Hello everyone. I've been quiet for a little while after all the great feedback I got here concerning my magazine question for the S&W M&P15-22 I won. Since then, I've been saving the money to make my first AR purchase and I did that a couple of weeks ago: a new Stag Arms Model 4, manufactured in 2013. It has the 20" heavy profile chrome-moly barrel with the pinned compensator and the standard A2 model buttstock. The upper receiver has a detachable carrying handle with integral peep sights that can be removed, leaving a flat top of picatinny rail.
I decided on the heavy barreled variant because I cut my teeth in riflery as a .22 rimfire bolt-action competitive shooter and I want to get familiar with the AR platform with a more "target oriented" rifle. The weight is about 8.5 pounds - a little on the heavy side I suppose - but I actually *like* that given my past experience. The rifle comes to point of aim very naturally and it's really stable in the offhand position even without a sling, at least for me.
Because of all the snow and other concerns I haven't had a chance to get it to the range for a live fire exercise. The first time I do (which hopefully will be very soon) I'll be back here posting pictures and targets. In keeping with my misspent youth training, I'm going to begin my time with this rifle using the iron sights and get good and comfortable with them first. Later on I'll be thinking about a few accessories/optics but I'm very pleased with the base rifle so far after doing the initial takedown/cleaning/reassembly/dry firing exercises. The trigger is a little heavy but at least it breaks pretty cleanly. That might be something I look into changing, in the fullness of time.
I'll have some pictures and notes about what I think about the quality of construction of the rifle within the next 48 hours. My first impressions are very positive. There's a little bit of play between the upper and lower but it's nothing excessive and everyone tells me: "That's normal to better than normal." Otherwise the fit, finish and overall heft and quality of the rifle are speaking very well for themselves. I'm pretty stoked.
I'm liking it in a big way and now I'm officially a member of the AR Platform Owners Association.
[Update: Here's a picture of it in the Stag case with the 10 round factory magazine, minus the lock/manual/etc. froufrou. The pic's a little blurry, there will be better ones.]
I decided on the heavy barreled variant because I cut my teeth in riflery as a .22 rimfire bolt-action competitive shooter and I want to get familiar with the AR platform with a more "target oriented" rifle. The weight is about 8.5 pounds - a little on the heavy side I suppose - but I actually *like* that given my past experience. The rifle comes to point of aim very naturally and it's really stable in the offhand position even without a sling, at least for me.
Because of all the snow and other concerns I haven't had a chance to get it to the range for a live fire exercise. The first time I do (which hopefully will be very soon) I'll be back here posting pictures and targets. In keeping with my misspent youth training, I'm going to begin my time with this rifle using the iron sights and get good and comfortable with them first. Later on I'll be thinking about a few accessories/optics but I'm very pleased with the base rifle so far after doing the initial takedown/cleaning/reassembly/dry firing exercises. The trigger is a little heavy but at least it breaks pretty cleanly. That might be something I look into changing, in the fullness of time.
I'll have some pictures and notes about what I think about the quality of construction of the rifle within the next 48 hours. My first impressions are very positive. There's a little bit of play between the upper and lower but it's nothing excessive and everyone tells me: "That's normal to better than normal." Otherwise the fit, finish and overall heft and quality of the rifle are speaking very well for themselves. I'm pretty stoked.
I'm liking it in a big way and now I'm officially a member of the AR Platform Owners Association.
[Update: Here's a picture of it in the Stag case with the 10 round factory magazine, minus the lock/manual/etc. froufrou. The pic's a little blurry, there will be better ones.]
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