When did you get into AR's?

AR/M4 AR General Discussion
1

I haven’t seen a thread like this. I apologize if there is one. I think it’s fun to see from whence we came.

For me, I got into AR’s in 2002. The Federal Assault weapon’s ban was in full-swing and the rumors were that it would not expire. I paid $30 each for my first 30rd magazines, and they were “refurbished” pre-ban meaning that they had new springs, new followers, a new powdercoat finish, and you hoped that the bodies were in decent shape.

ARMS mounts and #40 folding rear sight were the BEE’s NEE’s. I thought I was truly high-speed with my Aimpoint Comp M2 in my ARMS throwlever mount with cantilever riser so that it would sit out over the Delta ring. I had a Surefire M952, also with an ARMS throwlever mount and an AAC copy of a KAC VFG with a bicyle innertube holding my Surefire tapeswitch. I had an A2 stock on a 16" carbine because in the event that the ban did sunset, it would at least be worth something whereas the “fake” collapsable stocks would be worthless. I also had a plain muzzle instead of a perm’d brake, with plans to have it threaded in a few years “if” the AWB sunset. I had a RRA lower and a Bushmaster “Patrolman’s Carbine” upper. Folks would pay $1500+ for a pre-ban gun. Wow, how far we’ve come in 10 years!

I dumped the complete setup with the Aimpoint, Light, etc before the AWB expired. Somehow, even thought I worked in a gun shop, I wasn’t that into guns/AR’s during the AWB sunset and didn’t own another one until probably 2006. At that time I was reading all the Kiss threads on TOS and built this up. It’s a Colt 14.5" with a Perm’d AAC 18T Phantom on a Colt A2 upper with a Colt m16 BCG all sitting on an LMT-made Lauer Custom Weaponry lower.

I later determined that I needed a light on the gun and put this monstrosity on it (Surefire M500AB):

I stayed in the KISS mindset and mocked rails, red dots, etc until 2010, when I actually tried to run the gun instead of having it sit in the closet. After being smoked by guys with lighter and faster setups, I sold that KISS rifle and built this last year:

It’s funny how things go around. I’ve since ditched the magnifier from this setup and now it really flies. I’ve got the paperwork in process for a DD MK18 SBR too, so I guess you could say I went from the stone age and jumped hard and fast into the modern age!

2

I got my first AR right after the ban expired, I didn’t know too much about them then but I wanted to get one before anyone had a chance to reinstate the AWB.

3

June of '85 at Parris Island. We were told (don’t know how true it is) that we were the last boot Series in the Marine Corps to train with the M16A1. Mine was 4857451, SIR! :smiley:

Loose, rattly, shot-out, bent-sighted piece of shit. It was probably hoisted onto the Contras a couple years later. May they suffer peacefully.

A host of A2’s throughout the remaining five and a half years, then a couple Colt AR’s (a 6520 and a 6933) since regaining my civilianship.

4

Held my first AR back in the mid '80s…
Shot an A1 in basic training during the fall of '87.
Purchased my first one (Bushmaster A2) in 1998 after PCSing back in from Turkey. (I still have that lower)

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5

I got into ARs back in 2007 when I shot a friend’s Bushmaster. It’s a very ergonomic platform and all the controls are within easy reach using one hand. I ended up buying my first one which was the S&W M&P15 in 2008 and have owned three ARs with my Colt SP 6920 being my one and only right now. The last two were both M&P15s and unfortunately both were sold due to money issues but now I realize selling guns doesn’t really do anything so no more selling guns for money for me.

6

I shot my friends RRA AR probably 8 years ago and had to have one. AR’s are addicting.

7

I just bought my first ar in oct '11, It is a DDM4 V3, I got it out of fear that later in life I may not be able to get one.

8

I bought my first one in 2000 during the Bush v. Gore campaign. I figured it was a good time to get one, since if Gore won, we might see a tightening of the AWB.

Funny, I don’t remember a huge wave of panic buying and crazy prices as happened during the McCain v. O’Bama campaign. I wonder why.

I do, however, remember paying $20 for well-used preBan magazines, and $30 + for new ones. That’s why I bought a pile of 'em after the AWB expired in '04.

9

I bought my PSA A1 while still in college in 1993 before the Clinton ban, but started shooting them when I joined the Army in 1988.

10

Bought my first AR (SP1) back in 1982.

Bought a S&W MP-15 a year ago. Found this site about a month after that. Learned the error of my ways, and

Bought an SP6920 a month ago.

~Dan

11

Colt 6551 Blue Label pre-94 purchased just after the Clinton ban in 1994 for $1700. Little did I know that in 1994 I could have purchased a transferable Colt M16a1 for about $2k.

I still have the 6551.

12

This is a good time to reiterate why I like this site so much. What some people call “brand snobbery” or “Chart Snobbery” I consider just good, conscientious information. The objective buyer will appreciate it. The lower tier AR fanboy will look silly jousting against it.

I bought my first AR literally almost 20 years ago in the fall of 1992. Since the Bush 41 ban (that only affected imports) was already on, preban imports were selling at a premium when you could find one. The first ugly thumbhole AK’s were coming into the country, and some gun shops were so paranoid they wouldn’t even sell you the thirty round magazines with the rifles.

So I bought my first AR. Since it was all US made, it was allowed to have the evil features (this was before the 1994 AWB). It was a CAR-15 clone that was mostly accurate except I believe it had the A2 style lower.

I really wanted to love that gun. Lightweight. Collapsible stock. Inexpensive ammo (even 7.62x39 hadn’t quite gotten cheap yet).

The trouble is: it was a “parts gun”. It was built by the “gunsmiths” at that gun shop from questionable parts. The bolt rings shattered within the first magazine and locked the rifle up tight. I returned it for something else.

My appetite was stoked, though.

I later bought a couple of Bushmasters after believing all their lies about their quality being as good as Colt’s, or the military’s, or whateverthehell.

Needless to say my Bushmasters were less than stellar in the reliability department. By then the 1994 AWB loomed and I squeezed enough cash out to buy a couple of Colts. At that point I decided to make them safe queens since they were about to become irreplaceable.

The lack of reliability in the Bushmasters finally made me think that all AR’s had problems, even my mostly unfired safe queen Colts. So I sold them all and thought I was done with AR’s.

I collected other weapons for several years.

Then in the fall of 2010 I started subscribing to the Outdoor Channel and Sportsmen’s Channel. All the shows with M4’s made me want one again.

I actually had a “second tier” M4 on order when I discovered this site. Thank God I had time to cancel my order and get a real M4.

To make a long story long, this site narrowly saved me from making the same mistake I did 20 years ago. Wish I could have had the chart in 1992, I would have bought nothing but Colt.

I started with a Daniel Defense. I ended up with a couple of BCM’s instead (nothing against Daniel Defense), and I’m hooked on AR’s again.

I got rid of my other rifles. :smiley:

13

Late 1980’s, I was 16 or 17.

14

Since I was young I have always been a huge fan of firearms and wanted to learn them specificily the ar or as I knew it the m16/m4 until I did more research and learned them as ar. Joined the army in 07 and have been hooked on them since and can’t wait to finish my build.

15

Bought an Armalite AR7 in '79 (first gun ! )
Shot my first Colt AR15 Sporter also in '79 …
Bought my first Sporter in '81 as a H.S. graduation present to myself :smiley:

Bought my first AR10 , an Armalite Sudanese on an H&H lower in '83 , followed up by a "NATO AR10 in '84 , also on a matching H&H lower …

Set up an FFL dealership in '84 , dealing in AR’s and other such “evil” guns …
I was on the local County Board 86-90 … the local paper did a nice article featuring the "gun toting county board member during the early rounds of the assault weapons ban movement …

my avatar pic with my Sudanese AR10 is from the paper article …

How many of y’all old enough to remember the Sendra AR15 lowers ?

16

1974 as a LEO. At the time I didn’t like it. I traded it and bought one the very first Mini-14s on the market and I paid a premium…$350. I don’t know what that would be today, but nothing’s changed, it still wasn’t worth it. I should have stayed with Colt.

Looking at the other posts, it appears I’m the oldest XXXX on here. So, be nice to me, I’m an elder.

17

About 2 weeks prior to the ban picked up a Colt fresh out of high school

18
  1. MCRD San Diego. But didn’t buy my own until '08. Dont know why I waited so long. Just did. I shoot a lot of SAAs and Lever guns. Those are my first loves when it comes to hobby/fun stuff.
19

I had my first experience at Ft. Jackson in the Fall '98. I was hooked! I bought my first Colt a year later.

20

I shot my first AR in 1987, it was a Colt AR15A1 model that a friend of mine owned and I fell in love with it. I bought my first in 1988, a Colt AR15A2. I sold that in 1994 when the People’s Republic of New Jersey instituted their own AWB and did not grandfather anything in as the Federal AWB did.

Well, back in 2002, if I remember correctly I bought a bushmaster which I still own and I bought a Stag Model 8 (with plus package) before finding this site. I found this site a few weeks ago and have loved reading all that it has. I have learned a lot and enjoy it very much and I try to log in everyday.

I will probably buy a BCM upper for the BM as soon as funds allow.