The following is my absolutely free advice to civilian AR owners. I am nothing more than a hobbyist of two decades who has spent north of 100,000 dollars on guns, ammo and training in the last 20 years. This is what I can boil it down to and save you about $97,000.
Get a high-quality Mil Spec AR. This seems like a no-brainer. But a lot of folks insist on either (a) buying cheap because it is “just as good” or (b) buying something exotic because they have heard that ARs are crap (usually based on experience from the (a) crowd). My advice: COLT first and Daniel Defense or Noveske Second.
Stick with widely adopted optics. If I had all the $$ I have wasted on accessories back I could easily buy a Porsche (used). My advice: Get an Aimpoint M4. They are bomb-proof and run on universally availible AA batteries (for EIGHT YEARS).
Don’t go crazy with your flashlights. Just get an X300. It will be great for Indoor use and you can use your rifle as a flashlight holster for your pistol.
Skip the magnification.
Keep your slings simple. I use a Vickers, but a factory sling is pretty damn good (flame suit on).
Use Gi mags. They are cheap and work fine. Magpul/HK/ETC mags are fine, but improve nothing but bring other stuff to the table like weight, weird covers and cost. Also, don’t buy 200 mags. You need about 10. 15 MAX.
Use GI ammo. Availible, relativley cheap, predictable.
Just get a 16 inch barrel and keep the birdcage on it unless you have a supressor.
Take all the money I have saved you and place (1/2) towards paying off all your other debts and the other (1/2) in checks to Paul Hotaling for Hackathorn or Vickers’ classes (or other top-drawer training).
Do not stockpile insane amounts of parts or ammo. Keep about 1000 rounds of absolutely sacred untoucable ammo and a little parts kit full of colt parts.
Great post. Spend half on your debt, half on training, and half on a christiansen arms carbon fiber barreled wonder gun. It’s a no brainer. Thanks for the info.
Why would you not want to load your mags with ammo that has the best chance of ending a fight as quickly as possible?
G.I. ammo might be good to train with, but as a civilian I have the liberty of picking ammo like BH’s 5.56 50gr TSX over G.I. ammo…thus I do. DocGKR has his own subforum for a reason imho.
Also curious how LMT, KAC, and BCM make it off a list that includes Colt, Noveske, and DD.
Not trying to nit pick, however this seems to be what works best for you and your particular needs.
Greg, Good post for many shooters. But why not spend part of your savings on more ammo and a few dozen mags? Mags are perishable and ammo bought today will not be cheaper tomorrow. Oh, and one item, a back up carbine.
I also like your choices but I have had fewer issues with BCM than DD albeit both are very few and far between.
Yea I’d say it doesn’t hurt to have more. Being reasonable doesn’t hurt though.
I don’t fully agree with all of what was said but I would say it is a good starting place. Sticking with quality(which includes more brands then listed) is a very good start. Going with a shorter barrel is something I’d consider looking at as it really isn’t a big deal to get a sbr.
I’d also recommend enhanced followers for the gi mags. Past that I’d say they are gtg.
This is for sure a good thread, but its mostly preference and what sounds like has worked for you over the years.
I have similar preferences, however there is nothing wrong with Pmags. I also dont agree with not stocking up on ammo. There is nothing wrong with that
Heh! Because those are the ones I have owned that I trust! My post is totally based on my experience. I know absolutely that if you follow my advice you are good. I have never owned a LMT (although I do love their SOPMOD stock) or a BCM. I will say that those are NOT rifles I have owned and had problems with.
War wagon,
End of the world scenarious have kept many ammo and mag companies in business for years. Basically, I believe this is just a version of hoarding and OCD. 1000 rounds, 10-15 mags and a spare parts kit is more than plenty IMHO. I have had over 4000 rounds of .223 and 100 AR mags at a time, so believe me, I have been there.
No reason to take my advice guys. I am just telling you what I think.
Let me just say this. Having been a resident of the Peoples Republik of Kalifornia when the Roberti-Roos AWB went into effect and then the 1994 Clinton AWB I can honestly say that if you have some extra money you can divert to magazines and ammo do it.
I have mags sitting in the safe that are good to go and never been used. More importantly as those who live in ban states can probably attest is getting some additional things to rebuild mags.
Just my own opinion- I believe I understand what Mr. Bell is saying.
About ammo hoarding- Notice he said “keep 1000 rounds sacred”. Not “Never have more than 1000 rounds on hand”. I take this to mean “Buy ammo as needed and shoot it. Keep a minimum reserve of 1000 rounds on hand but having 100,000 rounds on hand without shooting any of it is useless.”
Another note about ammo- Plain Jane ammo you can afford to shoot is better than fancy ammo you can’t. If a bad guy comes knocking with malice aforethought, 30 rounds of 55 gr FMJ is better than no rounds of TAP. If you can afford fancier rounds, no problem. Just don’t get wrapped around the axle about it. (I’m guilty of this kind of thinking myself. I still shudder at the idea of using steel cased ammo in my rifles. However, I do plan to get some and try it in my carbine.)
Magazines- 10-15 magazines at a time is a good place to start. Having more on hand is useless if you never use them. Replace any mags that wear out. If you want more, fine. But don’t get so obsessed with hoarding mags that it interferes with shooting. If you’ve got 15 magazines and you’re wondering if you should order more or go shoot this Saturday go shooting!
Parts- See comments about Ammo & Magazines.
Fashion Accessories- It’s easy to let the “Rule Of Cool” suck money out of your pocket, whether it’s looks, a trend such as paying high dollars for more rail estate, shave a few ounces or get something “used by the Delta Seals.” Does a theory based product really bring an advantage to the table? Is that improvement really needed or even desirable? For example, I want a quick adjustable sling for my carbine. However the surplus leather HK sling is long enough and is working fine with the exception of being too skinny for comfort. I need a wider sling more than I need the quick adjustment feature.
Barrel Length- If I understand Mr. Bell’s advice about simply choosing a 16" barrel, it’s not about going short enough, it’s about not going too short. It’s taken for granted that the 16" barrel is much handier than the 20" on a working AR. But sometimes we forget that going shorter involves a whole other set of challenges and additional cost. I very much want a 14.5" carbine. Instead, I got a 16" because it cost less money to get it operational and go shooting than going shorter. I figure it’s better to shoot a carbine that’s not quite perfect than to not shoot because it’s not exactly what I think I want. Something Rob and a few other notables have been trying to drive home.
Overall, I think Mr. Wells post is good advice, a good place to start and a good reminder, especially taken in the spirit it’s intended. Thank you, Mr. Bell
And if a member of the ban state victimization, as Iraqgunz mentioned, extra parts, extra parts, extra parts.
Because in those ban states every day can be the last day before that end-of-the-world scenario with but the wave of a pen from some dickwad anti~gunning state gov’t whoeverthefuck pushing through thier ‘pet legislation’.
