Next Level Armament Ascend Phoenix AR-15 5.56 NATO 16" barrel or RUGER AR556 MPR .223 WYLDE 18" Proof barrel. Price difference between the two is $24.
Get something from Palmetto State Armory with an FN cold hammer forged barrel with a chrome plated bore and chamber preferably in the correct length of barrel 20"
$1550ish Range fun, semiautomatic precision shooting out to 600ish yards, maybe to dabble in 3 Gun. Not looking for a toy to do ammo dumps with cheap 5.56 ammo, not that there’s anything with that. Not interested in going any higher in tier. Need to set aside coin for a Stoeger MK3.
I might be wrong but if memory is still working a 5.56 will fire in a 223 barrel but not the reverse. Not sure, but it is one or the other. Does this mean anything to you?
Man honestly for that coin, there are WAAAAAAAYYYYYY more options I’d be looking at. Frankly I won’t touch anything semiauto from ruger outside a 10/22. Flame suit on but everything I’ve ever touched of theirs that wasn’t bolt action or revolver felt and performed like cheap garbage. Just my .02 there. Next level I honestly dont know much about other than seeing an occasional mention but I kinda feel like that proves my point a bit. So many top tier manufacturers at that price point. FN, BCM, Geissele, and Sionics all could be had with money leftover for trigger or barrel upgrade or to drop a little more on optics, especially if you’re willing to buy upper and lower separate. Daniel Defense is right at this range for a complete rifle. Larue, LMT, Vltor, and PRI are all attainable if you’re really patient and/or creative, moreso if you’re willing to “build.” Honestly man, the only things I can think of that this budget eliminates is maybe KAC, radian, HK and noveske. I’m sure there’s a couple others but $1550 can net you one badass rifle.
Other way around. The .223 has no issues in a 5.56 chamber, but theoretically a 5.56 can have issues in a .223 chamber. Although you would have to be firing automatic and lots of rounds to possibly see it. The .223 Wylde chamber gives the benefit of the .223 chamber but allows the pressures and slight difference in case of the 5.56 without any questions of issues.
Also, I am a fan of the Wylde chambering but I can only really tell the difference at 600+ and that may even just be difference in barrel quality between brands. But my 18” has a .223 Wylde criterion barrel that’s really consistent out to 800 yards and predictable at 1k yards with good ammo.
I agree with just about everything here. If you are really wanting to go with one of those two, I personally would recommend Ruger. Mainly because they will be there in 5-10 years (and more) if you have any issues. Ruger typically mades solid stuff and I would have no issue recommending them between those two. BUT if you have some time to find something on the second hand market, now is a good time to be looking. Tax season is upon us and there's a lot of good deals to be had as folks sell stuff to pay uncle sam. Buddy that was looking in that range (i had recommended Geissele, BCM, SOLGW (probably this on top)) I was able to find him an Lewis Machine and Tool (LMT) Mars-L/MRP 16" factory rifle with a Geissele SSA trigger and a couple of mags for $1800 (it was advertised higher, of course I said to offer a bit less and they guy bit). When the DD guns could be had new in the $1300 range I usually recommended those and they are still great rifles, but they are creeping up there in the prices. If you are new to the AR platform, don't build something, just buy a good solid direct impingement rifle and learn what you are doing with it and then think about building something down the road. Try to find a good local forum that has used stuff for sale, most states have one, ask around (someone on here probably knows, looks like you are in FL). Also the 223 Wylde is basically a 5.56 chamber but a bit more towards the match end of the spectrum. but you can still shoot 5.56 ammo in the 223 Wylde chamber.
Idk why I always forget about SOLGW. I guess because they’re one of the few brands I still don’t have any hands on with and they tend to be a bit of a pariah in the internet gun chode/snob world so they get overlooked a lot. But met lots of happy owners who run the shit out of them. also just remembered Triarc as another solid option. agree with everything above but with one caveat - buying upper and lower separate I wouldn’t consider building and it opens lots of opportunities to get a better rifle for cheaper. And you should know how to separate and reattach the 2 as part of maintenance anyway. And GT is absolutely right about 2nd hand. A good gun will last 10s of thousands of rounds and most owners won’t put more than a couple mags through them. Definitely some deals to be had if you look in the right places.
I came here to hopefully learn something as a newb. And things hit the technical rev limiter way too fast. I need to find the AR for dummies thread.
Don't be discouraged. If you have questions just ask. The most basic of AR's can be had for $400-600.00 anymore. This is a gun that will more than likely go bang every time you pull the trigger and probably be reasonably accurate out to and beyond a couple hundred yards. From there the sky is the limit. 223Wylde is just a comprehensive name for a gun that shoots both the .223 and .556 rounds interchangeably and probably a good idea for a first time buyer. You can also buy a marked .556 upper (the top half of the gun including the barrel, receiver and BCG (bolt carrier group) and it will work with both rounds. A dedicated .223 upper is designed to work with the .223 round only. I wont get into the gray areas here as you will figure that out on your own with time. Any Milspec (military specification) lower (trigger housing, stock, buffer tube (this contains the recoil spring assembly), stock or brace should work with any upper designed for a AR 15, Ar9mm, AR 47 (7.62x39). Then you have AR 10's. These are the larger rounds i.e. 7.62x51 (also called NATO round) which is fundamentally the same as .308 and they both can be shot out of the same upper similar to .223 Wylde, 6.5 Creedmoor (very fast and flat firing round which is good for longer distances), .243 Winchester, 300 Winchester magnum (win mag), .338 federal, 7mm, 8mm and so on. The two different styles AR 15 and AR 10 function in a nearly identical manner but parts are typically not interchangeable. When fired some of the gas from the barrel is forced down a gas tube and forces the BCG back against the recoil spring ejecting the spent cartridge and reloading the chamber from the magazine all while re-cocking the trigger. The following is an example of the upper https://www.aeroprecisionusa.com/ar15/upper-receivers/complete-uppers The following is a lower assembly https://www.aeroprecisionusa.com/ar15/lower-receivers/complete-lowers Buying a fully assembled gun will get you every thing you need beside ammo and magazines to shoot. Some lowers will come with sights installed but you can buy a set of Magpul MBUS sights for less than $80. If you buy in the separate upper/lower configuration make sure you know what you are buying. A lot of websites will sell a partially finished upper/lower that may not have all the parts assembled into them and you'll have to know what else you need to finish them. One of the nice things about AR's is the multitude of parts. You can literally buy everything you need to build a complete AR in individual pieces exactly as you want it.
You kids an yer Ninjer rifles. back in my day all we needed was a dads forty five and grand dads m1 or maybe great grand-dads injun killin' winchester. By god that was 'nough to kill every last injun in da dag gun county. an pernt near every dear, grouse, quail, moose, llama and democrat. now ya'll gotsa t'have yer match trigers and match ammo with opticals and yer reticals and skin fluted barrels with the suspenders and sub sonical ammo. buncha panty waisted commies..i tell ya what.
You sound a lot like a fan of Earl Pitts. If you never heard him it was a local Talk show host in cincy that portrayed a good ol god fearing merican male. https://www.youtube.com/@earlpittsamerican
Bought my first from Hanover Armory. I’m gonna liquidate that one. I’ve built 3 now. Working here and there on a 4th, plus I’ve also built two PCCs. They’re kind of addicting to build. Like Legos.
Go to www.m4carbine.net and start reading. Spend a good month or so reading and then you can make up your mind. That cite has true professionals on it who really have great knowledge to share. As others have said, BCM, SOLGW, LMT, KAC (little pricey), Colt, FN, and many others are really better than the ones you listed. Also, you do NOT want a carbon barrel for what you want to do. Carbon should be reserved for hunting rifles.
I’ve assembled a couple or 3 AR’s, well two, another in progress (AR-10 with 45 Raptor barrel). I think assembled is the applicable word, you’re not building a rifle if you’re putting together mail order parts. Redtail’s hate for the Ruger MPR is strong, didn’t see that coming, it seems like a solid firearm. Good in-house two stage trigger and available for just over $800 without the proof barrel. The Ascend was interesting because of the machined in beveled magwell and tight tolerances. The lower is a work of art and priced accordingly. Thanks for the input.
Sounds like you want a "multi-purpose gun. I would look at a 14.5 (with a 2 inch muzzle device) or 16 inch barrel. It would be somewhat lighter and more maneuverable. I would definitely consider building your own. You be surprised the better quality items you can obtain (over what the manufactures offer) when you assemble your own.
