I want an AR. What should I get?
Tl;dr: It’s probably best to buy a complete rifle for your first.
The cost of buying and learning to use the tools to build an AR will set you back almost half the cost of a decent budget rifle, especially for a single rifle.
Your first rifle should include:
• 16” barrel with threaded muzzle device
• Mid-length gas system
• Flat top picatinny rail upper
• MLOK handguard
• Aluminum lower
The sweet spot is typically between $800 - $1500.
That said, if you shop around enough, decent starter rifles can be found at around $400.
Additionally, add on another $300 - $400 for an optic, sling, and light. You will have training needs as well, so budget for that and ammo in the near future.
The AR-15 has become the goto rifle for people of all backgrounds. Typically chambered in 5.56mm, it’s relatively light weight, low recoil, and modular design allow it to be used in a variety of use cases. From home defense in close range, to coyote hunting, to long range competition use, the AR pattern rifle has grown to be the most popular rifle pattern for people all over the U.S. Both a pro and a con is the staggering number of options available which can lead to decision paralysis, especially for the first time buyer. Similar to buy a first car, there are several options available; from cheap beater rifles to high speed competition rifles, there’s an option for everyone.
Buying Complete vs Parting & Building a Rifle
For a first rifle, it’ll be best to minimize the amount of assembly as possible. The cost of tooling and the knowledge to assemble a rifle isn’t a high barrier, but can take away from the time and budget that could be spent on a more quality rifle, better accessories, or more ammo for training. This is especially true if you are building a single rifle. For the remainder of this article, I’m going to assume you have the ability to read instruction manuals, and screw some nuts and bolts.
Buying packaged rifle, or a rifle that only needs an optic, is the easiest solution, especially if you buy from a reliable manufacturer. Lead & Steel JAG, IWI Zion-15, Ruger MPR, and Smith & Wesson M&P 15 Sport III are excellent rifles that only need an optic, light, and sling and will run reliably for the average user’s training regiment. These sit in the $700 - $800 range and are my recommended tier of rifle for first time buyers.
If your budget is on the lower end, buying a rifle from manufacturers like Palmetto State Armory (PSA) and Anderson Manufacturing is an option. These options may see some reliability problems, so be prepared to get in contact with the manufacturer if something appears wrong. Starting at the $400 mark, this is as low as I would go without expecting catastrophically bad rifles.
I would avoid manufacturers like Radical Firearms and Bear Creek Arsenal (BCA) as they have a general reputation for low quality control. If you or a friend bought one and it runs well, good for you; bear in mind that several other people have not had that experience and have complete lemons.
If you’re comfortable shopping around and doing a little more checking to ensure parts compatibility and completeness, buying “complete” uppers and lowers and putting them together can yield a better value rifle. However, one problem within the gun industry is the definition of “complete”. If going this route, ensure you have a lower receiver group, upper receiver group, bolt carrier group (BCG) and charging handle.
The reason this route can yield a better value rifle is that you can min-max on the budget allocated to the lower and upper receiver, respectively. While the quality of a lower will vary, the lower receiver doesn’t contain any of the forces from the round being fired. So long as the lower is made reliably to house the trigger assembly and retain/release the magazine, all other features are quality of life improvements. On the other hand, the upper receiver group (especially the barrel) and BCG are the primary components that contain the explosion from the fired round, and as such should not be skimped on.
Diving into Key Features
Due to the vast variety of rifles available, it’s puzzling to discern the differences between each rifle. I’m going to describe a handful of key features to look for that should yield the best buyers experiences.
16” barrel with threaded muzzle device
The heart of a AR-15 is in the barrel. A quality barrel is necessary to contain the explosive forces while shooting, and determines the majority of mechanical accuracy. The barrel is also a point of legal contention, especially in regards to length of the barrel and the threading on the barrel.
Barrel length is important as federal law has determined that a gun must have a rifled barrel length of at least 16” in order to be classified as rifle. A rifle with a barrel less than 16” is considered a Short Barreled Rifle (SBR) and is subject to the National Firearms Act (NFA), which will require a $200 tax stamp to legally purchase or construct. For this reason, sticking to a 16” (or longer) barrel will avoid this. 16” barrels are largely common for legal reasons, but conveniently, is also a good barrel length to balance ballistic capability and maneuverability. For simplicity, we will not be detailing AR pistol’s in this article as they are subject to a more complex set of exceptions.
A legal exception to barrels under 16” is if you have a permanently attached muzzle device. If permanently attached via a pin & weld (P&W), the length of the muzzle device can be added to the length of the rifle barrel. It is not uncommon to see a 14.5” barrel with a P&W flash hider to allow it to reach the 16” minimum barrel length. This can be good if you are determined to use a specific muzzle device and want a slightly lighter rifle. A P&W muzzle device may also be necessary for some state restrictions. However, as most states allow for a threaded barrel, I would advise getting a 16” threaded barrel so you can change muzzle devices further down the road.
Longer barrels up to 20” will offer increased bullet velocity to maximize the effectiveness of the 5.56mm round. Naturally these will net additional weight and size to the system which may make it difficult to maneuver and manipulate for newer shooters. Note that a longer barrel doesn’t inherently gain greater mechanical accuracy; it simply increases the effective range and reduces bullet drop for longer distances.
Mid-length gas system
The gas system is a key feature to an AR15 because it’s the driving force to allow the gun to operate. It determines how much recoil a user can experience as well as affect the longevity of other parts in the rifle. The mid-length system will therefore be the most optimal gas system as it will provide a smooth recoil impulse with good overall reliability. For cost savings, a carbine length gas system may be used but the user will experience a bit harder recoil. In the long run, a carbine gas system on a 16” rifle will also seem slightly reduced service life, but that is only after reach the round count of tens of thousands. A mid-length gas system will also work will for the 14.5” barrels.
If opting for a longer barrel length, you may opt for a rifle length gas system. This will allow an even smoother operation and slightly increased service life compared to a mid-length system. For 20” barrels, the rifle length system is a solid choice. For 18” barrels, the choice is slightly more dependent on use case. If you plan to run a suppressor with an 18” barrel, a rifle length gas system will offer better reliability. If you plan to go without a suppressor, a mid-length system may offer better reliability than a rifle length system.
Flat top full length picatinny rail upper
A flat top picatinny rail (abbr. pic rail) upper, sometimes referred to as an optic ready upper, will allow the widest variety of sighting systems. Most commonly, you’ll be able to add a pair of backup iron sights and a quality optic and be set.
Sometimes you may see rifle with a little triangle near the muzzle. That little triangle is part of what’s called a front sight gas block. These are very robust front iron sight, but make accessory placement more complex, and can cloud the view of your optic. For these reasons, avoid a front sight gas block.
You may also see some handguards with only the front and back portions with picatinny rail; these should be avoided for a first rifle since most additional sighting systems will want to mount to pic rail, so picatinny rail going the full length of the rifle is best for this situation.
MLOK handguard
Bearing in mind that we still want a full length picatinny rail along the top of the rifle, the handguard selection will dictate some handling characteristics but primarily determine accessory compatibility. In the last few decades, there have most commonly been three different standards for mounting accessories to your rifle: MLOK slots, picatinny rails, and KeyMod slots. All of these offer a modular way to mount accessories to your rifle but have different characteristics.
Adopted in the last decade, MLOK has quickly become the go-to mounting solution for most weapon lights, lasers, sling mounts, grips, and more. MLOK offers a slim rail design which can be especially helpful for shooters with smaller hands to get a grip around the handguard.
Picatinny has famously offered many accessory mounts but has been known to be rough to handle due to the squared rail design. Additionally, picatinny rails lead to a wider and heavier handguard. If you find an accessory that requires picatinny to mount, there are picatinny rail sections that can mount directly to MLOK slots to allow the use of picatinny accessories on a MLOK handguard.
KeyMod is a similar competitor to MLOK but has largely been phased out for the simplicity and robust design of MLOK. Some manufacters will still use KeyMod in places where MLOK is not viable but these rifles are generally an exception.
Aluminum lower
While the majority of AR’s are made from aluminum, some are made with polymer (read: plastic). Most are not quality, with the KE Arms KP-15 being an exception. 3D printed lowers by some individuals have seen good success as well, but as far as purchasing a completed lower for a first rifle, stick to an aluminum lower to maintain the wide variety of purchase options and the most furniture / parts compatibility.
This comes from a personal experience where my first rifle purchase was a KP-15 rifle. The rifle quality is good but I found myself wanting to change the grip and stock, which is not possible on a KP-15.
Additional Considerations
Most likely your rifle will come with at least one standard capacity 30 round magazine. There’s a strong chance that it will be a Magpul Gen 3 PMAG. These are my recommended magazines as they tend to be the most affordable, reliable, and compatible magazines for most rifle platforms. Under the consideration that you are seeking professional training, it will be best practice to acquire at least 10 more magazines and subsequent ammo to keep them loaded.
With all of the features previously described, you will need at least a sighting sighting system (and ammo) before you can effectively use the rifle. Back Up Iron Sights (BUIS) are iron sights that can be folded down for storage and can be used a cheap primary sighting system or a redundant sighting system in the case of an optic failure. That being said, a quality optic is a better option. A red dot will be best as these will offer an easy to use, light weight sighting system. Quality red dot are made by Holosun, Vortex, Primary Arms, and many others. Avoid cheap optics, especially from Sightmark as these will not stand up the recoil of a firearm. Low Power Variable Optics (LPVO’s) can also be an option but tend to be more expensive and heavier. LPVO’s also require your eye to be in a specific spot (known as the eye box) which can make sighting difficult for beginners.
A sling should be the next item to purchase as the ability to use your hands without setting down the rifle cannot be understated. Additionally, slings can be used to help control the rifle and make a more stable shooting platform. Slings are personal preference, but generally a 2-point sling is best, especially if it’s a 2-point sling that can switch to a 1-point sling. This is because 1-point slings allow quick transitions between your left and right side, but can be switched back to a stable 2-point sling.
The last main accessory that should be purchased is a weapon light. In order to adequately determine the target you are shooting at, you must see it, and a weapon light allows exactly that. A quality weapon light from Streamlight will offer the best value, while there are plenty of great but costly options from Surefire, Modlite, or Cloud Defensive. A lower quality light can be damaged from heat, recoil, or other factors.
FAQ
Should I keep my magazine’s unloaded to avoid damaging the springs?
No. An analogy would be that someone should put their car on a lift so the suspension springs don’t go bad either, but exactly 0 people do that. Springs are worn through compression and decompression, so keeping them loaded is the same as keeping them unloaded. Additionally, in an emergency, an empty magazine offers you nothing, so unless necessary, keep your magazines loaded.
What about AR-10’s or caliber’s other than 5.56mm?
AR-10’s are a bit of a mess as there as the parts compatibility standards are not to the level seen on AR-15’s. Additionally, AR-10’s will not allow you to carry as much ammo, and the ammunition tends to be more expensive. However, if you have a quality AR-15 setup, an AR-10 can make a good addition if you have a use case that demands reaching out further with a heavier round.
As far as other AR-15 calibers, 300 Blackout and 6.5 Grendel offer a lot if you have a quality 5.56mm setup. 300 Blackout with subsonic rounds can offer an exceptional suppressor host, while a 6.5 Grendel can deliver a heavier bullet at greater distances than 5.56mm, which is great for hunting. Warning: 300 blackout does have a design flaw in that it can be chambered in a 5.56mm gun and can be detonated, resulting in the catastrophic destruction of the gun and possible injury or death to the shooter.
As a general note for calibers other than 5.56mm, the cost of ammo is generally higher in comparison, and you may need specific magazines to maximize reliability.
What’s the difference between .223 Remington, 5.56mm, and .223 Wylde and which should I choose? Can I shoot 5.56mm out of a .223 Remington gun safely and vice versa?
While .223 Wylde is the “best”, 5.56mm is not a problem. So .223 Wylde > 5.56mm > .223 Remington
5.56mm chambered rifles are the most common. It is safe to shoot .223 Remington through a 5.56mm gun.
.223 Wylde will also safely shoot .223 Remington and 5.56mm, and .223 Wydle rifles tend to be more mechanically accurate than 5.56mm guns, though many 5.56mm guns are more accurate than most shooters.
.223 Remington AR-15’s are few and far between, so you’re unlikely to find one. In the case you do, it is not advised to shoot 5.56mm through a .223 Remington gun as 5.56mm is generally a higher overall pressure than .223 Remington. Unlike 300 Blackout, you will not likely see any problem if you were to shoot 5.56mm out of a .223 Remington gun, but it is best to err on the side of caution and avoid it.
I’m considering an AR vs another rifle platform. Why an AR-15 versus a PCC, an AK, or any other rifle?
Ergonomics, parts modularity/compatibility/availability, ballistics, and market support. AR platform rifle’s are extremely modular to allow easy takedown and replacement of commonly available parts, and tend to have good ergonomics for most shooters with a straightforward set of controls to manipulate the rifle. The AR-15 in 5.56mm is by far the most commonly used rifle in the U.S. and as such has the most support for training opportunities, and support gear like magazine pouches.
Deviating from 5.56mm AR-15’s will force you to do additional testing and market research to find adequate training, replacement parts and support gear for your rifle. Pistol Caliber Carbines (PCC’s) especially see these problems, but also lack the ballistics of a rifle to effectively reach past 150-200 yards.
If you have a particular situation where a different rifle will work for you, by all means purchase that. But for the case of a defensive rifle, especially for first time buyers, a 5.56mm AR offers the best available solution.