Swifty Morgan
New member
My local Gander Outdoors has Aguila 9mm for $7.85. I bought several boxes the other day. I didn't need it, but I felt like they were twisting my arm with that price.
Coronavirus Causing AR15 Shortage?
- Thread starter Swifty Morgan
- Start date
mikejonestkd
New member
NY Compliant AR-15s are flying off the shelves here in Upstate NY, and handguns are selling fast too. I stopped by the LGS and saw several first time shoppers working with clerks, with others patiently waiting a turn to buy whatever they had for sale.
The situation is going to get more anxious/ frantic as soon as trucks stop rolling to grocery stores.
back on topic:
You may be looking at the wrong sources for you information. A decent AR in the $700-$1000 range will do 1-1.5"at 100 yards with ammo it likes.
I have a Stag and a RRA because they had the features I wanted, but one of the best for the buck is the Smith MP-15 sport.
The situation is going to get more anxious/ frantic as soon as trucks stop rolling to grocery stores.
back on topic:
You may be looking at the wrong sources for you information. A decent AR in the $700-$1000 range will do 1-1.5"at 100 yards with ammo it likes.
I have a Stag and a RRA because they had the features I wanted, but one of the best for the buck is the Smith MP-15 sport.
Swifty Morgan
New member
I saw an article where a gun writer bought a pricey barrel and got nearly 2 MOA. He then went through a lot of hassle, using Loctite to attach the barrel to the receiver, bending the gas piston, and so on, to make it shoot straight. Does that sound normal? When I got my LR-308, no one said anything about performing major surgery. I thought these were very similar firearms.
Maybe the .17 HMR has me spoiled.
Maybe the .17 HMR has me spoiled.
people today are so spoiled...
oh, it only does 2 MOA that's not good enough... I wonder how many of us can actually SHOOT 2 MOA if we aren't on a bench...
40 years ago, I could, today...probably not so much...
Just for comparison, I will remind folks of the US ARMY standard for overseas shipment (1975) for the M16A1 rifle was 8 MOA. EIGHT minute of angle.
IF the rifle wouldn't shoot an 8 inch group (or better @ 100m) it didn't go overseas for combat, it was retained in the CONUS for training use.
Think about that for a bit.,.,.
oh, it only does 2 MOA that's not good enough... I wonder how many of us can actually SHOOT 2 MOA if we aren't on a bench...
40 years ago, I could, today...probably not so much...
Just for comparison, I will remind folks of the US ARMY standard for overseas shipment (1975) for the M16A1 rifle was 8 MOA. EIGHT minute of angle.
IF the rifle wouldn't shoot an 8 inch group (or better @ 100m) it didn't go overseas for combat, it was retained in the CONUS for training use.
Think about that for a bit.,.,.
I have 4 AR rifles and one pistol. I paid no more than $700 and that was during the 1994-2004 ban. The others are all in the $500 range. Every one of them will shoot very near 1 MOA with good ammo and optics. Including the 10.5" barreled pistol.
I've never seen an AR that wouldn't do at least 1.5MOA.
I've never seen an AR that wouldn't do at least 1.5MOA.
FrankenMauser
New member
I've had two that were exceptionally terrible.
I still have one barrel (16.5", mid-gas) that averaged about 5 MoA.
You can have it. Just cover shipping and let us know how it runs for you.
I'm glad I didn't feel compelled to make a dash for guns n ammo. I already got some. The panic buying public freaks me out more than the threat of the virus. I got three kids home eating everything in sight. That stresses me out.
Anyways....my AR interest started like yours. The more I looked into them, I just had to have one. I got bargain one though and although it doesn't shoot cloverleaves, I love how easy it is to shoot well and maintain. I think of the AR as more of a parallel to the AK than a precision rifle.
Anyways....my AR interest started like yours. The more I looked into them, I just had to have one. I got bargain one though and although it doesn't shoot cloverleaves, I love how easy it is to shoot well and maintain. I think of the AR as more of a parallel to the AK than a precision rifle.
There is nothing wrong with an AR and nothing particularly magical about them either. I don't care for the zing zing in my ear and now in California you have to put too many stupid things on them to keep them legal. A mini with a strut is more compact and a decent alternative. Really if you have a reliable centerfire pistol in a service caliber and a 12 gauge hunting shotgun with a variety of ammo you are pretty well armed! 357 magnum lever rifles are outstanding too.
Geezerbiker
New member
Virus fears have put a damper on my 2 AR projects. Almost no one is spending money on their motorcycles so I don't have the bux to spend on gun stuff.
Shillen sells a heavy .223 barrel with a matched bolt that I was hoping to buy. It cost as much as some cheap ARs but what the hell, it's what I want. Now I'm thinking it could be a couple more years before I get back to this project.
What a shame, it was really looking like it was going to be a good year until this crapola hit...
Tony
Shillen sells a heavy .223 barrel with a matched bolt that I was hoping to buy. It cost as much as some cheap ARs but what the hell, it's what I want. Now I'm thinking it could be a couple more years before I get back to this project.
What a shame, it was really looking like it was going to be a good year until this crapola hit...
Tony
Ignition Override
New member
Ask a gun store whether they have any ARs concealed behind a door.
Academy Sports hid their ARs in back rooms etc, after the horrible Sandy Hook tragedy.
Academy Sports hid their ARs in back rooms etc, after the horrible Sandy Hook tragedy.
stinkeypete
New member
I built a couple ARs from parts online and FFL transferred receivers. I recommend building your own for the curious enthusiast who has the mechanical skills to change a kitchen sink out, or change the oil on a lawn mower. It’s just following directions and wrenching stuff together.
You’ll need an armorers barrel wrench and a set of punch pins and a work bench and maybe the most basic of hand tools. A set of go and no-go gauges. When all done, you can sell the specialty tools on eBay. (eBay Is for selling, not buying. In general.)
If a good trigger is your thing, buy a match trigger. If accuracy, buy a solid barrel. Etc. I found that the design is really brilliant from an accuracy point of view because loosely speaking, everything is attached to the chamber. The bolt assembly, barrel and sights are sort of one tiny cannon and the rifle part... is just underneath, keeping out of the way.
As for hoarding and prices... it’s pretty fair to say the regulars around here are well stocked up.
Sadly, I expect many people may need cash before this whole thing steadies out so I am keeping my powder dry for any new purchases.
That said, the best advice I have heard so far is “act as if you are carrying the virus”. You just might be. The goal is to keep from spreading the sickness to lots of people, not to keep yourself from getting it. Not that it’s a bad thing if I don’t get it, but it’s worse if I give it to 10 others.
I have been looking over my copy of “complete guide to handloading” by Phillip B. Sharpe (3rd edition, 2nd rev) 1953 again.
This old book is close enough after the Great Depression that it has all sorts of useful chapters such as ‘how to make your own shotgun pellets in a pinch” Chapters and chapters on how powder is made (in factories), effects of rifling on shooting shotgun pellets out of pistols, all sorts of old times stuff still of interest, esp on cheap mil surplus rifles.
You’ll need an armorers barrel wrench and a set of punch pins and a work bench and maybe the most basic of hand tools. A set of go and no-go gauges. When all done, you can sell the specialty tools on eBay. (eBay Is for selling, not buying. In general.)
If a good trigger is your thing, buy a match trigger. If accuracy, buy a solid barrel. Etc. I found that the design is really brilliant from an accuracy point of view because loosely speaking, everything is attached to the chamber. The bolt assembly, barrel and sights are sort of one tiny cannon and the rifle part... is just underneath, keeping out of the way.
As for hoarding and prices... it’s pretty fair to say the regulars around here are well stocked up.
Sadly, I expect many people may need cash before this whole thing steadies out so I am keeping my powder dry for any new purchases.
That said, the best advice I have heard so far is “act as if you are carrying the virus”. You just might be. The goal is to keep from spreading the sickness to lots of people, not to keep yourself from getting it. Not that it’s a bad thing if I don’t get it, but it’s worse if I give it to 10 others.
I have been looking over my copy of “complete guide to handloading” by Phillip B. Sharpe (3rd edition, 2nd rev) 1953 again.
This old book is close enough after the Great Depression that it has all sorts of useful chapters such as ‘how to make your own shotgun pellets in a pinch” Chapters and chapters on how powder is made (in factories), effects of rifling on shooting shotgun pellets out of pistols, all sorts of old times stuff still of interest, esp on cheap mil surplus rifles.
spacemanspiff
New member
maybe its the shooter, not the gun? You won't know unless you give it a try, right? But if you already have negative thoughts about the platform, maybe its not worth it afterall?
AR14s rolleyes are known to have hyper-sensitive respiratory systems and are, accordingly, extremely susceptible to contracting Corvid-19 - more commonly called the 'Kung Flu'.
Reasonable precautions and protocols are therefore indicated.
M1 Garands, on the other hand, have never suffered from such respiratory viruses.
rolleyes are known to have hyper-sensitive respiratory systems and are, accordingly, extremely susceptible to contracting Corvid-19 - more commonly called the 'Kung Flu'. Reasonable precautions and protocols are therefore indicated.
M1 Garands, on the other hand, have never suffered from such respiratory viruses.
highpower3006
New member
The thing is, not everyone wants to sit on their butt at a bench and see how small their groups can be. As you pointed out, your .17 HMR can generally be expected to do better than a AR, but then an AR was never designed to be a target rifle. They were designed to be a general issue infantry rifle that has been pressed into many different uses and configurations over the last 60 years.
I have several AR's running the gamut from a suppressed 10" barrel SBR, to a couple retro M16 clones, a M4 and a HBAR Match Sport that I used to compete with. I can tell you that with the right ammo an AR can be stunningly accurate. Running bulk military grade ammo through a stock AR and expecting MOA accuracy is unrealistic.
Now this was many years ago before my eyes went south, but back in the late eighties through the early nineties when I was competing in the NRA matches, my HBAR was capable of near MOA using NM iron sights and the handloads that I developed for it. I can't remember the exact load, but I do remember using 68 grain match bullets and W748 powder. IIRC, I estimated the velocity at 2900 fps and it was 100% reliable and deadly accurate. Nowadays they use VLD bullets and are getting good results out to 600 yards.
Where AR's really shine is when you are doing run and gun type shooting and you need to have fast target acquisition between shots. I also like to shoot my AK's, at the same sort of events but if I am out just shooting I mostly stand offhand and plink at reactive targets. I find sitting at a bench to be a total snooze fest unless I am sighting in a gun.
People are starting to buy guns and ammo, but I don't see a panic like the last one on .22 shells and Ar's. Toilet paper? That one surprised me a little bit. Hell! people have lived without toilet paper for hundreds of years. It's convenient, for sure, but not at the top of my survival list.
Swifty Morgan
New member
It's mass insanity. People are even buying up bottled water. No sane person thinks water systems are going to be shut down.