What brands of AR to avoid?

[mtdawg169]

Build one...they are dumb easy to to build. I have built several and all of them are basically the same regardless of brand. The important part is the barrel. Get a quality barrel from RRA or Palmetto Armory. I would avoid polymer lowers. I am not a brand name guy almost all parts are military spec.

I think he meant the parts are interchangeable.

I didn't intend to step on any toes, but did want to point out that the "parts are parts" mentality can lead to issues for many folks trying to build an AR. The truth is that there a far more parts available today that are NOT in spec or do not meet milspec. Manufacturers throw around the term milspec to fool uneducated buyers into buying an inferior product when you could get a better product for similar cost. One example would be advertising a parkerized M4 profile barrel as milspec, even though it's made of a cheaper grade of steel, may not have a 5.56mm chamber, wrong sized gas port and may or may not be chrome lined. Aside from materials, milspec also specifies how those materials should be tested. In that case the only thing milspec would be the external appearance. My point being, new AR owners would strongly benefit from understanding the differences between various parts and manufacturers. Often, there is little difference in cost and a large gap in quality and reliability. This especially applies today, as quality parts are exceedingly hard to come by and lower quality parts are more accessible and have gone up in price, sometimes exceeding the cost of better parts.

 

[Jeddak]

An ak is the only gun I know of that will fire under water.

So do Glocks, FMJ ammo, naturally.

 

[mtdawg169]

How about a high end upper on a mid class lower..spend the extra savings on a better trigger...or save a bit more then get an ak too when the prices go down..

Outside of the lpk, lowers are much the same as the real stress to the firearm is on the upper

One day you'll find a matching highend lower to scoop up and you can keep or sell the mid end lower...but it always good to have a spare lower...

Keep an eye on slick guns.com

For the most part, a lower is a lower. The bolt carrier group and barrel are the key components to be concerned about. Right now, PSA and Seekins lowers seem to be the best value at $120 - $130. Either of these with a PSA LPK is a good foundation for a build and reasonably priced. That being said, I've seen several unknown lowers floating around since the panic started. I'd be leery of an unknown manufacturer, mostly because those are the ones you most often hear about being out of spec. Common issues: trigger pins won't fit, receiver extension won't thread, pivot or takedown holes misaligned, roll pins too tight, etc.

 

[122sniperwf]

I am a DPMS fan myself. I wouldn't call it a low end, more mid. In fact, I think theres is a lower malfunction rate compared to Colt! You can throw a DPMS together if you shop around for $750-$850 probably even cheaper if you wait another month. If you buy from them they have 3 yr warrant and excellent customer service!