So a neighbor of mine and I have been going through the baby steps getting him setup for a home defense gun. We shot pistols from 38 snubbies, beretta M9's, glocks, and 1911. When we got to the AR vs AK and he tried them both he decided with the good guy gun and is now looking to buy an AR-15 of his own. Last weekend we went through differences in more detail explaining "pistol" and "brace" versus regular 16" rifle before we assembled a stripped lower into a complete lower. Having gone through all of that, he's still wanting an AR-15 and would like to keep it all wrapped up under a 1K budget. It's been a while since I've been in the market for a new AR and honestly I'm not in the loop anymore. From everything I've ever heard a S&W M&P 15 is a good solid gun, and even in today's market they can be had for around $600 - $700 before shipping & FFL.
Is there any other option I'm missing in that price range? Are the M&P 15's still good to go?
Is there any other option I'm missing in that price range? Are the M&P 15's still good to go?