What are the best overall AR-15’s? I was thinking maybe DPMS? What do you think? Thanks?
I’m looking for the perrfect .223 AR for varmint/preadtor hunting. I was specifically looking for a 24” stainless steel barrel and I was especially interested in the DPMS AR-15. If you have any brands you’ve found success and or know are high or of the highest quality please let me know, much appreciated!
Tagged with: dpms • highest quality • hunting • stainless steel • steel barrel • varmint
Filed under: Varmint Hunting
Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!
I have a DPMS varmint rifle as well as use a lot of DPMS receivers in my AR builds. They make some really decent rifles but I’m not sure I would place them best AR category. A really good well above average AR15 is going to set you back 1500.00 easily. Anyhow, I would suggest looking into something like a Larue Tactical, BCM (Bravo Company Machine), Daniel Defense, or Noveske if you’re looking for a higher quality AR. The materials and build process used by these companies far surpass your basic Bushmaster or DPMS. Noveske for example has a military contract for building barrels for the U.S. Navy Seal Teams.
Most ARs are interchangeable if you get a brand name. Bushmaster, DPMS, RockRiver, Colt….they all put out a quality firearm. The only one I would avoid would be Olympic Arms.
i have olympic arms and all it does is jam jam jam jam jam ! i cant wait to get rid !
I might be off base here but to me Colt’s the one. I had one back when they first let them out. Great gun and at that time I think the only one manufacturing them.
I have 2 Smith & Wesson M&P AR’s and neither one has failed me. But for the best of the best without getting a true custom I think everyone would agree that the Les Baer is #1.
Here is a chart that comparison most AR’s:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pwswheghNQsEuEhjFwPrgTA&gid=5
Hate to tell you but DPMS guns are not that well built but would be OK.
Les Baer website: http://www.lesbaer.com/ar223.html
I have a DPMS with a 20" free floated heavy barrel and titanium carrier group and it drives tacks at the gun range. I have never had a jam, FTF or hang fire. I pull the trigger and it goes bang. I like the stainless Bull barrel too and gave heard they are great shooters. I may get the 16" stainless bull setup when I find a new job haha. I have never run into a problem with DPMS.
THE CHART
http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pwswheghNQsEuEhjFwPrgTA&gid=5
More info:
http://m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=7355
http://m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=24397
DPMS makes good varmint/target rifles, but I wouldn’t suggest them to somebody that is planning on using their rifle for duty, home defense, or 3-gun/carbine competitions. I would lean towards LaRue, Noveske, Bravo Company Machine, LMT, COLT, and S&W for serious use rifles. But since you are wanting more of a hunting type rifle, you will have a hard time finding a better bang for your buck than a DPMS varmint rifle, as they seem to make pretty accurate ARs. Another option for hunting type ARs would be the various varmint/predator rifles from Rock River Arms.
There are many AR snobs out there who base judgement on price and magical build processes that net nothing for the average user. If a rifle is reliable, it is reliable…………………..
Buy the DPMS if it’s what you like. It will serve you well. The price is reasonable.
I have a Bushmaster, it has been good and reliable. The price is a bit less reasonable.
There is a whole section of the industry based on overpricing the AR. They are cheap guns to build, and paying $2000. for one is a joke.
I build match AR-15’s.
They are all the same. All the same. With the exception of one or two highly custom lowers that are out of most folks price range.
You need to take what people say here with a grain of salt. Every manufacturer from Colt to S&W to Olympic Arms to Bushmaster have sold their stripped lower recivers for years to people like me that build custom rifles. However, thousands of these receivers were bought up just before Obammo took office on expectations they could be sold later on for 10x more - this never happened. So now we have idiots building AR’s on thier kitchen tables using cheap Chinese parts and passing them off as factory made rifles - selling $400 in parts as an $1800 rifle. Quite a profit. So, when you hear someone dis a brand - ask if they sent it back to the manufacturer - or if it came with a warranty card. These stripped lowers did not come with a warranty card.
Your best bet is to seek out someone like me in your local area - have them build you a nice custom upper.
Or, go buy a Service Match rifle and then order a nice custom varmint upper. Very good chance you are gonna want to do some plinking - and your heavy varmint upper is not gonna be much fun at it.
Feel free to email me any of your AR questions. I would be happy to help!
Any of the major brands should be similar in quality. Just pick a brand that has the components that you want and go for it. My son has a Bushmaster with the 16" barrel and is building one with a 20" barrel for varmint hunting. He is getting a chrome lined chrome-moly vanadium steel barrel that is black to avoid reflections.