Turning "low tier" AR into "good enough"

[rockhopper46038]

From what I can tell and what I have read (they don't appear on the (in)famous "Chart"), Armalite is a very good rifle, with the "Armalite" marked version being considered more desirable than the "Eagle" marked version (which, from context only, seems to maybe be their "value" line although I can't tell if they are different parts or just blems). The Armalite National Match rifle is pretty popular at the National Match shoots.

 

[Destro]

how about you just sell it and buy a 6920/BCM/DD/LMT? if you want to skimp go PSA. why drop $400 into a $600 rifle that when your finshed is still a $600 rifle?

 

[silentvoice71]

Disposable heart does a good job here. Get what you want. The first things i did were small things. Paint the top of my front sight yellow so i could see it lol 4.5# springs so my pull was lighter. Replace the furniture with lighter stuff. I was happy now its lighter the pull helps me with good follow up shots and i can see that damn front sight! Btw build an ar15.

 

[RobbyMaQ]

dunno.
I tend to run them. The function & results pretty much dictate what (if any) 'upgrades' are needed?

 

[88E30M50]

how about you just sell it and buy a 6920/BCM/DD/LMT? if you want to skimp go PSA. why drop $400 into a $600 rifle that when your finshed is still a $600 rifle?

What options do you have among those makers for under $1000? If I could sell my DPMS for $600 and pick up a LMT or DD for less than a grand, I'm in. I get the feeling that it's not going to work like that though. To be honest, I don't care much what my rifle will be worth after mods. I just want something I can trust if need be. To that end, I'll most likely replace the parts that are prone to breakage and improve the FCG. Plus, any parts I replace on the DPMS can always be swapped back out with the originals with the new parts going into a custom build if I want.

 

[Destro]

What options do you have among those makers for under $1000? If I could sell my DPMS for $600 and pick up a LMT or DD for less than a grand, I'm in. I get the feeling that it's not going to work like that though. To be honest, I don't care much what my rifle will be worth after mods. I just want something I can trust if need be. To that end, I'll most likely replace the parts that are prone to breakage and improve the FCG. Plus, any parts I replace on the DPMS can always be swapped back out with the originals with the new parts going into a custom build if I want.

just 1 it and done it


Colt LE6920 Carbine Semi-Auto 223 Rem/5.56 NATO 16" 30+1 $1,031.00 SHIPS FREE

 

[Ruffnek]

What options do you have among those makers for under $1000? If I could sell my DPMS for $600 and pick up a LMT or DD for less than a grand, I'm in. I get the feeling that it's not going to work like that though. To be honest, I don't care much what my rifle will be worth after mods. I just want something I can trust if need be. To that end, I'll most likely replace the parts that are prone to breakage and improve the FCG. Plus, any parts I replace on the DPMS can always be swapped back out with the originals with the new parts going into a custom build if I want.

My thoughts exactly for my particular rifle.The DPMS will eventually be my back up to a custom build.Until then,all those better-than-stock parts are being tested and broken in.

 

[engineerpower]

The only thing you need to worry about outside of the action is the ability to mount a light and see your POA. There's lots of us on here that humped a rifle all day every day for years, and I think most of us got on with KISS. The more crap you hang on a rifle the more you have to take care of, work around, and commit to muscle memory.

What you really need to spend time and treasure on is making sure that when you pull the trigger, everything between your finger and the bullet itself is going to do its job. Make sure your trigger is smooth enough to control and know when it's going to break. In combat, you're not going to pay any attention at all to how heavy/crisp the pull is, just that it went *bang* when you expected it to or not. If you have a good bolt that you don't have worries about lugs cracking, a buffer that doesn't sometimes cycle not quite right, and ammo that doesn't leaves your action in Dirtchtown, you're pretty much good.

If some snob sh*ts on your rifle for what's rollmarked on it, who gives a f*ck? Don't try to talk them out of it or show them up, just do your thing. HD, SD, hunting, target shooting, plinking, whatever. If it works, it works.

 

[6mm Shoot]

I know that there are shotguns that cost $10,000 or better and single shot rifles that cost even more. Some you are fit for then they build the arm.

I look at the AR market the same way. You can pay $5,000 for a AR. I am not saying that it isn't worth it. I am saying that I don't need a $10,000 shotgun or a $5000 AR. I have a grand in my AR and $800 in the wife's. They both work great. I have well over a 1000 rounds through mine and maybe 200 through the wife's. I have had no failures of any kind to date.

I have a spare B.C.G. and lower parts kit just in case. I see no need for me to spend big bucks for a AR.

Would I want to go to war with either of them. NO! I am not a soldier. Could I defend mine and myself with them? Yes. My AR works great with the green tip ammo and my hand loads. The wife's AR likes my hand loads. They will both produce 1" groups at 100 yards with the green tip and will do a little better with my hand loads. Will they hold up shooting 500 rounds a day every day? Probably not. Then I don't have that kind of ammo to do that or the money to buy it.

What I am getting at is buy the rifle you can afford and shoot it. If it brakes fix it with a better part and keep on shooting it. The name on the side of it has little to do with what you can hit with it. You shoot the barrel out replace the barrel and keep going. Buy some good spare parts to keep on hand.

I have no problem with any one paying $5000 for a AR, that is up to them. Why should any one have a problem with me paying 1/5 of that? It is your money and only you know what you can afford. A low end AR works the same way as a high end one. Aim and shoot. If you are trying to protect your self what do you care if it don't look as good as one that cost more as long as it works. The key is it has to work.

 

[The Bubba Effect]

You will not do anything to a DPMS Ar that will impress the people who don't like DPMS.

That said, I usually end up putting a hogue grip on my AR's and a Bravo Company mid size charging handle. I don't think this makes my "low tier" gun any more appealing to the name brand guys, but I like hogue pistol grips and the bravo company charging handles.

 

[LANShark42]

My advice? Worry more about what matters to you (home defense, recreational shooting, competition, etc) and less about what people think about your equipment. Buy the best your budget allows, upgrade it as wants/needs dictate, and then just enjoy the hell out of it. If someone is going to look down their nose at you because of the brand you're using, you're shooting with the wrong people.

 

[avboiler11]

My advice? Worry more about what matters to you (home defense, recreational shooting, competition, etc) and less about what people think about your equipment. Buy the best your budget allows, upgrade it as wants/needs dictate, and then just enjoy the hell out of it. If someone is going to look down their nose at you because of the brand you're using, you're shooting with the wrong people.

EXACTLY

Ignore rollmark snobs...

 

[Disposable Heart]

My advice? Worry more about what matters to you (home defense, recreational shooting, competition, etc) and less about what people think about your equipment. Buy the best your budget allows, upgrade it as wants/needs dictate, and then just enjoy the hell out of it. If someone is going to look down their nose at you because of the brand you're using, you're shooting with the wrong people.

True. I had an opportunity to buy a Larue at one point and actually had the money and interest. Polygonally rifled barrel, awesome rail system, unparalelled accuracy, but in the end, I passed. For the price, it had proprietary parts (upper reciever) that only they made and for $2.5-3k, the SOBs wouldn't even throw in a single magazine with the rifle. Expensive doesn't mean better.

Conversely, however, I've seen DPMS and other sub-$800 go down and hard due to their cheaper parts. Roll mark doesn't matter if you replace the skimped on parts with solid ones. A built Palmetto or updated DPMS is just as good as a Daniel Defense or LMT, but you have to know what to replace and actually invest the time/money to do so, not just expect out of the box the DPMS to be able to hold a candle to the quality of the others.

Second to it all is value. A DPMS with a good barrel is still a DPMS. If you want to sell it, it will remain unsold if you price it like a DD or LMT, unless it's a really good barrel and someone can recognize the quality of what you have done. End of the day, however, for 1K, I can either buy a DD (with a single mag, MAYBE a rear sight), or a DPMS with new barrel, solid bolt head, a mess of mags, even some ammo, and if I stretch it and eat more ramen for a month, a fine sight.

 

[avboiler11]

Expensive doesn't mean better.

Except on the internet. On the internet expensive definitely means better. Especially when discussing ARs.

 

[Giddaltti]

Thereb is a saying in cycling which I would say applies here. The best cycle is the one you own. Therefore, the best rifle is the one you own.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

Thereb is a saying in cycling which I would say applies here. The best cycle is the one you own. Therefore, the best rifle is the one you own.

Also: it ain't the bike, it's the motor.

(My motor's been broken for 10 years... )

 

[Txlur]

how about you just sell it and buy a 6920/BCM/DD/LMT? if you want to skimp go PSA. why drop $400 into a $600 rifle that when your finshed is still a $600 rifle?

BANG. Winner right here.

 

[Txlur]

What options do you have among those makers for under $1000? If I could sell my DPMS for $600 and pick up a LMT or DD for less than a grand, I'm in. I get the feeling that it's not going to work like that though. To be honest, I don't care much what my rifle will be worth after mods. I just want something I can trust if need be. To that end, I'll most likely replace the parts that are prone to breakage and improve the FCG. Plus, any parts I replace on the DPMS can always be swapped back out with the originals with the new parts going into a custom build if I want.

New in box 6720, 6920 @ G&R for 999.

 

[Vigilant]

Destro is correct, if you have the spare coin to "upgrade" a low quality(better term than low tier) rifle, sell the low quality and buy a good quality rifle. Trying to make a Chevette into a Corvette will never be cost effective, or worth it! With the same vette analogy, no matter WHAT you do to a Chevette, it will NEVER be "just as good" as a Corvette.

 

[JollyMon]

Like other have mentioned, ignore the snobs. Shoot whatever you got and if you want to "upgrade it", upgrade it. However, dont expect that that DMPS quality will match some of the higher end brands. The things that will make a rifle better (besides training with it) and the things that I would upgrade first are Trigger and Barrel. Everything else is just lipstick on a pig.