Now the assault weapons ban is about to expire I'm thinking very seriously about buying an AR-15. I need one about like I need another hole in my head but I want one anyway. I've seen these rifles for years and have never taken any interest in them. Back when they were legal (big clips) I was into other things and after the ban a 10 rounder just didn't seem worth messing with.



I know I'll probably spray a few hundred rounds in couple of shooting sessons just playing around with it and then I'll want to shoot some decent groups.



I don't know much about these type rifles and would like a few opinions from members who do. The one I've seen that I've really taken a fancy to is the Bushmaster Modular AR model. Is this a good brand? what about the Modular model, any likes or dis-likes about it? The guy at the gun store say's out of the 3 brands he sell's (D.M.P.S., Colt, BushMaster) he like's likes the BushMaster the best. What are your opinions?



Thanks,

Terry

Hey DJ,
I've used them all and the Rock River two stage trigger tuned by John Holliger at White Oak Precision is the best by far: http://www.whiteoakprecision.com/pricing-products.htm

They are only $110.00 a pop, tuned. I even have them on my carbine.

I bought my last upper from him. Very nice. He has won the service rifle championship at Camp Perry a time or two also.

JCN

AR-15 rifles can be a lot of fun. When you have one well tuned they can work very well also.

There are quite a few people making them: Bushmaster, Armalite, DPMS, Rock River Arms, DSA, Carl Lewis Machine and Tool, Colt, Calvary Arms, Wilson Combat, Springfield Armory (soon, or already, I haven't checked in a few months), Fulton Armory, and on and on.

You have to keep a few things in mind. These little black rifles are the Chevy Small Block V-8 engine equivalent of the rifle/carbine world. Every one makes accessories and parts for them, and the blocks and heads only come from one or two main factories.

The heart of these weapons are the receivers. The forge to make the uppers and lowers are expensive, so there are only two companies that make these as OEM units. The companies listed above buy the receiver halves in the white, maybe do a bit of finish work on them, stamp their logo and serial number on the side, slap on their choice of finish, and call it good. Some of the smaller shops mill receivers out of blocks of Aluminum, Steel, or even Titanium for all I know.

Most all of the assemblers buy their barrels from Wilson. They are better than they used to be, but a $40 - $70 barrel (manufacturers price, sorry) does have some limits.

So long as the bolt head is headspaced correctly to the barrel extension, any milspec bolt/bolt carrier assembly will do.

Triggers generally suck on these rifles. No matter what gun you buy, you will thank me if you have a Rock River Arms two stage match trigger installed (you can do it yourself in about 5 minutes with a pin punch or an eight penny nail). Most of the manufacturers offer that trigger as an upgrade.

These rifles were designed around a 20" barrel with the gas port drilled 13" down the barrel. That set-up is still the most reliable. If you want a carbine, get one with the "mid length" geometry. The gas port then will be drilled further out than the 7-8" distance found on the regular 16" carbine offerings.

If you are getting a carbine of one sort or another, the next best accessory to a new trigger will be a suppressor, if legal in your state. Don't get a screw on model. Those work loose unless the mount has coarse left hand threads.

To finally address your original question (and thanks for wading through my rant), that model should do fine for you. Like most factory rifles, view it as a starting point unless you just want something to dink around with. The Spec Ops units all invest a lot of aftermarket money into their rifles for improved reliability/ruggedness, accuracy, and ergonomics. One sensible modification is to replace all the springs in the weapon with 17-7 stainless units. There are also some nice chrome silicon springs available to use for the buffer assembly.

These weapons make good home defense units, if you put a suppressor on the end of the barrel. If not, the noise will deafen you, and the blast will blind you. Also, be sure and use the old style M-193 ammunition with the 55 grain FMJBT. Those will drop a perp right now, but tend not to over penetrate walls.

Bushmasters are fine for a general purpose rifle. Rock River rifles are very nice for building a target quality rifle. A decent floated Wilson barrel with any stiffness should get you 1" groups at 100 meters. With a well set-up fancy barrel and a match trigger 1/2" groups (five shot) are not at all unusual.

Have fun!,
JCN

I'll now continue my rant.

Don't tart the gun up by hanging shit from it.

If you are young, the iron sights work fine.

You can put together a very light and handy carbine.

Start hanging dingle-balls from every attachment point and you have an overweight, unwieldy, sub caliber POS.

If you aren't young, get a good optical sight. That's it. Good balance, good sight, good trigger.

If you want a varmint killer, get the Rock River Scout rail. They are only about $70.00, look good, and allow you to mount the scope at optimum eye relief.

Do not get a barrel longer than 20". See my rant above about unwieldy POS.

A very good compromise barrel length and contour is the SPR barrel from White Oak Precision. They are 18" long, threaded for a suppressor mount or flash hider, accurate, and you don't trip on them.

OK, safe to come out. Rant over (for a while).

JCN

I would suggest that you spend a little time thinking about what you want the rifle for.
Do you want a can blasting rifle to shoot cheap ammo,a 1/2 minute 20 shot group rifle,a truck gun,an Mforgery CQB type rifle, a varmint rifle,a deer rifle ,a DCM comp gun,a 3 gun comp gun or a home defense rifle?Do you want a conventional scoped rifle,red dot sights. irons, all the above?

An AR can do all these, but not with 1 upper and 1 lower.

JCN is absolutely right about the trigger,its designed for safety and you actually cock the hammer a little bit before the sear releases.

There are several good aftermarket triggers available and that is the way to go.
Reworking a stock trigger to light, consistent and reliable long term operation is tough.

Also there are some advantages to buying an upper and lower separately as opposed to buying a complete rifle as long as you buy quality components.

There's lots of knowledge arround here once you decide on a direction.

JMO, but the Modular rifle is expensive for what you get.
Unless it happens to be exactly what you want.

Covey16

JCN
John Holliger is Gasgunner on this and other forums.

I agree the Rock River is the best trigger for the money if you need or prefer a 2 stage.

If a single stage is more to your liking , the JP(adjustable)or Derrick Martin's non adjustable rewelded trigger are good choices.
I've got both and prefer Derrick's for the simplicity and improved geometry.

Choosing a flattop vs an A2 gives added flexibility for scope and iron sights without the problems of a carry handle scope mount.

Barrel profile is important as is the decision whether to put a float tube on or not.

On any type of AR, spend your money on a quality barrel , trigger and making sure the gas system is set up properly.

Main question is do you want a 7 pound gun that shoots very well or an 10 pound gun that shoots unbelieveably well?

Covey16

JCN is right on. Unless you want to spend for a top end rifle like a Les Baer or Knight, the Bushmasters in my experience are the best of the commonly available rifles.
Colts usually shoot very well but they use a non-standard pin setup and you have to use Colt replacement parts, the Bushmaster is standard.
JCN is also dead-on about the triggers sucking. For Target rifles I've had good luck with Jewels and Knights but may have to try the Rock River next time. IMHO the Bushmaster 2-stage trigger is poor in comparison........DJ