As a 40+ year firearms dealer, when asked about what firearm someone should purchase, I always steer them towards a reliable but less expensive firearm instead of maxing out their budget on the firearm only. My response when asked is, they're better off buying a $800.00 gun and $800 on ammo, training, and magazines than buying a $1600.00 gun and not being able to afford to practice.
@@wesleycristman3278 The Ruger is good for the price. So is the SW M & P 15. For target shooting, and other "routine" shooting, there's nothing wrong with a cheaper AR. If you're getting into competitive shooting, or something like that, get a better platform.
@@wesleycristman3278 I'm a Ruger fan boy. My first firearm I ever purchased was a Ruger 10/22 that I purchased in 1977. I've sold thousands of Rugers and can recall 2 times in 40 plus years that I've had to involve Ruger in remedying an issue. And, both times they couldn't have been more accommodating if they tried. The Ruger 556 is an excellent platform. Especially for the price.
Saw on Reddit PSA was selling the upper and lower parts of an AR15, minus the rear sight, for $450. $450 for a virtually complete rifle is insane. Just goes to show how dedicated PSA is of their goal for arming everyone with an AR.
I built my first AR and I saved hundreds with PSA for about a mid-teir platform, couldnt be happier I did have a gas issue but they had it back to me in a week. I want to change a few things like the dust cover, and switch to an ambi selector otherwise I cant wait to send plenty of 556 down range.
The ar platform is so versatile there's endless possibilities, even budget ones can be amazing and added onto later. Palmetto state armory has been doing amazing this for budget and new builders alike.
As one poster mentioned, I went with the best base model and allowed for enough left over for me to tailor the rifle the way I wanted it. I didn’t load all my money on to the most expensive rifle I could afford and then go cheap on accessories. In the end I wound up with a rifle that works so well for me, I can’t believe it cost me as little as it did. In fact, when it was all said, and done, I still had enough money, left to buy quality ammo and some additional cleaning accessories for my new rifle!
While I don’t doubt there are differences given the difference in price, I’ve never seen a torture test where the expensive gun performed better than the “cheaper” guns. Garand Thumb’s torture test really evens the playing field for these rifles.
I bought a Diamondback DB15 several years ago for less than $500. Over the years since I have run over 3000 rounds through it, and only had 4 malfunctions due to a bad magazine, but 100% reliability otherwise. The only modification I've made is an ambidextrous charging handle since I'm left-handed, a light/laser, and a red dot sight. All in all, I spent about $1000 for everything.
Glad to hear that because I have one on layaway at my local pawn shop and will have it out in a few weeks then I'm going to get what I need to set it up, I'll end up spending about $1200 total.
@vaughnbrady4454 I know you said it was due to the mags so despite those hiccups would you recommend the diamondback? I'm looking to get one but I've read and watched videos that review it and they're pretty mixed so now I'm back to square one on my search.
I would go with the cheaper of the 2 just because you can add exactly what you want on to your AR. Plus you can add on gradually if you do not have the money right away. I think you do a terrific job of keeping it interesting and educational, great job and thanks.
Just bought my first AR yesterday, Anderson Manufacturing down in Kentucky. Spent 500$ and in today’s economy I cant complain. Seems to be a great gun to learn on
I built my PSA AR for under $500. It shoots just as well as my $2000+ Gucci AR. My Gucci AR may shoots 1/2 MOA better than my PSA but in a real world scenario that doesn't mean jack. Premium AR's are overrated.
I smell a lot of exaggeration. Or you spent $1500 on superfluous parts that don't matter. There's a lot of things that are generally worth the difference between a $500 ar and a $1000 ar, but as you go higher you get drastically diminishing gains per $. "Premium" ar parts aren't "overrated" if you're buying the right parts for a reason. Just depends what you're wanting it to do though.... like don't spend over $1k on a match barrel if you're a plinker who goes to the range once a year
I never purchased a complete AR, I’ve always thought that getting a quality in-spec lower and either building an upper to my specs or purchasing a quality upper and matching it to my lowers was the better way to go! I have Griffin Armament and Aero/Ballistic Advantage lowers with Larue triggers and either BCM or DD prebuilt uppers or my Frankenstein uppers and have saved a bunch of money doing it that way! This way I can use my preferred furniture, triggers, BCGs and LPKs and don’t have to worry about changing out what I already paid for and won’t use.
As a left-handed rifle shooter, I hate the Forward assist because when I charge the rifle, I often hit the assist when I pull the charging handle back with the fingernail of my right index finger and have almost ripped the nail completely off doing that. It stings a little. That is one of the things I love about my CMMG Banshee. I got the newer generation that deleted the forward assist.
I have a diamondback db15 that I paid $800 for. Shoots just like an expensive one, and I can put more expensive parts in if deemed necessary. When you paying so much for a rifle, it’s basically just coming with all the upgrades already on it.
My first AR was the DB15 that I got at a pawn shop used for $550 and it came with a Vortex Sparc red dot. I added a 2K lumens Olight and a cheap 3x magnifier. Now I have an LPVO that I'll be installing soon, but not in a hurry cause the red dot is sub MOA right now. Best damn rifle I've ever owned.
I have AR's ranging from $5000.00 down to just under $1000.00. and one of my favorites to shoot is an FN-15 complete upper on a custom built lower. Much cheaper than My HK's or SCAR's but has been just as reliable and fun to shoot. Can't go wrong with FN.
I guess it comes down to what you want out a firearm. If it is about getting the most bang for home defense buck then neither of these rifles are a good option. If you are an enthusiast then it is really just a matter of what suits you best and what you can afford.
Colion.....don't ever stop being you. You are just cool as shit all the way around. We love ya, and appreciate ya! Keep up the good, and entertaining work!
Bought my self a FN guardian and customized the hell out of it. Was able to afford good optics along with a bunch of other upgrades and honestly i like it better than if i got the tac3 so thank you and keep foghting the good fight
If you want a bare bones option, Stag Arms makes an actual bare bones rifle that comes with no furniture that would be a good option for someone who wants one they can customize.
This video helped me out on choosing which AR was going to be my first. I was trying to get the most information on what I could get with my budget but also be a good AR, living in California I know the laws and makes it kinda hard having a good looking rifle with featureless and fixed but whatever. Thank you for making this video I have my choice now.
It's better to buy one inexpensive rifle and thousands of rounds of ammo to train with, than buy an expensive rifle but can't afford ammo to become proficient with it. Stick with that one rifle and learn the fundamentals to become an excellent shooter overtime. TRAINING makes you a good shooter, NOT just simply buying an expensive rifle.
@@chltmdwpsome people can shoot well with whatever they're given. Just love the real world... rich people stay rich by living like they're poor. Poor people stay poor by living/ pretending they're rich. I've witnessed way too many people with their Call of Duty give that they spent way too much on, and after talking to them, know they spittle have gone with something more affordable. But they want to project appearances and look tacticool. Do what you want, but those types are easily obvious to those around them.
As an FN fanboy i love the idea of the guardian. I plan on picking one up next year. But what im really excited about and hope they release to the public is the IWS Rifle they developed in .264
i picked up my rifle for $450 on sale last black friday from duhnams, threw a half decent sight and all the magpull stuff you can imagine and couldn’t be happier, i’ve never had the gun fail on me or any single issue thousands of rounds later
Great video as always colion I have owned a few different ar 15's over the years but I have held onto my pof renegade and absolutely love my rifle! And I have it pimped out just like I want it. Also built my aero precision m5 with all the goodies I wanted from the git go.shes a bad batch dmr set up.also jut built an aero precision lower and purchased the ar57 upper and that thing rocks! Goes very nicely with my optics ready threaded barrel rock 5.7 great combo that shares the same caliber. Man I love guns and that you can pretty much make them to fit all of your needs!!! God bless America and the 2nd amendment forever
Neither, I would buy 2 PSA's with optics instead and put the rest into ammo 🤣. I would never "buy" a "gucci" rifle. I've built 2 with everything I wanted, piece by piece. I also have a few PSA's. I see little to no difference between my $1400 builds and my $700 PSA's. No more wasting money for me. I do like Aero Precision recievers though...no roll pins. No trigger guard to install, and lowers tapped for a set screw to reduce play between upper and lower.
i do like having a forward assist but most people today dont seem to . the issue with both these is the price to feature ratio the cheap one is not cheap so upgrading it would cost more than just going full custom , im not buying a 1000$ rifle for it to need upgrades to be to my liking , a 500$ rifle ok thats different but an expensive on needs to be almost perfect right out the box .
2:30 I am the same way, I LOVE the look of a muzzle that is flush or just barely sticking out past the handrail, part of the reason I love the LVOA-C even though I would never shell out money for one
For the money and function can't really beat the radical ar15 made in Texas right outside of Houston for around 700 bucks or a m&p Smith &Wesson ar15 sport 2 for about 800 to 900 bucks.
Man....I have used the bigger charging handles and they are absolutely badass...until you carry the damn rifle all day. That said, if you manage to freeze the gun up or have a stuck case, you will wish like crazy you had a chawnky charging handle. especially if you are in a big hurry to get to work with it. Shooters poison to pick i suppose but, ive changed all mine back to mil-spec lol
Del-Ton 316L, pre black Friday at Sportsman's, shot it once, it's ok, had a couple of mis fires, might have been the ammo, or maybe not charging it right, but no FTF FTE, pretty smooth. Haven't sighted it in yet so don't know accuracy. Magpul MS1 sling, iron sights & Vortex Crossfire. I knew it had a light weight barrel going in, think mine is 1 in 9. Difference in quality of the butt stock, barrel, trigger, upper and lower from my 18" Ruger AR556, all budget parts, but acceptable. Like the M-Lok hand guard though, smoother than the AR556, so I didn't mount a grip, like sliding my hand over it. Good for training, and as long as it's dependable going bang for CQC it''ll be fine for now. Oh, and it's got a forward assist.
the shorter hand guard shroud makes it easier to get a wrench in to remove a suppressor if you need to. had to buy a extra thin wrench for mine and it was a giant pain to find
Thank you so much for your information! I was going to enlist and I wanted to learn how to shoot beforehand with absolutely minimal training. (bb gun) experience lol. I was going to buy my own so i can take some classes on proper technique, maintenance, and safety. subbed and liked! Great video! I'm going w/ the guardian.
I purchased my AR-15 5.56 from radical arms made in Texas. For half of what the guardian cost literally, $500 and change delivered to Rural King where I picked it up. I did purchase aftermarket sites and red dot scope for less than $100 for it.
Although very proficient with a Glock, Im a novice with an AR and have a limited budget. I own multiple PSA pew pews and they’re fine for me to learn on. My favorite thing about the AR platform is the thousands of options out there on most budgets, to easily upgrade your existing (ie saved and paid for with cash) gun. I’m going to put a nice trigger on a couple and maximize my own skill, then think about high quality barrels and go from there.
Sometimes I really wish I knew what the people at FN are smoking. You can build a rifle for 800 to 900 and still wind up with one that has a better stock, charging handle, and actually have a forward assist(though I am not exactly attached to the forward assist, it is still silly that they couldn't keep it when charging a full grand.) You could even just buy a rifle from Ruger, S&W, etc and make a few upgrades. You might still pay less than you would for the FN. FN makes good rifles, but when it equates to a standard milspec rifle, you can't really justify the cost.
Budget is always a consideration. Even a Texas attorney has a bottom to their money supply, lol. My sense would be to buy what you can afford, whether it is the base model, a partial upgrade, or the entire " shiny monster ". I am planning on starting where I can and moving from the base f-150 four door and adding until I have as close to the dually F250 diesel monster I would like to have. As to phased upgradability. Building from base to mountain top rifle, I may see things available in a down the road look that are more what I would have bought when I was first looking. Forward assist in a "non negotionable" option in some ways, BUT, as I replace and upgrade, I might have a "new to me" rifle in spare parts. That might be my chance to have both. That would allow anyone to buy the remaining parts and have both a top end unit and a "truck gun" before I am done. I truly enjoy your opinions, and even if I may not have the same goals in gun ownership, I know you are not a "FUDD". Keep on bringing your views, wisdom, and opinions to us in the community.
That tac3 has a rock solid handguard. It's got some kind of sealant on it? It's damn near welded to the upper. The guardian has a knurled castle nut and Allen set screws on the handgaurd. I greatly prefer the tac3 and think it's worth the difference. If your just target practicing with it get the guardian.
"The forward assist, or bolt-closure device, is a way to manually close an AR's bolt. Eugene Stoner did not originally design the M16 with an external forward assist. The U.S. Army demanded an external forward assist on the rifle. If the bolt won't close under its own power, the rifle's telling you there's a problem." credit to GunDigest Also love hand guards that nearly fully cover the barrel, put a 19" hand guard on my 20" 223 wylde build , love it also lets get the bi-pod out further, really just a range toy but love it regardless.
I paid less than $950 for my rifle. I shoot lefty so I have a completely ambidextrous lower (fire select, bolt release, mag release) with a Radical Firearms complete upper. There is an AR shop that makes lowers in-house so I saved a ton of money with them. Sometimes it pays to look around and not go straight to gun stores.
I picked up the Ruger AR556 for just under $650 out the door. Pretty basic rifle with Magpul furniture. So far I've upgraded BCG , went to an ambi charge handle , lighter trigger (big improvement), bipod and a Monstrom 1-4x24 optic. For me , it's comfortable and a blast to run. Possible ambi safety after watching this video.
You're better served to build your own. You'll get what works best for you at a better price and you'll learn about the inner workings of an AR. As simple as it is, its knowledge that will serve you well.
Both look like equally fine rifles, I have shot many thousands rounds through the AR platform. Both with nitride and chrome lined barrels. I’m rifles with forward assist and without. In all of those rounds, I have only had three failures to feed. One because a primer in a reload has been put in backwards, and two because Colt did not stake the screws.
I have an IWI Zion that I got for around 800 that's been an excellent rifle and value for the money. It's usually what I suggest to someone new to ARs that wants something a little nicer than a PSA blem.
The recoil of an AR15 chambered in .223/5.56 is practically zero. However the lack of the rubber buttpad may affect the length of pull. This is probably not a point of concern for the typical shooter, but for a taller individual this will most likely be a point of concern.
Great video as always but even $1000 was over my budget. So I bought an AR from PSA at a price of just about $500. I’ve made a few changes and a few additions. I changed the stock to get rid of the wiggle that is “normal” on the low end Magpul stock to the next level stock, which has a lever that locks it in place. I added the.BAD lover from Magpul and a two point sling. Wesley, I was able to purchase a Vortex holographic site based on points that I had earned. Retail value of that holographic site is around seven to $800 but on the street can be purchased for five to $600. I don’t plan on adding or changing any other elements Until a year or so into the future. I may upgrade the charging handle, add a light, and would consider upgrading the trigger. What I have at this time is an excellent shooting A.R. 15 that is a dream. So for those of you, who got the bucks go ahead and spend $1000 or $2000 or more.
I'm not going to get either of these rifles, but if I were I would go with the 15. Lighter and same performance for $800.00 less. You can upgrade as you go like Colion said.
Colion, I'm a little conflicted with this video. You point out that a less expensive rifle can check all the boxes and then you show FN. FN, IMO, is extravagant. I'm not saying it's a bad rifle, only that you're paying more for the name than the performance. Years ago I bought a DPMS Orical, then I got into reloading. Later, after installing a free float hand guard, this in-expensive AR shoots 1.5" groups at 100yds. Installed a LaRue MBT2 trigger and it feels much better. After all of that, I said "I wonder". While I have no complaints about this rifle, I wanted something a little more. So, a few parts over time, I built my current favorite rifle. This one does shoot 1" groups at 100yds, it has the energy to take game out to 400yds and it's still an AR-15. The point for my comment? Research, a good basic rifle shouldn't cost $1k, it should be more like $400-$500. Learn to use it and care for it, then if you want to try something else you can at least build a different upper for it. I'm not saying this is gonna be cheap. Firearms are not cheap.
I think i started off spending $1300 for 10.5" ar lower was from Geissele and the upper was a unbranded 10.5" upper Then i upgraded the upper to a Geissele upper which was another $600. Red dot + 3x magnifyer combo, magpul vertical grip, sling, flashlight with pressure button & mount and 3 standard mags and one 40 rd mag Prolly spent just over $2000 for my setup. Since then i been very satisfied with my rifle on its performance
Never once in my time serving or the 2 decades of shooting as a student and as an instructor have I ever had to use the forward assist. Not once. Maybe I'm just lucky. Old vets called it the suicide button.
my first AR was a Smith&Wesson M&P sport 2. It was $600. My second was one I built. Also a carbine. It was around $1300. Both are great rifles. My second AR is more refined and just better quality. Probably more accurate but my Smith works fine and is a good rifle especially for people like me that could not afford a $2000 plus AR. It got me in the sport.
The point of diminishing returns starts early in most products in 2023, expensive products are simply supporting expensive salaries in a large corporation. I’ve been making products for 30 years, in fact the larger more well known companies actually make lesser products due to corporate wide high margin constraints and again supporting a lot of excessive fluff in the company.
I believe if you are gonna change things on the riffle anyway. Go with the lower price point and upgrade it to where you want it. Less money spent on the gun means more ammo and mags.
I have bought the more inexpensive firearm several times simply because they are specific use only . I'm not going to wear them out on the range or foresee prolonged use . So I buy them, break them in and after that they pretty much sit in storage except for a few times a year . Other guns are my workhorses and I didn't mind paying top dollar and getting many mags for them.
Great thing about the AR15 is how modular they are. You can make a $800 or even a $500 stock AR shoot like a stock $2k AR by putting $200-$300 of minor changes into it.
The PSA sweet spot is not their cheapest rifle ,if you can spend $40 - $70 more at PSA you can get a better trigger, furniture, and maybe back up iron sights....and a mid length gas system will help with any "over gassed" issues channels like T. Rex arms keep talking about.
I spent $545 on my AR in 2017. It has the same features as the expensive version in this video. Quite honestly if I were to change anything out on my weapon it would be the internal parts. Not the external parts. Internal meaning the springs and whatnot.
I built my own from 80. 80% arms lower i milled, random website trigger group, mid state arms upper kit and bcg. Runs fine. Its on heavier side cuz of ss 20" barrel, but im not mad. On target everytime. What trained with in military.
would be cool if FN did barreled/gas tubed receivers for the gaurdian like colt does (or did, hard to find those these days) so we can slap the handguards and stocks we want so we're not paying for a stock and handguard we're just going to replace
I'm new to this ar-15 so I started out with ar-15 that was on sale from $800-$399 just to get used to platform I'm a gun guy so I have to get over nervousness of shooting a rifle and safely handling of it before I start spending alot on one
