08JKsahara

Ok, its time. Im looking for an AR, anyone have any recommendations? I know I want a .223. I dont have $1200 to spend. What accessories are "must haves"?

HappyCurmudgeon

None are must haves. Many of them are want to haves.

put a snubber in it to keep the upper/lower from making noise when it gets worn, shoot it & clean it.

IMO 30 round mags are mostly worthless, to long to bench shoot with & wear on the retainers when full. I would get 20's, and only put 18 in those so they dont jam. (I have 30's because i got them cheap, but i really wanted 20's)

I carried a bone stock Colt M4 for years. the only thing done to it was a night site-4xscope that spent half or better of it's time in my mobility bag. An M203 we passed around, but i hated carrying the damn thing.

The removable handle was on it most of the time. I NEVER had an issue with that weapon. ever.

a decent tactical sling is the only thing it doesnt come with.

yetibear

Saying what you don't have isn't much help. So you don't have 1200, do you have 9, or only 7? The amount you have makes a big difference, with a 6920 Colt going for 1200 before Barack, and a S&W M&P15 at 9, and a DPMS at 8, and Century Arms for 7, and all at pre Barry prices at a time you could find a dealer with some in stock.

And right now you are almost as limited by what you can find, as what you can afford.

And 10 extra magazines will run you 100+, a good tactical sling will be from 25 to 75. Hell an Aimpoint comp M4s will cost 700. It makes your head hurt.

WIRINFRENZY

i just got a dpms ap4. i think i got hit with the post obama price. it cost 999.99

yetibear

Ouch! A month ago you could buy a Colt 6920 for under 1200, last time I looked, and it was only a quick glance, there weren't to many to look at, they were right around 1600.

08JKsahara

Well I could shake up a grand. But if I shake up that much I want my moneys worth. I want quality and accessories ( a few at least)! I can get a DPMS for $799. I guess thats a start, but thats bone stock. No sights no dust cover or anything.

Robar

An AR-15 is kind of like a jeep. You get a good bone stock platform to start with and then you can build it how you want it, over time.

yetibear

I can understand no sights, on a flat top, you just have to get some optics, right away, or it is just an awkward plastic club. Or you need to buy some iron sights, but if this thing is a flat top, so stripped it doesn't even have a $1 dust cover, I doubt it would have rails. (if it isn't a flat top, and it has no sights, run, don't walk, run away)

It is just a real trying time to be wanting to procure an AR, at a decent price. Gunbroker.com has almost nothing in the upper or mid tier manufactures for under a grand. Right now, if you feel you have to have one, like yesterday, all you can do is shop around and settle for what you can find.

I don't know how hard it will be to find one in your area. My local dealer has 2 on the shelves, but that is 2 more than he usually has on hand(he is a FUDD dealer, and that doesn't help you anyhow), gunbroker.com has 35 pages of AR's in their listings, a month ago they had 300 pages. I found an M&P 15 X for under 950 a month ago, I can't find one at any price right now. You might have to gamble and wait a couple of months and see how things shake out, this isn't the best time to be looking for a fair deal.

Good luck.

08JKsahara

This just in.....Academy has the Bushmaster version for $850. Comes with sites,dust cover, and collapsible stock. Kinda Base model but what do you guys think? Considering the market?

yetibear

Why, except that it is Sunday, are you not at Academy, buying your new rifle?

It's hard, but right now I would say go get it. Bushmaster doesn't make a bad rifle. Most commercial ARs are absolutely fine, Oly's Bushmaster, S&W, Colt, for the most part we would never realize the difference, well as long as the zombies never show up on our block.