I was reading a new member’s thread and thought I would start this one. Tell us about your first AR, why did you buy it etc.
I’ll start. My wife and I carried the kids to Riverbanks Zoo. PSA wasn’t really a thing then so on the way home we stopped at Sportsman’s Warehouse. I was interested in a AR style .22. Looked around and they had a DPMS slick side for only 20 bucks more. I bought it and haven’t looked back. Still have it and all the others I have acquired since.
Built my first one on a PSA lower and upper. Back then lowers were $125 and uppers were $100, all bought out of the old Farrow Rd. Location. Hadn’t yet decided on caliber when Sandy Hook happened. Only ammo I could find was 300blk, so that is what a built.
Always had bolt action rifles for hunting and SKS for plinking. Looked into the AR platform to see what all the uproar was about and decided to go with a PSA complete lower and upper in 5.56 to get a complete gun. After that I was hooked. Such a versatile platform and you can build what you want to fill your needs.
Lever action guy, never really gave the AR platform much thought, then saw an ad for a Ruger 8500 in 5.56 for an unbelievable price four years ago, figured no more than I spent on it if I didn’t like It I could sell and still make a little money off it. Now I’ve found two are better than one.
DPMS AR-10.
Wanted a semiautomatic and go big or go home (especially for packs of giant SE Texas hogs). Only minor regret was not waiting a few months when it went on super sale for $50 less than I paid, but next thing I knew they were $800-1000 and then out of business and now back in business?
For a “budget” AR it’s incredibly accurate and eats everything (except some hot 168 grain loads from a local manufacturer) just doesn’t have a dust cover but that’s no biggie.
Had a few guns before, acquired several more since, but it’s still my absolute favorite.
My original DPMS has a Sig CP1 3x optic. I love that optic and wish I could find more. They were discontinued several years ago.
Dpms LR 308 with a 24", yes a full two damn feet, of bull barrel. Had to weigh as much as 12 boxes that you might carry…wish I had them to show you now. Put a RRA 2 stage trigger in and was suddenly fixated on the concept of a lego rifle.
Bought a stripped spikes lower, and a complete less handguard BCM 16" mid gas. Put a VLTOR CASV on it before they keymodded and discontinued them. Gen 1 vortex strikefire. Then I got my lower parts kit, opened some brownells videos, and put it all together with a screwdriver, a ball point pen, needlenose pliers, and a straight razor for the pivot detent. That’s when I learned everything can be a hammer if you need it to be
my first was a Stagarms rifle that my little brother purchased years ago. He needed some money and was moving and couldn’t take it with him. I gave him $800 if I remember correctly. I still have it and it’s tricked out for coyotes - long throw green light, good Nikon optic, tall bipod, piston buffer (no spring noise), light weight BCG, comp, etc. Little to no recoil. Very tuned. This is the only one I would really consider putting a suppressor on.
My first was a mossberg 708 plinker tactical (later renamed to the 715). It was basically a 10/22 clone with a plastic clam shell screwed around it to make it LOOK like an AR. I had little experience with guns and zero experience with ARs, so i had no idea this wasn’t the real thing at the time I ordered it. Also, I bought it online through Buds Guns because the news claimed you could buy a gun online and it would come straight to your house! That was the first time I actually noticed (through experience) that the news tells flat out lies.
My first REAL AR15 was a DPMS (Sportical, I think, is the model). It had a railed gas block that I promptly melted a Magpul front sight on because I had no idea that:
A) railed gas blocks need a front sight that is different from sights you put on a rail.
B) gas blocks get hot enough to melt plastic
C) Magpul makes good stuff, it was me who didn’t know enough about the stuff i was buying to make the right choices.
PSA Freedom 16". Why-wanted one since I was a kid. Started to feel kind of stupid, not owning one. I had to save a long time. It’s still technically my first-I have a lower and an LPK in a box. Haven’t decided on what the second one will be yet. Iron sights, an E-Lander 40, a bargain bin sling, and a light.