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justchiefy
04-16-11, 22:43
Hey guys, this is my first post. I'd like to learn some basic info about AR's before I dive in to the market. Where is a good place, site, book, etc for me to learn? I checked out the "knowledge based threads" above, but they were way above my head. Heck, even sifting through the current threads had me feeling dumber by the click.
I appreciate the help!

-AR noob

Icculus
04-16-11, 22:57
Hello.

Did you check ou the stickies in the "New to firearms/shooting" section? https://www.m4carbine.net/forumdisplay.php?f=173

Do you have a friend with an AR who could let you try it or a range nearby where you could rent one and get instruction?

Can you be a little more specific about what some of your questions are?

Zzzake
04-17-11, 00:15
https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=8917

this thread really helped me alot when I was doing my build and reading around. Those abbreviations was way over my head. Hope it helps.

-Dennis

C-grunt
04-17-11, 00:37
Like Icculus asked, what kind of questions are you wanting to ask?

Have you ever shot/handled an AR-15?

If you are really interested let us know where you are at and maybe someone nearby can take you out for a range day.

warpigM-4
04-17-11, 01:35
First off welcome to M4C .to me this is the best place to start .
the more you read the better it will get.

Also A lot of the guys here have trained with some of the best in the the industry .
First off you need to think "what is this weapon for?"
Punching holes in paper
Home or personal Defense
Shooting at dirt
How much do I have to spend?

Chime in on threads and ask questions Of the different Set ups you see as long as you ask in a polite wanting to know attitude.
some here are Blunt and to the Point, Don't take it as a a personal attack.Just listen and learn

Many of the Members here will flock to you and lead you down the right path to find what AR platform will suit your needs and not break your bank account.

Good luck on your entry to the AR platform You HAVE come to the right place:D

rob_s
04-17-11, 06:06
There are two paths that most new shooters take, and where you end up (or how broke you are when you get there) depends largely on which path you take.

The first path is what we're seeing a lot of lately. Guys that think that research on the internut is a stand-in for actual experience. They read all the threads on the best pistol grip, the best free-float rail system, the best optic and mount, best stock, best sling, etc. I suspect some of these guys even start a written tally with a scoring system ranked by date so they can make sure not just to get the most popular but the most CURRENTLY popular. They often end up with "good" guns, but are they good guns for them? There's no way to know because they have no idea what they are doing.

The second path is a bit more focused. Guys figure they better just start with a basic gun and learn what works for them. Often their research will be focused on finding a quality base gun and they will read things like the Explanation of Features you found and use that to their advantage. They get out, get a basic carbine class under their belt, learn to run the gun, learn the shortcomings of their own make and model, and they look for products and accessories that address those shortcomings.

I guess it's pretty obvious which path I think is the better one. ;)

There are branches to both of these paths. They are both based on one thing, knowing enough to be dangerous. The sub-path in the first case results from starting that research but not delving deep enough. They see free-float rails, so they buy a cheap one thinking "they're all the same, right?" They see red dot sights and they find one for 1/5 the price so they buy one with the same thinking. What they wind up with is a half-assed gun that cost more than a quality base gun, and no idea how to run it.

Similar ignorance can be in effect in the second path, but instead of a half-assed collection of parts they wind up with a half-assed gun. The *good* news with this path is that they've typically saved enough money to get that so-important training, and provided the gun continues to function (and there are some basic things that can be done to help ensure even the crummiest gun runs) they aren't all that much worse for wear. and I'll still take that guy over the one that pieced together the best gun the internet has to offer and no idea how to use it.

So my suggestion is to ignore the threads on accessories and parts. Focus on the threads having to do with basic guns. Get yourself the best quality gun you can and get some instruction on how to use it. Worry about all that other stuff later on. And if you've gone out and learned how to use the basic gun all those threads on bits and pieces will be a LOT easier to keep track of.

JSGlock34
04-17-11, 22:44
If you're looking for a book on shooting the AR, you could do a lot worse than picking up a copy of Green Eyes Black Rifles by SGM (Ret) Kyle Lamb of Viking Tactics (click here (http://www.vikingtactics.com/book.html)). Though much of the book is devoted to more advanced techniques, it has sections on the history and development of the AR, equipment selection, marksmanship fundamentals, positional shooting, malfunctions and maintenance. It is an excellent reference and I think useful for beginner and advanced shooters alike. His new book on pistols is also excellent.

But you can't learn everything from a book, so I'll second Rob's comments above and recommend getting a quality rifle and taking a class from a professional who will teach you how to use it.

justchiefy
04-20-11, 20:37
thanks for all the advice guys. I just figured it would help me to do a little research before jumping in to a field I know nothing about. Guess I'll be researching a good newbie gun to learn on now. Im sure there are plenty of those threads on here. A link to a good one would be much appreciated!

JSGlock34
04-20-11, 21:52
Start with the tacked threads in this subforum. Here are some good links (http://m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=7355). Just remember, a lot of ARs look alike, but they are built to different standards.

I'd recommend the Colt 6920 or a comparable carbine from Bravo Company or Daniel Defense to start.

Good luck.

bulbvivid
04-20-11, 22:49
Are you new to ARs, or new to shooting?

eo500
04-20-11, 22:58
I was in your shoes not too long ago. The best advice I can give is to...
1. Read as much as you can, and listen to the experts here. It will quickly become apparent to you who the experts are.
2. When in doubt, ask but make sure to use the search function first.
3. Get a quality basic rifle (Colt, BCM, DD, Novesky and LMT seem to be the favorites here), and run it...a lot. Buy once, cry once.
4. Do NOT get caught up in whatever the latest "accessorizing" craze is until you have taken a class or two and identified a specific problem that you need to address. I wish I had one tenth of the money I see people waste on crap that they bolt on once and find out they don't like it.
5. Take as many classes as you can, and try to shoot with people who are better than you.
6. Whenever you shoot, shoot with a plan. Just slinging lead down range while fun, is not going to make you better. Pick something you need to improve, and focus on that. trigger control, target transitions, reloads, malfunctions, speed, accuracy etc. (there is lots of info about drills for anything you are working on online).