Which AR-15?

[40Arpent]

What kind of quality are the Smith and Wesson AR-15's?

Better than Rock River and DPMS, but not as high as Colt.

 

[40Arpent]

I say as much as I can get relative to knowing what I want to add if I bought a basic rifle. I want accessory rails for a flashlight, forearm grip, bipod, etc, so a forearm with rail space is a must for me, plus I just like they way they look.

Gotcha....you want a railed forearm for potential accessories. All good.

 

[just jk]

more "hate" for Rock River than i expected

i can't speak for other manufacturers but I love mine - and i dont consider it to be inferior whatsoever

 

[Bithabus]

DO NOT BUY FROM CABELAS. Seriously. Drive up to GT Distributors and get a brand new Colt 6920 for $995.

 

[TXDARKHORSE361]

I just tried doing a search on their site for the colt and nothing came up, matter of fact just searching for ''Colt" didn't yield it either. I tried changing my store and had the same result. I wonder if they are not being sold in the Austin area. I recall seeing rifles at the Wal Mart off of 1604 near 151 in San Antonio when I went to visit my mother. Guess I need to schedule another visit.

I know the Walmart on 1604 and Nacogdoches has a couple, only one I know off the top of my head was the DPMS (Sportical?) for around $600, looked like they had two or three other AR's next to it but wasn't paying enough attention. If you did come down to SA I know Bass Pro Shop has quite a few in stock.

 

[just jk]

DO NOT BUY FROM CABELAS.

why?

 

[Bithabus]

why?

High prices.

 

[just jk]

i cant speak for all firearms there but i've price shopped a few guns at Cabelas and found competitive prices

 

[Bithabus]

OK. All the new guns they sell I can buy cheaper elsewhere. I also feel that the salespeople there are trained to target and take advantage of newbies. Buying a DPMS for $800 is crazy when GT sells Colts for under a grand.

 

[just jk]

i havent had that experience at the Ft Worth store

the employees are there to make money for the store - i dont begrudge them for that - i wouldnt expect a cabelas employee to whisper to a prospective buyer "hey, you can get this cheaper at our competitor"

 

[Bithabus]

I've never been to the Ft Worth store. My experience is with the Buda store, which I assume is the store the OP went to.

 

[Kuhuna]

Check out RAT WORX USA I bought my Colt there for a smokin' price

 

[OLDVET]

Two or three years ago I would have recommend Rock River ARs. I currently own five. Lately I am hearing guys complaining about the quality of their rifles. All of mine are at least three years old and are tack drivers. DPMS rifles have really sorry triggers in them lately. That is what happens when the legal team does the designing. I have owned a S&W M/P AR and it was okay. One thing to watch out for at places like Cabela's and Walmart, is some of their AR stock will be flat top models with no front or rear sights. Most people customize their ARs like people do Harleys so manufacturers leave things like sights off to lower the cost knowing the buyer will choose the kind of sight he likes. I agree with an earlier post about hanging "crap" off of the AR frame. If you are taking it to a range or hunting, you don't need all of the aftermarket macho BS that is available. It won't make your AR shoot any better and just adds weight. Buy a good quality AR and invest in a good sighting system (scope, iron sights, red dot, etc.) I was at the range a few weeks ago and a fellow sat at a lane near me. He had a DPMS 16" barreled rifle with a laser, flashlight, bi-pod, magazines taped together like the military guys do, and a few other add-ons. He was all over the paper at 50 yards! I asked him why he had decked his rifle out the way he did, and he said because he wanted it to look cool! So be it.

 

[bcannon87]

I am quite happy with my Bushmaster. Now mind you it is about 5 years old but the quality is rock solid!!

 

[TXARGUY]

more "hate" for Rock River than i expected

i can't speak for other manufacturers but I love mine - and i dont consider it to be inferior whatsoever

I have several RRAs in my collection and can speak for other manufacturers as I currently have ARs made by DPMS, CMMG, Black Rain Ordnance, Bushmaster, Del-Ton, Black Dawn, Noveske and Spike's Tactical. The RRAs compare pretty closely to those by DPMS in quality and are not bad rifles at all for the price and their intended function. Would I like to be in a firefight with one? Probably not. Can I wear out the center ring at the range with one? Yep. Even still, I'd rather have a RRA in a firefight than some of the other weapons out there.

 

[Das Jared]

RRA doesnt properly stake their gas keys, and I just dont care for the fit and finish of the rifle. Too much slop for me. OP, you need to handle these rifles first and shoot them before you come to a decision. I would be willing ot meet up with you and let you shoot my BCM if you buy ammo. Colt is great, been in the business a LONG time and make a high quality product. The smith and wesson is also a GREAT choice. Please please pleaseee avoid DPMS RRA and Bushmaster. I have seen toooo many people buy one, and then become highly unsatisfied with their purchase, when they could have bought a TON better quality product for the exact same price.

 

[TXARGUY]

RRA doesnt properly stake their gas keys, and I just dont care for the fit and finish of the rifle. Too much slop for me. OP, you need to handle these rifles first and shoot them before you come to a decision. I would be willing ot meet up with you and let you shoot my BCM if you buy ammo. Colt is great, been in the business a LONG time and make a high quality product. The smith and wesson is also a GREAT choice. Please please pleaseee avoid DPMS RRA and Bushmaster. I have seen toooo many people buy one, and then become highly unsatisfied with their purchase, when they could have bought a TON better quality product for the exact same price.

LOL! I mean really, I LOL'd at that.

 

[Orbie]

Assemble your own. You can save money, learn more about you rifle, and only pay for parts you intend to keep on the rifle.

 

[remington79]

the Smith and Wesson rifles left a bad taste in my mouth. They don't chrome line their barrels. They do say they are coated with Melonite, the same thing as their slides on their M&P pistols. I'm not sure how it would do as a barrel lining. The reason for a bad taste is about 5 years ago where I work ordered them. I remember hearing the range staff talking about having problems with them. I don't remember all of the issues but I do know some were short stroking. The range staff said they went through 3 different batches of S&W rifles and each time they had different problems. We ended up ditching them. I'm not sure what we're running now but I know it's not S&W.

 

[just jk]

the Smith and Wesson rifles left a bad taste in my mouth.

you arent supposed to eat them