So, you want to buy an AR-15...
Table of contents
Introduction
The AR-15 is known as "America's rifle" for an obvious reason- we love it.
It's lightweight, has relatively light recoil, is simple, rugged, endlessly customizable, can be found basically anywhere, and has been a staple of American pop culture for decades- appearing in countless movies, video games, T.V shows and any other medium imaginable.
It's used by our armed forces and police (as well as countless other militaries and police agencies around the world) and has served well and with the distinction of being the longest-serving service rifle in our nation's history- at the time of this writing in January 2025, it has been used in an official capacity for over 60 years.
One of the biggest reasons it's so popular with militaries and police as well as civilians (and less savory actors such as drug smugglers, bank robbers and terrorists), however, is that, for all of its usefulness as a modular and reliable weapon system and widespread availability, is the fact that it's relatively cheap- the average M4 carbine our military uses, for example, usually costs no more than about 700 USD for a new unit from the factory.
Civilian AR's, however, are usually more expensive, but rarely prohibitively so- meaning than millions of Americans can readily own these weapons and, in addition, customize them to their exact liking and keep them firing for decades due to the widespread availability of replacement parts specific to the rifle family- some AR-15 type rifles in civilian hands today still work flawlessly more than 50 years after they were made due to this fact.
Nonetheless, they can get pricey, and with more people buying guns now than ever before, you're probably wondering what the best one is for the money and therefore, what's best for people who are just starting out but don't want to hurl many hundreds or possibly even thousands of dollars at something they are not fully sure of yet.
Well... that's the point of the article! Let's read on!
Smith and Wesson M&P 15 Sport II
Yeah, yeah, I know- Bushmaster should be here, Colt should be here, some smaller brand like Diamondback should be here... I've considered a lot of options, and while each has its own explanation for why it's not here, the simple reason why the M&P 15 Sport II IS here is mostly because it's so damn common and easy to find in any gun store you come across- in addition to being well under 1000 USD cheap- something Colt and Bushmaster AR's usually are not in my experience (unless they're used or are older variants).
Regardless, anyone who's familiar with AR's knew this one was going to show up.
Anyways, for an AR that almost always costs 850 dollars or less (as long as it's got not extra add-ons from the factory), this is really the pinnacle of civilian AR's- they have excellent reliability- a must and only to be expected- and retain the same modularity that all other AR's have. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if most first time AR buyers actually bought this exact gun for this reason, in fact.
The barrel in particular is the defining feature I love- it's built for durability and heavy use due to being thicker than an average AR barrel, but not thick enough to feel heavy and cumbersome.
At the same time, it does an excellent job at dissipating heat- In fact, Iraqveteran8888, one of Youtube's more established gun channels, fired over 800 rounds full-auto through an M&P Sport upper before the rifle failed in a test back in 2017. While this may not matter much to you unless you plan on attaching it to a machinegun lower, this is nearly twice the round count as most other AR's he has tested on his channel and is a testament to the fact that the barrel is built to last- if you shoot a lot at once, definitely take this into consideration.
So, between the availability, price, and the fact it's perfect for blowing rounds off at the range or in training or whatever you're using it for without fail, this is a pretty solid choice in our opinion, and so we will place it on our list with confidence.
Feel free to check out our dedicated Smith and Wesson M&P 15 Sport II review here!
Ruger AR-556
I will be the first to admit, I didn't like this one personally at first, but that's only because I think it's too similar at the basic level to the M&P Sport mentioned above to really set it apart.
That doesn't mean it's not a bad rifle though by any means. Quite the opposite, in fact- like the Sport II, the AR-556's big perk, besides how cheap it is, is how it's basically tailor-made for civilian shooting, while not sacrificing modularity or reliability that's expected of higher-end AR's or military models.
The Ruger AR-556 has that same thick barrel the Sport II has (it feels a bit heavier but still not uncomfortable) and goes bang for a while without cleaning with most quality ammo. I wouldn't say there's a huge difference in quality, here, and perhaps that's reflected in the price- I've seen these go for 700-800 dollars new, usually. Which is a very respectable price but still not exactly a dealbreaker compared to the M&P Sport II, given it's in roughly the same price range.
Other than barrel feeling a tad bit weightier than that of the aforementioned entry, it feels largely the same. There are some minor differences between the two, of course, but none that should matter too much to most newcomers. All that matters is that is works, can take some abuse, and should fulfill most shooter's needs. It's just at home on the range as it is out in the woods during a heavy rainstorm, or in the desert, or in the armpit of hell or wherever you plan on taking it as long as it's a red state.
Palmetto State Armory PA-15
Palmetto State Armory is one of the biggest- if not the single biggest- names in the domestic firearms market in the United States. They make relatively cheap but still high-quality products and sell just about everyone else's guns as well, and everyone loves them- the ones that don't usually vanish without a trace because around here in Appalachia, EVERYONE loves PSA.
Don't let the fact most of their brand-name products are relatively cheap scare you, however- the guns they make have proven to be able to hold their own against their competition for a long time- and they're always improving them (often faster than their rivals, even- sometimes they come out with new versions of the same guns once a year).
Their on-brand AR-15, which is called the PA-15- is one of their best offerings in my opinion and is objectively both the cheapest (and also the most varied) option on this list.
Reliability isn't an issue with decent ammo like all the other AR's obviously, but how many other venders sell new and complete AR's than function as well as any G.I rifle for as little as 400 dollars? Granted, most are in the 500-700 dollar range, but if you can count, that's still significantly less expensive than any other offering on our list.
The diversity of their lineup from the factory is where the PA-15 really shines in my opinion- whatever rails and furniture you want? They're probably already on at least some models. Do you want an AR with a longer 20-inch barrel or a more typical 16-inch barrel? Done. A 7, 8, 9, 10, 11.5, 12, 18, 22-inch (or greater) barrel? Harder to find but they exist and aren't hard to find.
They also offer them in bundles with their other weapons (for example, you can buy a package where you get a PA-15 and a PSAK-47, which, as you probably guessed, is their AK clone).
There's a lot more options than just that, but basically, you'll either be overjoyed or overwhelmed (or both) at them.
So, between options for newbies and excellent price value, it's hard to beat the PA-15 lineup. It would be number one, but honestly, the quality of controls on the rifles they make don't really feel all that great, but you may not care. Again, these are all just our personal picks.
Feel free to check out our dedicated Palmetto state Armory PA-15 review here!
FNH FN-15
This one might make some people scratch their heads, but I feel FNH has a strong contender for a solid AR-15 that's not pushing the envelope in any regards, here.
FNH, the Belgian firearm firm that has brought such iconic weapons as the P90 and 5-7 pistol series, surprised many people like me in the 2010's when it was announced that they were making M4 carbines for our nation's military. I had no idea they even dabbled with the AR design at all that before then, so I was determined to check them out.
As it turns out, they're actually not only great- but possibly even the best mil-spec manufacturer of AR-15's in the civilian market. Everything in their models is made to largely mil-spec (i.e "military specifications", though the name is something of a misnomer) in most models and feels solid and sturdier than some of the other choices on this list. Just a sensory issue, but I love it.
However, there's the cost- the FN-15 is the most expensive item on this list but even so, it's not prohibitively expensive- Most can be bought in the 800-1,200-dollar range, but some models with added goodies on them go up to nearly 2,000 dollars in some instances.
There's also the military collector series, which will certainly appeal to those who want nearly entirely mil-spec rifles that are as close to our military's as you can possibly get- minus the option for full auto fire, they are more or less identical to military M4's and M16's.
Del-Ton DT Sport
And finally, we have another common entry-level AR that's cheap, widely available and performs as well as you could reasonably expect from the platform.
The DT Sport the second-cheapest option on this list by a hair at an average price of about 500-600 dollars, but it's just not quite as good as the others in our cheap, penny-stock opinion.
But it's excellent for the purpose of our article- as a cheap, reliably functioning AR, this is commonly recommended for AR newbies. It's just that... that's about it.
For example, the barrel is OK- it's thin, and this means it doesn't absorb heat really well and is relatively inaccurate (but this won't matter hardly at all unless you're shooting in excess of 100 yards or so), but it at least gives the DT Sport a noticeably light and maneuverable fore-end.
The internals on the gun are also mediocre- crappy but functioning trigger, parts that are reasonably tough (but still not military tough in my experience) and, i didn't discover this until I took one apart, but the bolt carrier group honestly is a bit annoying because of its AR-15 style cut (without getting too deep into what this means, basically, it means it has a lighter mass than a mil-spec M16 bolt carrier group, which is what you see in most of these other entries). For me, this resulted in perceived increased recoil, and additionally, unlike the other entries on this list, the older DT Sport models (pre-2020 or 2021) are chambered in .223 Remington, last I checked, so shooting 5.56 NATO rounds may not be a good idea if you're just starting out... or at least, I wouldn't recommend it, because SAAMI (an organization that, in short- among other things- tests chamber pressure of rounds and determines what's safe and what's not safe to use in this or that) says so.
Overall, though, it'll absolutely meet your needs if you're just trying ARs for the first time and want to get a good feel for the platform.
Final thoughts
The AR-15 is a fantastic beginner's rifle that lends itself just as well to pros as well. It can more or less be whatever you want it to be- a home defense rifle, a hunting rifle, a target shooting rifle, something to plink with, and more.
But with so many options and not a whole lot of experience to inform you, it can feel incredibly overwhelming when it comes to actually making choices. there are hundreds of manufacturers and a lot of similarities on the surface, so even pros wouldn't blame you. It is indeed often a daunting prospect.
But now... hopefully we've made it just a little bit easier for you!
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