Sharps-15 AR info and details please.

[GlobalLordZero]

See above post regarding mag release issues in regard to quality control. That being said, based on the generic caliber marking it was most likely sold as a stripped lower and someone assembled it.

If that is an issue that should be an easy fix. But yeah if it’s just a random built rifle then there’s no definitive way to say how it’s going to be without testing. For the price it’s definitely worth trying and I can make upgrades to it when needed and still come out cheaper.

 

[cmshoot]

Too much of an unknown to risk buying it online, where you can't inspect it beforehand. Decent AR's are waaaaaay too easy to find to throw money at what is, at best, an unknown quality, and at worst, had documented DQ issues.

PSA is a bunch more QC issues. If you're looking at buying a cheap AR, at least buy a cheap POS from someone like S&W or Ruger that has good customer service, cuz there's a chance you'll need it.

 

[GlobalLordZero]

I can appreciate that but I can’t justify a high price on a AR when I’m not doing competition shooting. I’ve had a few ATI, S&W and PSA in the past and never had any issues with them before.

 

[cmshoot]

I can appreciate that but I can’t justify a high price on a AR when I’m not doing competition shooting. I’ve had a few ATI, S&W and PSA in the past and never had any issues with them before.

I didn't say anything about competition shooting, and competition shooting is not where I would look for the most reliable AR. In competition, we'll do things to our guns to make them more accurate/easier/faster to shoot, even though it may sacrifice reliability. If you have a malfunction, it'll cost you points/time, but not your life.

For a gun you are gonna bet your life on, you want reliability.

If it's just a range toy, then who gives a ****.

I also didn't say anything about "high price". You can get a much better AR than a S&W or Ruger without getting into the high price AR's, although I have no idea what you personally consider to be high price.

I work on AR's for a living. All the brands you mentioned above are subpar when it comes to overall quality and reliability. ATI is downright garbage.

 

[GlobalLordZero]

I know ATI has longevity issues but I don’t know why people consider S&W, PSA and similar brands to be sub par. I might just be lucky and got good ones in the past but I’ve never even had a malfunction out of mine with thousands of rounds in total through them. I don’t see a $500 AR being much less reliable than a AR above $1000. Personally I like the Idea of starting cheap and making modifications based on specific needs rather than buy a higher cost AR and potentially do the same but be out a lot more money.

 

[GlobalLordZero]

With that being said I’m also not an expert on ARs and have never really customized or changed one beyond getting it from the factory. The one mentioned I got because it was $350 and wasn’t an ATI so I plan to upgrade this one with better parts. What would be a good brand to look at for doing so. I’ve heard the best bang for the buck would be Aero precision but would appreciate any other feedback.

 

[Mark IV]

I’ve been looking for the last month. Everyone on here is a little proud of theirs at the moment. Thought about building one from PSA because it’s way cheaper but the deal for this rifle was even cheaper than that. So I figured we’ll give it a shot and make upgrades where necessary

while PSA has it's detractors, they're largely liked by their owners, and their warranty/CS is pretty solid, if needed, something that probably won't apply with this Gunbroker rifle. And PSA has their FN-barreled carbine upper on sale for $399. After a complete lower, add a decent BCG from Microbest or Toolcraft, and you've got a pretty respectable rig, quite reasonably.

 

[above_all]

I know ATI has longevity issues but I don’t know why people consider S&W, PSA and similar brands to be sub par. I might just be lucky and got good ones in the past but I’ve never even had a malfunction out of mine with thousands of rounds in total through them. I don’t see a $500 AR being much less reliable than a AR above $1000. Personally I like the Idea of starting cheap and making modifications based on specific needs rather than buy a higher cost AR and potentially do the same but be out a lot more money.

If you're in Rossville, you should visit GT Distributors tomorrow. They're open to the public. They usually have law enforcement trade-in ARs on a rack. You can inspect a rifle that's been handled, but probably not been shot too much.

100 McFarland Ave, Rossville, GA 30741

 

[GlobalLordZero]

If you're in Rossville, you should visit GT Distributors tomorrow. They're open to the public. They usually have law enforcement trade-in ARs on a rack. You can inspect a rifle that's been handled, but probably not been shot too much.

100 McFarland Ave, Rossville, GA 30741

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I practically live at that store lol. They do have really good deals on their ARs and especially their Glocks.

 

[cmshoot]

I know ATI has longevity issues but I don’t know why people consider S&W, PSA and similar brands to be sub par. I might just be lucky and got good ones in the past but I’ve never even had a malfunction out of mine with thousands of rounds in total through them. I don’t see a $500 AR being much less reliable than a AR above $1000. Personally I like the Idea of starting cheap and making modifications based on specific needs rather than buy a higher cost AR and potentially do the same but be out a lot more money.

I say they're subpar because I work on them for a living. For years, I've had guns by those makers come across my bench multiple times a week.

Sample size is a thing. If someone has owned a couple of each, it doesn't paint a very good picture of the overall product line. If you've worked on hundreds, or a thousand or more, of them, you see more of the picture.

Some things can't be corrected, except by replacing. So, if you buy a cheap ****ty AR, and end up with a bad BCG or barrel, the only repair is oftentimes a complete replacement (depending upon the issue). BCG's are one of the weak points in cheap AR's, and the vast majority of the time the only good solution is to replace it.

If you want to go cheap, then build it yourself, or buy all the parts and have someone that is capable build it for you. Keep an eye out for blems and sales, and buy parts when they're a good deal. Nothing wrong with good deals on used parts, as long as you know what to look for.