Ar-15

[Chris]

Chris,

Does that mean it would be reasonable to start with a Colt AR-15 LE and eventually modify it to handle the 6.5 Grendel round? Or would the Armalite AR-10 be a better place to start?

The beauty of the Grendel is that it works with off the shelf parts in the AR15 architecture. Parts are way more plentiful and alot less expensive.

In the AR-10, you can move to something really extreme, like the 6.5 based 300 I'm playing with.

The issue is overall cartridge length. The length of the Grendel makes it workable in the 15-length magazines and with the 15 bolt stroke length.

If you build one, get a competent gunsmith to work you up a throat depth based on the projectile you'll use. I like the 123gr Scenar. It has a fairly plump ogive that allows you not so deep throating and still chambers well, but will give you tight bullet/bore spacing and better accuracy.

 

[tcuda499]

+1 unless its a hesse, olympic or vulcan.

whats that mean? Hesse,Olympic,Vulcan are good or bad?

 

[RLJ676]

whats that mean? Hesse,Olympic,Vulcan are good or bad?

They are junk. Hesse and Vulcan are the same company, and have a few other names (blackthorne may be one). These are basically the only brands that should absolutely be avoided all together.

I think most people here would be interested in building there own, assuming we're all mechanical, loud, expensive toy type people.:willy_nilly: With a build you can pick exactly what you want, and go top shelf on important parts (barrel and BCG) and then budget wherever you want on other parts. You also save 11% excise tax that is on all complete rifles. "Building" can be as easy as pinning together a complete upper and complete lower to buying every single piece separately and assembling.

I'm going to end up with a pretty top shelf built gun for around 900 by just shopping for some great deals on my parts.

If you want top of the line parts for reasonable prices, nothing can beat Bravo Company Mfg. They do every single mil-spec requirement same as Colt, only with a lot more options in uppers and for less money. All the gun forums I have been reading extensively have nothing but praise for them. (my 16 midlength BCM upper just arrived today:USA.

http://www.bravocompanyusa.com/

Spike's is a very big name, and popular. Resale online with gun people will be fine, but who plans on selling a gun anyways? (I did once and regret it).

 

[Von Bongo]

http://www.bravocompanyusa.com/
.

I agree have purchased many things from them and all top notch.

While I still hold Colt above the rest because of their testing of individual parts I'd own any bravo company upper or lower and not think twice about it.

If I were to buy another AR today in 5.56 it would probably be the LMT qcb MRP piston carbine. I think they have the best MRP design and the piston rifes are cleaner running than the DI guns although all mine are DI. Just make sure to run the DI dripping wet with lube.

 

[RLJ676]

I agree have purchased many things from them and all top notch.

While I still hold Colt above the rest because of their testing of individual parts I'd own any bravo company upper or lower and not think twice about it.

If I were to buy another AR today in 5.56 it would probably be the LMT qcb MRP piston carbine. I think they have the best MRP design and the piston rifes are cleaner running than the DI guns although all mine are DI. Just make sure to run the DI dripping wet with lube.

BCM does not batch test either, they individually test everything. I haven't found anything different between the two, other than good CS with BCM and more name recognition with Colt. Can't go wrong with either from what I can tell.

I haven't read anything that makes me think a piston upper is worth the cost (those LMT uppers are like over a grand right?). Seems for any advantage there's some disadvantage. I'm just building my first though.....so I could see one sneaking in some day.

 

[Von Bongo]

I haven't read anything that makes me think a piston upper is worth the cost (those LMT uppers are like over a grand right?). Seems for any advantage there's some disadvantage. I'm just building my first though.....so I could see one sneaking in some day.

Yes they are going for about $1K.

Even a Bravo Company 16" M4 upper with DD rail installed and a BCM bolt group is $924 right now on their website. A LMT piston uppper is monolithic rail including the BCG so its about a wash at $1K.

 

[Chris]

Adams Arms offers an external gas piston system for the AR. I saw a number of $260.

The gas-piston systems are a novelty. But it does give you something else to play with.

 

[Trim'd Up]

Ruger's sr-556 or whatever it's called is a piston system too. I don't really see the need myself. Your just adding other moving parts that get dirty instead of the receiver area. You can run dirty ass mil-surp ammo all day until you have a problem with the stock ar, then put a few drops of clp on the bolt and do it again.

 

[Chris]

Worst-case, you get a failure to feed and have to clear it. But alot of people like to envision themselves in some epic firefight and .... you know the rest.

The AR does shoot dirtier. After prolonged firing, you're dirty. It's in your mouth, sinuses and on your clothes. You don't get that with an AK, HK oe M1A1 type rifle.

 

[Von Bongo]

The gas-piston systems are a novelty. But it does give you something else to play with.

I don't know about that. Current bets are the piston system is the next upgrade to the M4 over a complete new gun. HKs 416 is getting a lot of good pub. Doubt we would buy a german version but I could see colt building it on license.

My guess (very uneducated) is that the next rifle will be Gas piston and in a 6.5-6.8 range. I think the military my be finding that the 5.56 doesn't go through walls as well as the 7.62 of the enemy and wants more stopping power.

The other advantage to the GP system is less heat.

 

[Tony]

Ruger's sr-556 or whatever it's QUOTE]



Ruger building an AR is like Jimmy Buffet offering a Manatee steak on his Margaritaville menu.

 

[Chris]

I don't know about that. Current bets are the piston system is the next upgrade to the M4 over a complete new gun. HKs 416 is getting a lot of good pub. Doubt we would buy a german version but I could see colt building it on license.

My guess (very uneducated) is that the next rifle will be Gas piston and in a 6.5-6.8 range. I think the military my be finding that the 5.56 doesn't go through walls as well as the 7.62 of the enemy and wants more stopping power.

The other advantage to the GP system is less heat.

Yeah- for a military rifle. But for you and I, it's a novelty. If ours jams, so what? I agree they're technologically superior, but the average civilian owner wants one just to have one. Me- there are plenty of other options out there that address the limitations (and my own personal pet peeve) regarding the AR gas system. Why buy a band-aid when there are plenty of other options out there? And most of them way more interesting. Plus, I kinda like showing up at the range with something different. Who doesn't own an AR?

I have a 416. Nice rifle. Nothing revolutionary- It's the same piston system that's been used for close to a century now. Everyone makes it. An as far as licensing, John Browning doesn't need the checks. Even funnier, it's the Armalite-patent rifle they sold to Colt that they've put the gas-op sytem that Browning invented and Marlin later perfected (and Kalashnikov copied) on. Talk about full-circle.

I don't see the military leaving the 5.56. There's way too much invested in it- both with us and our allies. War materiel supply is a major issue- and having different ammo than your allies is a major logistical problem. But if it happened, my guess is they would transition to the 6.8SPC. It gives a fairly substantial boost in firepower but still satisfies the present ammo-load requirements.

 

[Chris]

Ruger's sr-556 or whatever it's

Ruger building an AR is like Jimmy Buffet offering a Manatee steak on his Margaritaville menu.

No $hit. Even though Bill is dead and the company is in other hands, the mere mention of the Ruger name brings a bad taste to my mouth.

 

[Von Bongo]

Yeah- for a military rifle. But for you and I, it's a novelty. If ours jams, so what? I agree they're technologically superior, but the average civilian owner wants one just to have one.

Oh I agree 100%. That's why it's called Black Rifle Disease. But then again if the Zombies do come.....:willy_nilly:

 

[Chris]

I see these guys at the range and at the shows. And I hear some of the discussions. Sometimes they creep me out a bit. I understand some obsessiveness about a hobby, but some of these guys are Dungeons and Dragons weird.



(That's my second old-guy reference today- don't know if that's even remotely contemporary)

 

[Tony]

Go Ninja, Go Ninja, Go!

 

[WMF]

I have a couple AR's:sifone:

 

[Chris]

There are alot of non-AR options out there in a light assault rifle. From vintage AR-180's and Beretta AR-70's to rifles like the FN FS2000 and SCAR, the Robinson M-96, Bushmaster/Magpul, and one that I really like, the SIG.

Most of these rifles are superior in design to the AR platform. The only downside is that they're all more expensive.

 

[Tony]

Bushy/MASADA

...now about that lapua....

 

[Chris]

You like that better than the SCAR?