Firearm fans thread? Let's try this out.

[~Abstract~]

OP

You're not gonna find a "cheap" upper for anything besides 5.56x45...but the low cost ammo will offset the upper expense soon enough.

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/495323/smith-and-wesson-ar-15-a3-flat-top-upper-assembly-545x39mm-1-in-8-twist-16-barrel-chrome-lined-chrome-moly-matte-a2-front-sight-flash-hider-with-30-round-magazine-pre-ban?cm_cat=Cart&cm_pla=ProductDesc


There's been some issues with the polymer lowers...but I've heard they were used incorrectly and that standard alum lowers would fail under the same circumstances...

I'd stay away until someone makes one with steel inserts (for structural rigidity) and pin washers...

AR lowers aren't subjected to much force...that's why they're already made from aluminum. But there's a ton of Alum manufacturers...people who's livlihoods depend on AL lowers who aren't happy about someone producing something which may be just as good and cheaper...so you'll get a ton of crazy's saying it's a horrible idea and will break. Then you'll see pictures of one a buddies uncle saw blow up at a range...but that lower will have vice grip marks on it so you don't KNOW that it actually broke from firing stress and not a sledgehammer blow.

There are 1000's of polymer lowers around...hell S&W makes a full rifle with a polymer lower...but I wouldn't have one for anything other than range toy.

Also, a pistol isn't subjected to any less stress than a rifle of the same caliber.

[sahlomonic]

Honesty, I only keep my AR around because it's the weapons platform I've got literally millions of rounds through so I shoot it well,

 

Srsly? Champion shooter Todd Jarret says through 13 years of practice he's shot about 1.7 million rounds. Granted he's more of a handgun shooter than rifle shooter, but still . . . I only wish I could have shot half that much ammo

[sahlomonic]

There are 1000's of polymer lowers around...hell S&W makes a full rifle with a polymer lower...but I wouldn't have one for anything other than range toy. Also, a pistol isn't subjected to any less stress than a rifle of the same caliber.

 

 

Only full polymer S&W rifle I'm aware of is the M&P 15-22

 

 

[Viesczy]

Corrosive ammo and the impingement system of the AR... talk about a recipe for problems if you're not even more vigiliant than normal.

Once you get an AR and try the 6.5 rounds you won't go back down.

Derek

[~Abstract~]

Only full polymer S&W rifle I'm aware of is the M&P 15-22

You may be right...I THOUGHT I heard the big boys talking repeatedly about a polymer "Carbon finish" AR...but not being familiar with the naming convention S&W uses...they COULD have been talking about a .22...

I'm at work and I keep getting "Site blocked due to Weapons/Bombs category"...if I think about it I'll look at home.

There's a company just starting out which is supposed to be making a good polymer lower for the AR... New Frontier Armory. I don't know where they are with production.

[soilent]

you can get 1280 rounds of 7.62x39mm shipped to your door for $230

 

 

Man if that's the case then I'll probably just go with the normal AR-15 caliber. It's weird I always thought 7.62 was supposed to be cheaper than .223, but now everywhere I look it's either the same price or more expensive.

 

Btw guys, I don't know if you know about this site, but I always like to shop http://www.gun-deals.com for all my ammo. It's basically just a search of a bunch of different websites so you can get the best price.

[soilent]

 

There's a company just starting out which is supposed to be making a good polymer lower for the AR... New Frontier Armory. I don't know where they are with production.

 

 

That's the one I mentioned in my original post. They've already sold a lot of them and seem to have good reviews.

[video=youtube;NaFevpTka-I]

 

 

[Mr. Brady]

OP Also, a pistol isn't subjected to any less stress than a rifle of the same caliber.

 

 

I was refering to polymer pistols such as a glock vs an AR pistol lower. I'm much more comfortable with a glock polymer pistol receiver at this point that a polymer AR lower. I'd go with a polymer one if it showed that it could stand the test of time like glock has, however, it seems companies putting out polymer lowers for AR's right now are doing it for .22's or as a way to save money and weight, which is fine as long as they don't compromise durability, but I question if they have. The forces I refer to on an AR lower that I was refering to are from general use.

 

Do you think a polymer lower could stand up to this test? They shoot it with a shotgun and the shoot the rifle. Doubt a polymer lower would hold up to that.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkfngP5N2Cg

 

That said I'll have to keep an eye on the polymer stuff, looks promising at least.

[Y0UNGBL00D]

in....with mad rifle jealousy right now

 

my brother works for STI. need to get some {censored} from him for sure.

 

my first pistol:

[chevybusa]

 

So is the SCAR kind of the Glock of the AR world? And man, CA really sucks. I hadn't heard of slick guns. I'll have to check then out. Man if that's the case then I'll probably just go with the normal AR-15 caliber. It's weird I always thought 7.62 was supposed to be cheaper than .223, but now everywhere I look it's either the same price or more expensive. Btw guys, I don't know if you know about this site, but I always like to shop http://www.gun-deals.com for all my ammo. It's basically just a search of a bunch of different websites so you can get the best price.

 

 

Really? Well I've never owned an AR myself but a buddy of mine has had one for a few years, and just from what my brother and I own I noticed the prices, and the 7.62x39mm ALWAYS seemd to be way cheaper...the main thing when it comes to ammo is that YOU'VE GOTTA GET THE GOOD STUFF, definitely brass (none of that Tula varished {censored}) and ideally mil-spec, or else it WILL jam on you after 50 rounds or so no matter how well you've cleaned it or how good of an AR it is...no joke...the barrel gets hot and the varnished rounds stick....I was just basing it off of looking for deals for him, and the best one I ever came across was 1000 rounds of Lake City 5.56x45NATO mil-spec (the same rounds our troops are using) and that was like $460 shipped to the door...there may be better deals out there, that's a great site, but definitely check out aimsurplus.com, cheaperthandirt.com, and all the others mentioned in this thread, and definitely google sites, there are a few I've bookmarked I'll post as soon as I can find them...

[Y0UNGBL00D]

also, if you buy an AR, and its in anything less than lapua, youre a bitch.

 

[chevybusa]

Also, as to the corrosive factor of surplus russian ammo, it's really not an issue if you clean your weapon after every time at the range...hell I've put thousands of corrosive russian surplus ammo (7.62x54R) through my Mosin Nagant 91/30 with no issues whatsoever, and my brother has put thousands of rounds of russian surplus 7.62x39mm ammo through is SKS with no issues whatsoever (and some of this ammo was made in the {censored}ing 70's!!!!!) LOL

 

The problem with cheap ammo in an AR is that it's a gas operated system so even with mil spec ammo it has a tendency to get dirtier a lot quicker and jam a whole lot easier no matter how religously you clean it...

[Elemenope]

I order all my parts for my AR from...http://www.brownells.com/

That place will give you tons of gas.

[madryan]

That said I'll have to keep an eye on the polymer stuff, looks promising at least.

 

 

I've seen the AR platform work well in all sorts of climates and horrendous conditions. Armchair commandos love to bash on them but they're really a stellar weapon.

[Viesczy]

I've seen the AR platform work well in all sorts of climates and horrendous conditions. Armchair commandos love to bash on them but they're really a stellar weapon.

 

 

^agreed. You tend to them and they'll tend to you there is no doubt. The teething problems of generation 1 have long been sorted out. That is where I think most of the myth comes from, that or folks are running untold # of rounds w/o even a lick of a cleaning.

 

Can you imagine recieving the first issue in Viet Nam with Mattel listed on the stock and reliability issues that they had? Talk about crushing moral.

 

I do believe that the piston design is a better design (less fouling, less hot gas in your eyes) and I am glad to see many companies putting their take on that out, but that is a personal preference. I have used/own the original impingement design for the past 20 years with great success.

 

Derek

[madryan]

Srsly? Champion shooter Todd Jarret says through 13 years of practice he's shot about 1.7 million rounds. Granted he's more of a handgun shooter than rifle shooter, but still . . . I only wish I could have shot half that much ammo

 

Several years active duty Marine Corps. Then IDPA (lots of 3-Gun) after that. We also never, ever brought ammo back.

[FastRedPonyCar]

I was talking guns with Bijan earlier and was looking at the S&W AR15 .22 (under $500 so it's tempting) but really want a "real" one first. A guy at my office built one of these and absolutely loves it.

http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.php/ar-15-05/rifle-kits/16-hammer-forged-mid-length-rifle-kit.html

I think it would be a fun project (and teach me the gun) and their lower is only about $80. Just curious if anyone here has dealt with palmetto.

I'm about to have to drop $1100+ on new tires for my car so the AR is a long ways off but def something on my radar.


I did order this for my mossberg 590 today though.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00200E0HM/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00

[madryan]

 

^agreed. You tend to them and they'll tend to you there is no doubt. The teething problems of generation 1 have long been sorted out. That is where I think most of the myth comes from, that or folks are running untold # of rounds w/o even a lick of a cleaning. Can you imagine recieving the first issue in Viet Nam with Mattel listed on the stock and reliability issues that they had? Talk about crushing moral. I do believe that the piston design is a better design (less fouling, less hot gas in your eyes) and I am glad to see many companies putting their take on that out, but that is a personal preference. I have used/own the original impingement design for the past 20 years with great success. Derek

 

 

I honestly never clean my M4. I'm horrible. When I was active duty we cleaned them all the time obviously but now that I'm out I just run it and run it and generally only clean it when it really needs it. Generally ever couple of thousand rounds. I do lube it really well every time I go out.

 

That's the secret to the platform. Lube them up and they'll run dirty as hell.

[Mr. Brady]

I was talking guns with Bijan earlier and was looking at the S&W AR15 .22 (under $500 so it's tempting) but really want a "real" one first. A guy at my office built one of these and absolutely loves it. http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.php/ar-15-05/rifle-kits/16-hammer-forged-mid-length-rifle-kit.html I think it would be a fun project (and teach me the gun) and their lower is only about $80. Just curious if anyone here has dealt with palmetto. I'm about to have to drop $1100+ on new tires for my car so the AR is a long ways off but def something on my radar. I did order this for my mossberg 590 today though. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00200E0HM/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i00

 

 

I've bought ammo and some other stuff from PSA. Good company and no issues. They are one of the best bang for bucks out there right now. Reviews I've seen are positive. They have some of the best spec'd stuff for the cost in AR's right now. I have a Bravo Company Manufacturing upper. I'd say you're top quality AR manufacturers are BCM, Noveske, Larue, LMT, Colt, Daniel Defense. Can't go wrong with any of those.

[madryan]

 

I've bought ammo and some other stuff from PSA. Good company and no issues. They are one of the best bang for bucks out there right now. Reviews I've seen are positive. They have some of the best spec'd stuff for the cost in AR's right now. I have a Bravo Company Manufacturing upper. I'd say you're top quality AR manufacturers are BCM, Noveske, Larue, LMT, Colt, Daniel Defense. Can't go wrong with any of those.

 

 

My LMT never chokes. Noveske is 20 miles up the road from me.

 

I'm gonna do a piston SBR tho next. Gonna do a QD AWC can for it at the same time.

[Zeppelin Rules]

 

 

 

Metallica content

 

 

/bant

[Kenny Powers]

[soilent]

http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.php/ar-15-05/rifle-kits/16-hammer-forged-mid-length-rifle-kit.html I think it would be a fun project (and teach me the gun) and their lower is only about $80.

 

 

There are certainly some other options out there that are cheaper or around the same price as that. Smith and Wesson M and P sport comes to mind. Or you can build an upper and lower for cheap. However, if you want to fully build one I can understand that.

 

 

 

Btw has anyone seen the ridiculously cheap Saiga AK kits? They definitely interest me if anyone knows about them.

[Arm~On~Fire]

I'd also stay away from a polymer lower. On pistols, I'm a fine with it as they are smaller and don't have some of the forces that rifles will have on them. Want cheap shooting? Get an AR upper in 5.56 and then get a .22 conversion kit or a dedicated .22 upper.

 

 

 

This, the CMMG is pretty sweet. Or build a dedicated 22LR upper.

I would also recommend a non-polymer lower.

[Viesczy]

I honestly never clean my M4. I'm horrible. When I was active duty we cleaned them all the time obviously but now that I'm out I just run it and run it and generally only clean it when it really needs it. Generally ever couple of thousand rounds. I do lube it really well every time I go out. That's the secret to the platform. Lube them up and they'll run dirty as hell.

 

 

^that was the mantra, right? You have a second, tend to it! "Jeez, I got 14 seconds to do nothing..." DEREK work on that rifle would just fill the air from nowhere!

 

The piston designs now, that's where I think we'll see all go. From my experience with the 556 & 516 from Sig, they are crazily accurate and work like a dream w/o a thought of care. That 716 will be mine sooner or later.

 

Derek