Re: Guns n Weapontry
I'll start. First, please don't refer to them as "assault rifles". The military has assault rifles, the rest of us have to settle for semi auto rifles that have some of the same features that military assault rifles have. Now you and I know the difference, and I'm sure 75% of the readers of this post know the difference. It's that portion of the public with limited or no knowledge of firearms that is my concern. They read "assault rifle", immediately think of a high power killing machine, and then scream and stomp their feet calling for a ban of such weapons. Careful selection of terminology will go a long way in assauging the fear of these types of people.
Disclaimer: I don't own an AR-15 or any type of semi auto rifle, but I've done some research while comtemplating buying one so I'll share what I've learned.
A rifle from any of the main manufacturers such as Smith & Wesson, Colt, Bushmaster, Daniel Defense, Stag, Rock River, and others will be a quality product that will serve your needs. You can also buy individual components and build your own rifle. There are dozens and dozens of parts manufacturers to choose from.
Most AR-15/M4 rifles are operated by direct impingment, in that gas tapped off the barrel is routed directly onto the bolt to cycle the action. The ACR, and several others direct the gas onto a piston which in turns activates a rod to cycle the bolt. The direct impingment (DI) has been around for 45 years and is reliable provided the bolt is kept well lubed. The main drawback with DI is that the hot gas really dirties up the bolt, receiver and chamber. The piston system keeps most of the dirt on the piston itself, but a piston is another component that could fail. Interestingly the M16/M4 are the only military rifles using DI.
Most AR-15/M4 carbines are DI. There are some rifles, LWRC, Stag Model 8 and Ruger SR556, that are piston driven. There are also piston kits that can be retrofitted to an AR-15 DI rifle. It's highly recommended to avoid the piston kits since adapting the kit to a DI system leads to problems.
AR-15s can't be equipped with a folding stock. They are very mild shooting though and won't hammer your shoulder like a traditional bolt action rifle will. They can also be tricked out and assessorized to your heart's content. Basic rifles run from $600-900. More deluxe versions are $1200-1600 and the piston types run $1200-2200. Prices have been falling lately and now is a good time to buy.
If you like (and can afford) the ACR, then take a look at the FN SCAR. It's about the same, and about the same price (around $2400-2800). An alternative is the Robinson XCR. I'm seriously considering the XCR but alas, other expenses have priority. The XCR is a few hundred dollars cheaper to boot.
A neat alternative to the above is a bullpup. MSAR makes one for around $1400. Keltec also has one but it's chambered in .308/7.62mm.
While on the topic of caliber, other calibers such as 6.8 SPC and .308/7.62 can be had in many of the above mentioned guns.
Military M16/M4 are chambered in 5.56 mm. Civilian AR-15s are quite frequently chambered in .223 Remington. These two cartridges are not identical! The .223 can be shot in a rifle chambered for 5.56 with a slight loss of accuracy, but a 5.56 doesn't fit well in a rifle chambered for .223 and if shot, will develop unsafe pressure. .223 ammo is cheaper and more available than 5.56, but 5.56 rifles will shoot both rounds. Your call as to which chambering better fits your needs.
Expense doesn't end with the rifle. Ammo is around 40 cents a round (reloading will, of course, cut this dramatically). Then there is the matter of sights. A rifle can be equiped with open sights but most shooter eventually want to try an optical sight of some sort. The two big name in optical sights are Aimpoint and Eotech. Their sights run from $400 to $600 or thereabouts. Other companies offer cheaper sights but they are not as refined. Don't settle for a cheap Chinese knockoff sight for $30. These types of sights are only suitable for use on Airsoft guns and will not hold up to the recoil of a centerfire rifle. Plan on spending a minimum of $150 for a halfway decent sight. Adding new grips, rails, and a telescoping stock and that $900 AR-15 can be hitting on $2000 in short order.
Buying a 22 rimfire rifle to save money is a good idea. Smith & Wesson, HK, Sig Sauer, Colt (Umarex) and Ruger all market 22 versions. They run approximately $500-700 with the Sig possibly being the best of the bunch. Of course the Sig is also the most expensive of the bunch. FN and Robinson are rumored to be coming out with 22 versions of their rifles and these could be a good alternative.
Finally, AK-47/74 type rifles are another alternative but I really don't know anything about them. I have not reserarched them since I don't have any interest in the AK-47 series.
Please post pics of whatever you wind up getting.