AR Virgin Needs Direction

[willardcw4]

C3 infers the COMP C3. I'd also vote for the COMP C3 if you want an aimpoint red dot(unless you were going with a T-1/H-1 style). It's great for normal civilian use and also is extremely high quality.

2 MOA vs 4 MOA:

The number is the size of the red dot itself. So for a 2 MOA red dot, the size of the dot is smaller than a 4 MOA red dot. The advantage of having a smaller, 2 MOA red dot is that you can shoot a little more precisely at longer distances (note, red dots are non-magnified), since less of the dot is covering the point where you want to be shooting. Also, with a 2 MOA aimpoint, if you want a bigger dot, you can just turn the brightness up and it will "bleed" out a bit (its the wrong word... someone correct me) so the dot is a bit bigger.

My personal opinion is the 2 MOA, since I can shoot more accurate groups at 350 yds :)

Since you already know what the T-1 is like in regards to size, just be sure you realize that the other aimpoint red dots are fairly bigger in length. I was surprised when I first saw one because my stupidity trained me to think all red dots are the size of the T-1 or Vortex SPARC... which is obviously not the case.

If you arn't going to be shooting long range, I'd slap the T-1 on there... it's a really convenient optic. You can do a lower 1/3 co-witness and say goodbye to your BUIS! LaRue makes really amazing quick disconnect mounts (QD), but they are pricey... however, I think spending a bit of money to get a good quality mount for a good quality optic is a must have.

[TehLlama]

Indeed, the 2MOA is very flexible at long range, and with the brightness high enough it's no harder to acquire than the 4MOA dot up close for most folks. For the Comp3, the LaRue mount can't be beat. Great advice above.

The H-1 also makes a ton of sense for non-NV users, and the ADM mount is a great option as well. That pairing from G&R Tac is pretty affordable, and the ADM is available in absolute cowitness and lower 1/3 - this is what I run for all my non-magnified optics.

[Creeky73]

This has probably been said, but I didn't read every page of posts here, so forgive me if I am repeating. I made the mistake of buying my first AR before doing much research (something I never do) and while I am not actually dissatisfied with my first purchase, I probably would have gone a different route had I found this forum before my gun found me. After discovering the wealth of cool parts available for AR's, I decided to build a second rifle with the parts that I wanted, and learn how to build/fix them in the process. Be forewarned, I believe that most people who recommend building as a way to save money probably already had a lot of the tools necessary to do this. If you don't already have the tools, figure $200-300 minimum on the tools to put your build together. A good torque wrench for barrel installation will run you 100 bones by itself. Then also consider that you sometimes run into some fitting issues. For instance, I bought a Tactical Innovations lower and a Sun Devil uppper. Both expensive parts. And they do not fit together well at all. Massive gap between the two pieces, and I am definitely not happy about it. There is a very, very slight gap between the two halves of my factory-built AR, but not noticeable unless you look really really hard. You can see the gap between the two high-end pieces even if you aren't looking for it. But these things will happen when buying parts from several different companies. My advice would be, if you have the cash to burn and seriously want to learn your weapon inside and out, build it. If you would rather buy a gun and leave it alone, do that. I would have to seriously question the value in buying all these tools if you do not intend to be working on/building AR's on a regular basis. Fact is, once I get this thing together, these tools are going to sit in a toolbox and collect dust, for the most part. I would also observe that if you are planning on building something really high-end, there is probably more value in getting the tools and getting exactly the parts you want. If you have set yourself a budget of around $1500 or so, I would just buy a Daniel Defense or something similar and be done with it.

[willardcw4]

The H-1 also makes a ton of sense for non-NV users, and the ADM mount is a great option as well. That pairing from G&R Tac is pretty affordable, and the ADM is available in absolute cowitness and lower 1/3 - this is what I run for all my non-magnified optics.

Botach tactial also has a pretty good deal for the H-1 with a KZ mount... but from what I've been reading Botach is pretty hit or miss when it comes to customer satisfaction, although the 10-15% off coupon codes really make me want to check them out :)

I agree with TehLlama about the H-1 for non-NV users and those that don't need to take their optic under water past ~30 ft and don't want any magnification... it is a really ergonomically friendly, light weight optic.

But like I said before, if you have that T-1 on another gun and don't mind throwing that on your AR, then that is equivalent to the H-1 option... just buy a nice mount for it and you're set.

[Army Chief]

The rule of thumb for Botach is (a) call ahead to verify the item is in stock, (b) don't be in a hurry, and (c) be willing to deal with some potential angst with respect to exact order fulfillment. Botach has many customers, significantly fewer repeat customers, and perhaps a handful of true fans, but if you're a price-motivated shopper (to the exclusion of all else), then you can generally come out ahead.

Over time, most seasoned shooters/builders will choose to spend a bit more and deal with a reputable specialty vendor (including most of the businesses that you see here as site sponsors) to minimize the long-term frustration, but these are quite honestly lessons that most of us will still have to learn through hard first-hand experience.

AC

[5pins]

While there is nothing *wrong* with the M2, the C3 is newer technology, comes in 2 or 4 MOA, and can be had with an ADM mount for $2 less than the SWFA price.

Where?