General Purpose Combat Rifle Setup - Getting Set Up

General Firearms New to Firearms & Shooting
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If you’re new and buying a general purpose carbine, of the M4 variety with a 16" barrel and want to be a somewhat serious shooter with decent gear - you don’t have to spend a bundle on a $3k fancy rifle, $2k optic, and $1/bullet match grade ammo. But you do need to buy high quality stuff that won’t shit out on you during training or real life.

Buy a basic AR from one of the following makers between $1000-1100, you don’t need to spend more than this to have a 100% reliable general purpose carbine. Buying used is okay too if the gun is not beat to hell, because serviceable means serviceable, not looking for safe queens.

Colt Defense
Bravo Company
Daniel Defense
Lewis Machine & Tool
Smith & Wesson M&P

Stay away from the following brands because they suck. Parts are made of lesser quality materials (steel alloys, aluminum alloys), with little or no quality testing done (HPT/MPI), and assembled poorly (staking, torquing, loctiting) but marketed as “milspec” with no explanation or details.

Bushmaster
Rock River
DPMS Arms
Olympic Arms
Other unknown / backyard brands

Once you have a well made AR, buy an good optic. Red dot sights are the most popular choice, which makes sense because for real life shooting you’re probably going to be close up (within 100 yards - but probably much closer than that). Aimpoint leads EOTech in the serious shooter market, but not by much, and both are good optics. Currently the Aimpoint PRO is probably the best value purchase at about $400 and comes with a mount, ready to shoot. Just put it on the gun and go to the range.

30rd PMAGS are plentiful, cheap, and the new industry standard in the past few years for their reliability and durability, as well as re-designed non-tilt follower. Otherwise, the aluminum mags that you should be looking for will say Colt or NHMTG on the bottom and if they don’t, then don’t bother with them. Remeber, PMAGS are easy to find & cheap so there’s no reason to own crappy magazines.

Plan to buy alot of .223 / 5.56mm ammunition. 55gr M193 or 62gr M855 is going to be a fine training ammo but for real life use get either a modern barrier blind load such as Fed 62gr TBBC, or 75gr TAP if you’re looking for reliable frag. Reliance on M193 or M855 for real life shooting is stupid and has lead to people’s view of the 5.56mm caliber being ineffective at times. The caliber is not the problem, bullet design has been the problem, solved with modern tech.

So once you buy a good carbine, and a good optic, a few PMAGS, and a boatload of training ammo; you’re ready to focus on learning how to run a carbine. Don’t cheap out and the gear will last a long time, cheap out and when it breaks you’re just going to have to buy these recommendations anyway. Then how much will you have spent?

Additionally, you should seek out some high speed training from people who know what they’re doing, have experience in the industry doing the kind of shooting you want to do, and know how to explain it to others. Don’t get trained by some fat slob at the local range when big time instructors come to your area once or twice a year.

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As an EOTech fanboy, my go-to AR wears an Aimpoint so I can just leave it on. I still prefer EOTech, but advise people to buy only EXPS/XPS models. Also, for SD ammunition, Federal Fusion is said to be nearly identical to a well-regarded Speer round and can be found easily in stores like Walmart and Bass Pro.

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Good post. #1 rule for firearms : You get what you pay for.

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You can also add SIONICS Weapon Systems to your list of good AR’s. We have several police agencies in the U.S using them as well as plenty of civilians.

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Anytime both Iraqgunz and Kino Davis speak highly of a company it’s worth paying attention to. SIONICS is one of these companies.

Also, anybody know where one can find 62gr TBBC? Maybe I haven’t been looking hard enough but I haven’t seen it anywhere. Been using Federal Fusion MSR 62gr myself. Thinking about trying some Hornady 75gr TAP in the future.

Levi

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delete

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Don’t forget to budget a solid two point sling from quality manufacturers like Blue Force Gear, VTAC, Magpul, and a few others. They truly come into their own when training, be it at your range or at a class, and in a home defense/SHTF situation. A weapon’s light and mount definitely improves your efficiency when thing go “bump in the night”. A search here in the forum on slings and lights will get you headed in the right direction.

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BCM 16in Midlength Complete rifle
13in KMR, 12in CMR, 12in MI SS Gen2, 13in SMR would be my choices of 3 rails with the KMR winning out big time as I’ve had all 4.
Nightforce NXS 1-4 FC3G
Battle Comp or BCM comp
Geissele SSA trigger

I might be a little bias as thats my setup, except I’m running a 14.5in Midlength BCM instead of 16. Its light, fast, accurate and lets me get hits with 55’s and 75’s out to 400 with the reticle in the Nightforce.

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The OP has some great advice. For a first AR, it would be hard to beat a Sionics Patrol Rifle Zero. For just over a grand, it’s got everything you need and nothing you don’t. This is what I’m recommending to those new to ARs. That carbine, a good sling, good mags and ammo are all you need to get started.

Don’t be afraid to take your first carbine class with open sights. I did, and though I was the only one not running a red dot, I felt good getting trigger time behind the irons in case such a need would arise. When you’re ready for a red dot, you can find a lightly used Aimpoint PRO for around $300-350 without too much problem.

Start with quality, basic equipment and take it slow. You can add a free float rail and other accessories later as you learn more about what you want and how you use your carbine. There are a lot of fashion accessories for ARs nowadays and people drive themselves crazy trying to figure out the best rail or muzzle device or light mount or whatever, but training will always be more important than all that stuff. You are the weapon, the gun is just a tool.

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Thanks, glad you like the post. I tried not to fill it with BS or marketing and going to use it to link new shooters to.

A well made carbine out of the box with good mags & ammo will get most civilians more of a rifle than they know what to do with. Add an RDS, light, sling, and PROPER TRAINING - and it’s hard to go wrong.

Some might be surprised what they can get out of a basic carbine but I see it all the time in shooting competitions when someone with a basic M4 & red dot stomps someone with a $4k setup.

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The folks who read this post before getting their first AR will be a lot happier, & more satisfied, if they actually shoot it more than a few rounds, than I was when I got my first & actually shot it a bit, but you don’t know what you don’t know.

Hopefully you’ve helped some people out.

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I didn’t see anything listed about BUIS. I’m thinking that when you posted, you figured that BUIS would be included with the rifle?

Anyways, I think you’d be set to get a good set of flip ups. Not sure what all you guys approve, but I’d say that Troy or DD would be a good start?

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I’ve got Troys on my Colts and they haven’t fallen off yet :cool:

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What about these ARs?

Spikes Tactical
CORE15
Windham Weaponry
Palmetto State Armory
Del-Ton
Anvil Arms
and there are others that do not come to mind right now.

As for ammo, XM193 and M855 will still be extremely effective and it is plentiful. Remember, NATO switched from the 55gr FMJ to the 62gr. FMJ because the 55gr. was not performing as well as it should in combat. The M855/SS109 is now the standard 5.56mm NATO ammo. Personally, I could care less about how frangible a particular ammo was. My goal would be to put the first round where I want it. If by chance I did not hit my mark, I can always put a couple more rounds on target. I guarantee you, if I put a couple rounds of XM193 into you, you will be in a world of hurt, if not dead.

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Those brands will start to self destruct under repeated heavy use. If your a plink from a bench kinda guy, this should get the job done.

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I figured this was the response I was going to get. Some of you guys are so predictable.

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That’s because for the most part it’s true. Had a buddy of mine decide to buy a DPMS… I tried to steer him towards the better rifles but he wanted to save a few bucks… His quad rail was so out of spec he had to beat it on with a rubber Mallot. With the low prices currently out there none custom not to pick up a proven carbine.

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Thanks. If you predict I run quality gear, then you would be correct.

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While SS109 may be the current NATO standard, there are several other, far better rounds in use by any unit or group that can get away with it. Mk262, Mk318, Brown Tip, etc. Both M193 and M855 are limited in effectiveness, and even Big Army is moving away from using M855 as a combat round in favor of the completely different M855A1 round. For anything you plan on using for self defense, it behooves you to invest in quality ammo.

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I will point out that the average joe on the street is going to be able to buy XM193 and M855 ammo very easily and in large quantities. Mk262 is expensive and it not always in stock. As civilians, we are not able to acquire some of the ammo the military uses. Also, in a lot of states, it is illegal to buy and possess AP ammo. Fortunately, I have been stocking up on 55gr. FMJ and 62 fr. FMJ for 10 years now and I have a very substantial supply. I first started shooting the M16A1 back in 1978 using M193 55 gr. FMJBT ammo. It worked well back then, but it had its limitations. It is still a nasty round on personnel, but does not fair well against hardened targets and vehicles. For shorter distances (500M and less), the XM193 and M855 are fine, but any further out, you want the Mk262. I have some of these just for my Mk12 Mod 0. If I want to be really effective, I will use my Mk11 Mod 0.

Just remember, civilians are not going into combat, but that would not exclude them from having a good quality AR that they can depend on. That does not mean they have to spend $1000 or more for a good AR. I have my share of well built and high quality ARs and I have some that are well performing and good quality. I would defend my life and my loved ones with any of them.

I also just added a Colt M4 Carbine (LE6920). That gives me two Colt LE6920s (one from 2008 and one from 2013) in my collection.