Moebrown20
08-04-2010, 10:42 AM
M4 Carbine-style DPMS AP4
http://www.fieldandstream.com/files/imagecache/photo-gallery/photo/23/001-DPMS-AP4.jpg
The most popular AR variant these days is the semi-automatic civilian version of the U.S. Military’s M4 Carbine, a weapon seen in the hands of members of the U.S. military from Iraq to Afghanistan.
A terrific example of this class of firearm is the DPMS AP4. This gun combines handy size, ample power and an ability to accept a wide range of optics on its Picatinny rail upper receiver (which has a removable carry handle). There are a host of aftermarket accessories available for it, including Picatinny rail fore-ends, replacement stock assemblies, sights, and more, so the little carbine can grow with you as your interests and budget changes. MSRP: $904. www.dpmsinc.com
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Colt Match Target HBAR
http://www.fieldandstream.com/files/imagecache/photo-gallery/photo/23/002-Colt-Match-Target-HBAR.jpg
When the Marine Corps requested an upgrade to the M16A1 that would incorporate sights adjustable to 800 meters, thicker barrels, and more durable plastic parts, the result was the M16A2. The redesign introduced features that are now standard on most AR firearms--including round, ribbed handguards, a shell deflector on the upper receiver, and more. Colt, which worked with the Marine Corps to develop the M16A2, offers a civilian semi-automatic-only variant of this rifle in its Match Target HBAR rifle.
Because these guns are Colts, they get all the refinements (and the quality control) that the company has developed during the four-plus decades it’s been building AR variants. There’s a lot of history behind the rampant colt logo, and this gun gives civilians a chance to own a piece of it--as well as an astoundingly reliable and accurate gun. What more could you ask? MSRP: $1,119. www.coltsmfg.com
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Armalite AR-10 A2
http://www.fieldandstream.com/files/imagecache/photo-gallery/photo/23/003-Armalite-AR-10A2.jpg
Although most AR rifles are chambered for 5.56x45 mm/.223 Rem., it actually began life as the Armalite AR-10 chambered in 7.62x51mm (.308 Win.). The original Armalite company went out of business decades ago, but the .308 Win. AR-10 is back, thanks to a reborn Armalite company based in Geneseo, IL.
The new AR-10 rifle, specifically the AR-10 A2 Infantry Model, takes advantage of all the modernized features of a mature AR, including M16A2-style sights and stock set, and an upper receiver with a forward assist and shell deflector, and combines them with the traditional charm of a 1950s-era AR-10.
So, here you not only get to go back to the AR’s roots, but you also get a gun that moves the design solidly into the big-bore power range of the .308 Win. And that means deer. MSRP: $1,561. www.armalite.com
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Stag Arms Model 4L
http://www.fieldandstream.com/files/imagecache/photo-gallery/photo/23/004-Stag-Arms-Model-4L.jpg
Left-handed shooters can be a somewhat overlooked group --Just ask Mr. Petzal-- often forced to learn to use standard right-hand variants of firearms. However, thanks to Stag Arms, lefties can get a true left-hand AR-pattern rifle, the Stag-15L Model 4L in 5.56x45 mm.
This gun, from the company’s Stag-15 and 15L line of right- and left-hand rifles and carbines, is not simply a retro-designed ambidextrous rifle but actually a near-mirror copy of a standard right-hand rifle. The lower receiver of the rifle is a standard model fitted out with completely ambidextrous controls (this is required to allow the use of standard magazines), but the upper receiver is a true reversed left-hand version with a matching left-hand bolt carrier assembly.
Representing an AR variant unlike anything else on the market, the Stag Arms series of southpaw rifles and carbines offers lefties a wonderfully engineered and uncommon mirror-image version of the now so-familiar AR rifle. MSRP: $1,095. www.stagarms.com
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Bushmaster C15
http://www.fieldandstream.com/files/imagecache/photo-gallery/photo/23/008-Bushmaster-C15-M4.jpg
The C15 M4 Type Carbine (configured like an M4-style carbine with a flat-top upper) from Bushmaster updates the basic AR design with a new generation of materials. Rather than aluminum, the C15 employs composite-molded receivers. The synthetic material makes the gun very light and durable. In fact, the company claims a 40 percent reduction in weight and a 40 percent increase in strength over a comparable aluminum receiver. It’s lighter, yet stronger. I have no problem with that. MSRP: $1,190. www.bushmaster.com
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DPMS 5.56 Sportical
http://www.fieldandstream.com/files/imagecache/photo-gallery/photo/23/009-DPMS-5.56-Sportical.jpg
When you’re on a tight budget, a $2,000 or $3,000 rifle is an impossibility. But where there’s a will, there’s a way, and Randy Luth at DPMS put his team to work to create an AR that delivered champagne quality at wine cooler pricing. The result is the 5.56 Sportical, which combines elements of the company’s sporting and tactical offerings into an appealing package that retails for around $700.
The Sportical achieves it excellent price point by cutting the design down to its basics while leaving the features most wanted by shooters. To make mounting optics easier, DPMS opted to go with an extruded-alloy flat-top upper receiver (with no forward assist or shell deflector) and a Picatinny rail-equipped gas block. The carbine features a 16-inch lightweight profile barrel and the company’s proprietary Pardus six-position collapsible stock. The Sportical proves that quality does not necessarily have to cost an arm and a leg. MSRP: $704. www.dpmsinc.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Knight’s SR-25 Series
http://www.fieldandstream.com/files/imagecache/photo-gallery/photo/23/005-Knights-Armament-SR-25-Mk11-Mod-0.jpg
Developed in the early 1990s, the SR-25 series from Knight’s Armament Corporation was designed to be an AR-based precision rifle in 7.62x51 mm/.308 Win. capable of shooting less than 1-inch groups at 100 yards. Tuned from the ground up for precision, the SR-25 achieves its exemplary performance by using high-quality barrels housed within free-floated handguards.
Harnessing the inherent accuracy of the AR-pattern rifle and the power of the .308, the SR-25 offers the discerning shooters a chance to own one of the most refined AR variants available. Such precision, alas, does come at a price. Do you own an oil well? MSRP: $7,884.39. www.knightarmco.com
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Remington R-15 VTR Predator Carbine CS
http://www.fieldandstream.com/files/imagecache/photo-gallery/photo/23/016-Remington-R-15-vtr-predator-carbine-cs.jpg
Although the AR’s popularity has grown beyond the military and tactical realms to also include the shooting sports, the majority of the latter have been geared toward long-range varmint shooting. This application makes sense due to the inherent accuracy and fast follow-up shots of the AR, but Remington saw more potential.
The R-15 VTR line of rifles, offered in a variety of configurations in either .223 Rem. or the new .204 Ruger, represented Remington’s first move into the AR market. The significance of this can not be understated, as Remington is a company renowned for producing revered sporting firearms, and Big Green’s historic move has helped win over many hunters.
One of the more unique and interesting variants in the line is the R-15 VTR Predator Carbine CS. Geared toward the predator hunter, this handy little carbine features a collapsible stock and a short 18-inch barrel. To aid concealment, the rifle also sports an Advantage MAX-1 HD camouflage coating.
Taking what was once considered an unconventional sporting firearm and honing it to precisely what outdoorsmen need, Remington has done both the hunting community and the AR-enthusiast community a service with the R-15 series. MSRP: $1,225. www.remington.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Armalite M15A4 Carbine
http://www.fieldandstream.com/files/imagecache/photo-gallery/photo/23/012-Armalite-M15A4-Carbine.jpg
When the AR began life it was configured as a full-size rifle with a 20-inch barrel and a long gas system that ran the full length of the handguard. But over the years the pattern has been downsized to carbine variants with shorter barrels and shorter gas systems.
These shortened guns achieved the goal of providing an AR carbine, but there are two side effects from the shorter gas systems--faster wear due to the action opening while chamber pressures are higher, and greater fouling from hotter gasses being jetted back into the action.
Armalite, through its M15 Carbine series, developed a novel solution. Rather than a conventional carbine’s short handguard and gas system, the company developed a mid-length gas system that still preserved the overall dimensions of the carbine while elongating the gas system and handguard. The result was a handy carbine designed to run cooler and cleaner than a traditional carbine.
With the AR carbine being one of the most popular variants of the design on the market today, Armalite’s refreshingly new take on its configuration offers shooters another appealing option. MSRP: $1,060. www.armalite.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://www.fieldandstream.com/files/imagecache/photo-gallery/photo/23/001-DPMS-AP4.jpg
The most popular AR variant these days is the semi-automatic civilian version of the U.S. Military’s M4 Carbine, a weapon seen in the hands of members of the U.S. military from Iraq to Afghanistan.
A terrific example of this class of firearm is the DPMS AP4. This gun combines handy size, ample power and an ability to accept a wide range of optics on its Picatinny rail upper receiver (which has a removable carry handle). There are a host of aftermarket accessories available for it, including Picatinny rail fore-ends, replacement stock assemblies, sights, and more, so the little carbine can grow with you as your interests and budget changes. MSRP: $904. www.dpmsinc.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Colt Match Target HBAR
http://www.fieldandstream.com/files/imagecache/photo-gallery/photo/23/002-Colt-Match-Target-HBAR.jpg
When the Marine Corps requested an upgrade to the M16A1 that would incorporate sights adjustable to 800 meters, thicker barrels, and more durable plastic parts, the result was the M16A2. The redesign introduced features that are now standard on most AR firearms--including round, ribbed handguards, a shell deflector on the upper receiver, and more. Colt, which worked with the Marine Corps to develop the M16A2, offers a civilian semi-automatic-only variant of this rifle in its Match Target HBAR rifle.
Because these guns are Colts, they get all the refinements (and the quality control) that the company has developed during the four-plus decades it’s been building AR variants. There’s a lot of history behind the rampant colt logo, and this gun gives civilians a chance to own a piece of it--as well as an astoundingly reliable and accurate gun. What more could you ask? MSRP: $1,119. www.coltsmfg.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Armalite AR-10 A2
http://www.fieldandstream.com/files/imagecache/photo-gallery/photo/23/003-Armalite-AR-10A2.jpg
Although most AR rifles are chambered for 5.56x45 mm/.223 Rem., it actually began life as the Armalite AR-10 chambered in 7.62x51mm (.308 Win.). The original Armalite company went out of business decades ago, but the .308 Win. AR-10 is back, thanks to a reborn Armalite company based in Geneseo, IL.
The new AR-10 rifle, specifically the AR-10 A2 Infantry Model, takes advantage of all the modernized features of a mature AR, including M16A2-style sights and stock set, and an upper receiver with a forward assist and shell deflector, and combines them with the traditional charm of a 1950s-era AR-10.
So, here you not only get to go back to the AR’s roots, but you also get a gun that moves the design solidly into the big-bore power range of the .308 Win. And that means deer. MSRP: $1,561. www.armalite.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stag Arms Model 4L
http://www.fieldandstream.com/files/imagecache/photo-gallery/photo/23/004-Stag-Arms-Model-4L.jpg
Left-handed shooters can be a somewhat overlooked group --Just ask Mr. Petzal-- often forced to learn to use standard right-hand variants of firearms. However, thanks to Stag Arms, lefties can get a true left-hand AR-pattern rifle, the Stag-15L Model 4L in 5.56x45 mm.
This gun, from the company’s Stag-15 and 15L line of right- and left-hand rifles and carbines, is not simply a retro-designed ambidextrous rifle but actually a near-mirror copy of a standard right-hand rifle. The lower receiver of the rifle is a standard model fitted out with completely ambidextrous controls (this is required to allow the use of standard magazines), but the upper receiver is a true reversed left-hand version with a matching left-hand bolt carrier assembly.
Representing an AR variant unlike anything else on the market, the Stag Arms series of southpaw rifles and carbines offers lefties a wonderfully engineered and uncommon mirror-image version of the now so-familiar AR rifle. MSRP: $1,095. www.stagarms.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bushmaster C15
http://www.fieldandstream.com/files/imagecache/photo-gallery/photo/23/008-Bushmaster-C15-M4.jpg
The C15 M4 Type Carbine (configured like an M4-style carbine with a flat-top upper) from Bushmaster updates the basic AR design with a new generation of materials. Rather than aluminum, the C15 employs composite-molded receivers. The synthetic material makes the gun very light and durable. In fact, the company claims a 40 percent reduction in weight and a 40 percent increase in strength over a comparable aluminum receiver. It’s lighter, yet stronger. I have no problem with that. MSRP: $1,190. www.bushmaster.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DPMS 5.56 Sportical
http://www.fieldandstream.com/files/imagecache/photo-gallery/photo/23/009-DPMS-5.56-Sportical.jpg
When you’re on a tight budget, a $2,000 or $3,000 rifle is an impossibility. But where there’s a will, there’s a way, and Randy Luth at DPMS put his team to work to create an AR that delivered champagne quality at wine cooler pricing. The result is the 5.56 Sportical, which combines elements of the company’s sporting and tactical offerings into an appealing package that retails for around $700.
The Sportical achieves it excellent price point by cutting the design down to its basics while leaving the features most wanted by shooters. To make mounting optics easier, DPMS opted to go with an extruded-alloy flat-top upper receiver (with no forward assist or shell deflector) and a Picatinny rail-equipped gas block. The carbine features a 16-inch lightweight profile barrel and the company’s proprietary Pardus six-position collapsible stock. The Sportical proves that quality does not necessarily have to cost an arm and a leg. MSRP: $704. www.dpmsinc.com
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Knight’s SR-25 Series
http://www.fieldandstream.com/files/imagecache/photo-gallery/photo/23/005-Knights-Armament-SR-25-Mk11-Mod-0.jpg
Developed in the early 1990s, the SR-25 series from Knight’s Armament Corporation was designed to be an AR-based precision rifle in 7.62x51 mm/.308 Win. capable of shooting less than 1-inch groups at 100 yards. Tuned from the ground up for precision, the SR-25 achieves its exemplary performance by using high-quality barrels housed within free-floated handguards.
Harnessing the inherent accuracy of the AR-pattern rifle and the power of the .308, the SR-25 offers the discerning shooters a chance to own one of the most refined AR variants available. Such precision, alas, does come at a price. Do you own an oil well? MSRP: $7,884.39. www.knightarmco.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Remington R-15 VTR Predator Carbine CS
http://www.fieldandstream.com/files/imagecache/photo-gallery/photo/23/016-Remington-R-15-vtr-predator-carbine-cs.jpg
Although the AR’s popularity has grown beyond the military and tactical realms to also include the shooting sports, the majority of the latter have been geared toward long-range varmint shooting. This application makes sense due to the inherent accuracy and fast follow-up shots of the AR, but Remington saw more potential.
The R-15 VTR line of rifles, offered in a variety of configurations in either .223 Rem. or the new .204 Ruger, represented Remington’s first move into the AR market. The significance of this can not be understated, as Remington is a company renowned for producing revered sporting firearms, and Big Green’s historic move has helped win over many hunters.
One of the more unique and interesting variants in the line is the R-15 VTR Predator Carbine CS. Geared toward the predator hunter, this handy little carbine features a collapsible stock and a short 18-inch barrel. To aid concealment, the rifle also sports an Advantage MAX-1 HD camouflage coating.
Taking what was once considered an unconventional sporting firearm and honing it to precisely what outdoorsmen need, Remington has done both the hunting community and the AR-enthusiast community a service with the R-15 series. MSRP: $1,225. www.remington.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Armalite M15A4 Carbine
http://www.fieldandstream.com/files/imagecache/photo-gallery/photo/23/012-Armalite-M15A4-Carbine.jpg
When the AR began life it was configured as a full-size rifle with a 20-inch barrel and a long gas system that ran the full length of the handguard. But over the years the pattern has been downsized to carbine variants with shorter barrels and shorter gas systems.
These shortened guns achieved the goal of providing an AR carbine, but there are two side effects from the shorter gas systems--faster wear due to the action opening while chamber pressures are higher, and greater fouling from hotter gasses being jetted back into the action.
Armalite, through its M15 Carbine series, developed a novel solution. Rather than a conventional carbine’s short handguard and gas system, the company developed a mid-length gas system that still preserved the overall dimensions of the carbine while elongating the gas system and handguard. The result was a handy carbine designed to run cooler and cleaner than a traditional carbine.
With the AR carbine being one of the most popular variants of the design on the market today, Armalite’s refreshingly new take on its configuration offers shooters another appealing option. MSRP: $1,060. www.armalite.com
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