I want an AR. My wife gave me the 'Go-ahead'. Well, kinda. I need to sell a few guns first.

I want the .223 cal.

My real question is which AR should I get and which should I stay away from?

Any of the name brands will suit you fine. Bushmaster, SW, Spikes etc. Personally would not get an Olympic, Hesse, Blackthorne.

i would for sure throw in RRA and Stag into that list as well, havent had nothing but good with both.

What about ... I think it's Rock Creek? Anyone know anything about them. I found a long AR with all the rails and adjustable stock for 799.

And how important is a heavy barrel.

Better yet... Tell me which AR I should get so that I get more bang for my buck.

EDIT.... RRA ... Rock River Arms. okay. It's not Rock Creek. thanks-

The following statement seems to be true with AR's more than anything else because of the variety of options. Decide on a budget first, then features you must have, and then features you want. As long as your budget is reasonable their will be many options at whaever price poitn you choose. Good luck.

Also remember that AR's are mostly interchangeable. If you buy an entry-level AR now, and later want to dress it up, it's easy to do. Matter of fact...I almost guarantee that you'll want to dress it up at one point. :-)

I just bought my first AR about a month ago and I've already put a new grip on it as well as a bipod. Some new optics are next on the list.

Not unusual to put 2-5 hundred dollars of accessories
on in the first year.

We have 3 Bushmasters and are completely happy with them. I highly recommend Bushmaster!!

AR actually stands for Armalite. Everything else is just a copy.