Friend wants an AR

Olympic Arms. A lot of guys hate them but then again, a lot more love theirs.

I have never had any problems with mine. It just works.

A lot of guys hate Oly Arms for theri debacle in the early 90's which supposedly caused steel core chinese (cheap) 7.62x39 ammo to be banned by Clinton.

Personally, I have no dog in that fight so I don't really care. I just enjoy my Oly Arms.

I'm planning on buying a lower or few in the near future. Its fun to bulid ARs.

My first one, I bought comple upper and lower: two pins, I was in action.
My next one, I bought a stripped lower by LAR and am gathering the rest.

CMMG had bargain absement ARs built from parts they have left over from production runs. the last bach sold for 499$ each for flat top uppers with 18" bbls and a mix of essential arms and double star lowers.

SW

What is CMMG? That is a great deal.

What is the best way to go though? Some say build it others say buy one already built. He was looking at an Oly but it was somewhere in the range of $899. The cheapest he found was a Century for $499. But I have heard bad things about Century.

You can go lots of ways on this. If money isn't a factor, he should just go ahead and fork over for an assembled product.
If money is important, there's nothing wrong with getting an upper and then building from a lower that's ready to mate (two little pins) or even buying something stripped. There are parts everywhere and they're really pretty easy to build. This way, too, he might find a better trigger, whatever, and learn more about maintenance, stripping, trouble shooting etc.
DPMS makes decent stuff, not on the cheap end though. Tell your 'friend'
(couldn't resist) there's nothing wrong with slowly getting and AR.
Though I am thoroughly familiar with them I don't own one. My alternate for the 5.56 market is a Ruger mini 14. Not even in the same category as AR, really, but an alternative. Though I am thoroughly familiar with them I don't own one, building it though, as I am STILL waiting on the upper.

I have a "mixed bag" AR build. I have a DPMS lower with a bushmasher matchgrade flat top upper. I bought mine assembled, new unfired (cept at factory) upper and a used lower. I love that AR, and while I've come close to trading it in the past for other toys (ps90 usually), I just can't bring myself to do it. I may trade one day, but I just enjoy it to much for the time being. If you want a deal, you must know what a deal is. Which means ALOT of reading and know how much the main components are worth roughly off the top of your head because when that deal comes, you have to be ready to move fast. I watched AR15.com for a bit, missed out on some great deals, but that's how you learn.

Well I have been looking things up and printing them for him. He doesn't have internet so I have tried to find the things he has asked about. I think his problem is he wants one but is on a budget.That is why I asked about the build it option.

that was the impression I got. to reaffirm: nothing wrong with a piece or few at a time. and he'll know it's workings better, a real plus

http://cmmginc.secure-mall.com/shop/?shop=1

CMMG main site. you may have to call in and ask if they still have any of thier bargain basement rifles left.

SW

Well I will be the first to say I know very little about ARs in general. Are most ar parts interchangeable? Does brand matter as far as interchangeability?I have show him some of the DPMS stuff. Price wise I think something like the panther is better for him.Although this guy is a mechanical wiz. He doesn't have much experience with long guns and is not a smith. So I think maybe a Keep It Simple Stupid approach for him would be better. The bad thing he has never fired one. He wants it for deer hunting . I have tried to tell him that he would be better off with a thutty thutty ,308 or 30 06. But I guess he has his heart set on an ar.

You can get some good loads for 223, and a build is not hard. If he sticks to a complete lower, the rest is easy. No smithing. Hell, if you get a complete lower and complete upper, you can put them together with your eyes closed, quite literally, as it's the two breakdown pins.

Ok so maybe it doesn't have to be super simple for him. He has about decided to order it and build it. He is going to go with the DPMS Panther and build as he has money. Now he has got me wanting one. I on the other hand will most likely save up and buy one complete.

Pick up a shotgun news, lots of options as far as parts. Good thing about building is that YOU choose what you want on it. If you like this about that gun and that about this gun, you get the dang parts and DO IT. ARs are like leggos, you put it together with the pieces you want to use.

If he has his heart set on an AR you can pick one up in .308, .243 Win, 7mm-08, or 338-08. if you want to spend the bucks you can get them in exotic calibers like .338 win mag, 338 lapua, 50 beowulf, 450 bushmaster 300 whisper et al. any of them would work for deer.

.223 CAN take deer but your freind better either be extremly picky about what shots he takes or handload something in the 90-95 grain range for knockdown power. 55 gr SP just aint gonna cut the mustard unless the critter is 25 or 50 yards away.

SW

Hey SW,
A guy we hunt with is an Idaho transplant and a hellova shot to boot. He uses a .223 or a 22-250 during our doe seasons. Basically, in many counties you can shoot as many as you have room for @ $7.00 ea. He has proved to all in camp that they are indeed very formidable weapons in the right hands. I have no business with a 100 yrd neck or head shot, but he seems to have it down. A mature doe where I'm from, may weigh 200+ lbs on the the hoof. For everyones info, during the regular season he shoots an old 30-06 that kinda reminds me of a boat oar. It's really not the firearm as much as the person behind the trigger.

John

Ok so maybe it doesn't have to be super simple for him. He has about decided to order it and build it. He is going to go with the DPMS Panther and build as he has money. Now he has got me wanting one. I on the other hand will most likely save up and buy one complete.

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I am going to put up my new DPMS Panther Classic for sale. Let me know if you are interested. I will cut a great price.

Digger I would love it but right now funds do not dictate buying an expensive weapon. But I will tell Ricky and see if he may want it. It may be quicker for him to buy a used one. Which is something I never mentioned to him and I am sure he hasn't thought about.

It has 200 rounds through it. These rounds went into "breaking" in the barrel with the DPMS cleaning instructions that came with it, and sighting it in. It was quite a process, but I did it correctly.