No frills flattop AR.

Greg Langelius *

Greg Langelius *

Resident Elder Fart
Full Member
Minuteman
Aug 10, 2001
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6,032
AZ
#1
I've been looking seriously at the Mossberg MMR Hunter, and tried to order one, but nobody appears to have any for real and true sale. For now, I'm treating the product as vaporware.

Rather than waiting..., and waiting..., with no relief in sight; I'm raising my gaze and looking across a broader field.

My needs are simple and plain-Jane in nature. I want a .223/5.56-capable flattop AR, longer barrel preferable, 1:9"(-ish) twist, no frills, not intending to use it for either heavy volume fire or high precision accuracy. Lower(est) cost is a definite factor, and I live in NY State so mags holding over 10-rounds are out. That last part pleases me not, but also not sufficiently to consider circumvention. For the non-magnified optics option, I intend to use a reflex sight.

Basically, I just want to complete my bolt/semi ensemble in the ubiquitous .223 chambering. Most likely I won't be handloading for the semi and will be using el cheapo commercial bulk ball ammo. In truth, a Ruger Mini-14 might serve, but I just ain't goin' there...

I'm open to suggestions here...

Greg
 
#2
Re: No frills flattop AR.

I would get a RRA mid-length A4 and call it a day. They run ~$800 on Gunbroker but can be had for a little less. I've had good luck with my RRA 5.56's, and RRA's customer service was great when I was having trouble with my .308.
 
#3
Re: No frills flattop AR.

If you're looking for a basic AR, I would look for deals locally... especially this weekend. Sportsmans Warehouse has a Bushmaster with a red dot (not sure what kind) for $599 and a DPMS Oracle with a rail for $699. I was considering buying the Bushy as a throw around rifle. Add a $5 extractor upgrade and make sure the gas key is properly staked and you're good to go.
 
#4
Re: No frills flattop AR.

should be lots of good used or new deals, a little checking/staking may be needed, the main thing to remember is the stock trigger group is a 5$ part that is worth what you pay( an excellent functional emergency replacement) plan on spending real money for a real trigger on any base AR, even colt. If the rock river comes with their NM trigger, that could be perfect as you are likely tuned to the 4.5 lbs (I like 3, so prefer other triggers)

bushmaster 10 rd mags have been great for me (and allow elbow under the rifle for prone) only thing I use 20 rd mags for is standing, as I use a hand under the mag grip with a 20 rd p-mag (can easily be bought/modified to only hold 10)
 
#5
Re: No frills flattop AR.

I bought a Rock River Preditor Pursuit for $960 shipped. They have the RR match trigger and are excellent shooters. Twist is 8 and mine has been accurate with everything from 52gn to 77gn. Regards
 
#6
Re: No frills flattop AR.

Rock River seems like the best bet. Those flat top "optics ready" ones for $599 are super cheap and you will not be happy with them in the long run
 
#8
Re: No frills flattop AR.

Greg, what about the offerings from Remington? Camo, right barrel length & twist, NY compliant and can be had for a fair price if looking hard enough.

Food for though.
 
#9
Re: No frills flattop AR.

we cant keep the smith and wesson mp 15 sports on the shelf at the shop here we sell em for 600 bucks. Best deal in ar style rifles on the market imo. def worth a look
 
#10
Re: No frills flattop AR.

first I will plug rock river I have 2 of there rifles and they are top notch .
now there are some deals out there and palmetto state has been getting alot of attention as of late . check out the deal on the carbine with the aimpoint pro hunter .

look here
 
#13
Re: No frills flattop AR.

Thank you all. This exacty the kid of response I was seeking.

I'm putting this purchase off until after Christmas, mainly because even with my currently improved cash flow, I continue to follow my still very effective frugal previous outlook.

The rifle falls more into the 'want' column than the 'need' column, and the acquisition harbors no dire urgency.

Greg
 
#14
Re: No frills flattop AR.

Following up, a little pricey; The Remington R-15 Varmint looks a lot like what I have in mind, but I suspect a little post-Christmas shopping/bargaining would need to be in order.

Greg
 
#15
Re: No frills flattop AR.

Greg,

IMHO you should build one. As was posted above you can do a kit from DelTon (nice stuff by the way) that comes with the upper assembled and your choice of gas blocks. The only thing you would need to do is source a lower from your local shop in whatever flavor suits you and drop in the fire control / lower parts. Even reading the directions one step at a time it is a 15 min operation w/ minimum tools. Careful though, AR's are like potato chips you can't have just one
laugh.gif


Cheers,

Doc
 
#16
Re: No frills flattop AR.

Greg,

Check out these guys. Great to do business with.

Cold Hand Arms


Also, I just had a fellow shooter purchase an AR from High Standard for around $650.00. Worth a look. I was at the class when he tortured it, no malfunctions that were not magazine related, and built well.

Good luck.
 
#19
Re: No frills flattop AR.

Delton offers their rifle kits anywhere from 400 to 500 all you need is a stripped lower (psa) is 50 dollars. It takes 30 mins to build and will probably end up under 500. They usually come with a F sight front gas block which can be cut and modified to lopro if it's in the way of your optic.
 
#20
Re: No frills flattop AR.

I knew with mentioning the Remington the price point would a little higher than "no frills" as comparing to other options. But being a fellow NY'er, dealing with the damn laws, and assuming you'd be looking for a Fudd gun (already camo'd) I figured it might be a close match to what you're looking for.

Or put together something buying seperate a upper & lower, save more money, and finish it off with a custom rattle can camo finish.

Options options options with just as many opinions! Good luck Greg.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Greg Langelius *</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Following up, a little pricey; The Remington R-15 Varmint looks a lot like what I have in mind, but I suspect a little post-Christmas shopping/bargaining would need to be in order.

Greg </div></div>
 
#21
Re: No frills flattop AR.

SR;

I like(d?) the Remmy (some) mainly because it's more available, not much else.

As for the laws here in NY, it's particularly galling the way the ruling elite in Albany treat gun owners like lesser beings, and with blatant impunity. It tells even more about how they envisage whole sectors of thero constituencies, and play some off against others as a means of retaining their death grip on political power. In these matters, I suspect teh second amendment is more a matter of being a convenient hot button than anything about which they have any genuine commitments . In some ways, this is the house the NRA has built, by dealing with this issue in its own unique way; good for donations, but not so good if actual success occurs.

Fudd gun..., good term; I'd not seen it before. IMHO, for this gun, camo is just an excessively costly option. It's for fun on the range, for them pesky Zombies, etc.

I need (need? Maybe that's too strong a term...) something to convert cheapo ball equivalent ammo into reloadable brass, and having some fun in the process just improves the..., well..., process.

My remmy 700 VLS is getting a tad weary, and the MVP looks good, even if it's also sorta like vaporware right now, too.

Besides, those cans of Fed 62gr MilSpec stuff at my FFL's store keep whispering something that sounds vaguely like my name. Like I said..., fun.

At this point, the Kelly Firearms A4 SS Bull 24" Varmint looks most like the goal I had/have envisioned. I intend to delve deeper and talk to my local FFL about how one might go about acquiring one for real. Thank you especially, Cheech, your PM really caught my attention.

I also still need to finish up reviewing the other links and advice here, it pays to have <span style="font-style: italic">all</span> the info when contenplating such a purchase. Since time is not a serious issue here, I have the luxury of..., well..., time...

Greg
 
#22
Re: No frills flattop AR.

What about the Bushy Predator? Pretty basic with the exception of the 20" fluted barrel.
Shot my calling partners yesterday and for a out of the box rig it darn sure holds its own.
 
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