What was your first AR?? *Parts List & Codes Here:* bit.ly/45wDB3P INSANE Pew Pew Deals Here: bit.ly/2OFAl23 I Post Deals Here Almost Daily: twitter.com/tacticatoolbox

My first ar15 was my graduation gift from my Dad, a Colt Delta Elite. I had already been to Basic Training. I was planning on buying one myself. He knew it and was working with the shop owner I was going to buy from. It was 1991 and I noticed the dealer took the rifle down I had on layaway. He told me someone came in and gave him more money, gave my money back. I went home mad and my dad came out and said he wouldn't buy from him anymore... a week later I graduated and we got home from the ceremony. He went inside first and came out to the living room with it.

A lot of GunTubers just make an entire video to boast about their collection or gunsafe contents of toys. You, on the other hand, focus mostly on educating our community, especially those who are new to the 2nd Amendment right. I, and can say most of your followers, appreciate you for that. God speed! 👍 🇺🇸

Them PSA rifles are insane for price, lifetime warranty 300-400 dollars or a saber for 800-1100

My 1st (and only so far) is a Ruger AR556. A few basic mods later (red dot, magnifier, backup irons, foregrip, light) and she is as done as I need her to be.

Just bought my first AR-15. It is a BLEM PA-15 from PSA. Very affordable and still haven't found a blemish on it. Got a red dot, magpul flip up sights and a foregrip. Ready to sight it in now!

My first was Olymic Arms and a Colt HBAR. Now I've gone through PSA's, DD, BCM, and few others I can't remember. Now I build my own with PSA/Aero lowers and Rosco barrels ranging from 10.5, 11.5, 12.5, 14.5 and a couple of 16" I train once a month with a group out in the wild with movement and shoot about 300 rounds per session.

Mine was a spikes tactical M4 clone. Still have it today. Bought that one 13 years ago. $1000. Changed the furniture, replaced the A2 bird cage. Replaced the trigger and added an RCO. Made it the same as the rifle I had when I served.

Crazy that a Knights failed that bad. If I’m paying over $2,500 for an upper, I expect it to be flawless. But like you said a lot of companies, use their government contract as leverage to inflate the prices on their products.

Thanks for the insightful advice!

I bought an LWRC Ic Di I paid up for it at the time when l bought it they were offered an Gisslie trigger up grade absolutely love this AR got it in 2018 no regrets here it’s a tank runs flawlessly after several thousand rounds has never failed me can’t say enough good things about it it’s my most trusted AR

Good video, thanks. I am in California which has peculiar restrictions on ARs (in short, they have to be either featureless or have a fixed mag). Like you I didn't know anything about ARs so I bought one ready assembled by a manufacturer which specializes in CA compliant rifles (Dark Storm Industries based in NY), and went for a 5.56 NATO featureless rifle. Cost about $1,200, not including shipping and background check through a local FFL. I put on a red dot (Sig Sauer Romeo 5), 3x magnfier (Holosun), iron sights from magpul and a light. Put well over 1,000 rounds through it, zero problems. This is primarily for home defense (hello Oakland) in case the SHTF, and range practice about twice a month. Out to 100 yards I get 8 inch grouping which is plenty good enough for home defense.

Thanks to this channel I got my first AR a few months ago and its a S&W M&P Sport III. So far 0 issues with it.

My first was a Iwi Zion 15. Well over 1k rounds,zero issues. Around $800

I'm a 71-year-old retired mold maker and I have taken the Gunsmithing Crouse at Pine Tech in Pine City MN Crouse still offered. I made my boss give me the time off to do it, I'm a pretty good mold maker and was being payed less then I was worth. That was in the late 80s early 90s and there is a lot of new stuff, and I learned some things from this video and am going to go to your other site. I wish I knew how to upload pictures I would like to show you my ART 15. More commonly call by me, ART younger cousin to the Famous Tommy. I put a Thomson rear pistol grip on it and made a bracket for the Thomson front pistol grip. The libs should love him he's Bi...nary.

My first AR was bought as a stripped (spikes tactical) lower in 2013... I hadn't really been shopping for one before I got it, but my state (MD) was just about to put in place a ban on "assault rifles" and the stripped lower was what I could afford at the time... supply and the law drove prices through the roof. I ended up buying a LPC when I picked it up from the store (we also have a mandatory waiting period for "restricted firearms and pistols") and a month later, I got a budget upper from one of the web-stores, just so I could use it... later I built a new upper for it. It's nothing special, but it is reliable and fun at the range.

M&P Sport 2 was my first AR

like many I started with an M&P Sport II. eventually I changed the barrel to a BA Hanson performance barrel in 14.5 with a microbest BCG and larue mbt trigger, along with furniture upgrades. so far so good

Always great Info.

Excellent video, thank you.

First AR was a good ol PSA 10.5 inch. Was a decent gun never had issues. Still have PSAs but now I play with BCMs

1st build ever was an Anderson Lower upper with a 20 inch barrel..very basic.. then it grew and grew and grew.. i also started the same time i became a member of your YT.. i was a newbe and enjoyed your real avid tool and install videos, they helped me out really good!

Great video for first timers. My 1st. AR - Bushmaster XM15-E2S Varminter (1/2 MOA) & 2nd. Aero U/L M4E1 build, 10.5 (miscellaneous internals). Both rifles have held up great for my purposes.

Springfield Saint purchased in 2016, still have it, shoots great.

Missed the vids man! One of my favorite channels.

My first AR was a Rock River Arms RRage LAR-15. I like it so much I installed a Franklin Armory binary trigger. I also got their AR15 Pistol 7in. Barrel added a Saker 556k suppressor and FA binary trigger. I legally convert it into an SBR. Also added a GDCH to the SBR.

Man we thank you for the detailed video,and your time for helping each and everyone one of us to gain knowledge on platforms and parts,just like you mentioned a lot of people want to know but just don’t have any one to help them ,that’s why I tell everyone about your channel. We definitely thank you for putting that content out there to educate others.

Anderson AM-15, upper and lower bought separately with a single-stage nickel Teflon Dirty Bird FCG, NBS BCG, Odin Works LPK, NBS Mil-Spec Carbine Buffer Kit, Mission First Tactical Minimalist Stock, BCM GUNFIGHTER Vertical Grip Mod 3, entire build cost me $460.92. Got a Romeo 5 on it for an optic. Put 60 rounds through it since May when the build was complete. It shoots well for a rifle under $500.

My first one was a DB 15. And to this day is one of the smoothest running ars. My buddy has a dd 15 $1800, and he loves how smooth my db15 shoots. the db was $650 in 2018 now its around $1200.. crazy

You talked me into the BCM Recce ar-15 last year. So I went out and bought one and love it

Great video. My first AR was a Sig Tread it was a good gun. But I had to get rid of it for money reasons. But I'm looking into buying a new rifle. Haven't decided if I'm putting it together completely buying each part or buying an upper and lower. Now to decide what I am going to do. But this has given me a lot of good advise as always. Thank you.

My 1st ar was a Del-ton 556 with OD green magpul furniture. Ran flawless, no issues ever. I have experience with many many ar uppers/builds over the last 15 years from high to low end products and I will say that my Bear Creek uppers have performed great and have the most rounds of everything I own. Besides the rail crews not being completely torqued when i 1st got it, I simply torqued them and haven't had issues since 😁

My first AR was a Rock River Arms Entry Tactical. Still have it and have put about 5,000 round through it. Never have I had an issue, proper maintenance and care keep it running like new.

This Chanel is my favorite this man have good taste on guns Thank you always looking for more vids 👍🏼God bless!

Always love your content! Definitely a sit-down-and-grab-the-popcorn kind of thing. Tons of knowledge.

Great video. Great content

My first AR15 was a S&W sport two didn’t know nothing about guns but figured I couldn’t go wrong with a known brand and for decent price paid $700 for a bundle got the gun 5 mags the range bag and romeo red dot

I personally value fitment between the upper and the lower in addition to what you mentioned. You'd be surprised how many companies sell guns with poor fitting, wobbly uppers with a mm or more of play. Blackout, IMO, is the best fitting with no play at all... between all their parts. The tolerances are so tight, I'd almost say it's perfect. I also love Sharps BCG with their SAGRS gas system and the extreme duty bolt.

OUTSTANDING VIDEO. My first AR was when I lived in Commiefukya - it was a S&W M&P 15 gen 1. I swapped out the handguard to a Magpul so I could attach a flashlight. I bought the PSA Sabre lower with a Sabre 14.5" upper, both fir $750) and put a Holosun AEMS green dot on it. I also bought a complete Sabre with 16" barrel in FDE, and put a Si 1-8 LPVO on it. I'm very happy with both Sabres. 😊

GREAT, video on buying a first AR great information. I had picked upo my first AR 15 well actually is called a XM 15 from Bush master in 2008 still working great and bush master was probably the best brand in those days but not anymore by far since they arnt the same company now. i was in the Army for 3 years so all my training was on the M4 in 2003 that was what all the Tankers used since your in a tank a very small aera. I really got all my love and experience for the M4 in the army its a part of me for sure. I usually just go to the range and i try to keep myself proficient in my shooting and drills. We will never know when we are gonna needs these great tools so my advance to everyone is be ready and be safe.

This is the first video of yours that I’ve watched. As far as I’m concerned your channel is a definite must subscribe for anyone, beginner to pro, that is into furthering their knowledge about AR style weapons. You are a true professional in every sense of the word. This 47 plus minute video flew by in what felt like a few minutes as you beautifully articulated crucial content in a perfectly detailed and engaging manner that left me wanting more. SUB’d for life. Thank you.

My first guns and Ar rifles were a Sig m400 Snakebite (non Se) and a Sig 716i.

Recently bought my first AR-15. This video would have been a good resource back in January! In my case, I wanted something “do all” to help me determine what I “need” and whether I was really committed to this activity. I did watch a fair number of Guntubers with reviews and guides and talked with a buddy who’s active military. I knew I didn’t want to go entry level, preferring to spend a bit more for quality and reliability, but obviously didn’t want to drop a mortgage payment on gun. Decided to go towards the low end of mid-tier, per your definition. Found a Springfield Saint Victor on a decent sale that came with a handful of mags, bag, sling, and Crossfire II RDS. I know there is a bunch of controversy about Springfield, but this isn’t the venue for that discussion. Anyway, happy with the decision, so far. Will be upgrading the optic to a PA 5x prism and red dot when it shows up next week. Hopefully, that will help tame my astigmatism somewhat, along with prescription shooting glasses. This hobby can get real spendy real quick. Now I just need to find a nice outdoor range that is affordable and close by. Anyway, appreciate your continued quality content. Keep up the good work.

1st ever was an m&p 15 sport , the original with the 1/8 twist barrel, it was amazeing , still have it and its been upgraded with all kinda new stuff over the years and i still love it .

First one I purchased earlier this year (February 2024) was based off your advice on the best approach to buying your first AR-15 - which is to buy the recommended parts and put them together. Thank goodness for YT videos that demonstrated how to do things. The only thing I didn't do was install the buffer tube into the lower receiver - I had a gunsmith do it for me. So LSS, my upper is a BCM MK2 MCMR 14 with BCM BCG, BCM Mod 7 Comp, Magpul Gen2 MBUS backup sights, and BCM Vert Grip Mod 3. My lower is a Wilson Combat 7075-T6 forged aluminum, all W/C FDE furniture, Velocity Precision Trigger 3lb SS (your recco), Radian Talon Safety, Odin Works Ex Mag Release, Magpul Enhanced Trigger Guard and finally a Magpul BAD lever. Also - I followed Lucas Botkin's advice - establish the purpose for the rifle. All my decisions then on what to purchase was guided by that purpose statement.

IWI. Only AR15 I own and only one I've ever shot. Seems good.

Good info

Another great video. Thanks for the info

First two were Colt (one for work). After that, three from RRA ... including one rare breed of the Government model.

Buy Wisconsin! Midwest Industries, BCM, ADM.

Just bought my first AR-15 from a gunshow in a small town in NC and found your channel. Went in one day and looked at Diamondbacks for around $600 came back the next day and bought a custom built from dealer. DPMS receiver and BCA 16 SS for $550. Have no idea if I got a good deal but I had a feeling he put together a solid budget build for a starter.

Very good explanation…well done sir!

LWRC DI 5.56 was my first. Love it

Just got the first part of my first AR. Going with a Aero/BCM build Aero Precision M4E1 Stripped lower (FDE) BCM BFH 16" Mid Length Complete Upper Receiver Group w/ MCMR-15 Handguard -w/BCM bolt carrier group -Ambi MK2 (Large) charging handle -Surefire Warcomp flash hider/suppresor adaptor Geissele SSA-E trigger Aero Precision Carbine Buffer Kit q/ H3 Buffer Magpul Gen2 MBUS backup sights Holosun 403B Red dot These are the parts I've decided on thus far

Dope video, as always, great information.

I’m part of the buy once cry once. I did my homework and my first rifle was a bcm. Never once have I thought, “this was dumb I should’ve went cheaper” I have however taken apart bear creek uppers that were crazy out of spec. Now don’t get me wrong I’ve built psa rifle that have ran flawlessly. I’ve even had Anderson prove me wrong.

I bought a Zion pistol and love it. Very well made.

1st AR on order, Blackout Defense Quantum DTL, but bought a CMMG MK4 to practice with till December a week ago.

Great video. I have learned a lot. Thanks so much. ❤

Great video! I love how you break down all the MUST KNOWS

My First AR was the Geissele Super Duty Mod 1. Absolutely love it!

M&P Smith and Wesson

Great info & explanation. I like to build mine. That way I can guage & inspect everything. I've bought one rifle, but checked torque, gas block, etc. I mainly use BCM upper reciever for thermal fit. Barrels is user choice, but Rosco, BCM, Daniel Defense, Geissele, Ballistic Advantage are all good choices. Making sure your barrel isn't clocked in the reciever can be achieved with Midwest Ind. assembly rod. They also make great handguards. Lower reciever is either SOLGW, Aero, Griffin Armament, APF. SOTAR is a great resource for knowledge on what to look for. Even the high dollar brands send out products with loose barrel nuts, etc.

My first AR was a Colt SP-1 CAR-15 I bought in 1984. It was a pretty rare rifle to have back then, and got a lot of looks at the range. It still shoots great.

HK416 / MR223 for me. I was going down the rabbit hole and getting into analysis paralysis. I had DD, Geissele, and others on the list but then went for the reliable HK design. It's fantastic and upgraded with Geissele Parts for MLoc, Trigger, and German Break.

colt le6920 was my first one

Very informative video brother thank you! Keep this knowledge flowing

I don't know what happened. I just knew I was subscribed to your channel forever. Well I just resubscribed. Very educational and informative. I'm going to watch this one a few more times. You might have inspired a ground-up build 👍🏾

My first AR was a Radical and it's been a workhorse. 1000+ rounds with no issues and very happy.

The #1 most important feature of any firearm is that it fires reliably; every time you pull the trigger a bullet comes out of the barrel. #2 is the bullet reliably ends up where you want it to go. The AR-15 platform is one of the most reliable platforms ever made and rarely malfunctions. Eveyrhing after that is an upgrade. I've seen AR-15's assembled poorly from the factory, but if you go with a name brand, even the cheap models, they are generally assembled well. If you want an AR-15 don't be paralyzed by indecision, go buy a Colt or Sig. I also built my first AR and every other AR I own. I've built budget and premium builds, I've fired enough rounds to become pretty profient with the platform, and I've never had one fail catastrophically. It costs about $500-$700 to assemble the tools for a proper armory, but if you have the money, for me it's worth it just for the knowledge gained. My go to for parts is Anderson for the lower and upper and Faxon for the barrel. Triggers are important, but even the cheap ones can be easily ground and polished to perform smoothly. When I started, I leaned on Brownells for tutorials. Solid content. I buy Magpul accessories if available. Magpul is the Caterpiller of AR accessories; they might not make the best of anything but what they make is generally quality and a good value. There is nothing incorrect about the content of this video, however I focus on some different priorities. For instance, going back to #1 of my post, the handguard makes zero difference. My favorite handguard is circular with limited mounts. It was cheap but is comfortable and holds the accessories I wanted.

Great info!

First AR was an optics-ready S&W MP15. Put 2000 rounds through it and it’s still a great rifle. Most recent is a Geiselle Super Duty from last Black Friday.

Colt LE6920

My first was a 16 inch psa, got it at the start of the pandemic. Ive put over 1000 r9unds through it at this point. Better than any rifle I was issued in the military.

All my AR's are pieced together with my favorite 10 companies. •Barrels = Ballistic Advantage, Criterion, SOLGW, or Geissele. •Recievers = Aero Precision, 80%ers, Ballistic Advantage, & Unbranded AR. •BCG = SOLGW hard chrome (all calibers) is my #1; Sionics & Unbranded AR. •Handguards are dependent on other needs. • Triggers = Geissele, Rise, & 2-stage milspec. •BCM Uppers are stellar AZ well. Cheers & Love the channel! Grind On! 🇺🇸🤘

My first was the 704 tactical special, 99$psa lower with $189 BCA upper. It actually still runs fine after 800 rounds. Then Moved to DB. Now I just build them with parts that go on sale from primary arms. A lot of aero or faxon barrels with faxon bcgs, Anderson stripped lowers.

My first AR was/is a 14.5in Geissele SD in OD Green, added an Exps3 and g33, hand stop, B5 grip, sling, swapped surefire fh for a huxwrks and right now working on suppressing it

My first AR was a bear creek I got about a month ago during a sale. Just over $400 out the ffl all said & done. Dropped a cmc trigger in it, got the cmmg 22LR conversion kit. Put about 700 rounds through it of 223, 556, & 22LR so far & i love it! Just picked up a PSA freedom lower on the Father’s Day sale to build a 9mm pistol with after watching your videos about building 9mm rigs!

Great vid, Thx!

Great video! Thank you 🙏🏻

After a lot of research my first AR was an IWI ZION TAC 12 from what I could find it was a. Solid base to start with I haven't modified it in any way it's a great AR pistol

PSA Sabre… Giant Killer.

(Within 3 months)Pieced together a PSA upper and lower(came with upgraded BCG), and just bought a drop in trigger/radian charging handle. With sig red dot and cheap magnifier costs $970. Over 2000 round no issues. Just bought ANOTHER psa upper chambered in 9mm and some endo mag inserts, sig lpvo, and now I can shoot a bit cheaper. Great video!

My first AR was a Sig M400 Tread been upgrading it for the last 3 years one of my favorite rifles still

PSA 80%lower gadsden edition Ambi safety Ambi mag release Ambi bolt lock Jp trigger reduction spring set Bear creek side charging upper 18 in barrel 5.56 Forward hand stop Monstrum 1-10 2nd focal plane scope 45° offset iron sights

Great content as always! Your detailed explanation on AR-15 features and the emphasis on barrel, bolt carrier group, and handguard quality is invaluable, especially for newcomers. It's refreshing to see a no-nonsense approach to selecting a reliable rifle without getting bogged down by unnecessary extras. The insights on budget vs. quality and the importance of defining the rifle's purpose are spot-on.

It's crazy I'm subscribed and have all notifications on and this is the first video I've seen from you in over a year.

I built my first ar too, but I recommend not getting a delta ring cause the timing the gas tube could be tricky.. but a floating barrel nut is easier! But awesome and perfect way to understand a firearm.

Great video for newbies to ARs. Thanks for making

I got an LWRCi M6IC DI with proprietary rail and furniture. It was a chore to find a mount for my Surefire bodied Atibal flashlight. I am right handed left eyed so getting the ambidextrous lower was an important factor. I ended up shooting so far right handed. It cost me $1600 in 2018 Honolulu. I didn’t even know until a couple of years later the LWRCi nickel boron bolt has integrated gas key. It also has a very strong upper rail interlock. I wish I had gotten a BCM lightweight and good quality accessories. I got sucked into Olight and Holosun adds. Holosun is not too bad but the amount of money I have spent I could have had a couple of Surefire Vampires some pecks and T2’s/EoTechs. I didn’t realize that the LWRCi barrel is a heavy contour because of Maryland laws. My GP is now a lightweight build my Gunsmith put together.

New sub and yes I have “ analysis paralysis “ been doing exactly what you described for a few months now. Reading, making a list and what I’ve decided is not good in my case, talking to friends about what they own. I’ve realized they become fan boys of whatever they own and try to push me in that direction. I’ve yet to pull the trigger but this is where my minds at. Assembly… Core 15 is supposed to have very good GC and a lifetime “no bs “ warranty and there are two at one of the many local pawn shops, one is the standard model with cold hammer forged chrome lined barrel ($400) and the other has the Stainless barrel with the 15” m-lock hand guard ($550). My thinking is to choose one of them and upgrade the upper to something like the Geissele or BCM. I have around a $1500 budget in mind. Plus when I will have a spare upper that once my play money fund is flush again I can buy a higher quality lower and have two. Most of the good information I have came from watching your videos. Thoughts? Am I on the right track? I’m still very tentative on what to do.

I pieced out my first AR last year on Palmetto during their 4th of July Holiday sale. I've put almost 800 rounds and have loved it so far. Barrel is 16" 4150V Chrome Moly steel in a 1:7 chambered in 5.56 NATO with a Milspec Carpenter 158 steel bolt. Still piecing out attachments like a light/laser, want to get a suppressor at some point eventually. I already have a sling (want to upgrade its just a basic sling), a Magpul AFG M-Lok (want to change to a short vertical), and a red dot (it's just a crimson trace cts-25 definitely want to upgrade, plan on getting a LVPO). Lower has a B5 Bravo buttstock and a B5 P-Grip. Haven't had any malfunctions yet and not the fanciest or top of the line, but it's fun at the range and does a good job.

Great topic for a video 💯

Great video!

Got the Sig M400-SDI X as my first a couple of months ago. Love it.

I think it was around 2006, my first was a bushmaster 5.56 M4. I did add a picatinny rail with a 37mm launcher, laser, & scope but overall pretty generic. I recently built a .300 blackout with a folding stock for storage. It has an Aero precision 10.3"upper, BCM-bcg, shield arms lower, upgraded trigger springs, SBA3 pistol brace, primary arms front focal plane LVPO, ambi selector, strike industries angled foregrip, streamlight with pressure switch, & lancer magazines, magpul flip up back up sights, enhanced lower parts group, and a upgraded charging handle. Color scheme is FDE upper, black lower, FDE Brace, FDE 2 point sling. I think that pretty much covers it!

My first ar was the LWRC IC-DI. Love it. Would definitely recommend it as a first or 5th rifle.

My first one was an ATI Milsport. I had been looking for a while and doing some research, but not having the hands on experience, this one showed up lightly used at a local gun shop for a fair price and I went for it. I did have problems with the 9" hand guard rotating, so I replaced that with a 15" one, and a better grip, but it's been fairly good overall. Little picky about magazines (MFT work great, P-Mags not so much).

Another great video!!!

I have several PSAs & they've all been reliable, so far. My go-to is a BCM 16" FSB upper with BCM mlok handguard on a Franklin Armory m4 lower w/ the bsf3. I also use PSA ept lowers with BCM grip & buttstock.