New to AR platform

[Twosocks]

Ok I don't want this to turn into a brand z is better than brand a but I'm new to ARs have never owned one. Been looking at the Stag Arms 8t and the Windham Weaponry CDI. I don't want to spend over $1200.00. The rifle will be primarily a plinker and home defense weapon. Maybe hunt some coyotes out to 100 yards, I have a 243 for longer distance. First off, piston or Direct impingement, second, of the two weapons named those of you who have experience with either the pros and cons of each. I want battle sights and some rails and don't want to have to do a lots to the weapons as to adding things until I get to know the platform. I really like the Diamondhead forearm on the Stag and the Diamondhead sights and can get it in either piston or direct impingement. Just looking for a little advice. Thanks

[Boba Fett v2]

For the money you're willing to spend consider a Colt instead. Stick with DI.

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[Ryno12]

Welcome. Do some searching, this has been asked a thousand times. For that price you can buy many, better brands.
Colt, BCM, Noveske... among others.

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[strambo]

DI

For a probably better rifle than the Stag or Windham, you could just mail order a PSA kit of your choice and buy a stripped lower at your LGS. This would cost less also.

http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.php/ar-15-05/rifle-kits.html

At the $1200 mark, you can get a Colt 6920 MOE or mate a lower with a complete BCM upper.

They all look the same, but the better brands will make the critical barrel and bolt out of the proper materials and do the proper QA testing and other things like proper staking. For a hobby gun, rarely shot, it may not matter. For a home defense gun, it may (and at the worse moment!)

$1200 will buy a lot of (quality) AR with good research. Or...it could get a crappy base AR with unnecessary extras.

[bowietx]

For your price range you can't go wrong with Colt, BCM or LMT. Don't buy cheap, as my grandfather was fond of saying, "even the poor can't afford to buy cheap." Buy a quality gun and add what you need as you try products and determine what works the best for you. Troy makes great iron sights along with several other companies that are reputable. Having a true peep sight helps at longer ranges if you are not going to use a red dot.

[yhmspecter]

Search search search, this forum has a never ending amount of info from professionals and people like ourselfs. With your price range there are a number of better options in the AR world. Do some research and hold off to buy your new rifle, you won't be sorry. I came to this sight with a YHM rifle hence my screen name. That rifle is long gone, I have top grade rifles in my safe now.. Have you heard the term "buy once cry once?" Because you will.most certainly find yourself spending more money once parts on the aforementioned rifles start to fail, or you can go with a reliable proven platform from one of the site sponsors or your LGS, and run it out of the box and only have to worry about more ammo and magazines not replacement parts..

Or of you have a budget to fall within, PSA is a great option as mentioned. You can put a rifle together, buy an AIMPOINT, Pmags, ammo and a sling and still fall under budget

[Airhasz]

Have you read the forum stickys? Lots to learn there. Get ahold of g&rtactical, Grant will get you set up.

[Suwannee Tim]

I would not fool with a piston gun, they impose significant costs in money, weight, complexity and parts availability with little tangible return.

[sva01]

Colt 6920 for $1097 and $103 left for ammo.

Add a sling, Aimpoint, white light, take a class, and shoot it every chance you get.

[_Stormin_]

Twosocks you're going to notice a continuity in replies here. Please don't take it as an insult or anything, this site is simply all about education.


For the money that you are looking to spend, the first place to look is Colt. They produce a quality gun, stand behind their product, and they've been put to the test by many members here.

If you're industrious, you could buy a lower and upper separately, and mate them up. It requires no more than a little time to pick out the right upper and lower. Grant (G & R Tactical (http://www.gandrtactical.com)) can help with both. He does not stock "subpar" firearms, and I can say that I've been satisfied with my experience as a customer.

Moving further along, you can build a collection of parts and assemble your own lower, and even your own upper. I can't say that I would want to go at this one alone, but it is an option if you're technically proficient with tools and have some of the requisite ones on hand. Having built a few myself now, I can't really justify not doing it... Not even being a matter of cost, just being a matter of having EXACTLY what you want on your rifle from day one.

Whatever you do decide to do, keep reading, post up when you have questions that you can't find answers to using the SEARCH FEATURE (https://www.m4carbine.net/search.php) on the page, and when you have the rifle before changing anything, SHOOT THE THING. These rifles can bring about "modification creep" much like owning a muscle car. "Just this trigger, or that manifold, and then it will be perfect." Leave it be, and shoot it, until you can identify a deficiency that a part will fix. :)

[SteveS]

Study up on what makes a high quality AR. Not what advertisements,the gun shop pros or any preconceived notions. Buy once cry once.

[Hmac]

I'm surprised this us even a question. One doesn't have to probe very deep on this site to get expert opinion on the relative merits of the rifles you mention as well as where to buy far better rifles for less money than you're quoting.