[usmcobra]

make sure it has a bolt....

[Thunder90]

Start by looking here...

http://www.ar15.com/

[driftdiver]

5.56 ammo is kinda expensive for plinking. I used to have a bushmaster before the boating accident. It was pretty nice.

[Paul46360]

plinking...right.
look for any wear in the barrel. Ensure that the rifling is smooth. That the iron sights are not bent. No cracking in the plastic. Make sure that you do some plinking before buying it.

[TSgt]

Plink with a Marlin, shoot with an ArmaLite.

[ansel12]

Here is a superlight Bushmaster.

http://www.bushmaster.com/catalog_xm15_MAZ-C1516SLORC.asp

[NavyCanDo]

When you get it. Keep it.
I bought mine for $440 in 1980 through a gun club in the Navy. Sold it for $650 twelve years later to buy an engagement ring for my girl. I still got the girl, but Oh how I miss that AR-15.

[FlingWingFlyer]

Another FReeper here said he was going this route too.

[Quickgun]

You can probably get a new Bushmaster Match for that money. I'd get a flattop and put some kind of scope or optical sight on it. ☺

[no dems]

LOL!!! I thought you were wanting some guidance for the midterm election in the 15th Congressional District in Arkansas. My bad, dude.

[stuartcr]

If you want a fun semi-auto for plinking that’s inexpensive, I would go with an M1 Carbine. You can also get a Ruger Blackhawk chambered in the same round that is really nice. Both for under $1300.

[KoRn]

Bushmaster
DPMS
Armalite

I believe Ruger makes a good one now as well.

[wrench]

For plinking, save some money and get a 10-22.

If you want an AR, decide what your needs are.

Light weight and easily carried, the flat top 16” barreled collapsible stocked varient will serve you well. The flat top allows iron sights or a host of optical sights.

If you want more on target energy, get a 20” barrel.

The super light barrels carry well, but you may realize better accuracy with a slightly beefier barrel.

There are a number of good makers out there now, Colt, Bushmaster, Rock River among others. These 3 are all top notch.

[Sylvester McMonkey McBean]

It's hard to get a crappy off the shelf AR. Century and Olympic seem to have the largest "hate clubs." That bit of information is worth exactly what you paid for it.

You could build a nice one for that kind of scratch.

Buy a quality lower, and a complete parts kit from any one of maybe a dozen manufacturers. You might even be able to get a parts kit AND an additional upper. (Think .22LR upper for dirt cheap practice/training on the same platform.)

Like another said above, ar15.com is a great place to start. Look for the "stickies" in the tech section.

[fwdude]

LaRue Tactical:
http://stores.homestead.com/Laruetactical/StoreFront.bok

If you live in Texas, they're a great resource for all your AR needs and advice. Even if you don't live in Texas.

$1,300 won't buy much. But then, if you're only looking for something for fooling around, it might buy a beater. Bought just my upper receiver from LaRue for around $1,700.

[Jackalope Hunter]

Cant go wrong with the Sig 556 classic little spendy @ around 1600 msrp. But outside of a Noveske it is probably the best AR platform around. I used to have both before the tragic boating accident in 250 feet of water. Dang hate it when that happens. :)

[JRandomFreeper]

I had a Colt with a 7.62x39 upper for quite a while, and loved it. 100 rounds right hand, 100 rounds left hand was about all I could do though. It kicked a lot more than the standard 5.56. And I tend toward the tiny/fragile scale.

Sold it to attend culinary school. Should have skipped school and kept that and the AR-50.

/johnny

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

I’ve long felt that the AR-15/M16 were too fragile, temperamental, and difficult to clean for my tastes.

If you want to do a good job cleaning them, you’ll need a bright light, a dental mirror, and some dental picks.

[sbhitchc]

Hi aimhigh,

I have a bushmaster patrol that i have never hand any trouble at all with. I would go for an A3, removable carry handle. Then i would purchase some Russian, eastern block ammo to break it in. Always keep some quality ammo around though. I added a Burris AR-332 scope that i am very happy with.

I also purchased a colt M4 OPS 22LR that i have not been so happy with. it jams often, even after sending it back to colt and having the main spring replaced.

I have heard nothing but good about Stryker Defense 22lr conversions for an AR but have never tried one. Its what all the guys at my range swear by though. Ammo for that will cost nothing.

Good luck, good shooting.

[JrsyJack]

All AR-15 type rifles will share common receivers, barrels, stocks, sights, etc. The features that are important to me may not be important to you but here are several things that will matter:

You will want a barrel suited for the type of shooting you will be doing. Barrel length and twist rate (7:1, 9:1, 12:1, etc) determine the type of ammo that can be used reliably. Generally a faster twist will be needed to stabilize heavier ammo. Also, a longer barrel is generally more accurate at longer distances than a shorter barrel.

A2 or A3 type upper receiver. An A3 receiver will allow for the mounting of optics, red dot or BUIS sights. An A2 will be limited to the handle mounted rear sight. Same holds true for the front gas block, an A2 or A1 style sight tower will limit you options, a low profile or railed block will allow the mounting of a free float tube and removable front sights.

A2 or collapsible stock. The 6 position collapsing stocks look tactical but offer no real advantage for rest or bench shooting. A standard A2 stock allows a better cheek weld and a more stable shooting position, in my opinion anyway.

As you have probably found, the AR-15 is a very popular and adaptive platform, the combination of features is almost limitless...my advice is to decide what you want it for, i.e. plinking, hunting, varminting or just plain old SHTF, and go from there. You may want to explore building you own or even more than one. Lots of folks go that route and it is not as hard as you would expect.

Good Luck...