# Question for AR-15 guys



## ltfd596 (Apr 15, 2005)

I am in the market for an AR-15 and I have a couple of questions.

Which brand would you recommend...
Colt
Bushmaster
Rock River
DPMS
Others and why?

Should I get a plain one and add my custom preferences, or buy one the way I want it?

New / used?

Approximate price?

Thanks for the help.


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## buckeyeguy (Aug 20, 2006)

I think the brand question is bit of a loaded question. All of the manufacturers you have listed make good products. 

I have a DPMS M4 Carbine (16") molycrome barrel chambered in 5.56 NATO. It is a flattop that I have changed a slightly. I replaced the original handguard with a quad-rail ($70), added a forearm grip that breaks into a bipod ($100), put on a 44mm obj weaver scope ($150) that required me to get riser mounts ($40). I picked mine up in March for $900 when prices were a lot more than what they are now. So in all, I have around $1300 in mine. When I bought mine it was intended to be my yote gun (and other political situations may have pushed me to buy it too). I have had no problems with my DPMS and I really like it. Why DPMS? I didn't want to be on the Rock River 7 month waiting list and the gun dealer had this one new in stock at the time. There are some guys out there that really bash DPMS, but I like mine.

Now that I have mine and tinkered with it, I should have asked myself what I REALLY wanted it to accomplish before I purchased. I wanted mine for target shooting and coyote hunting. I have absolutely no intentions to use it for a home defense gun. That being said, I would have picked up one with a longer bull barrel (20-24"). I would not have put the quad rail on it, nor the grip.

As for new or used, that is up to you, the deal you could get and what the condition the gun is in. I personally am not a fan of buying used semi-auto weapons. There are more parts which means there is more to clean. I would bet there are a lot of gun owners out there that don't bother stripping guns completely down as I do.

To add, I have close friends that own Rock Rivers and Bushys they all like theirs just as much as I like mine.


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## Sharp Charge (Jun 24, 2009)

I know someone selling a new DPMS with 2 mags, cleaning kit, and hard case for $850, never fired. I can see if it's still available. M-4 style, looks like it's a regular perm. handle upper. 

I own a DPMS AR-15 and an Armalite AR-10, I haven't had any issues with either. If your looking to buy an AR-15, make sure you get it chambered in 5.56, this way you can shoot 5.56 or .223 rounds. If it's only chambered in .223, you can NOT shoot 5.56 rounds through it. 

Brand is really subjective, most of the big names are all good guns, it really depends what your looking to to with it. Some guns are finicky with ammo; a friend bought an Olympic and it won't feed certain ammo, my DPMS eats everything you put in it. Depending how much $$ you really want to spend will determine the price. You can find them for 600 or so used, and up into the thousands if you want a CMP competition gun, or put all kinds of extras on the end.


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## Smallmouth Crazy (Apr 4, 2006)

I have a couple DPMS rifles myself and have not had any issues with them, like was mentioned before some people rag on them but I havent found reason to yet, I would try to buy new as well because you can never really be sure how the rifle was ran by the previous owner, I like to buy a complete lower reciever and then buy my upper seperate, I have saved money by doing it this way and you can pick some of your options, I just bought a upper last month(Bushmaster) with a 1-7 twist, 14.5" barrel(flash hider made it 16") I bought it from PK firearms and put it with a Smith lower I had bought, I heard on another site that all the lowers out there are made by 2 or 3 companies and they just change the rollmark when they make them, I have bought lowers from DPMS, Bushmater, RRA and Smith, I cant tell much difference in any of them, I would buy now while the prices are still good, never know when they might shoot up again.


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## Orlando (Apr 12, 2004)

Stay with any of the name brands and you will be fine. 
Persoanlly I feel there is nothing wrong with Colt but you are paying more for the name


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## ODNR3723 (Apr 12, 2007)

One of the other guys posted and stated that it is all in what you want to use it for. I could not agree more. I personally enjoy varmint hunting with mine. I have a bushmaster predator in 223 and i just put together a stag arms 6.8 upper on a LMT lower. Both rifles are flat tops. I also have one carbine for fun. Bushmaster, DPMS, Rock River ( my carbine is a Rock), are all quality. Stag arms makes a good one also. Most people dont realize stag makes the lowers for rock river. Get what you like with the features you want. I can definately recommend the bushmaster predator and the rock river car a4. The book is still out on the stag cause i havent shot it yet. 
good luck


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## buckeyeguy (Aug 20, 2006)

Orlando said:


> Persoanlly I feel there is nothing wrong with Colt but you are paying more for the name


Thats what I was thinking, but never have owned one or know someone who owned one.

ltfd596, I'm not sure what your knowledge is of AR-15s but thought you should know that if you do buy one chambered in 5.56 NATO, you cannot buy a .308 Win upper for it due to the difference in cartridge sizes. The mag well is not large enough to fit a mag with .308 rounds in it.


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## Sharp Charge (Jun 24, 2009)

buckeyeguy said:


> Thats what I was thinking, but never have owned one or know someone who owned one.
> 
> ltfd596, I'm not sure what your knowledge is of AR-15s but thought you should know that if you do buy one chambered in 5.56 NATO, you cannot buy a .308 Win upper for it due to the difference in cartridge sizes. The mag well is not large enough to fit a mag with .308 rounds in it.


That is correct, if you want .308 in an AR style, that's where the Armalite AR-10 comes in. The bolt is heavier, there is no forward assist, and the firing pin is heavier and has a spring on it too. The whole receiver upper and lower are beefed up too.


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## ltfd596 (Apr 15, 2005)

I am looking for the 5.56 / .223.

I found a used DPMS for $675.00 and it looked in good shape, but someting in the back of my mind told me to walk away.

I think I am going to bite the bullet and buy a new one.


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## Toxic (May 13, 2006)

I have a S&W MP-15. If you interested in buying, PM me for info. It has only 60 rounds through it. I have around 6-7 mags with 200rnds. I just don't really shoot it enough to justify keeping it around.


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## Orlando (Apr 12, 2004)

ODNR3723 said:


> Most people dont realize stag makes the lowers for rock river.


Stag does not manufacture Rock River Arms receivers
Continental Machine Tool manufactures Stag as well as Rock River and many others.
That does not mean they are all made to the same specs.
Not saying Stag isnt a good AR but Rock River Arms has the tightest upper and lower receiver fit of any AR's that I have handled.


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## ODNR3723 (Apr 12, 2007)

Orlando, that would be correct. I thought stag was the parent company. Had my companys reversed. So continental makes the lowers for both. On a side note, i am not knocking rock. I own one.


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## ODNR3723 (Apr 12, 2007)

I forgot to mention Lewis Machine and Tool. They make a solid rifle that usually brings a higher price. I put the stag 6.8 upper i bought on a lmt lower.


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## top_secret (Jan 5, 2010)

I have had a rock river.. I was very pleased with it. they seem to have everything that one may be looking for. If you want a varmint gun or home defense. I had a 18" bull barrel on mine, I was confident to hit what I was aiming for out to 300 yards, but when I buy another one it will be a rock river with a 20 or 24" bull. If you buy one make sure its mil spec. so all parts are interchangeable, just in case you decide to do some tinkering with it. over all, i dont know anyone that has baught a "bad" AR. but like the others that have posted, I would stay with a name brand.


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## pj4wd (Dec 9, 2009)

Shotgun News has DPMS,ROCK RIVER,and others with some good prices on AR's goin on.


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