used AR15

[lino]

what to look for, were to look?

[ss1]

You can certainly find used AR's in perfect NRA condition as well as fair to poor condition including Vietnam era duffle bag takehomes. Once you nailed down what type of AR you want and brand, you then are going to look for one with the least amount of wear. The biggest problem with AR's is really one of it's attributes - there are tons of aftermarket parts out there. The problem is that you could find yourself with a frankenstein AR that has a bolt that doesn't mate with the barrel extension and has an improper headspace. My recommendation would be to get at least a "no go" headspace gauge and see if the bolt closes on it. If it does, walk away. Another good tool is to get a bore light to see if you see any bulges or excessive wear in the rifling. Take a look at the bolt and look for wear at the extractor and locking lugs and do a mental comparison to what the owner states as their estimate of a round count. Lastly, do a function check to see if the safety works, the bolt locks back on an empty mag, there's no binding on the charging handle, and the upper and lower receiver are functionally tight together. As to where to look for one, you can find some deals online at gunbroker or gunsamerica, but you can't inspect them until they are actually shipped. Most sellers will allow for returns if they clearly haven't communicated to you the condition of the firearm to your expectations but it is a PITA. Personally, I would look at various gun stores to see what they have. Generally's used AR's fetch a price of about 80% of new but that is dependent on condition as well. Some AR's have a poor "used" price such as Olympic Arms or less popular versions such as an A2, so YMMV.

[spikes40]

you can build a new one for what a used one would cost if you have the time and inclination

[lino]

thanks for all the info..

building one sounds cool..

[spikes40]

lino, if you do a build..fell free to ping me if you have any questions

[Cris]

Plus building your own, you understand the functions of the weapon better and how to maintain it. You get better all around understanding of it.

[lino]

lino, if you do a build..fell free to ping me if you have any questions


thanks

[ProfessorStoneFace]

building is fun, good way to see how everything works. I personally would only get a new weapon unless I knew the person personally selling me the weapon and they took care of it.