commentary or suggestions if he doesn't know what the heck he's talking about. Better firearm forums will put good information ahead of hurting misinformed or uneducated people's opinions. Not much of that in this thread, thankfully. John ETA: As for brand discussion, as long as they are in spec, you don't use steel case ammo and you practice preventative maintenance (again, take a course or visit AR15.com's AR15 subforum to learn), they'll all run pretty well (meaning very rare failures). Frankenguns (parts from a slew of different manufacturers and dates) can be problematic if you get some bad parts.
spec4 Posted March 9, 2010 at 05:26 PM Posted March 9, 2010 at 05:26 PM e is a Rock River Arms with a wylde chamber. It handles .223 and the higher pressured 5.56. I liked thre flexability, the price was fair and Rock River is in IL.
moparcardave Posted March 9, 2010 at 07:50 PM Posted March 9, 2010 at 07:50 PM As for brands of any gun and having a ffl years ago I always look at it this way. Never diss a man's choice in firearms, his choice might not be your choice. Besides in doing so you might lose a potential sale that leads to other sales. It's like cars, mine are toys and old mopars but it might not be yours and hey to me that's fine. You have to be happy with the car you drive or the firearms you shoot. While a generally agree with you... what would you do if his choice was from Olympic Arms??? Well to be honest the way I did it was by the law here in Illinois. I wouldn't sell firearms that weren't legal in Illinois, ie Ravens. As far as my belief onf AR's one is basically as good as the rest IMHO. You can pay more or pay less the vast majority of shooters will not shoot their firearms to the point that are wore out. AR's are like anything else, you can get a stripped down model or you can put 20 pounds of tactical equiptment on it till the point you can't tell what kind of rifle is underneath it all.
1957Human Posted March 9, 2010 at 10:42 PM Posted March 9, 2010 at 10:42 PM I'd also add that I will "diss" another man's commentary or suggestions if he doesn't know what the heck he's talking about. Better firearm forums will put good information ahead of hurting misinformed or uneducated people's opinions. Not much of that in this thread, thankfully. John John - You might not have been intending to be humorous, but, man, did I get a good chuckle out of that comment! And you are 100% dead-on right about the need for good information regarding this art, and not just yet another casual opinion.
hotpig27 Posted March 9, 2010 at 10:50 PM Posted March 9, 2010 at 10:50 PM All AR15 are not created equal, not really but for most of us casual shooters there is not a big difference.
ryr8828 Posted March 10, 2010 at 02:02 AM Posted March 10, 2010 at 02:02 AM I have a Bushmaster, a rock river, and a dpms. The dpms is .308. You'll end up getting more than one, I'd recommend a rock river 5.56. You can drop a poodle dead in it's tracks at 300 yards with one. In fact most poodles will hear you pull the charging handle back and hide so you won't even get a shot.Then after you've exhausted your bank account for accessories on that ar, go and buy one in .308. It's the same, only bigger. When you've spent as much money on these things as I have, go off to a private place and slap yourself, then tell yourself you're good to go if armageddon hits. And buy lots of ammo.
RobR369 Posted March 10, 2010 at 03:13 AM Posted March 10, 2010 at 03:13 AM I have a DPMS Sportical, and never had any problems at all. As far as not holding their value, maybe? but so what if you have no intentions of ever selling it or trading it in.
eric2281 Posted March 10, 2010 at 03:25 AM Posted March 10, 2010 at 03:25 AM Get your first AR in 5.56 unless you have pockets lined with gold or you intend for it to be a safe queen fired 20 rounds a year. If you intend to learn how to use it and fight with it, then buy 5.56. Get yourself 20-30 magazines. 44mag.com is a good place. To learn more about everything from slings to sights - and there's a lot to learn - take a intro to defensive carbine class after you take an Appleseed - or visit AR15.com's "AR15" subforum. There's a college course worth of info out there that you would be wise to know if you're not going to waste money buying poor quality or things you don't need. I'd also add that I will "diss" another man's commentary or suggestions if he doesn't know what the heck he's talking about. Better firearm forums will put good information ahead of hurting misinformed or uneducated people's opinions. Not much of that in this thread, thankfully. John ETA: As for brand discussion, as long as they are in spec, you don't use steel case ammo and you practice preventative maintenance (again, take a course or visit AR15.com's AR15 subforum to learn), they'll all run pretty well (meaning very rare failures). Frankenguns (parts from a slew of different manufacturers and dates) can be problematic if you get some bad parts. +1 Well said.
Ashes Posted March 10, 2010 at 03:29 AM Posted March 10, 2010 at 03:29 AM Box of Truth time! http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot1.htm A look at what bullets will do when fired in sheetrock, pine wood etc.In short, a rifle/carbine isn't very good for home defense if you have close neighbors. Another Box of Truth look at frangible ammo.http://www.theboxotruth.com/docs/bot4.htm
BIGMAC Posted March 10, 2010 at 04:10 AM Author Posted March 10, 2010 at 04:10 AM Awsome guys thanks for so much valuble info. ok first off where can i shoot at? I'm about 15min from gat guns but they only allow handgun caliber ammo rifles. I got some cash burning a hole in my pocket, I was planing on getting a .22lr AR and 5.56 AR. I checked out the DPMS good price, not worried about resale value because I'm an official "collector" lolKENNY!! any deals for a new collector??
abolt243 Posted March 10, 2010 at 04:32 AM Posted March 10, 2010 at 04:32 AM Awsome guys thanks for so much valuble info. ok first off where can i shoot at? I'm about 15min from gat guns but they only allow handgun caliber ammo rifles. I got some cash burning a hole in my pocket, I was planing on getting a .22lr AR and 5.56 AR. I checked out the DPMS good price, not worried about resale value because I'm an official "collector" lolKENNY!! any deals for a new collector?? Kenny's at IGOLD and probably on limited access. I'll bet he's got some old beater around there that he'd cut a good deal to a newbie on. Be patient for 24 hours. Good Luck!! AB
jobes Posted March 10, 2010 at 04:43 AM Posted March 10, 2010 at 04:43 AM Love my Stag but it certainly wouldn't be my first pick for defending the home. That's the duty of my M4(12ga)http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v327/bjobes/Guns/DSC00095-3.jpg
Ashes Posted March 10, 2010 at 04:45 AM Posted March 10, 2010 at 04:45 AM Learn to shoot at an Appleseed. Schedule: http://www.appleseedinfo.org/as_schedule2.phpFilter by State. What is Appleseed: http://appleseedinfo.org/smf/index.php?topic=8417.0 <- My AR in my Avatar.
Birdmang Posted March 10, 2010 at 06:51 AM Posted March 10, 2010 at 06:51 AM I had a Sportical and it was awesome. I sold it for the same price that I bought it for. You dont need a forward assist and you dont need a dust cover. Period. I do think they look cleaner without them as well.
BobbyT Posted March 10, 2010 at 11:22 AM Posted March 10, 2010 at 11:22 AM Your first AR should be a .223.Your second should be a .308.Your third should be a .50 Beowulf upper. /thread
Kenny Posted March 10, 2010 at 01:00 PM Posted March 10, 2010 at 01:00 PM As for brands of any gun and having a ffl years ago I always look at it this way. Never diss a man's choice in firearms, his choice might not be your choice. Besides in doing so you might lose a potential sale that leads to other sales. It's like cars, mine are toys and old mopars but it might not be yours and hey to me that's fine. You have to be happy with the car you drive or the firearms you shoot. While a generally agree with you... what would you do if his choice was from Olympic Arms??? Honestly I would take an Olympic Arms AR over a DPMS for the money for sure!!!
Kenny Posted March 10, 2010 at 01:08 PM Posted March 10, 2010 at 01:08 PM Awsome guys thanks for so much valuble info. ok first off where can i shoot at? I'm about 15min from gat guns but they only allow handgun caliber ammo rifles. I got some cash burning a hole in my pocket, I was planing on getting a .22lr AR and 5.56 AR. I checked out the DPMS good price, not worried about resale value because I'm an official "collector" lolKENNY!! any deals for a new collector?? Call me tomorrow, I am busy at IGOLD now but if you call me Thur I have some great options for you, I can get you into a basic CMMG flattop M4 for about the same money, maybe less than a Sportical!! I love CMMG's I have had several & when I get them built someone always wants to buy them & makes me an offer I can't refuse.
TyGuy Posted March 12, 2010 at 02:59 PM Posted March 12, 2010 at 02:59 PM I don't plan on selling my DPMS, and I agree that the sportical looks cleaner. If I was ever in a situation where I would want to use the forward assist I would just pull the charging handle to get a new round in there anyway. So, get whatever brand you prefer. I was trying to offer and inexpensive option. I think I will be getting a 22lr conversion for mine to take the Appleseed this year. I like the idea of shooting 22lr for two days instead of 223 or 5.56, since it will be much cheaper. Shooting poodles eh? Do they roam free in large packs near you? Rabbid poodles is a scary thought!
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.