What do you think of AR 15's?

Question

I'm just curious what the general opinion is on AR 15's. Do you have one? Do you want one? I have lots of rifles AR, AK, M14 etc, but the AR is my favorite shooter.

I love my AR it's accurate, easy to shoot and has lots of upgrades available.

I know some people don't like them because they have black plastic furniture, pistol grips and flash hiders. I want to hear from these people too even though I don't really understand their positions.

Answer 1

I wanted an AR till I bought it

I have tried real hard to like it but just can't

I think if I had a reason to have one or a use for it I would like it but my tastes run more towards classic guns like the old ever guns and bolt action

I have nothing against the gun, just like I have nothing against Glocks they just don't fit me or my needs or style

Answer 2

id get the TV guided missle, it can blkow up helicpters nd stuffs, thats what i like bst...explosions.

Answer 3

I have a semi custom gun made by Dedicated Technologies of Bemidji, MN.  It is a DPMS lower and an Olympic Arms Upper, and is in .223.  It has a 20" Stainless Ultra Match Barrel.

I am a dedicated coyote caller and hunter, and it is my primary calling rifle.  It is simply the most accurate rifle I own.  It will shoot .75" with my handloads and with a 4X12 Leupold scope, it is a dream.

My gun wears Natural Gear Camo, and the barrel is Dura-Coated to match the camo.

I always wanted an AR-platform rifle, and figured that with the political situation, now was a good time to get one!

I am already making plans to have D-Tech put an upper together in .17 Remington!

I love mine, and definitely the .223 AR-15 platform is NOT appropriate for deer.  With that said, step up to the AR-10 platform and the .243, .308, etc. calibers, and you have a great deer rifle!

Regards,

Tim

Answer 4

I love my bushmaster.  I use it for sport, hunting, LE, Security and self defence.  I've never had a problem with it.

I also own one because soon probably none of those "evil" assult rifles will be legal to own....and not much else "quailifies" as a "patrol rifle" that I would want to carry.

I agree with alot that has been said.  The AK is for sure more reliable if that is your main concern.  For me the AR in 223 fits all my needs the best.  I'd stick with my Glocks before I would support Rugers politcs and carry a mini with a 5 round mag that shoots a pie plate group at 100 yds

Answer 5

Hi I have an M&P AR-15, I love to shoot the thing, and it is cool hot it is so fast and great penetration, I was shooting at some small steel .38 targets, and the .223's where going right through them like it was butter, it would not even push them a little, I thought I was missing 30 out of 30 rounds, then I look at the target and it looks like the Terminator 2, just melted. I like it alot better than my AK 47.

Answer 6

I have a Colt Sporter purchased new in '89. I have never had a single problem of any kind with it. It is a blast to shoot and accurate enough for my needs and requirements.

Answer 7

(Q. What do you think of AR 15's?

(A. Honestly, not much. If you like it, more power to you. However I think there are a lot of issues with the AR15/M16/M4.

Everything I've ever seen says that as a military rifle its got lots of problems. Most of those are reliability problems. Recent testing of M4 carbines found that they jammed 882 times out of 6000 rounds fired. And while the .223 round may be an adequate military round it certainly lacks the punch of a heavier bullet which is becoming an issue as body armor improves. That's why there are a number of projects looking at 6.5-7mm rounds for use in military rifles. Honestly I think our troops in Iraq would be better off if they were carrying AKMs because at least those were designed to be used by troops who may not be able to keep the action spotlessly clean and chamber an effective round. The same issues concerning military use come to bear when considering the AR15 for self defense situations.

As far as hunting goes, I agree with Jim Zumbo's original sentiment that they're not really appropriate for hunting. I've seen too many people come here asking if they could/should use an AR15 in .223 for deer. And they tend to get really pissy when you say while you can use it, its not recommended because its really too light to kill deer cleanly. I also agree with Zumbo's thought that you shouldn't need a 20-30 round magazine for hunting. And while its not as big an issue, there's still the mechanical reliability question since hunting guns are exposed to dirt and debris which the AR 15 doesn't handle well.

Where the AR 15 shines is target shooting. Its got good accuracy in a low-recoil, light-weight package. Its also easy to use the integrated rails to add custom features and there are tons of accessories. It may even be a fun gun to use in that environment, but there are other guns that work as well in the target environment which don't have the bad reputations of the AR15/M16/M4.

So while I'm not going to condemn you for liking the AR15 since its a personal preference, I'm not going to share your sentiments.

Answer 8

Kurtis, I'm a hunter and a retired police officer.  It is not that I dislike the AR-15, it is that I see no function for one in my world.  No offense intended, but it is too, too small for what I hunt.  If you'll bear with me, a couple of stories.  I'll try to be brief:

1.  In the late Seventies a fellow hunter paid big bucks for a Colt AR-15.  It was his intention to replace his Model 700 Remington .270 with the .223 as a deer hunter.  I told him I thought it was too small a caliber for deer or boar (what we were mainly taking in that deer camp).  He got mad and pointed out that he'd killed far many more deer than I, etc., etc...  

He took a small buck with his .223 that same afternoon.  A couple of days later we heard rapid-fire coming from his blind.  We went to check and found a dead doe that he didn't even realize he had accidently shot.  He stated that the biggest trophy buck he had ever seen had just taken two solid neck hits from his .223 and still run off with its head ****** to one side.  We searched for that buck from about 10:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. finding traces of blood here and there and never found it.  I'm sure that magnificant animal suffered a slow, lingering death because someone chose to use a sub-caliber to hunt big game.  

So you see, I would never use one for hunting anything bigger than say coyote or maybe javalina (peccary).  In any case it would never be my primarly hunting rifle.  Truth to tell, I don't even own an AR and it has nothing to do with the black plastic furniture.  I'm a Glock man and own three Glocks (a Model 20 10mm, a Model 31 in .357 Sig and a Model 26 in 9mm) and all three are in black.  I also own an FN FAL (7.62x51 NATO), a Steyr Mannlicher Pro Hunter .30-06 and a Ruger PC-9 (police carbine in 9mm) carbine all likewise furnished in black.

2.  A friend of mine once offered to trade his Colt AR-15 'shorty' and $500 cash for one of my Colt Pythons (a 4" Royal Blue Model), but I declined.  Had I a need for an AR-15 I would have gladly traded even-up (no cash), but at the time the police department I worked for only allowed shotguns, no carbines for carry and so I had no need for an AR-15.  I still don't and that is the real reason I don't own one.

Congrats on you collection of civilian combat rifles.  I know they are good shooters, I've just never had much use for 'em.  

H

Answer 9

i prefer the M14, but the ar15 is always good to shoot. The reason i like the M14 better is because it has a lot of power and accuracy over the ar15 and thats wut i like best in guns

Answer 10

I have a Rock River AR15 and I love it.  But will say that I do love my MP5 as well.  Both are great.

Answer 11

IF someone gave me one I would sell it as fast as I could...

It is a civilian copy of the M16 Jam-o-matic except it is not full auto.  

M14 was the last decent service rifle we had and that is what I would want.  

Answer 12

i dont know whats so bad about them. I love my friends, i fact i borrow it from him and dont give it back sometimes untill 2 months afterwards lol...... Bushmaster,  great gun for yotes

Answer 13

I agree with the majority of what's been said, but for me its not the platform . . . its the caliber. The Kalishnakov action is designed better, still I'm not a fan of 7.62X39 either. If I had to own a AR, it would be an AR-10, semi-autos just seem to work better in short action cartridges. Still, if the SHTF, it wouldn't hurt to have the chamberings that are used for tactical purposes, as it'll be easier to find cases to reload.

Answer 14

I don't really like them enough to buy one. Mostly because I have a biased against semis, but also because I can't get over the fact that it looks so similar to an m4 or m16. I like a more traditional looking gun, and that is why I own them instead of something like an AR. Please don't confuse me with someone who hates everything gun-related, I am just saying I probably won't ever own one.

Answer 15

No thanks, I prefer the M-14 any day of the week.*

Answer 16

I have 4 AR15 rifles ---- Opinion? There ok..... There not my favorite... When I go into the woods I take a Ruger Mini 14 or Ruger Mini 30... They feel better across my back. They are also polite looking and dont creep out other hikers.... I do take the AR15 out and regularly use them. I also take non gun and anti gun types out for a shoot with the AR15's and I got to tell you I have definitely changed some opinions..... As a matter of fact a few of these folks have purchased rifles and are now NRA members.......  The AR15's are fun at the gun range with friends but I dont use them in the woods or varmint hunting... Not that they arent a good varmint gun but I prefer the feel of a wood stock and the shape of a Ruger in my hands over the AR.......

http://www.gunblast.com/Ruger_RanchRifle...

Answer 17

I have two opinions on the Stoner platform (AR/M4 series)... as a sporting rifle, they are great. Accurate, light, and very  customizable.

But as a weapon system for the military and combat, it is an outdated, weak rifle. With regular use, they have to be cleaned daily at the most or else the carbon fouling will cause all sorts of feeding and ejecting problems. The operating system of the AR series is the weakest and most important part of the rifle. Direct impingement makes little sense. It is incredibly susceptible to dust and dirt and will jam with the smallest obstruction. Then you take for example the AK-47 which is commonly compared to the AR, and you hear stories of soldiers in Vietnam who found mass grave sites filled with mud water dirt etc. 5-10 years old, and have the soldier find AKs that were buried there also filled with mud, rust, water, and have them rack it and the gun still feed and fire... Or have one run over by a tank, the barrel bent, and half the receiver crushed and it still fire and feed... that's impressive. To me, reliability is the most important characteristic of a battle rifle.

I've read several accounts of guys who got stuck in combat in Iraq/Iran for several days in constant combat, and did not have time to properly clean their weapons, and they consistently failed and troops were forced to drop their weapon and pick up the enemy's AKs.

Another problem that the M4 has is the .223/5.56mm round itself, which lacks appropriate knock down power for a combat rifle. Soldiers have reported hitting enemies several times and have them continue to return fire. Conversely, if you take a peripheral body hit from an AK, you are going down, due to the increased mass of the bullet, and the large wound channel it creates.

I heard someone say once, "A rifle needs to do three things: shoot when you pull the trigger, put bullets where you aim them and deliver enough energy to stop what's attacking you,"... The AR fails on 2/3 accounts in my opinion.

Answer 18

I love P90s

I will never like a gun as much as the P90