Obsessed and new to the world interested in feedback AR 15

[thoroughbred rebel]

well I picked up a new weapon at the 1500 this weekend. I bought a s&w m&p 15-22 this weekend and fell in love with the ar prior to this i was strongly opposed as having a bad experience with a buddies junk ar-15 and never looked into them. I broke down and bought the smith as a fun cheap gun to shoot and to teach my brother proper gun safety as he is only 8 and it is time for him to learn. anywho to the questions i am looking to get a larger caliber or a couple of different uppers and one lower for it. what are the good names? are there good kits? what is what in the world of ar's i am new to them so sorry for getting anything wrong. also i got it from midwest gun exchange and they were very polite and I personally recomend their services to anyone they gave me a good deal on the weapon itself. thanks for any help and recomendations for steering me in the right direction.

 

[U.S. Patriot]

well I picked up a new weapon at the 1500 this weekend. I bought a s&w m&p 15-22 this weekend and fell in love with the ar prior to this i was strongly opposed as having a bad experience with a buddies junk ar-15 and never looked into them. I broke down and bought the smith as a fun cheap gun to shoot and to teach my brother proper gun safety as he is only 8 and it is time for him to learn. anywho to the questions i am looking to get a larger caliber or a couple of different uppers and one lower for it. what are the good names? are there good kits? what is what in the world of ar's i am new to them so sorry for getting anything wrong. also i got it from midwest gun exchange and they were very polite and I personally recomend their services to anyone they gave me a good deal on the weapon itself. thanks for any help and recomendations for steering me in the right direction.

The 15-22 is a dedicated .22 rifle. If you want something in .223/5.56, etc. You'll have to get an AR15.

 

[nick89302]

Don't be disappointed in your purchase though, the 15-22 is a fun rifle and will serve you well.

When the time comes to get a larger caliber AR, you can always build it a piece at a time. Just pick up a stripped lower on your next time to the 1500 and we (the internet) can help you build it into the rifle you want it to be.

ARs are like Legos for adults.

 

[netsecurity]

The 15-22 is a dedicated .22 rifle. If you want something in .223/5.56, etc. You'll have to get an AR15.

What he said. You can't use other AR uppers or lowers with the M&P15-22, only the flash hider and rail accessories will be compatible. You'll have to buy a real AR-15 if you want to shoot .223 or similar. You've got a great plinker though. .223 ammo is so expensive that you might be better off sticking with 22lr. Another issue with .223, or any rifle calibers, is that you can't shoot them at indoor pistol ranges, or hunt with them in IN, so you have to either join a gun club, or drive to Atterbury just to shoot it. So, if you've really got the bug, go for it, but know what to expect.

 

[thoroughbred rebel]

I have been doing research and know i need a different lower. thanks for the feedback my next question is what are some good brands for the lowers??? what about uppers??? what rounds agree well with the AR?? ar there any that just gives everyone fits?? and I am lucky enough to have some space to reach out and shoot close to me with no one around and a solid backstop. What do you guys have on yours? what is needed?? thanks again for all the help and I really hope to make my grown up lego toys into a healthy passion lol.

 

[WebSnyper]

Check into the M&P Sport. I love mine, I also have the 15-22 as a training gun.

 

[throttletony]

This is a great question, just be prepared for a lot of answers. For me, I have found the following to be true
1) you get what you pay for -- but that doesn't mean that a good gun is unaffordable
2) asking about specific brands is like asking what different cars are in production. The answer is that there are lots.
Some of my relatively-affordable brands (complete rifle, under $1,000) include entry level guns from Rock River Arms, Bushmaster, S&W, DPMS, Stag Arms, Remington, and Olympic Arms --> I have used and generally trust these brands. (I know some might slightly disagree with me)
Other affordable-but-not-necessarily-cheap brands that I have not used much include Spike's, Delton, Mossberg,and MANY others.
There are also tons of "fancier" brands, like top-end rifles from the first list, and LWC, LMT, Wilson Combat, and plenty others.

You can get a reliable and affordable (approx. 625 $$) AR in the M&P15 Sport, or the DPMS Oracle. No bells and whistles, but it goes bang when you pull the trigger.
You can also build one, parts are available from all of these same manufacturers (also check out Palmetto State Armory). Take your time and figure out what you want from the beginning (rails, etc) since you can usually get these on a factory rifle.
It's also fun to start basic, and build it up as your budget allows!!
Happy hunting.

P.S. - Feel free to add to my list y'all

 

[throttletony]

Follow-up to my post:
Look at BOTH manufacturer's websites and real-world stores/websites to figure out what prices are and what accessories come along with certain price points.
Check out some local stores AND the internet.
Of course, try to support our INGO affiliated stores when possible - good prices and great service in my experience.
Happy hunting.

 

[chuddly]

as far as rounds that agree with an AR the most common is .223/5.56 then probly 308 and then it becomes a more rare thing but there are other calibers out there. I would estimate the .223/5.56 round accounts for 90% of all AR's out there if not more. I built a Palmetto State Armory gun not too long ago and its a great gun. Very accurate and reasonable on price. But they are new to the game and it was kind of a risk on a new company. But now they have proved them self to me and MANY others even here on INGO.

 

[Spazstick87]

I built mine from a kit from model 1 sales.com. it has treated me well and can most likely shoot tighter groups at 200 plus yards then i will be able to control considering how little i shoot it.( due to lack of time to go to the range or a range long enough to shoot that far.) I have dropped a few coyotes with it and its a thrill to shoot.

 

[OEF5]

I built my own as many other have here. Your questions about brands, that's a big question, you need to start with price range!

For the cheap (does not always mean top quality) any lower that is under roughly $100 falls into this category.

Middle of the road: $100-$175ish
Spikes
RRA
DPMS

High End:
Noveske
Larue

Great links to start with for a build or a rifle:
BravoCompanyUSA.com

Spikes Tactical

https://danieldefense.com/

Weapon Upgrade | M4 | M16 | AR15 | Firearm Accessory | Troy Industries

YHM, Yankee Hill Machine Co., Inc. | Makers of High Quality Firearms, Accessories & Sound Suppressors

The list goes on and on and on....when they said Lego's for the adult they mean it. the 15-22 that you have was developed to be a rifle that you didn't need to change anything on for training, it allows you to shoot way more rounds in a day to train on the AR platform. You will learn all of the control systems, reloads, S.P.O.R.T.S, and many other things with this rifle that will help you be a better shooter with an AR in a different caliber.

Check the long gun forum here for even further information, you can even check INGO members AR builds or buys here:

https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/long_guns/38742-ar_15_and_m_16_show_and_tell.html

Don't be afraid to ask as there are some really great people on this site that can point you in the right direction.

 

[RenegadeAngel]

I built mine using a Palmetto State Armory upper kit, and PSA lower. No regrets. Did it all for about $680..... Not too much more than an M&P 15 sport with all the things the S&W lacks...ie; forward assist, dust cover & chrome lined barrel

 

[Psode27]

I feel like this has been said, but you can in many cases build something better (and cheaper) than you can buy something assembled out of the box. Be patient! Pick up a lower when they are on sale cheap, pick up a stock used.... etc. Like previously said "AR's are like Legos". No need to rush out and pay full price. Many people say pick a lower with your favorite roll mark and call it a day. My experience says that if your research indicates that a lower is in spec, it'll do the trick. Have fun and be patient!

 

[thoroughbred rebel]

Thanks for the feedback I've been looking around a lot and I'm kind of leaning towards a some lower and I have a colt upper I can borrow from a buddy for a couple of weeks to get a better feel for an actual ar if anyone knows of someone selling a lower just shoot me a message

 

[Spazstick87]

I know a week or so ago I saw alot of ar parts for sale for a reasonable price. Just work on that post count and browse on here for parts.. Like others have said no rush to piece part it together shop for the best deals.

 

[bullet]

Thanks for the feedback I've been looking around a lot and I'm kind of leaning towards a some lower and I have a colt upper I can borrow from a buddy for a couple of weeks to get a better feel for an actual ar if anyone knows of someone selling a lower just shoot me a message

You might be aware that old Colt uppers are a different pin size and won't mate up. If think the newer ones will work. Someone else will have to chime in, that's know more than I on this.

IMO went it comes to lowers they are all about the same. You pay for the upper.

I really like Doublestar. I think they are called JT Distributing when dealing with parts. I own/owned Bushmasters, Rock River, Smith, Professional ordnance and Colt. I've also shoot others, but the Double star is my favorite maker.

 

[thoroughbred rebel]

I did not know that one ill have to talk to him and get it figured out thanks for the info

 

[thoroughbred rebel]

What do you guys think about buying a stripped lower? I cab get one pretty cheap then getting a dpms assembly for it? Do they work or is it better to find an already assembled lower?

 

[ryknoll3]

Getting a stripped lower is probably how most do their builds. Most lowers are pretty much the same quality-wise as long as you get a forged lower. Building a lower out is a great way to learn how the gun works and is pretty simple. I've done a few and can put a lower together in less than 30 minutes. I'd strongly recommend this route. It allows you to customize parts (stock, trigger, grip) from the get-go without replacing already-existing parts.

 

[civicisaye]

Big Kid Legos

Simple and cheaper to build your own. I got my lower from orion arms for $60(!!!).

Got the Palmetto State Magpul lower build kit (love magpul) for $140.

Picked up a used A1 upper on INGO for ~$80. Then I added a BCM GF charging handle and a Rainier Arms BCG for about $170.

That's all I've got so far. Just ordered a front sight kit (sling,rivet,gas tube pin, sight post spring, retainer, and post ~$12 and delta ring for ~12 from Brownells. Need handguards (Magpul midlength FDE), flash hider (Vltor VC-A1, A1 themed build if you haven't noticed), and barrel (Del-Ton midlength, lightweight). Got a little carried away with this post but just trying to highlight why i think it's best to build your own. I picked what would be on it and won't waste $ I don't have on upgrading it later on.