Time for a Mfgr. sticky thread?

[Snake45]

Seems like at least once a week someone is asking about AR manufacturers, what's the best, cheapest, etc., and we all answer the questions yet again. Would it be a good idea to start a sticky thread on this subject, where everyone with something to say on the topic could kick in what they know, good and bad?

[Shadow]

I agree
Shadow

[deltaheavy]

Well, you got your wish, so this must be where we chime in. Here's my experience to date:

Bushmaster - Good stuff. Picked up a complete, factory-built stainless rifle in a trade. It's very accurate, fit and finish are excellent, and no reliability problems so far. I also used a BM barrel for a build and found it to be of very good quality. I would give them repeat business any day. Most BM barrels are chrome lined. The stainless rifle and the DCM model are the only ones of which I know that are not chrome lined.

Rock River Arms - Also good stuff. I've never owned a factory RRA gun, just pieces/parts for various builds. 2 LPKs, 2 buffer assemblies (1 carbine, 1 rifle), a C-stock, and an upper rec. minus barrel. One of the selectors in the LPKs needed a little tweaking (the detents had been machined too deep, but careful attention with a Dremel tool got it working 100%). Otherwise, all parts were of high quality and I would gladly do repeat business with RRA. As a side note, most/many RRA barrels are not chrome lined, if this matters to you. It does to me.

Olympic - My experience with Oly is limited to one stripped upper receiver, one stripper lower rec., and a factory carbine I handled at a gun shop. The upper rec. was terrible. The distance from the front pivot hole to the rear takedown hole was off (holes too far apart), and two known good bolt carriers (1 Colt, 1 BM) both bound up in the receiver and refused to slide freely. The lower was OK, but I had to open up the magazine well with a file in order to get USGI magazines to drop free. There were some ridges in there that had to be relieved. The factory specimen I handled was rough in the fit and finish department, but probably would have functioned OK. I'm not real big on Oly Arms stuff, and don't plan on buying any more.

DPMS - I used two of their stripped forged lowers, and found them to be of excellent quality, with fit and finish on par with BM. (It is rumored that DPMS and BM obtain their lowers from the same forge. This is second-hand info from AR15.com, and I make no claim to its accuracy.) I have used one of their LPKs, and found it to be of very good quality. To my knowledge, DPMS barrels are generally not chrome lined.

Colt - Whether you love them or hate them, I buy Colt when I can find their stuff at reasonable prices. Both my homebuilts have Colt bolts/carriers/charging handles. Skimp somewhere else. I also have an old Colt M-16 slickside upper with pencil barrel and triangular handguards that I really like. It just looks right, and weighs next to nothing. I like Colt, regardless of their current management and sales policies. They tend to hold value very well compared to other brands.

That's about it for personal experience. Hope this helps somebody.

[DonT]

Olympic Arms PCR16 (bull barrel). Great rifle. Absolutely no FTF/FTF/FTE with one exception traced back to my not get a case fully resized.. But this was not the rifles fault. Will consistently shoot 1" at 100yds (don't have a longer range) with a bushnell scope. About 400 rounds thru is so far

Dpms, have 2. One is collapsable stocked Lite 16. 200 rounds thru this one and not a hiccup. Shoots as well as you would expect a 16" light barreled rifle to shoot (usually 2" at 100yds) with the 4X scope I have mounted to the handle.

My second DPMS is a 20" HB with A2 upper and forged lower. Had to go back to DPMS as I had to run the rear sight all the way to the right to get it to center at 50yds. Heard back from them that the Barrel needed to be replaced. Hope to have back this week. In the 50 (break-in/Sight-in) rounds I put thru this gun not a single FTF/FTE/FTF. Groups good at 50 yds considering peep sights and louse eyesight.

DonT

[raskolnikov_22]

Model 1 Sales: parts distributor, for building/assembling your own AR. Very high quality in my experience and many excellent options available. You can build an excellent AR with considerable savings going this route. I also use RRA lowers, no complaints except availability.

[Midnight Sun]

love my Bushmaster quality is superb shoots like a dream I'm
gonna keep buying Bushmaster's because I know what they have to offer their quality is top notch and I know what I'll be getting for the money I'm spending... why reinvent the wheel and conduct an expensive experiment with other brands?

not too fond of the Oly's bought 2 upper's both had problems with the A2 rear sight's which sat crooked on the upper receiver replaced them both with no change

E.A. Co lower receivers I have 2 the price was right they seem to be decent lowers...lower parts kit fitted perfect on both

JMO...and thats all I got to say 'bout that

[Rebel_Cavalry]

I gather from reading gun mags that Armalite is like our friends at Springfield Armory, the time honored name got bought and they are manufacturin ARs. Not to say they aren't good quality stuff, but way back when i thought Springfield was the "ol time Armory".
Guess its just the ol American way...heck Michael jackson bought out most of the Beatle's song rights.

[Snake45]

Originally Posted by Rebel_Cavalry

I gather...that Armalite is like our friends at Springfield Armory... Not to say they aren't good quality stuff....

So for the purposes of this thread, is it your experience that Armalites ARE or ARE NOT good rifles? That's what we're trying to document and pass along here.

[Rebel_Cavalry]

Snake,

I'm as curious as anyone about Armalite's products...my AR is a pre-ban Colt A2, i'm happy with it, wantin a 16" carbine, Mforgery probably, lookin for opinions, I was just commenting, the present Armalite isnt time-honored, didn't mean to muddy the water fellas.

[olds442tyguy]

Stag Arms. Top notch stuff made by a company that's parts are used in about every high quality AR. Dirt cheap extremely high quality lowers. (If you can get over the deer's head.) Got a lower and eventually, I'll have one of their M4 uppers for it.

[Kymas23]

I like Bushmaster. They seem to have a great selection of products and lots of variations on the AR design. Interestingly, according to AR15.com, they sell more AR rifles than Colt does.

[deltaheavy]

Update:

I've decided that I'm not a huge fan of RRA stripped lower receivers. They're not bad quality, but the tight fit of the takedown/pivot pins in the lower receiver is driving me crazy. I had to run a dowel rod with fine sandpaper through the pin holes to even get the pins to move. Took about ten minutes with a punch tapping them back and forth to get them to slide with anything resembling reasonable pressure. They are still too tight to allow disassembly with finger pressure alone. Needs a tap with the punch to loosen the pivot pin. On the plus side, there is ZERO wobble between the RRA upper and RRA lower. No Accuwedge needed, no sir...

[Bravo One Niner]

I have a Armalite AR15 National Match and it's a good shooter and great rifle. Around here lots of guys are shooting Armalite NM rifles in high power competion. Have not seen anyone having problems. When I was looking at buying, I asked around and the story I was told, was the Armalite AR15 NM rifles are ready to shoot competively right out of the box. I don't feel anyone lie about this either, as every Armalite I've seen on the range was a good shooter. I don't like the Armalite magazines as well as the GI magazines, but they do work.

[SideHillShooter]

Oly Arms PCR-1..
24 inch SUM barrel.
Flattop scoped with a Burris Fulfield II 3x9x40 W/BP
Never a single problem or Malf and I am close to 10,000 rounds through her now... Just love it.

[Remington 7400]

DPMS Lite 16, can't complain, does everything I expect it to and feeds any type ammo I shove in the mag.

I drove half way around the state looking at the different manufactures, did even more research and finally made my purchase. I would recommend DPMS to anyone in the market for an AR.

[fkntkr]

Has anyone had any dealings with Del-ton in North Carolina?

[Snake45]

Originally Posted by fkntkr

Has anyone had any dealings with Del-ton in North Carolina?

Not personally, no, but since your question has hung out here 24 hours without a proper answer, I'll tell you that I've read a number of positive posts about them on arfcom and elsewhere (maybe even here), and no negative comments that I can recall.

[Fargo]

I ordered some minor parts from them: extended front sight pin, firing pin etc. Quick shipping and good parts. I also have never heard anything bad about them.

All the best,


Joe

[fkntkr]

Thanks for the replies.

[deltaheavy]

Originally Posted by Fargo

I ordered some minor parts from them: extended front sight pin, firing pin etc. Quick shipping and good parts.

Same experience here. Would gladly do repeat business.