Jaded with ARs (don't read this if you LOVE them. You won't understand)

[twaits]

Okay, I've had a couple glasses of wine and I've worked on AR15s and M16s for over 10 year now, but I have to ask. What is it with ARs that people are so obsessed with? Yes they can be incredibly accurate and are erognomically pleasing but there are SO many of them out there. From a standard 20" A1 to an A3 14m4 with removable handle dripping with picatinni rails and flash lights and lasers...its all the same boring gun. You see them on the covers of gun magazines every damn month but they all look the same. All feel the same and all make me yawn the same.
They're all made of mass produced forgings from a handful of the same companies. Some are better than others but all of them are the same boring gun. I just don't know what there is to get excited about anymore.(even if it has a little pony on the side)
There's actually a whole forum dedicated to just AR15s and the dozens of companies that produce them. I participated in it for about a week to try and offer some assistance but then...well lets just say I couldn't take it any longer.

Okay..end of rant. Soon I will be working on ACRs more and that will be a little better. It really is a HELL of a nice rifle. Perhaps I will get through the next ten years....

[James_Riley1]

I think the attraction, for me at least, is the fact that I received extensive training with it. When I was in the Marines I was exposed to virtually every hand held military shoulder weapon in the world, but that exposure was limited. I am perfectly willing to admit there are probably better weapons out there, but I don't know them as well and I don't foresee the possibility of me ever getting the money, training, or time on those weapons that was provided to me for free by Uncle Sam. With the M-16, the exposure was great. It became an extension of my body and I knew it better than I knew my own body. I can operate it without thinking in a situation where thinking is better spent on something other than figuring out what's up with my weapon. So, when I got out, I wanted something I knew. I think there are a lot of people who feel the same way. Plus, like the 12 gauge, the 30-06 and the .22, rounds and parts should always be available since it's the military weapon for nearly half a century.

Also, what you say about sameness could be true about any other weapon (i.e. they are all the same) only the others are even more so. The AR has many more configurations and variety than, say, a Remington 700 or model 94 Winchester or an AK. And it's a hell of a diverse platform for all kinds of bells and whistles.

Those are my two cents.

[twaits]

Like I said..I had one glass of wine too many last night and went on a rant.
I think I'm just tired of working on them
I should probably just feel lucky to be employed though..

I too can shoot better with an AR than anything else. But thats because I get paid to shoot them so I've got literally millions of rounds of triggertime with ARs and M16s. I don't even need sights anymore. And because of this my AR is my house gun beside the bed.

Anyway...sorry for my buzzed thread writing!

[James_Riley1]

I see you are from Maine. I got my upper from MGI, out of Maine. I like it. This is my bedside weapon:

[Kid Sopris]

You want an obsession? Wait till you get hooked on these:

[twaits]

You want an obsession? Wait till you get hooked on these:

Yeah...charlene has a little "problem" with these I believe. I think he's got 4 or 5 of them now.

[twaits]

I see you are from Maine. I got my upper from MGI, out of Maine. I like it. This is my bedside weapon:

Mack Gwinn who runs MGI is the guy that started Bushmaster back in the 70s. I met him at a machinegun shoot in Dover Foxcroft many years ago when he first had these prototypes there. The new ACRs that we are making have a similar barrel change system. They are also multi caliber. I'm actually pretty excited about the ACRs. I'm working on a full auto 6.8 prototype right now!

[James_Riley1]

Mack Gwinn who runs MGI is the guy that started Bushmaster back in the 70s. I met him at a machinegun shoot in Dover Foxcroft many years ago when he first had these prototypes there. The new ACRs that we are making have a similar barrel change system. They are also multi caliber. I'm actually pretty excited about the ACRs. I'm working on a full auto 6.8 prototype right now!

They are like computers: the second you buy one that you think is state of the art, they come out with something better. I bought mine when they first came out, with the old latch system. Maybe it will be a collector's item in the year 2525.

[Hobie]

I have just to have one. I figure if I need more than one I'll be able to use this one to get them and if not then that's plenty fine. You could say I used to "own" about 230 of them (plus 4 M60s, etc...). They are boring.

[Butcher777]

I have two AR'S and I love them both. Santa (me) got me a Sig 556 for Christmas and I have to say it's not an AR but what a great rifle . M1A'S and FNAR'S were in the running but I reload 223 and for a cheep SOB like me it was the way to go.