FishnHuntIN Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 (edited) Ok, so I've decided I want to get into some 3 Gun in 2014, and the only gun I don't have is a rifle. Been wanting an AR for a few years but haven't had the funds, finally that has changed. I've been researching/looking for a few weeks, and holy crap there are too many options. I've got a few questions for y'all. Would I be better off waiting till I go to a local match and talking with some of the guys there before looking & buying? Being completely new to AR's, I can't hardly even tell the difference other than barrel length and brand name. I feel like the research I've done has just made me more confused, but I think i'm starting to understand a few things. I am planning on talking to a buddy of mine who has built two rifles, but he's not a competitive shooter FWIW. I'd really like to get one before I shoot a match, just to familiarize myself with the rifle and shoot it some. If I did buy one before that (which I want to, money's burning a hole in my pocket lol), am I throwing my money away by not buying a 3 Gun specific rifle? I realize everybody says run what ya got, but I kinda want to at least start on the right path. I haven't really been able to handle one of those, only basic carbines so far. Some of the purpose-built 3 Gun rifles are within my budget (budget is $1000-1500 w/o optic, not sure what I'm going to do there as of yet), but I'm not sure I want to buy one without handling it. I don't want to really hamstring myself (I'm not that good a shooter to begin with) buying a carbine length if the rifle itself has trouble making the shots needed. I looked up some info on the local matches (Indiana Multigun), and they have shoot anywhere from 50 to 600 yards. If I did buy a carbine length gun, got any recommendations for quality manufacturers? Something that I can build on and it not collapse on me in a few years? What say the experts? Sorry for the long post, I've been spending way too much time on this. Any help is greatly appreciated! Thanks y'all! -Adam Edited December 9, 2013 by FishnHuntIN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sthrngnr Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 (edited) I'm no expert, but I would have your buddy help you build an AR. I would contact Jeremy or TK at the Shooters Source , they have great deals on building the perfect 3 gun rifle. Go with any mil spec upper and lower , Nordic .223 Wylde 18" barrel rifle length or if set on carbine length white oak armory has a nice 16" barrel as well, free float tube , a muzzle brake - miculek, JP, Titan etc, and a drop in trigger - CMC, hiperfire, JP etc, low profile gas block , rifle length buffer and stock to take advantage of the lower recoil. All the companies listed are big supporters of the sport and their products work well. Welcome to 3 gun! Edited December 9, 2013 by Sthrngnr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blairmckenzie1 Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 i would go mid length or rifle length gas system with a lightened bolt and buffer and an adjustable gas block. almost everything else is personal preference, find some rifles at a match and ask to check em out. most shooters are incredibly helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StealthyBlagga Posted December 9, 2013 Share Posted December 9, 2013 (edited) Only build a rifle from parts if you have a close friend who you trust to help walk you through the process. You will need specialized tools, and the potential for screwing up is high when you don't even own an AR yet. For the path of least resistance, I'd suggest you buy a complete 3-Gun oriented rifle from one of the several good manufacturers out there (e.g. Stag, DPMS, Double Star, JP, Colt). If you want to save some $$$ and customize just a little, then buy a complete barreled upper and then buy or assemble the lower yourself (lower is easy to do with ordinary hand tools, but the upper requires special tools). For specific features of a 3-Gun rifle, your default choice should be an 18" stainless barrel, rifle length gas system, tube-style free float handguard, and of course a flat-top upper. Only if you see a really compelling reason for a shorter gun (i.e. you know you are NEVER going to shoot beyond 200 yards) should you consider going for less barrel IMHO. If I were buying today, with the needs you have described (50-600 yards, $1500 budget + optics), I would order the following items, slap them together with the best quality optic and mount you can afford (a whole 'nuther subject that you need to search this site about) and go shoot some matches: Barreled Upper Charging Handle Assembled Lower BCG Muzzle Brake Such a rifle would be a solid starting point capable of winning any match in the nation in the right hands, and would give you lots of options for incremental upgrades (e.g. match trigger, more exotic controls and furniture etc.) as you learn more about the sport. Just in case you are not aware, the lower receiver is the controlled item, so it would have to ship to a local FFL dealer for transfer (around here they charge $10-25 for this service). The other items could ship direct to your door. Edited December 10, 2013 by StealthyBlagga Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
11B Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 I would look at Rainier Arms, they make a nice 3g ar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GM2B Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 Building it with quality parts like others have said. Good trigger, 18inch barrel , lightened carrier, and adjustable gas block. I used to run solely home built guns. With quality parts it can be done for 1300.00ish. You will not need to upgrade for a veyr very very long time if ever. Its not rocket science putting them together I built my first by watching a youtube video. JP trigger 120.00 http://www.midwayusa.com/product/405650/jp-enterprises-competition-trigger-ar-15-small-pin-154-3-lb-single-stage-matte Barrel gas block and tube 600 for JP... http://www.midwayusa.com/product/839991/jp-enterprises-barrel-and-bolt-ar-15-223-wylde-medium-contour-1-in-8-twist-18-stainless-steel-with-adjustable-gas-block-gas-tube-jp-small-compensator Ace buttstock 65.00 http://www.midwayusa.com/product/760499/ace-skeleton-buttstock-99-overall-length-ar-15-lr-308-aluminum-black Stripped Upper reciever 85.00 http://www.midwayusa.com/product/138383/dpms-upper-receiver-stripped-ar-15-low-profile-flat-top-matte Lightened BCG 200http://www.midwayusa.com/product/839991/jp-enterprises-barrel-and-bolt-ar-15-223-wylde-medium-contour-1-in-8-twist-18-stainless-steel-with-adjustable-gas-block-gas-tube-jp-small-compensator Handguard 150-250 http://www.midwayusa.com/product/487688/jp-enterprises-rapid-configuration-modular-free-float-tube-handguard-ar-15-extended-rifle-length-aluminum-black Lower receiver 100 Chargin handle 15.00 Lower parts kit 50.00 Total cost for a pretty awesome kit rifle 1385.00 + An AR-15 vise block and armorers wrench 75.00.... No patients in the ER at 4:26am! I hope you build one they are fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GM2B Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 If you decided to go with that barrel assembly you will acutally need to get a low profile adjustable gas block the one it comes with doesnt fit under a 15inch hand guard. I am bet JP would honor that price and switch the gas block for you... I am obviously biased towards JP's product and of course there are other high quality parts manufacturers out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EaZeNuTZ33 Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 I would recommend buying a Stag, Colt, or Doublestar 3-Gun ready rifle. You're just getting started and going crazy with race parts seems counterproductive until you can actually put them to use. I shot all of 2012 with my near stock LaRue 5.56 OBR that has a 16" mid-gas barrel and AAC muzzle brake silencer mount while using the Aimpoint M4s that was already on it. After doing better and better in matches, I built my 2013 race gun with all the goodies and Vortex 1-6 scope. Still have the LaRue for hunting and home defense, and feel I'm a LOT more proficient with it. Once you have some time in and can notice the difference those race parts make for you, build your match rifle. Until then, I would save the money and spend it on decent optics and ammo. Little things like picking up Magpul's 40rd PMags and a few Taccom 5rd extensions for them will help avoid some reloads, which will do as much or more for you than any of the high speed race parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobS761 Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 This^^^. Starting out you probably won't be outgrowing any AR soon, but but a Stag or Doublestar 3G will let you hit the ground running. Plus, there will be a lot less that you feel you need to upgrade than on a basic carbine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregSmith Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 http://www.coltcompetitionrifle.com/Firearms/ColtSportingRifleModelCSR1518.aspx add Burris tac30 or Mtac... GTG Down the road, upgrade trigger. But it's a great, affordable start Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephen1776 Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 I'm no expert, but I would have your buddy help you build an AR. I would contact Jeremy or TK at the Shooters Source , they have great deals on building the perfect 3 gun rifle. Go with any mil spec upper and lower , Nordic .223 Wylde 18" barrel rifle length or if set on carbine length white oak armory has a nice 16" barrel as well, free float tube , a muzzle brake - miculek, JP, Titan etc, and a drop in trigger - CMC, hiperfire, JP etc, low profile gas block , rifle length buffer and stock to take advantage of the lower recoil. All the companies listed are big supporters of the sport and their products work well. Welcome to 3 gun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LegionShooter Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 (edited) Whether you build or buy my bottom line advice is don't over-analyze it. It's an AR-15 not rocket science. 16-18" barrel, mid-length or rifle length gas respectively, decent smooth hand guard, and definitely a good trigger. Barrel and trigger will be your biggest helpers. Adjustable this and lightened that...eh, not really a big deal to me. Military grade, 1/2 MOA this and "The Spec Ops Flavor of the Day uses it" that...who cares, that's not what you're doing. Save money where you can and spend where you should. Then get a ton of XM-193 or similar 55gr bulk ammo and go have a blast...pun intended. This sport is way too fun to get hung up on the trend of the day. My vote is make shooting your backside off and having SAFE fun the trend of the day. And to second the comments above...welcome to 3-Gun...it's a great time! Edited December 10, 2013 by LegionShooter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stephen1776 Posted December 10, 2013 Share Posted December 10, 2013 I started shooting 3 gun this past year and used a gun I had built with a 16" barrel and have since picked up the 18" barrel talked about in the above post. All purchased from shooters source. Listen to the shooters on this site. They are all pretty picky about their guns and equipment. For good reason. Dont short yourself. Build what you want with the advise from shooters. You wont be sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FishnHuntIN Posted December 11, 2013 Author Share Posted December 11, 2013 Wow, thanks for all the responses guys! I do definitely tend to over-analyze things, so this one is kinda tough for me with all the different options out there. Before I logged on here, I was pretty well convinced I was going to go buy an off-the-self carbine and pay a little more on the optics end until I got going. Y'all are pretty convincing though. After reading all this, I'm going to try and get with some of the guys who shoot locally so I can get a better idea of exactly what I'm getting into, lol. I'm also going to try and actually shoot an AR or two, just to get a baseline (I've got a few friends with basic carbines, they're not competitive shooters or anything). I've got awhile till I need to do anything, guess I'll just have to lock my money up! Thanks again y'all, and I'm really looking forward to getting out and shooting! Too bad its the wrong season where I live. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregSmith Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 There's a wrong season for shooting? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EaZeNuTZ33 Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 There's a wrong season for shooting? It starts around 3pm on your wedding anniversary and ends right around the time you wake up the next morning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FishnHuntIN Posted December 11, 2013 Author Share Posted December 11, 2013 There's a wrong season for shooting? Lol, wrong season for me right now I guess. Between the weather and the job and working on my house, shooting is kinda on the back burner. Still can talk about it though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EaZeNuTZ33 Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 There's a wrong season for shooting? Lol, wrong season for me right now I guess. Between the weather and the job and working on my house, shooting is kinda on the back burner. Still can talk about it though! dry fire, shotgun reload practice, indoor uspsa (tho I've found a few, all seem to be while I'm working),..... off season isn't the wrong season. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FishnHuntIN Posted December 11, 2013 Author Share Posted December 11, 2013 There's a wrong season for shooting? Lol, wrong season for me right now I guess. Between the weather and the job and working on my house, shooting is kinda on the back burner. Still can talk about it though! dry fire, shotgun reload practice, indoor uspsa (tho I've found a few, all seem to be while I'm working),..... off season isn't the wrong season. :-) Off-season is definitely a better term! And I can already tell the shotgun reloading is gonna be a PIA for my small hands. So I'll definitely be working on that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobS761 Posted December 11, 2013 Share Posted December 11, 2013 I want to add, you can pick about any AR off the shelf, slap on an optic, and it's gonna run. But a shotgun? meh. Just don't get caught up in all the space gun AR stuff and neglect the ol' shotty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FishnHuntIN Posted December 12, 2013 Author Share Posted December 12, 2013 (edited) I want to add, you can pick about any AR off the shelf, slap on an optic, and it's gonna run. But a shotgun? meh. Just don't get caught up in all the space gun AR stuff and neglect the ol' shotty. Yeah, I have thought about that too. I figured since I don't have an AR I'd take care of that first. I do have two shotguns, and one of em will be a dedicated 3 Gun shotty for the year. Next year I'll attend to the shotty better. A local dealer I was talking to tonight did just find a Gunbroker listing for a Stag Arms 3G for $1289. I think he said it would end up at $1350 or so out the door with shipping and transfer fee. Think I should jump on it? Most carbines around here are running from $850 (Windham Weaponry) to $1150 (Sig Sauer) so it ain't much more. Edited December 12, 2013 by FishnHuntIN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobS761 Posted December 12, 2013 Share Posted December 12, 2013 I want to add, you can pick about any AR off the shelf, slap on an optic, and it's gonna run. But a shotgun? meh. Just don't get caught up in all the space gun AR stuff and neglect the ol' shotty.Yeah, I have thought about that too. I figured since I don't have an AR I'd take care of that first. I do have two shotguns, and one of em will be a dedicated 3 Gun shotty for the year. Next year I'll attend to the shotty better.A local dealer I was talking to tonight did just find a Gunbroker listing for a Stag Arms 3G for $1289. I think he said it would end up at $1350 or so out the door with shipping and transfer fee. Think I should jump on it? Most carbines around here are running from $850 (Windham Weaponry) to $1150 (Sig Sauer) so it ain't much more. That would be a solid choice. But that is my opinion. However, that or the Doublestar will be my next AR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FishnHuntIN Posted December 12, 2013 Author Share Posted December 12, 2013 Thanks again for all the advice guys. I'm gonna pick up the Stag 3G and run with that. Now I just gotta put some glass on it! . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LegionShooter Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 Thanks again for all the advice guys. I'm gonna pick up the Stag 3G and run with that. Now I just gotta put some glass on it! . Enjoy! It'll be a good runner...and don't overthink the glass... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkCO Posted December 14, 2013 Share Posted December 14, 2013 And change the comp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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