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USA
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Posted: 3/30/2024 5:08:44 PM EDT
I want to use an AR for home defense and shtf. I was a Colt guy but now like Daniel Defense better. My Smith and Wesson AR I'm not a fan of.
How much more reliable is a pistol AR? Who makes the most reliable, hard use AR? |
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TN, USA
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Posted: 3/30/2024 5:30:26 PM EDT
[#1]
The one that shoots every time no matter the brand.
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Posted: 3/30/2024 6:19:06 PM EDT
[#2]
Originally Posted By Kip4: Who makes the most reliable, hard use AR? I do. They are very nice. You should build you one. |
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MN, USA
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Posted: 3/30/2024 6:34:49 PM EDT
[Last Edit: M4BlackRifle]
[#3]
Why is Colt or Daniel Defense not reliable ?
Somewhere there is a Chart that helps determine what Tier various common AR rifles are on. By definition, AR pistols are less reliable. |
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Posted: 3/30/2024 7:07:08 PM EDT
[#4]
Ask 10 people that question and you'll get 11 answers.
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OH, USA
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Posted: 3/30/2024 7:12:01 PM EDT
[#5]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Dragynn: I do. They are very nice. You should build you one. I tend to agree with this. |
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MP, USA
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Posted: 3/30/2024 7:42:58 PM EDT
[Last Edit: JoshNC]
[#6]
Colt
Geissele LMT DD KAC Centurion BCM FN Pick one with the features that fit your needs and don’t overthink it. |
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USA
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Posted: 3/30/2024 9:21:31 PM EDT
[#7]
Build one to your specs.
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Posted: 3/30/2024 9:23:38 PM EDT
[#8]
Why don’t you like your S and W?
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Posted: 3/30/2024 9:32:30 PM EDT
[#9]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By JoshNC: Colt Geissele LMT DD KAC Centurion BCM Pick one with the features that fit your needs and don’t overthink it. FN |
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MP, USA
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Posted: 3/30/2024 10:31:52 PM EDT
[#10]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By jlebowski: FN Absolutely |
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Posted: 3/30/2024 10:37:39 PM EDT
[#11]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By JoshNC: Colt Geissele LMT DD KAC Centurion BCM FN Pick one with the features that fit your needs and don’t overthink it. Id go with this as well |
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KY, USA
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Posted: 3/30/2024 11:04:35 PM EDT
[#12]
@Kip4
There is a channel on YouTube where a guy in South/Eastern KY does meltdown vids of various uppers on a full auto lower. Pick the one you see last the longest |
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NC, USA
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Posted: 3/30/2024 11:05:48 PM EDT
[#13]
Don’t sleep on the Sabre line with FN CHF barrels. I have two and both have been nothing short of stellar so far.
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FL, USA
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Posted: 3/30/2024 11:08:20 PM EDT
[Last Edit: FlamingDragon]
[#14]
The M&P is just as reliable as anything else. I like a bare bones M&P, good rifle nothing wrong with it at all.
From my own experience, I've owned just about every M&P model made. M&P Sport M&P T M&P T gen II M&P T gen III M&P VTAC M&P X M&P Magpul series Never had not a single malfunction with any single one of them. All the ones I had were 100% reliable. |
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Posted: 3/30/2024 11:59:51 PM EDT
[#15]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By green_bullet: @Kip4 There is a channel on YouTube where a guy in South/Eastern KY does meltdown vids of various uppers on a full auto lower. Pick the one you see last the longest Meltdown videos are bs videos and not realistic usage or proper determination of a reliable rifle. |
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Posted: 3/31/2024 12:03:34 AM EDT
[#16]
For the most part, an AR is an AR is an AR. Yeah, it may ruffle some feathers but they’re all doing the same thing; firing a 55-73 grain bulllet down a 16” barrel. Sure, there’s some that do it just a little bit better, but there’s diminishing returns and the most important factor is the end user.
Don’t get hung up on the super bestest. In short, you’re over analyzing. |
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Posted: 3/31/2024 9:16:01 AM EDT
[#17]
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Posted: 3/31/2024 11:01:17 PM EDT
[#18]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By jhc: Build one to your specs. Absolutely this^. Use quality parts and you can still come out ahead versus a factory-built rifle. ARs aren't rocket surgery. |
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Posted: 4/1/2024 9:42:01 AM EDT
[Last Edit: bfoosh06]
[#19]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By 50-140: Ask 10 people that question and you'll get 11 answers. This. The Op will need to be more specific, as to their needs. Vague questions will not get specific answers. |
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Posted: 4/1/2024 11:37:48 AM EDT
[Last Edit: kwb377]
[#20]
My Colt AR's have been 100% reliable.
My Ruger AR's have been just as reliable as my Colts. My S&W AR's have been just as reliable as my Rugers. My BCM AR's have been just as reliable as my S&W's. My LMT AR's have been just as reliable as my BCM's. My DD AR's have been just as reliable as my LMT's. My Bushmaster AR's have been just as reliable as my LMT's. The ones that weren't 100% were SGW/Oly and DPMS. (some of the above are/were personally owned, some agency issued) |
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OK, USA
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Posted: 4/1/2024 11:43:04 AM EDT
[Last Edit: hotdog250j]
[#21]
n/m
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Posted: 4/3/2024 8:15:42 AM EDT
[#22]
Most all will last one mag then then next 4 years in a police evidence locker before being destroyed after the court case.
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Posted: 4/3/2024 9:16:54 AM EDT
[#23]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By 50-140: Ask 10 people that question and you'll get 11 answers. This. It’s really subjective. There are brands that have really tight quality control but no company is immune from producing a lemon now and then. |
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OH, USA
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Posted: 4/3/2024 3:50:11 PM EDT
[#24]
I like my Barrett... Rec7.
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FL, USA
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Posted: 4/3/2024 4:50:02 PM EDT
[#25]
To be honest, unless you get someone who buys multiple samples of different ARs and runs them through a statistically valid process to determine Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF) using the same ammo and mags, you really aren’t going to know for sure. For the vast majority of people, an $800 AR from a well known manufacturer is going to be just as reliable as an $1800 AR from a “Tier 1” manufacturer.
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NV, USA
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Posted: 4/3/2024 4:54:33 PM EDT
[#26]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By JoshNC: Colt Geissele LMT DD KAC Centurion BCM FN Pick one with the features that fit your needs and don’t overthink it. Picked Noveske |
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VA, USA
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Posted: 4/3/2024 10:14:07 PM EDT
[#27]
I personally like Colt. They have always gone bang when I needed them to, some with over 5000rds. That’s good enough for me.
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Posted: 4/4/2024 6:24:03 PM EDT
[#28]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By black1970: The one that shoots every time no matter the brand. FPNI, again. ARs that work, generally work reliably. ARs that have problems, generally have problems until you sort them out. |
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Posted: 4/4/2024 6:34:21 PM EDT
[#29]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By M4BlackRifle: Why is Colt or Daniel Defense not reliable ? Somewhere there is a Chart that helps determine what Tier various common AR rifles are on. By definition, AR pistols are less reliable. Oh God, not “The Chart”  That was simply a seating chart for the cool kids table. What in the definition of “AR pistol” makes them less reliable?  When AR pistols first appeared, it was pushing the envelop and there were a lot of lessons to be learned. Today, offerings from reputable manufacturers, come equipped with the proper gas system (tube length, port size, etc) and buffer/buffer spring and can be every bit as reliable in function as traditional 14.5”, 16” or 20” barrels. My 10.5” PSA upper is utterly reliable. |
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SC, USA
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Posted: 4/5/2024 6:31:57 AM EDT
[#30]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By jhc: Build one to your specs. This. My POS poverty pony frankengun is the only AR I've ever owned that has never had a malfunction. |
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Posted: 4/5/2024 6:40:46 AM EDT
[#31]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Makarov: Oh God, not “The Chart” That was simply a seating chart for the cool kids table. What in the definition of “AR pistol” makes them less reliable? When AR pistols first appeared, it was pushing the envelop and there were a lot of lessons to be learned. Today, offerings from reputable manufacturers, come equipped with the proper gas system (tube length, port size, etc) and buffer/buffer spring and can be every bit as reliable in function as traditional 14.5”, 16” or 20” barrels. My 10.5” PSA upper is utterly reliable. Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Makarov: Originally Posted By M4BlackRifle: Why is Colt or Daniel Defense not reliable ? Somewhere there is a Chart that helps determine what Tier various common AR rifles are on. By definition, AR pistols are less reliable. Oh God, not “The Chart” That was simply a seating chart for the cool kids table. What in the definition of “AR pistol” makes them less reliable? When AR pistols first appeared, it was pushing the envelop and there were a lot of lessons to be learned. Today, offerings from reputable manufacturers, come equipped with the proper gas system (tube length, port size, etc) and buffer/buffer spring and can be every bit as reliable in function as traditional 14.5”, 16” or 20” barrels. My 10.5” PSA upper is utterly reliable. That chart was so dumb. It was an attempt to push factory rifles over home built rifles or custom built rifles back when the roll your own movement really stated taking off. Of course we now know that home/custom built rifles are similar to home/custom built computers in that all that matters are the quality of the parts and the process of assembly. A home or custom built rifle can far exceed a factory rifle in terms of performance and quality. I have a few 10.3 MK18 rifles that have burned through thousands of rounds without missing a beat. Likewise I bought my wife and Aero Precision 14.5” middy rifle that wouldn’t cycle out of the box. Turns out the gas port wasn’t drilled the proper size. It doesn’t mean Aero is junk, it just means human error exists. |
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MP, USA
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Posted: 4/5/2024 8:12:54 AM EDT
[Last Edit: JoshNC]
[#32]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By MK318: That chart was so dumb. It was an attempt to push factory rifles over home built rifles or custom built rifles back when the roll your own movement really stated taking off. Of course we now know that home/custom built rifles are similar to home/custom built computers in that all that matters are the quality of the parts and the process of assembly. A home or custom built rifle can far exceed a factory rifle in terms of performance and quality. I have a few 10.3 MK18 rifles that have burned through thousands of rounds without missing a beat. Likewise I bought my wife and Aero Precision 14.5” middy rifle that wouldn’t cycle out of the box. Turns out the gas port wasn’t drilled the proper size. It doesn’t mean Aero is junk, it just means human error exists. I think the chart didn’t age well. But at the time Rob made the chart, it had validity. There were a lot of garbage parts and less than stellar builds from less than stellar companies. It was the rise of consumer interest in the AR at a time when there were limited numbers of parts vendors, handfuls of manufacturers, and the chart helped spell out important specs to lay consumers. Recall that at the time, we didn’t have microbest, Schmidt, and others who supply the manufacturers directly selling to the retail market. |
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Posted: 4/5/2024 1:02:59 PM EDT
[#33]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By JoshNC: I think the chart didn’t age well. But at the time Rob made the chart, it had validity. There were a lot of garbage parts and less than stellar builds from less than stellar companies. Definitely this. |
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TX, USA
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Posted: 4/5/2024 1:30:37 PM EDT
[#34]
I've been building ARs for decades and have several hundred under my belt. I've built them with every imaginable combination of receivers/barrels/BCG/FCG/etc., and have concluded that if built correctly with quality parts, a home-built AR is as reliable as anything you'll find in the store, if not better. I have never had one come back because it wasn't reliable.
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Posted: 4/5/2024 1:41:35 PM EDT
[Last Edit: MallNinja531]
[#35]
I have had frankenguns that were 100% reliable with any trash ammo I threw in them. I've had higher end AR's that had a few issues here and there. And vice versa. Test and line them out, there are no absolutes with man made machinery.
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Posted: 4/5/2024 11:11:11 PM EDT
[Last Edit: -OdieGreen-]
[#36]
I think the chart changed the AR market for the better by a lot. It’s hard to believe that high pressure and magnetic particle testing, staked gas keys and castle nuts, and standardized forged receiver extensions used to be a rare and premium feature. Anyone else remember when M16 carriers were considered machine gun parts by about every manufacturer? Or when gas port diameters and buffer weights were considered snake oil and “more gas” was always the answer?
Gone are the days of “I hope brand A’s part works with brand B’s”. Some of you guys don’t know how good we have it now. To the OP, JoshNC’s list is pretty spot on. Nothing is 100% guaranteed in life with anything but that list is a great start. |
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SC, USA
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Posted: 4/6/2024 12:21:47 AM EDT
[#37]
What's more reliable than an AR? Two ARs.
I get you want The Most Reliable AR. But even the best can break. Buy a good quality AR and keep a good stock of parts. I shoot a lot of variant calibers in ARs and have a spare bolt for each. There's no worse feeling than watching a 99 cent spring or part fly across the room never to be seen again, and knowing you're rifle won't function without it. For what most Top Tier brands cost, you can buy a quality mid tier brand and a spare upper and have cash left over. |
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