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Thread: Picking my first AR

  1. #1
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    Picking my first AR

    I've done a bit of reading to get educated before buying an AR. I just got my first ever handgun a couple months ago, already picked out my first shotgun which I should have in a couple weeks. Neither of these purchases can begin to compare with how much there is to know before buying an AR. I'm overwhelmed

    Based on what I've read, I'm just going to stick with Colt. I know I may be paying a bit of a premium for the name, but I am hoping it will hold its value better and I'm not about to try to pick a lower and upper and put those together. Much less buy a brand with potential QC issues that I'm not qualified to fix.

    My AR will be used for self defense and fun at the range. I have already looked in to several places that provide AR training, so I will make sure that is budgeted for, as it is even more important than selecting the appropriate firearm.

    With that said, what route should I go? Just buy a new LE6920 and EOTech and be done with it? Or do I save a little more money and then buy a LE6920 SOCOM or a LE6940? I can't tell much of a difference between them (besides the rail) and I'm not even sure what I'd use the rail for. I doubt I'll be using it to launch grenades

    While many of you have multiple ARs, I plan on buying one and sticking with it for a while, so I'd just assume get a nice one the first time around rather than kick myself 6 months later.

    Thanks

  2. #2
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bang4Buck View Post
    I've done a bit of reading to get educated before buying an AR. I just got my first ever handgun a couple months ago, already picked out my first shotgun which I should have in a couple weeks. Neither of these purchases can begin to compare with how much there is to know before buying an AR. I'm overwhelmed

    Based on what I've read, I'm just going to stick with Colt. I know I may be paying a bit of a premium for the name, but I am hoping it will hold its value better and I'm not about to try to pick a lower and upper and put those together. Much less buy a brand with potential QC issues that I'm not qualified to fix.

    My AR will be used for self defense and fun at the range. I have already looked in to several places that provide AR training, so I will make sure that is budgeted for, as it is even more important than selecting the appropriate firearm.

    With that said, what route should I go? Just buy a new LE6920 and EOTech and be done with it? Or do I save a little more money and then buy a LE6920 SOCOM or a LE6940? I can't tell much of a difference between them (besides the rail) and I'm not even sure what I'd use the rail for. I doubt I'll be using it to launch grenades

    While many of you have multiple ARs, I plan on buying one and sticking with it for a while, so I'd just assume get a nice one the first time around rather than kick myself 6 months later.

    Thanks
    I think the general consensus of this forum will be as follows:

    Keep it simple with the Colt. LE6920 with the Magpul MOE furniture will suit you just fine for your intended uses.
    See below
    http://dsgarms.com/ProductInfo/COLE6920MP-B.aspx

    Invest in an Aimpoint over the Eotech, get a good sling, light, and quality ammo.

    And like you already mentioned, training!


    And welcome
    Last edited by skijunkie55; 07-02-13 at 09:26.

  3. #3
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    I recently purchased my first AR and bought the Colt LE 6920. I was lucky enough to find a model that had its receivers anodized in OD Green. I absolutely love the weapon so far and have done quite a bit of customizing to it. I'm a lefty shooter so I have added ambidextrous parts. (Charging handle, mag release, safety selector) As well as a few other parts that are highly reccomended. (Magpul BAD lever, BattleComp 1.0) The purpose of my firearm was also for home self defense and to have some fun at the range. I ended up choosing EOTech over Aimpoint because I felt the reticle was better for a home self defense situation. If my firearm was strictly for range shooting, I would have chose an Aimpoint over EOTech or maybe even a Trijicon ACOG.

    You can't go wrong with a Colt, good luck!

  4. #4
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    You are on the right track. Colt is THE standard to which all AR manufacturers are measured. Some exceed those standards, others fall short. To reiterate: gun, sling, light, ammo, training. A quality RDS is certainly an asset, but an optional one. I suggest aimpoint, if considering one. Check in often. Seems that you are one of the few who have actually read the threads here at m4c.
    Acta Non Verba

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    Quote Originally Posted by lethal dose View Post
    You are on the right track. Colt is THE standard to which all AR manufacturers are measured. Some exceed those standards, others fall short. To reiterate: gun, sling, light, ammo, training. A quality RDS is certainly an asset, but an optional one. I suggest aimpoint, if considering one. Check in often. Seems that you are one of the few who have actually read the threads here at m4c.
    I try to do my homework before making a major purchase. Nothing worse than buyers remorse.

    A guy on an automotive forum in the Dallas area actually turned me on to this place. I actually read a lot of the FAQs and stickys here and that has helped, but there is a ton to know, and I'm a newbie. I know enough to know I don't know that much, which is more than some people clearly know!

    I figure I can't go wrong with the Colt. I just want to make sure I buy the correct model and accessories the first time around.

    When I first started to consider an AR, I thought: "Bushmaster seems like a safe choice!" Holy crap did I almost make a mistake! After doing some reading, I give the Bushmaster marketing people kudos. They must have all worked at McDonald's to have brainwashed people in to thinking they make a real AR. Bushmaster sounds like an adult film from the 70s to me now.

  6. #6
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    Haha. Great analogy. Honestly, the 6920 is hard to beat. There are other options if you prefer a lighter barrel, etc. but, personally, I find the 6920 to be the AR that most people need.
    Acta Non Verba

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    For the price, a base colt from Wally World is hard to beat. $1099 IIRC.

    Next in line is BCM and Daniel Defense.

    For home defense an Aimpoint is a better choice. You can always leave it on, and that battery will last you years ( most change the battery yearly or bi-yearly as a precaution). As far as Aimpoints go, an Aimpoint PRO is a good value.

    If you insist on a on EOTech, I recommend sticking with the newer XPS series. I've had problems with the older models, but hadn't had a lick of trouble out of the EXPS2-0 I had. The only down side was battery life (Nowhere near the battery life of an EoTech, but better than most will claim).

    Add a white light eventually and a good sling. You'll have a solid carbine.

    Then go out and shoot the SOB. Take a training class. Skill>Gear

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by lethal dose View Post
    Haha. Great analogy. Honestly, the 6920 is hard to beat. There are other options if you prefer a lighter barrel, etc. but, personally, I find the 6920 to be the AR that most people need.
    Colt seems like the safe choice.

    On another related note, what do you guys shoot for ammo? In my research, it appears you can shoot .223 Rem which is cheaper, but these rifles are designed for 5.56 x 45 mm NATO which obviously costs more. Do you guys shoot either one? Or have one you use for the range and another for home defense?

    When I look on gunbot.net and run a search, many of them act like they are the same, which they are clearly not. Any thoughts on this and what ammo manufacturers are the ones to stick with?

  9. #9
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    For a Colt, my two choices would be either the 6920 or the 6721. Myself, I don't need, nor do I want, a quad rail. For my purposes, a railless free float tube or MOE handguard serves fine. Between the two Colts, the 6721 would be my first choice as I don't care for the M4 profile barrel of the 6920- a personal preference.

    For an RDS, I like the Aimpoint H1 Micro.

    Another option is to get a BCM from Grant at G&R Tactical and configure it with the furniture of your choice. I would not hesitate to buy this rifle


    They are currently in stock
    http://www.gandrtactical.com/cgi-bin...&key=MID-750-C
    INSIDE PLAN OF BOX
    1. ROAD-RUNNER LIFTS GLASS OF WATER- PULLING UP MATCH
    2. MATCH SCRATCHES ON MATCH-BOX
    3. MATCH LIGHTS FUSE TO TNT
    4. BOOM!
    5. HA-HA!!

    -WILE E. COYOTE, AUTHOR OF "EVERYTHING I NEEDED TO KNOW IN LIFE, I LEARNED FROM GOLDBERG & MURPHY"

    http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n289/SgtSongDog/AR%20Carbine/DSC_0114.jpg
    I am American

  10. #10
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    A quick word about this notion of "paying a premium for the name." I know this gets repeated quite often, and I still hear it frequently when folks talk about things like better-quality 1911s. In the AR world, Colt remains the baseline by which all others are measured.

    That's not to say that you cannot buy a rifle that equals or even surpasses Colt in the quality department if you are willing to spend the money, but when we're taking about production-grade hardware, this is still Hartford's game to lose. What a Colt costs is effectively what a quality service-grade AR costs. Period. Anyone who offers to sell you something similar for considerably less money is doing so at the expense of parts quality, competent assembly or functional reliability. There are no free lunches.

    You aren't paying for the name. You are paying for a rifle that is made from the best parts available by people who just happen to exactly know what they are doing.

    AC
    Stand your ground; don't fire unless fired upon, but if they mean to have a war, let it begin here. -- Captain John Parker, Lexington, 1775.

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