AR and SBR Recommendations

[jsb04]

I’m currently looking into buying an AR and SBR, I’m looking for one of each. Any specific recommendations on brands or what to avoid? Not really looking to build my own currently, I don’t have as much time to do so. Budget is $2,500 per. Thanks for the help!

 

[HandgunHTR]

This is just my opinion, so take it for exactly what you paid for it, but there is no reason to pay that much for an AR. I mean, you can spend that much on a Daniel Defense or an LWRC but for the every-day shooter, you just won't see the value in the extra $1500 over a Ruger, S&W, Rock River, Armalite, or one of the higher end PSAs.

For the SBR, rather than buy a whole gun and go through the Form 4 process, I recommend buying a complete lower, submitting the Form 1, have it engraved, and then when the Form 1 is approved, buy the pistol upper and rock on.

 

[DangerRanger]

I’d probably go lmt for 2500 each

 

[Fever Buck]

If you want to spend that much, go with LMT. If you want something still damn good but much cheaper, go BCM. You can get their MK2 BFH ELW uppers from their website and get a free BCG. Then find one of their lowers and slap it together. Allows you to form 1 it.

 

[RedGreen]

What are your use cases/requirements?

 

[maxx075]

Form 1 route is generally a lot faster than the form 4 route FYI.

 

[TheHammer]

Mid west industries has some fantastic options. Pretty happy with the rig I got from them.

 

[ARK_Ginger]

If I was wanting top tier, I’d buy an LMT.

If this is your first foray into ARs, I would instead recommend buying maybe a PSA Sabre for the rifle and a pistol to sbr, a case of magazines, legitimately good optics like aimpoint or nightforce, and a lot of ammo.

There are a lot of functioning ars out there these days, and unless you’re running lasers on your rails there’s not much need to buy something super rigid like the LMT.

 

[DangerRanger]

Fwiw you can get a complete lower and a complete upper to go the form 1 route and it’s literally just 2 captive takedown pins to assemble them.

 

[IDVortex]

Holy balls, why have i never thought of just doing a form 1 on a lower and build a pistol.

Sorry for the hijack, but, for the form 1, does the lower have to stay with a dealer, or if I have a lower I just need to file the paperwork?

 

[gman82001]

Geissele has a sale going and they have the 10.5 pistols. Submit the paperwork then slap the stock on after approval but try it as a pistol for a bit they’re about 95% of the gun with a stock but none of the headache

 

[gman82001]

Holy balls, why have i never thought of just doing a form 1 on a lower and build a pistol.

Sorry for the hijack, but, for the form 1, does the lower have to stay with a dealer, or if I have a lower I just need to file the paperwork?

Just send the paperwork off,once it’s back put it together or run it as a pistol while you wait

 

[Fever Buck]

Holy balls, why have i never thought of just doing a form 1 on a lower and build a pistol.

Sorry for the hijack, but, for the form 1, does the lower have to stay with a dealer, or if I have a lower I just need to file the paperwork?

With a form 1, you would want to form 1 the lower before purchasing the upper (if you want to do everything legal). You’ll want to have the lower in your possession and not the FFL when you submit the Form 1.

 

[IDVortex]

Just send the paperwork off,once it’s back put it together or run it as a pistol while you wait

Well fancy that. And I've been looking at just buying a completed pistol thinking building it would be a nightmare. Learn something new everyday.

 

[Fever Buck]

Just send the paperwork off,once it’s back put it together or run it as a pistol while you wait

You have to be careful with the ATFs definition of constructive intent though. If you have a lower and a less than 16” upper sitting together in the same house, they could theoretically charge you with constructive intent of an sbr prior to your form 1 approval. Now, the part where you run it as a pistol would be the only legal way to do it until the Form 1 was approved.

 

[Fever Buck]

Geissele has a sale going and they have the 10.5 pistols. Submit the paperwork then slap the stock on after approval but try it as a pistol for a bit they’re about 95% of the gun with a stock but none of the headache

Make sure you do your research on ballistics with the 10.5 vs the other longer lengths for SBRs. 11.5 seems to be the shortest you’d want to go for efficiency reasons. Just my 2 cents.

 

[BRTreedogs]

Faxon

 

[IDVortex]

My wife is going to ban me from Rokslide. This thread is going to cost some money.

 

[IDVortex]

Faxon

I have a lower of theirs, very impressed and happy with the QC.

 

[tpicou]

Well fancy that. And I've been looking at just buying a completed pistol thinking building it would be a nightmare. Learn something new everyday.

It’s such an easy process. I did it on two last year and got them back relatively quickly (maybe a month or two). I think it’s faster now