AR -15 Recommendations.

Palmetto arms has some good deals... my recommendation is get a good quality lower with extra parts and start getting different uppers to meet your AO needs.... choices are many.. .556, .556 Wylde, 762x39, 6.5 Grendel, .50 blackout, etc... Barrel lengths are up to you...

 

Did.
New, 80% lower Gen2 jig kit, with three forged blanks, and 2 - PSA 16" M4 Carbine Length 5.56 NATO 1:7 Nitrided, kits. I've enough spare trigger groups, sights sets, and optics around to complete both.
I promised the older nephew one, so now he can build his own.
And I love the .22 conversion uppers. SO much cheaper for close in practice.

 

AR-15s: Get two inexpensive ones (~$500) rather than one more expensive one. Two is one and one is none. Don't forget extra parts so you can replace things that wear out. A second rifle can save your life if you get a malfunction and don't have time to fix it. It can also be used by a second person to help save your bacon.

I'd suggest Ruger AR-556, M&P 15 Sport, or whatever you can put together from Palmetto State Armory in that price range. Stick to 4140 CM and 4150 CMV barrels. Chrome lining is easier to clean than unlined, IMO salt treated/Melonite/QPQ/etc (all the same name for the same process) is better because it can't peel off and is just as easy to clean.

Now, let's add another $1,000 or so for magazines and ammo.

The magazines I'd suggest are the metal ones from Brownells that have the tan follower. This is based on the experience of a machine gun rental in Las Vegas and after several years of operation these are the ones that hold up best, don't malfunction, and work flawlessly in every NATO platform. You want a minimum of ten mags per rifle, so get 30 just to be extra safe (especially from politicians)

Spend the rest of your cash on ammo. Get at least 1,000 rounds per rifle, 2,000 much better. Before you blow your wad on the ammo buy a couple hundred rounds per rifle and see if you can find a way to make it jam or malfunction. If your rifle(s) like it then go all in. Avoid anything with corrosive primers, and steel is OK (though not as reliable as brass) if you don't reload.

Did you say you wanted optics and/or better sights on that? Just like a boat, buying the rifle is just the beginning.

As for shotties, @Yard Dart has that covered nicely above. If you have some extra cash take a long hard look at a KSG.

Holds a lot more than it looks because it has two tubes you can switch between so you can also have two different loads. Mrs. 3M promised me one for Christmas, but the tan ones (like above) have been back ordered until this week, so I'm getting my last present soon.

EDIT: Battlefield Vegas endurance article:
: AR endurance findings, at a rental range - The Firearm Blog

"...USGI mags have outlasted all of the other brands. We use UGSI (Brownell’s with tan follower) and on a mag for mag basis, they have outlasted Pmags and a few of the other mags that we get from mfg’s with new weapons. We don’t have to worry about various generations with different weapons like the MR556, SCAR, F2000, Tavor or a couple of others that use AR15/M4 magazines. ..."

EDIT 2: Here is a great deal on Lake CIty 62 gr ammo - 33 cents per round:
https://www.brownells.com/ammunitio...DaTA1SFE1cDMyQ0IyZFplK0UycjlpNWg1TGxsUTYifQ==

 

Most every one has hit the high points all ready, so I'll give a little experience! Whay ever choice you make base it on a few must haves. Melonite barrels are the way to go. A 16in barrel length, carbine with the M4 feed lip extensions, and the Wylde chamber in a 1/8 twist. Why? Because 16 in is the shortest rifle you can have unless you go pistol, or pay the tax and stand the wait to SBR the rifle, then a 13inch is optimum! The 1/8 twist is the best compromise for shorter barrel lengths while giving acceptable combat range and accuracy, and the Wylde chamber will feed any ammo you shove through it, accuratey! Carbine length will actually help with cleaning, the hotter the gas getting blown back into the bolt, the less carbon it will have, and the carbine will also put less stress on the barrel if you choose a traditional for end, and or you run a pretty hot string of shooting in one go! Personally, I only run a carry handle upper, but a flat top might be more useful, especially for those who insist on running an optic. If you do choose to run a primary optic, make sure to also have a set of Back up irons loaded and preset. Mags, I prefer alloy 30 rounders, but gen 3 and newer P-Mags are also pretty Good! 3M is right, have as many mags as you can get, and like Dart, keep as many loaded as you can! Ammo, stock up on as much M855, and M193 as you can find, and get M262 by the truck load if you can, while it's cheep I find the M262 to be about the best performing ammo there is, especially from the shorter length 13 inch barrel, I get a consistant 600 meters out of it! Beyond that, play around with some of the better commercial hunting rounds, and don't forget to stock up on a good supply of varmint wackin stuff! Finally, a CMMG .22 conversion and at least 2 conversion mags is a must have! Make an already useful little Rifle into a really aweome rig, capable of doing a hell of a lot more then you ever thought! Something else to maybe think about, getting a suppressor!!! Once you get your first can, your hooked and will want a can for every thing! Lol don't forget spair parts, when you get ready, ask! Good luck and let us know how you make out!

 

@Ura-Ki where are you getting M262 cheap? Even on sale I'm seeing close to a buck every time you press the bang switch. For that price I can shoot 7.62 instead and save 20 cents each shot:

https://www.brownells.com/ammunitio...DaTA1SFE1cDMyQ0IyZFplK0UycjlpNWg1TGxsUTYifQ==

https://www.brownells.com/ammunitio...1TGxsUTYifQ==&avs|Bullet+Weight+(Grains)_1=77
.

 

I have the ruger mini 30,please explain why I need to buy a ar 15. I have both 5rd and 20rd magazines,semi auto and it’s Brown not black. Please tell. Do I need to get a ruger mini 14 in.223 or should I stay with the .762-39?

 

You are just fine. Both rifles and cartridges serve effectively the same role. The 5.56 has a longer engagement range, the 7.62 is a better stopper at close range and ammo is usually cheaper.

The advantages of the AR platform is that you can do your own gun smithing and replace any part that wears out. It's also more accurate and mags are much cheaper.

The mini is a piston so the bolt stays much cleaner. It also doesn't stand out like an AR and the ergonomics are very good especially the safety.

If you didn't already have a carbine style rifle I'd point you to the AR because of its bang for the buck. I've owned both and the ones I kept were the AR's.

Bottom line is pick your poison and become it's master.

BTW - my full auto Mini-14 is still for sale if you want a 5.56 Mini with a giggle switch.

 

I wish

 

Unfortunatly, the Mini has never been known for reliability or accuracy, and combined with propriety mags that are expensive and hard to find, not a good first choice. Unless your a Smith or best friends with one and have lots of cash to throw at it, it may never equal an AR. Sadly, as I'm a YUGE fan of the M-1-A!
The other advantage to the AR is the 50 years of support and parts availability, and the fact that you can build any thing you wish ( Including a 7.62X39) and you can go as small as a pistol, or a 26in barreled sniping tool!

 

Here is what I Rock and Roll with, my fav, C.A.R. 16 Commando retro build! YardDart should be all over this one! Tully Mars was drooling too, this butt stock is UBER unobtainum, until now, the Air Soft dudes made it and for about $90 shipped, its the shiznit retro part for that Colt SP-O1 or C.A.R. build! This it the twin to what I was Issued in the A.F. early on, before the later A-2 version of same, and later still, M-4! Still think the C.A.R. was the best of all, light handy, could be carried on a single point across the chest and still able to work on patients with out being in the way! I also have the twin A-2 that I built to replicate my later issue rifle! AR's don't get any lighter or more compact then this ( unless you go carbon) or smaller and still be a rifle! This one has a 1/8 Wylde barrel and a custom built Hybrid Maxim Reflex suppressor!

 

Oh man you have got me wanting one of those.

 

They sure are handy, and with the right barrel, plenty accurate beyond what you would think!
Here is the Airsoft toy stock! It's actually stronger then the original and is almost a drop in. need to make sure your buffer will fit properly, or change your buffer tube. Mine fit with just a little polishing of the inside ( me thinks the difference is the commercial vs Mil spec of the tube) on the inside only! The cam lock is also stronger then the original's!

 

Nice
How about the trigger that fires both ways,when you pull it and then we’re you let it go forward.

 

Naw! I like a "tuned" factory trigger. CMMG makes a nice kit, very consistent and smooth! I prefer a "combat" weight trigger of around 4 to 5 pounds! Keeps me safe with out effecting accuracy.

The O.P. also was thinking a Semi auto Shoty, I gotta go with a Remington 1187 here or a Mossy 930, both proven ultra reliable.
For a pump, I would also go Remmy 870 Super or a Mossy 835, and cut the factory barrels down to 21 inches, have them maga ported and re cut for screw in chokes! Would also add a trench bayonet lug and a M1909 Bayonet!!! If yer gonna make a fighting shoty, make it a good one!
I run a Winchester 1897 Take down that I cut the barrel down and had it threaded for Remmy chokes. it also has the bayonet lug and both versions of the M1909 Bayonet which also interchange with both M-1 Garand, and 1903 Springfield to make an unbeatable combo of fighting irons! Now add in a M1911A-1 and you have the ultimate combo!

 

I use the ALG ACT, which is a mil spec trigger that has been given extra attention by Mrs. Geiselle's crew. It's a great bargain and ships with two springs so you can pick the weight yo want. I use the heavier 4.5 lb spring for the same reason. Nice and crisp and there is always a great Black Friday deal.

I have other upgrades I make to each rifle, but this is always the first one. Rifles intended for longer ranges get a nice two stage combat trigger - Mr. Geiselle's SSA-E.

Right now, though I'd concentrate on rifles, ammo, and mags - things that are either cheap or vulnerable to changes in laws.

Regarding binary triggers and such - as an owner of a full auto rifle the one I will grab to save my back each and every time is a semi auto. Auto is great for cover fire, but I'd prefer to pick my shots and stretch out each mag. With a binary trigger you reload every 15 trigger pulls, without it every 30 times.

 

Check here 5.56x45mm NATO ammo rifle 77 grains

 

I have that tan KSG, and to be honest, I don't like it. Am going to sell it ASAP. It doesn't rack well, ejections chew up the inside of your trigger-hand wrist, it's too picky for dependable SHTF scenarios, etc. Really liked the idea of it though. Maybe they'll figure it out as the class matures.