My 2023 AR-15 Tier List, The ranking of AR-15 brands. Find out which are the best and the worst!
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- Опубликовано: 3 окт 2024
- This is my ranking of the AR brands I am familiar with, feel free to make your own ranking or add some missing companies that you are aware of. Find out which AR-15’s came out the best. This Tier list is not only based upon performance of the guns, but the pricing on the products as well. If things are overpriced, they maybe downranked, if things are underpriced, they may rise in the rankings. These are my opinions; I am not sponsored in any way. Have some fun in the comments!
tiermaker.com/...
The comments do not disappoint on this one. 😂 The elitism and feverish brand loyalty within firearms are better than midget wrestling.
Love this comment!!!
“ Elitism “ sounding like a liberal .
Found the guy who overpaid for a kac
@@randyreviewsit just happily payed about 3k for my rattler lt after tax and perfectly happy
Knew it was someone who overpaid
I understand your reasoning and balance between price but how you absolutely trash Geissele for charging $2200 for their ARs and call them overpriced and place them in C tier, and then in the next breath put HK at A tier? HKs are crazy money and give you nothing more than most other companies, your logic doesn’t follow.
This was involved innovation and the hk has the piston. The 2024 one will be focused on shtf so proprietary parts are going to count against you and the sales with Geissele lately will likely put them in a higher tier when we look at it that way. Which is probably more representative of what most people should shoot for, something for shtf as of right now
Yes, contradictions through out the video. One company gets a better score while another suffers for the same reasons and both are reputable companies that hold premium contracts? It’s your list and opinion, however it’s not completely logical.
@@alphasierrahotel7do you have a better list without your perceived contradictions?
@ashlen737 I don’t think you have ever worked anywhere that does contracts… the best quality place rarely get large contracts
@randyreviewsit that makes it a recommendation for random people not a tier list😂
Nice to hear someone from the 2a community call out how cringe the punisher skull is.
I have been a fan of the Punisher comic book character since the 70's when I was a kid. I can't tell you how disappointed I have been to see the symbol coopted by Team6 wannabe's and all the other 2A community posers. Stop using a comic book character for your LARP bullshit.
@johncannon3593 the worst is the COPS who have the nerve to put it on their uniforms. Frank Castle is literally a MURDERER. Like 82% psychopath. Cops shouldn't identify with that EVER.
@@johncannon3593especially when it's used by those back the blue bootlickers... Punisher hated cops.
@@twistofcain_666 🙄
@@twistofcain_666😂😂😂yeah cuz criminals are better than the big bad pigs!!😂😂😂
Anderson Manufacturing…”We’re not Bear Creek.”
Daniel Defense makes EVERYTHING in house. Including their barrels
BCG’s ?
Nope their BCG’s are trash lol Palmetto State Armory uses FN barrels lol
@@byronnlangleypalmetto state doesn't use FN barrels they use whatever barrel they have in their shop. FN however does use their own barrels from LMGs on their carbine style of rifles. There's also a few other manufacturers that does use FN barrels too
@Chris09978 you can definitely order some psa guns with fn barrels
@@randyreviewsit thats interesting maybe that's on their higher end models not their sub 1,000 ones
The M&P sport 3 I would say is a B for $750 you get a 15" free floating rail, B5 grip and stock, and its a really reliable gun.
Yeah I wish it would have came with iron flip up sights but they're keeping the cost down. Love mine❤️
@MAGDUMP i agree I think all guns should come with some form of sights when purchased.
The volunteer XV ($650 at my lgs) is a steal in my opinion.
@chaunceyhart1346 love the free float rail on it.
The problem with SIG is they come out with rifles and then they stop supporting them which makes it hard to get parts
Yeah if they brought back the old 55x line I would be all in lol.
@@randyreviewsit That's the bad thing about sig, they use their customers for testing. And then once they get it figured out they charge you an arm and a leg.
@@randyreviewsitIf you're talking about the 556, that was their baby. The others were not their creation. Switzerland owns the rights to those.
@moderngunguy3666 that's literally what every gun maker does.. Except for Glock, they just keep releasing the same exact gun over and over with a new number beside it and people are like "ooh did u see the new Glock".. yeah it's just like the last one, same shitty trigger, same shitty buis, same shitty grip and zero innovation
@@WettDoggTV What's wrong with the trigger?
The Anderson is a mil spec rifle with magpul furniture around 450 bucks. Shots good runs fine and really reliable. People just crap on em because they’re cheap
Agree! I have several Anderson lowers that I have built out and they are great!
Anderson is just fine, they had a QC fallout a few back. Otherwise as far as mil spec goes AM15 is in spec for the most part.
I’ve toured their shop this year. I was impressed.
Nothing wrong with Anderson receivers and this tier list shouldn't be taken seriously..As long as the parts meet spec and tolerance the rifle will perform as good as any AR..
Same for PSA!!!
LWRC is underrated. They’re overshadowed by DD. If the stopped with the goofy proprietary (but still amazing) upper on the DI. it would be among the elites.
LWRC was the gold standard before I had even heard what a Daniel Defense was. Those who know, know.
The crazy thing about the proprietary stuff is that it’s doesn’t create the compatibility issue that some people think it makes. You can still put a BCM, DD, G$ upper on that lower; or a different BCG (I’m almost sure) in the LWRC upper (I don’t see why you’d want to). Proprietary in this case is made in house with different features from the rest of the market, but not exclusively compatible like proprietary meant in the case of early Apple products or old Sony vaio stuff…
@CharlieW72 I hope you watch my 2024 list later this year because yeah I am weighing it for shtf where proprietary stuff will count against you.
@@randyreviewsitI’m looking forward to it! I think LWRC is very underrated. I get that the term proprietary discourages a lot of people, but it’s a non-factor.
@@randyreviewsit hurry up with that video, haha
As an owner of a Daniel Defense V7 I feel good about my purchase. Also the fact that I got it from my local shop when the DD rep was in store for a huge DD event. I paid 1900.00$ for mine but got 800 rounds of Norma ammo and four magazines and a nice bag for that price. So I got my new v7 for really 1400.00$. Love it. Bought a IWI Z-15 a year later because of the bang for the buck. Lol. And have a pistol build with an Aero lower. I feel I have fone well with my choices. Thanks for the video brother.
how did you get a brand new one for that price!!!! i got a v9 for 2k new but like WHAT and this was 2 years ago
@@alexdelk5988i got my dd v7 cali compliant for $1650 after tax on euro optics website
Got v7 pro for 1.6k with fire trigger
@@RustCohleTX dang i must have just gotten ripped off 😥
yea i got mine for $1500 on Dahlonega Armory somehow lol. such a good rifle. really S Tier
FN is at least A tier for me man. They make MOST of the chf barrels in the game. One of only 2 brands on military contract which doesn't mean too much anymore but their guns simply work and there barrels are top tier any day. Wish they made their own bcgs instead of sourcing to AO precision but AO makes good shit.
FN has the best quality control of any of the military contract. There’s a reason colt lost the contract to them.
Aero deserves b. They’re tough,reliable, less expensive & have that legendary flared mag well from factory. They’re really solid and at a solid price. More expensive doesn’t always mean more better.
Ben stoeger just broke another bolt on his aero, watch his video.
@@randyreviewsit they’re just milspec nitride. I won’t use another one of those. Nickel boron been getting rough reviews too. Nickel is Smooth but not the best. In my research and experience a good option that’s smooth and strong is DLC. I like Sharps rifle company. Aero lowers are generally pretty tough. Any mil spec lower parts kit is junk. Spend the extra 40 and get Geissele. Especially because you get that extended bolt catch. I like to build my upper with faxon parts. Faxon makes a Good barrel about 150 bucks with the 1/8 twist rate (my preferred twist rate for 55-62 grain)
@@austingriff833I do Precision sheet metal engineering / fabrication. I used my mitutoyo dial Caliper that is capable of measuring 0.0000 to inspect the rifle I just built. The tolerances on the Aero precision we're far within tolerance. The tolerance was just as good and some places better than my Buddy's Daniel Defense. I also bought their 16 in stainless steel 416r fluted barrel which is beautiful. I don't know why so many people hate on Aero precision. In my experience, Their stuff is definitely higher than milspec, but it can fit mil-spec. If you look at the Tolerance on most milspec products they only go to .00 so to have their upper receiver, lower receiver, takedown pin holes, and other important Dimensions be within .005 it's pretty impressive. Just saying.🤷🏻
@@randyreviewsitthe aero bolt lugs like to shear
@@austingriff833 carpenter 158 has the least variables to go wrong when heat treated. properly heat treated 158 bolts can last up to 60,000 rounds.
Agree about VSeven. While I don't have any of their guns, I do have a considerable amount of their parts, and their parts (while pricey) are QUALITY. I exclusively use their hand guards on my AR10s.
I have an aero 10.5 upper and lower swapped to an adjustable gas block, ran suppressed it’s whole life. It’s great.
First time viewer here. Thank you for the list. My first phrchase was an M&P 15 it ran great but sold it and just picked up a LWRC. Looking forward to some range time!
Just bought my first AR. The amount of information and number of brands available are mind-boggling. I didn't really know where to start. I watched a few "top 5" and "top 10" videos, and I wasn't ready to drop over $2k on a high-end AR, but I didn't want to buy bottom of the barrel, either. I was ready to pull the trigger on either a Stag or a Springfield Saint Victor, but a local gun shop talked me into an LWRC for only a couple hundred dollars more. Got the LWRC Discovery. Unfortunately, I'm in CA, and have to wait until next week before I can pick it up. Glad to see that you ranked LWRC so high on your scale.
You’re not gonna be disappointed with LWRCI
How you kicking the rifle? I've decided on lwrc as my main ar too, just waiting on moving to a free state in a few months
@@ryanjoband9082 Love it. The only thing I regret was not learning more about the available mounting systems. The rifle I bought is neither KeyMod nor MLok. It's an LWRC proprietary mounting system that doesn't have any 'aftermarket' products that work with it. That's OK, because this is only my first AR, and I've heard they like to multiply. Hopefully I'll be moving to a free state soon, too, so I can put a normal rear take-down pin in and remove the magazine lock. My house is for sale, and I'm already packed and ready to go. Just waiting for the right buyer. I'm going to miss having my own private shooting range, though.
How much u got it for?
@@scotttraxx $1,399 with the California compliance equipment - 10 rd mag and juggernaut system.
I'd put Ruger in B simply because it's a Great Priced, Good Home Protection gun which is the Highest Percentage of the AR Customer base.
Definitely.
Although I don’t personally own all of them, but basically a test sample of 11 of them. All of them the AR556 that were bought when they first came out and out the door price was under $400. 3 of them have lived their entire life having the dog snot beat out of them riding in a truck and had the hell shot out of them. They look like hell but still going strong. 1 of them is owned by a Marine and if he says it’s a solid rifle it’s good enough for me. Admittedly the trigger at least on the old ones is horrid, but the upgraded trigger makes a world of difference and isn’t that expensive. I put the magpul handguard so I could mount a light, stock and a sling on mine and that’s it. Wish I would have bought at least 6 of them at that price.. lol
Q.C. just isn’t there. Way too much beta testing going on at Sturm Ruger
Surprised to see Windham on the bottom. I have both a Dissipator, and an HBC I purchased earlier this year. Love them both. I figured they would at least be "service duty" LOL.
My HBC is just fine
Its a great milspec rifle. Multiple people who work at the gun store I frequent own their own windham weaponry ARs as well. It's a great mid-tier AR
I bought an ADM UIC mod 2 16" complete upper and a stripped lower before ADM raised their prices. They used to be a great value. The complete upper new was $890 shipped and I bought their lower used for $250. With parts to complete the build I have $1,300 in the rifle like it would come from the factory.
Where the fuck did you buy your Anderson complete upper? The most expensive one they offer is like $500
@@hoppinggnomethe4154 ADM. American Defense Manufacturing
@@hoppinggnomethe4154 ADM = American Defense Manufacturing, not Anderson
@hoppinggnomethe4154 youre coming off awful aggressive for someone so wrong.
I bought a Windham Weaponry few years back and haven't had any problem with it at all. Great AR !!
I got the HBC and it's been flawless
I hear you 👍@@dtogo4286
WW made very good rifles at a very fair price. Unfortunately they went out of business recently. I have the SRC and it’s a great rifle
Yes, I agree ! Back in the time Bushmaster was the #1 Very sad all the gun techs that lost their jobs. Thanks to our fantastic economy thanks to the communists democrats for closing down businesses !!!!!@@bigmacfullerton7870
@@bigmacfullerton7870FYI, Windham Weaponry had been purchased and has reopened. New owners and management, and they are continuing warranty support.
My first AR was the ruger AR 556 and she's been an absolute beast when it comes to reliability. I also own 2 HK, 1 colt and just this year I got my first SOLGW complete.... I wish I knew about this company before I bought my 2nd HK because I'd only own 1 HK and two SOLGW rifles....
Idk what kind of magic sauce they're lathering their rifles in but you can literally weigh down the rifle with an LPVO, offset rds, wml with pad, sturdy rail covers and a bcm forward grip and I swear to god the gun feels exactly the same if it was completely naked with cheap magpul flip ups. The balance of the rifle feels absolutely amazing and the confidence I have running one is like no other...
I bought a stripped GOLGW lower. I also have 2 PSA complete lowers, I don't see where the GOLGW lower is any better than PSA's. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the GOLGW is bad, it just isn't better than a PSA lower.
@@Blueknight1960 All "mil-spec" stripped lowers are going to be near identical aside from special coatings and sometimes flared magwells & trigger guards. PSA make absolutely phenomenal gear.... Their biggest problem is horrid QC. Their workers take PSAs awesome, in-spec gear and parts and turn them into out of spec or "low quality" due to poor fitment, not staking or not following proper torque specs.... I could go on and on. I had to learn the hard way with PSA a few times but that's been quite a while ago. I still will completely disassemble - resemble all complete builds from psa just to check all the major boxes. They're only getting better and better. SOLGW got put on the map from their complete uppers and moved on from there.... I'm pretty sure they still don't produce any parts in house but rather use major production facilities to work on specific designs and specs, get all the parts in their warehouse where they then go over the rifle with a fine tooth comb, stamp their name on everything and jack up the price.
Putting Geissele in C tier is craaaaaazy. Easily in A tier, and that’s coming from someone with a DD MK18 SBR and sr15 11.5 CQB mod 2 SBR. Their rails are sick.
After the 1260 price I saw the other day, they are definitely getting re-evaluated this year. For 1260 I am buying a Geissele all day over just about everything else, just sad they were oos by the time I saw them.
@@randyreviewsit agreed that deal was great, if i didn’t already have better rifles i would have gotten that real quick
It's a good time to be in the AR market. I think you're getting a good gun if you buy any of the brands in the A, B & C categories. I wouldn't hesitate to buy a PSA rifle either if that was the price point I was looking for.
The only disagreement I'd have is Rock River Arms. Their AR beat out ten other companies on this list in trials for the DEA contract. Since then, the US Marshals and FBI have begun buying them as well. They are also the company to produce AR's for the DoD when we're arming foreign security forces.
It seems to be a trend on the rra stuff, maybe my experience was anecdotal and not reflective of them. I will probably try to get some time in on one this year so I can update the tier list with 2024 changes. Already predicting a few moves
@@randyreviewsit my Anderson is great their is no wiggle between the upper and lower can take a beating and the one I got came with magpull furniture 15 inch hand guard 16 inch barrel and its accrete in my opinion its equal if not better than an aero. never had fail to feed no light strikes when I weighed it it was between 6-7 pounds so I'm not sure you have had an Anderson or at least have never actually tested it because if you had it would be higher up. or maybe I was lucky and got a good 1 out of a million all I know is that the one I have is very a very good rifle
Rock river makes an outstanding rifle. I treat mine like shit and it's never missed a beat, and is by far in a way the most accurate AR I've ever owned. I've had personal experience with a few rock rivers that just seemed to be freakishly accurate
Agreed, my RRA has a few thousand through it, and it's been nothing but perfect. Durable, accurate, a tad heavy, but easily remedied.
contracts are probably more about budget and politics than performance...im just guessing..
I own a Wyndham Weaponry ar15 and I absolutely love it.
Fires straight and true and never had a jam!
About 300-400 rounds through it
I’m glad to see my rifle (LWRC) in S tier. I think many people bypass looking for this rifle because of popularity/marketing of the other brands. I think they mainly get around by word or mouth advertising. I also don’t see them in many gun sun shops. I own the short stroke piston model and I chose it over DD and Geissele as I was looking for what I considered top tier for me! I’ve owned many of the brands on here and some that aren’t on here and I’ve built/assembled a few. I currently own, in addition to my LWRC is a SA Saint Victor because of the value for the price and also because I was in the market for a second or third AR right around the time panic buying had started and the gun came in as I was coming in to settle on a more basic AR. Thanks for the list.
P.S. I paid about $2400 after tax, out the door around 4 years ago.
I have a LWRCI too IC. The rifle is heavy after I added a few extra features I’ve been looking at the Saint edge due to its value and gas block (I’m waiting on my 🤫 tube).
I say all this to say how’s the Saint ? Does it give you hiccups or do u need to run a Pacific ammo to run it ?
@@Charliemanee16 The Saint Victor has been flawless through various ammo brands and types, i.e. different bullet weights, 5.56 as well as .223. I don’t shoot anything past 62g though since they pretty much serve a defensive/shtf purpose. I do train with the rifles but I don’t “sport shoot” if that makes any sense.
I for one will stand up for Rock River. I had an operator 2 that was an absolute tank. Also had one of the varmint models with no problems from any of them
Agree. I have the coyote carbine
I will chime in a vote on the V7. I built a rifle with most of the parts from them. The arts are expensive there is no denying that and it does price out some builders, but they are amazing both in weight and feel. I would argue aero precision a solid B tier for their m4e1 receivers. Forged with billet looks and the screw in mag catch pin should be an industry standard.
I've used Anderson receivers with very good results. As long as you find two that fit together right you got a real good gun at a very good price. I don't really care what other people say. That's just been my personal experience. Going by other peoples ranking of best to worst is like comparing apples and oranges. One person gets a bad orange and all of sudden all those types of oranges are bad according to them. They get areal good apple and all of a sudden all those types of apples are great. Some people don't like my type of handgun according to their videos. In other videos other people love it. I'm the only person that can decide what is the best or worst for me.
I don't think that you understand the difference between objective and subjective opinions. In the video he was stating objective facts. You prefer to go by your subjective, emotional feelings about 'what is the best or worst for me.' The ranking were not about you and your feelings. They were based on logic and facts.
What I think the other item is sure maybe he got a good Anderson lower, but you are more likely to have a great lower from the higher tiered stuff for sure, to me the ranking is partly you pay for piece of mind. Sure psa has a lifetime warranty, but I would rather not have to warranty something at all and I have never heard of someone having to warranty anything from H&K.
Anderson's QC is much better nowadays...but snob mentality at its best is all they get...sad😢
@howardmccully7982 hoping to give them another try this year and see if things are better.
I’ve had an Anderson for 4 years and never had 1 problem with it. Only FTF was due to the mag not the receiver. Hog hunt with it all the time. You don’t have to break the bank to have a good reliable firearm.
100% agree on Spikes tactical. I'm tempted to build a tasteful regular AR15. from them just to prove it can be done. I like their powdered tungsten buffers, though. I have those in a few builds.
Not sure if anyone else mentioned this but, the CMMG Dissent is actually DI/Internal Piston, not a Short Stroke Piston. Which makes it even more impressive considering you get an adjustable gas system and foldable stock (doesn’t use a buffer tube). Looking at price to performance ratio, I’d more so put CMMG in the bottom of A Tier but, to each their own.
You are absolutely right I misspoke, Mike from cmmg corrected me as well at iv8888. They are right on that border and creeping into A tier.
Not sure I'd even put the word piston in there. It's DI all the way, the rest is the buffer assembly. It's typical AR design all the way through the gas key. Everything else is opposing/ return force.
@@chrisrosenthal1210 Maybe I wasn’t clear enough with what I meant, my bad bro. DI aka Direct Impingement, is actually an internal piston. Somewhere along the line people started calling it DI but, functionally its a piston itself. But yes overall, it shares a lot with a standard AR-15.
@@alexferrara9287 But there is no piston on a DI gun... Just gas pumped into the bcg
@@chrisrosenthal1210 Armalite begs to differ brother. Instead of me explaining, I’ll just copy/paste what Armalite said in an article….
”The AR-15/M16 and the AR-10 family of rifles employ a unique gas powered operating system patented by Eugene Stoner in the 1950s. This gas operating system works by passing high pressure propellant gasses tapped from the barrel down a tube and into the carrier group within the upper receiver, and is commonly but incorrectly referred to as a “direct impingement” system.
The gas expands within a donut shaped gas cylinder within the carrier. Because the bolt is prevented from moving forward by the barrel, the carrier is driven to the rear by the expanding gasses and thus converts the energy of the gas to movement of the rifle’s parts. The bolt bears a piston head and the cavity in the bolt carrier is the piston sleeve. It is more correct to call it an “internal piston” system.”
That spikes tactical segment was worth the whole video. 32:06 😂
I have a Knights, a Radian, Cobalt and a Q. Knights is my favorite because that was my first Father’s Day gift lol
Congratulations on being a father.
God bless you
I think this list is pretty accurate. I think an opinion is par for the course. Everyones got an opinion, so respect it, and don't get butt hurt if your gun ends up ranking lower than you'd like. I think one thing you should consider is whether it is mil-spec or not. I have a two Colt LE 6920's they are milspec. They fire every time I pull the trigger, so I love them. Plus I can take any milspec part and put it on my gun. I've had LWRCI's and they were some of the most accurate AR's I've ever owned. You just have to decide where you want to spend your $ Are the top of the line golf clubs going to make you a better golfer? I'd say to anyone new to ar's is buy in the B Tier and spend your left over $ on training and ammo. Because lets face it, none of us are going to war anytime soon.
Well said and I would agree with everything. This year the tier list is going to be more shtf and what I would actually grab.
I have a Windham Weaponry MPC that I bought 8 years ago. Stock M4, basically. Ir is solid as hell.chrome barrel, no frills. I would put it against any similarly priced AR (i.e S&W or Ruger) all day. Thousands of rounds & no malfs or stoppages. Pretty accurate too, for what it is.
The blackout defense is my first gun I’ve ever purchased! Just called yesterday and talked to Brooke . She was so amazing and walked me through the whole process. We added everything I wanted including the color scheme and out the door it was just under 2,200 and that was with their 400 off for black Friday !!! I’m so excited to get this gun and I’ll probably buy another once a new version comes out !
Damn dude… starting at the top. Yeah they are great and their customer service is awesome too.
@@randyreviewsit honestly I never heard of the company and your review list was the greatest gunreview I’ve ever watched and I’ve watched over 100 in the past week. Your tier list and explanation for each brand was amazing! I wanna subscribe but I’m scared cause I think your reviews will make me buy a lot and hurt my wallet 😂.
I love lwrc. Best bang for the buck for me. Also like the unique look of them.
Agreed, 100% S Tier
Colt is the Glock of the AR-15 world. Reliability and durability unmatched. Half century of military service. That's usually what you're paying for. Also Windham is the original Bushmaster. Seems like you don't know much about that gun. Windham is one of the best in terms of quality for the price; chrome lined barrel AND BGC and they have a lifetime warranty. Neither SW or Ruger has anything near that really.
Maybe 10 years ago but does anyone think a new colt will be more reliable than a new bcm?
@@randyreviewsit does the Colt cost anywhere near the BCM??? No, but it’s just as reliable. That’s an apples and oranges comparison. And he’s right about WW. They should be higher on the list.
Colt is not an average to below average cost, they may be reliable but it is basically a BCM that costs way more.
a "lifetime warranty" from a company that went bankrupt means shit huh?
@@gunnshotts9892 luckily, I will probably never need it anyway. My WW is a bad ass rifle
Never had a problem with Anderson. They make cheap and good enough lowers. The uppers you can throw some really nice parts in and come out cheaper and better than something stock for the same price.
At that point why wouldnt you just build your own?
@@detroitvseverybody3813 I agree with that. Which is where Anderson shines imo.
I love my AM-15. Dude is just hating on Anderson because it isn’t a flashy brand. I bet he tries conceal carrying 1911s and claims glocks are garbage.
@@jonjonbrock Lol true
anderson lower with bcm upper is possibly one the best budget builds to do
Great video Well Im going to be that guy admitting to owning this AR-15. I have 2 Windham Weaponry AR-15 because they were super cheap and I need a couple different retro .300blkout builds in my collection. I snagged them both NIB for $450. a piece I do enjoy the carry handle AR look. Now all that being said I also own 2 LWRC DI rifles and 2 SOLGW Rifles 1 PWS MK1 MOD2M, couple Aero precision M4A builds DRD Aptus etc... all in .300 Blackout cause that's my midrange rifle cartridge.
Agree completely with V-Seven.
GREAT customer service! I buy parts from them and have had to ask pretty particular questions.
They just hooked me up with the dudes in the shop. We talked about my questions, what I'm building, anything I needed for the build.
Really great folks.
The Harbinger .308 is the best .308 I've ever shot by far.
Nice, I wanted to do a 308 build from them for a lightweight deer hunting gun.
I have a few builds but i recently bought a KAC SR-15 complete upper 14.5 inch and I slapped it on a LWRC complete lower and it shot very good! I shot it for the first time last night!
Have an IWI Zion-15. One of the best purchases for the money in my collection . Rock solid. As is my CMMG. I may end up getting a Son's of Liberty next. Especially since they are here in town. Great list!
I feel like the Zion is what made his ranking vary based. You can literally take the Zion and base other guns around it.
I have a Windham Ar That I've used, abused and never cleaned or oiled that's been great. Fit and finish is top tier. It's the rifle I let family and friends use when they come shoot. I'd say it has around 5,000 rounds through it and I've never had an issue. Still shoot true as it did new.
They didn’t keep up with the times and now they are out of business. Market is too competitive right now for them.
@@randyreviewsit You do know that they're reopening don't you?
@@perryadams7500 I did not, hopefully they can get some traction.
@randyreviewsit their rifles are fantastic, they just had trouble getting back on their feet after starting up as Windham. They're also reopening sometime soon so we'll see how they do. They're solid rifles for sure though
Mostly laughable. For entertainment purposes only.
Please stop talking about your genitalia
I couldn't disagree with most of your placements more. I wonder how many of these rifles you have actually owned. I have owned most of your list other than the lower tier stuff...I think msrp effected your placement too much rank only on performance and materials let the price be the price and offer your opinions but don't let them effect your ranking if your ranking is based on quality of product. My training group (who are all engineers) literally tore these rifles apart to see who was worth what. A lot of what you said is true....I just disagree with your rankings all in all Jobe well done
I own a lot of the rifles on this list. What do you place on A and S tier, personally? Would love to hear your thoughts as I also disagree with OP.
@@hannibalbarca2939 I think radian Geisele and LWRC and all tier 1 rifles some will choose the original piston lwrc mostly because if price but I would put the di LWRC as best all around rifle out of most of these when considering price. I believe there is a real application of the law of diminishing returns once you cross the 2400 mark but some would say the same for 1500. It's really about taste budget experience and expectations...most who really run the weapon hard and on purpose will still make changes to many if not all of these....thats why we usually build vs. Buy...what I would like to see is a best parts list...In my rifles I run JP silent buffer assemblies, lwrc barrels when I can get them if not I got a similar secret sauce barrel that seems to spec out identically even down to the flutes ....I prefer an ambi lower on a matched upper forged over billet...trigger for me is the Geisele ssd radian charging handle src lightweight bolt and carrier ...bullet proofed gas block and yes that loud ass lantec muzzle break unless it's canned then surefire qd ratchet...furniture could be magpul or not...whatever suits your fancy depending on the build's purpose
I don’t agree with you. His ranking wasn’t solely based on pricing alone, as you said. He gave surrounds in his ranking decision. However, pricing “always” plays a key role in ranking, because the pricing needs to be justified…either tier up or down.
So let’s see your ranking. You’re obviously an AR snob who knows it all.
Nerd
Sounds like you have put some through the ringer inside and out. What would you both say is best AR FOR $1000
no reason to overspend on aero precision when anderson exists.
As somebody who currently owns both a Geissele with a MK8 rail and a Type A Contractor, they are on par with each other. The Type A has an overall better fit, finish, and lower. I know the Type A is piston and doesn’t compare to DI, but the Geissele recoil impulse is slightly better. Also, the trigger and buffer system is nicer. The gas rings in the EBCG have lasted longer as well. I also prefer the Surefire muzzle devices on the Geissele as I’ve had 2 baffle strikes with my Sandman S. Both guns are incredibly accurate.
Yeah Geissele has just had more hiccups and it seems like they are producing a lot of blems that people are buying. Not to mention if you end up wanting one during a non-sale time you are overpaying by as much as $600.
Love my LWRC. No malfunctions. Super accurate. No complaints.
A windham weaponry mpc was my first AR. i had no problems with it. Shot ab 5k rounds through it before selling it. It was definitely better quality than most other budget rifles
Everyone thinks that the AR they bought is the best out there. Bottom line is, if you can hit the target effectively and it’s reliable, then it’s a good one. I have a DPMS that is one of the most accurate ARs I’ve ever shot. My son has a Diamondback that shoots very well. Point is, if you can shoot it proficiently and it operates well then it’s a good weapon.
Why the hell is Anderson Mfg and PSA ranked as low as ATI? They are far better than ATI
Anderson Mfg's lowers are much cheaper than Aero's, and they just work.
PSA makes great shit at low price, and they support the 2nd Amendment. They want to arm as many people as possible. Ranking them that low is a crime. PSA is no longer like what you remember.
You lack the E and F tiers
I own a WW AR. Installed a Geisselle trigger, upgraded some of the furniture and put an aim point pro patrol on it. Shoots great no issues 30000 rounds later. Chromed lined barrel holding up fine. You don't have to spend an arm and leg to have a nice rifle.
Yeah the tier list this year I think people will more, we are changing up the scoring and getting back to just at-15’s
I own an Anderson and have had no issues so far ❤
Nailed it with Blackout Defense. I own one and it's absolutly absurd!
Modern Andersons with their increased QC should at least be a C....I have an Anderson lower with an Aero upper, and have had great results..."for the money", as you said, they're hard to beat as compared to much more expensive combos-especiallywhen the money you saved getting that combo helps you afford better internals...it's hilarious to know I've outperformed several people using "better" rifles with my "poverty pony"...another great brand is Spencer, btw
As soon as he said “poverty pony” I knew I couldn’t trust the rest of the list.
Lmao @ the poors above me.
@almostontimehero5415 you're "one of those".. I bet my worst can compare to your best
@bookem5537 not exactly, but fair point...the statement WAS a bit bombastic, lol...I still think they're much better now, and no longer deserve all of the hate and derision...just saying
I just watched a guy shoot a thousand rounds through a regular Anderson arms AR, he added a trigger mod to shoot full auto. In the end he was impressed and it had no flaws.
I have Super Duty, out of the list. Id still run my Geiselle above the rest, reliable, smooth, a fortress of a rifle. very well made. Yet, expensive. Buy when on sale.
I only roll LMT, KAC & LWRC. You did awesome on the tiers!!!
I would like to see Griffin Armament somewhere in your list. I haven’t purchased anything yet from them, but they seem to have excellent quality at a good price. I think you did a good job on your list. Great video. Thanks for sharing.
Ha! I just noticed your Mk 2 review from 1 day earlier. 😂
I was about to say, check my most recent video. They will be on this year’s tier list and I love their stuff.
I recently bought a Windham Weaponry and I must say its a nice shooting rifle it's like Windham Bushmasters 2.0.. it shoots just as nice and just as smooth as my 2 Windham built Bushmasters... yes the company just recently shutdown but i personally think it's because they really didn't advertise their guns as much as their competitors did
The owner also passed away back in March as well. Not sure if his family divided up his many many assets. I worked for a company he owned years ago and had multiple friends work for Bushmaster/Windham. We also shared a close mutual friend. Very caring and generous man who as far as my knowledge goes, was always good to his people.
WW made quality accurate and reliable stuff at a fair price. Chrome lined barrels, phosphate coated chrome lined BCGs and chrome lined and properly staked gas keys for $800. My SCR is a tack driver and it’s never been a problem at all
Windham Weaponry is opening back up
I bought a WW many years ago, because through my research, they were the only AR producer who made the 7.62x39 into a reliably cycling weapon.
And It Is!
You completely left out “Stag Arms”? 😂
Out of curiosity, what “tier” do you consider those? I bought their lefty 300 blackout and while not on Danial Defense level, they seem well made and Stag seems to be a very popular brand.
Yeah just had no experience on them so I didn’t want to rank them. Seems like stag arms and a few others have some fans
Stag buys the upper, lower and hand guard from Aero Precision with their emblem. I spoke with them at an event and they told me my Aero build was the same as the display they had. I'm not sure what barrel, bcg or other assembly parts.
My understanding is Aero Precision makes the upper, lower and hand guard for many companies.
@forgotten320 yeah I knew they outfitting a few companies just like toolcraft and microbest supply a lot of bcg for a bunch of companies
Geissele is a brand you buy on sale as they have them often. Also their CHF barrel is accurate with a nice profile and the REBCG is enhanced and smooth along with the Super 42 buffer combo. Great QC and good gassing. You could argue DD is overpriced too, Geissele has mil contracts on their rails as well as their triggers. Kinda wack that DD uses a mil spec trigger for that price.
Yeah I keep hearing their sales are pretty crazy and yeah if you can get them for those 1600-1750 ranges then yeah by all means that’s a decent buy.
@@randyreviewsit got mine on a decent brownells deal, was 1580 with a 400$ rebate. it's been a great gun, wouldn't pay 2400, and I have a BCM that I shoot way more and paid less for. 😭
I own a geissele super duty and love it but I bought it before I knew about blem sales. As far as DD I will buy theiruppers in the market for a mk18 their barrels and rails especially the quad rails are awesome
@@randyreviewsitgoing for 1460 right now
For that price easily a-tier
Ive been happy with the bushmaster ar15 I bought several years ago. Made in Huntsville, Al. I believe. It was the first one I bought as a complete rifle. Thousands of rounds and never had an issue with it.
I have a LaRue Tactical match 5.56 upper, and paid $ 1299.99, and I thought it was way too much, but it consistently shoots 5 shot groups of .64. with match ammo, But it will not shoot steal case ammo. I agree with the rating scale for this upper
Only one in the list that should of been S tier but was drop to A
@@turboprodigyI Couldn't disagree
I bought the m4le upper with chrome lined chf barrel from spikes in like 2016 when they were kind of the darling of the community in price vs quality. Built the lower to match with spikes lpk and lower. I have since evolved but I'll say this. That gun has become my training, farm, truck gun and i have run thousands of rounds through that gun with zero problems. Its just the basic gun with no gimmicky stuff but im still gonna have to disagree through experience on this one. Oh, and i drive an F150 with no stickers.
It has them at D for their inflated pricing still make damn good guns
i think PSA deserves c tier. they are a good company and they do make solid AR 15s for a good price. They just don't have the track record.
They do have a track record, it's not good. It's super common to have misaligned takedown pin holes which will have the buffer hit the buffer retainer pin and cause more muzzle flip, potential FCG jams with broken pins, and bolt bounce.
Try the Radical Firearm, budget friendly and great rifle.
budget for a reason bad bolt carriers bad barrels i would even chose a anderson over them and my anderson only lasted 7000 rounds
Honestly the zev is in a great position but if you get a zev billet setup it moves up to S tier. As someone that has owned 75% of these your placement is pretty spot on man thank you
IWI all the way. Sells great and pricing vs quality is spot on.
I would say my 18" Ruger 556 MPR with Magpul furniture, the 452 Elite trigger, and CHF barrel is a solid B tier..
It would be but Ruger allows far to much Beta testing
I wonder where Patriot ordnance Factory would sit in this list. Their Revolution DI is $1200 less than the V Seven and is only a few ounces more in weight with quite a few neat technology features in it. Not sure how they would compare but it could be a contender.
Your being way to polite, the Renegade Plus is one of the best rifles you can buy right now. They make arguably the most durable out of the box Piston Ar15 on the market as well. The fact that he does not even mention POF-USA makes this entire list garbage. And legitimate.
@justanotherinternetexpert7743 maybe because I have only shot their AR-10 you illiterate bum, I have posted that no less than 8-9 times in these comments that you have failed to read. I haven’t shot their ar-15 only their ar-10 so it wouldn’t be fair to comment on it . Maybe you are fine talking about stuff you have no experience with, but I would rather have real data. Also no one is going to be a tier making their handguard look like a goddamn warthog tusk that poses a stabbing hazard to the user. The only thing that is trash here is your comment.
@@justanotherinternetexpert7743 I own a POF 415 Edge. It is a great gun compared to other AR platforms I have shot and owned. The fact that POF isn't covered here doesn't make the ranking illegitimate. Not every gun can be covered. While I would have liked to see how the POF stacked up against others on this review, I already know. Bad mouthing is somewhat immature.
@Roscoeverdin5469 I have only shot the pof in the ar-10 format which is why it wasn’t included in the list. If you want someone to lie about their experience or just make things up then this is the wrong channel for you.
@@randyreviewsit Do you have any reading comprehension? Reread what I posted. I was knocking the guy for knocking you for not including the POF in your review.
Sig went wrong when Ron Cohen started running it. Kimber is still recovering from the Cohen years. Kimber was a very solid manufacturer before he came. He almost folded them.
Wait whoa, the kimber guy is running sig? I did not know this but that would explain a lot
About 3 yeard ago I built my fiancé a rifle using a bunch of v7 parts, a bcm mcmr rail, lmt receivers and a DD 14.5" lightweight cfh barrel, the rifle comes in at just under 5lbs and feels great. Love v7 stuff
Having SIG and BCM in the same tier is wild IMHO.
I would base the tier on how well they run. In a meltdown test the failure rate was so by brand: Geissele (901 rounds before failure), Sig (1,010), POF (2500), S&W (820)
all outlasted Daniel Defense (686), Knights Armament (574), and LMT (833).
Is that not considered?
I haven't seen the test, but do they all have same barrels? no heavy barrels? if some rifle made 2500 shots and didn't fail, while another did 600 and failed, that tells me that's a heavy barrel vs standard one.
also it's hard to judge by just 1 rifle, not all of them are the same.
@plohish1337 you are right in meltdowns, it pretty much comes down to barrel profile and gas block.
@@plohish1337 You can see the videos for yourself. All the barrels are an M4 profile. None of them were heavy. My point is, these high dollar companies are charging for the name and looks. It also shows that if a piston unit is added, the barrel will hold up much longer, because the heat is exiting the gin instead of being trapped inside.
Amazing. I can hear the Cheeto dust on his fingertips.
Thanks for helping the algorithm on my videos
@@randyreviewsit Hoping it helps you.
But do better.
@JA-oo9qp you should make videos so I can learn from you
@@randyreviewsit clueless tubby
I'd love to rank all the AR Manufacturers out there with reasoning behind each ranking but i've yet to put significant time behind each company to offer an informed opinion. I'll get there one dy though. Thanks for the video.
This list amazes me, and I know there are probably a half dozen more companies that could be added. However I came up during the 80’s and 90’s when there were basically THREE (3) companies making AR-15’s, Colt, Bushmaster,(now Wyndham Weaponry), and Armalite.😎✌️
Yeah there are probably easily another 30 makers now, it’s wild and there are so many small shops that put out good stuff.
Excellent breakdown. Excellent.
Hey there Randy
What's your opinion on Stag arms??
Specifically their Stag10 models?
Was there any perceivable quality change when they moved from Connecticut to Wyoming???
Thanks for your Tier list!!
It’s a solid rifle. Was my first it’s quality.
Its aero. Literally. Aero owns them. Barrel is shitty ballistic advantage. Rest is aero. Ill let you decide if thats ok
@jamesstephenson2346 aero has a sale on stag right now.
Do you have a stag?
Great overview and insightful analysis. I really enjoy this type of thorough long-form evaluation of the landscape.
I left out a lot thst I had zero feedback on but if you are an ar fan right now is the best its ever been as far as options.
You do know who Wyndham weaponry is right LOL Wyndham weaponry should be B
After the news today do you still think this…
@@randyreviewsit yeah the news today has nothing to do with anything. What would that change?
@@randyreviewsit plain and simple it's a good rifle that is made with all the correct materials unlike other brands in some supposedly top-end brands lol
@moderngunguy3666 proves that the demand for their product at that price point isn’t there and confirms where they ended up on the tier list. If they had an amazing product at a fair price point with regular margins they would not be closing their doors.
@@randyreviewsit no I look at it as bad management and dealing with troubles after the sale of bushmaster's name. The price point is perfectly fine considering the quality and materials that are used to build their rifles. Which points to the fact that their advertising and promotion was not there. The product is pretty amazing actually considering it's exactly what you need made with all the correct materials.. their prices were not high I don't know you're kind of trying to act like the prices were high.. like I said they're not closing their doors because of the price of the rifle they're closing their doors because a lot of people don't even know they exist because of bad promoting or I should say non-existent.. no telling what else they have been working with after the sale of Bushmaster.. could be family and fighting could be anything
I believe BCM makes their own barrels and uppers. My bcm recce has a bcm forge mark on the upper. Maybe they started this not far in the past.
LWRC baby! Definitely my favorite. Gr8 vid.
Just bought a Windham Weaponry MPC RF model this October 2023. Never owned an AR-15 before & wanted to get one before they are banned (I live in a state with a Democrat controlled legislature and a rino governor, so no longer a 2A friendly state). Never heard of Windham Weaponry, but the guy at the gun store told me the story about the company (formerly Bushmaster, and reopened under WW name with many of the original employees). It was just under $600 and is a well built, no frills AR that is a rock solid, duty grade rifle. Was sorry to learn that Windham has gone out of business, but grateful to have one of their quality rifles. I have seen a couple of torture test videos with WW rifles, where they have performed very well. I don't believe this guy has any experience using one, and is just bashing them because they don't have the name recognition that some of the others do. Rest In Peace Windham Weaponry, but take consolation knowing that your rifles will perform yeoman patriotic service for decades to come (a worthy legacy indeed).
instagram.com/p/C0F16ScqKW9/?igshid=NTYzOWQzNmJjMA==
Posted a link showing another person having the same experience I did.
I've owned Colts for years and they've always kept their value. You can keep your BCM and Daniel defense I'll stick with my Colt rifles thank you. I did get some good laughs out of the video great job.
Sure old colts hold their value but would you still tell people to buy them now?
I love my 2022 Colt M4A1 . I don't understand why someone would buy a Daniel Defense M4 A1 when they can get a real Colt rifle.
@jasonfite397 because colt got bought out and Daniel defense makes a better barrel and handguard…
@@randyreviewsit P.S can you make a video on AK rifes love to hear that list. God bless
@jasonfite397 I don’t think people would enjoy it, I owned 3 arsenals and wasn’t that thrilled with them. I think psa makes solid guns and some other good ones out there, but the high end Ak’s are like 3k plus now.
I wish POF had been in your list. They are A tier in my opinion.
PSA is awesome
My windham weaponry hb15 was the first ar I ever bought and has been through 3 rifle classes with me. I seen much more expensive rifles fail during these classes. My ww has over 5k rounds through it and I paid 700$ for it. I have switched the bcg to a fail zero and added an H2 buffer and it runs like a sewing machine. For a chrome lined barrel and the reliability and shoot ability at 700$ I think it’s one of my best all around guns. I would put them in B class for price to performance. My Daniel defense honestly sits in the safe more.
Glad it’s performing that well for you and that you got it at a lot better price than I have seen them go for. I hope now that they reformed again that they make an updated more modern option.
@@randyreviewsit agree
A list of companies that are *all* better known than several you have on your list: Armalite, POF, Bear Creek Arsenal, Del-Ton, Ballistic Advantage, Diamondback, Wilson Combat, Stag Arms, Bushmaster, Core15, Double Star, DPMS, Franklin Armory, JP Enterprises, Radical.
Yeah I just haven’t used them at all or enough to have an opinion on them
Radical 👍
Bear creek is horrible they have poor quality control me an several friends got stuff from them alot of blemishes an non milspec an jus poor quality stuff I wouldn't recommend them to anyone except the country we go to war with 😂 lol
@NastyN8thegreat2 well put
Love my ADM AIC MOD 2. Superior in every category compared to my Colt 6920. Was only a couple bills more than the Pony, but came with a Geissele trigger, Radian Raptor charging handle and M-Lok handguard out of the box. "A" tier is fair.
I don’t see bear creek. Though we all know where they’d be
Yeah no xp with them but from what I read it’s not good
It'd be hard to push them below C IMO. Maybe if the chart had F tier🤷🏻♂️ Low price, CHF, MPI, good customer service. A lot of people start with their uppers because they throw in the BCG/CH that PSA doesn't.
Or Diamondback 😢😂
F tier ?
I have a windham weaponary src 308 I love it perfect price excellent customer service lots of mods available I had an under gas issue cx took care of me shipping and quick turnaround process only had that 1 issue they sent it back better than I had got it to begin with!
Hope it lasts, they are out of business now.
@@randyreviewsit Nov. 16 post on their social media site says they will be back up and running soon. They say the lifetime warranties are still going to be honored.
I'm almost done tricking out the Ruger SR556 we picked up at a local pawn shop. Holy. Shit. What a rifle. I believe it's practically an S-Class at this point. It DEFINITELY will be an S-Class when I get that NanoWeapon BCG.....
We are entitled to our own opinions, and appreciate you putting all of this out. It was fun to watch.
Is Anderson better than Aero? Absolutely not. But is a $40 Anderson lower significantly worse than an $80 to $100 Aero lower? Absolutely not.
Admittedly, now that Anderson is making full builds at prices that rival Aero (which is absurd), they are a cost effective parts company that is seeking to make more money out of the segment, IMO.
You have some harsh remarks about Geissele, and them being below BCM or CMMG is absurd. I agree that when an AR15 comes at a premium, there needs to be a factor above the plethora of its competition, but Geiselles triggers, handguards and fit and finish are above many of its competition. They demand a premium, and the market has shown they respect that premium.
Colt and FN being below BCM is surprising, but Insee the logic from which you are coming from. Colt and FN have name recognition, as does BCM, but their recognition is far more established through proper manufacturing and contract satisfaction. But, ultimately, they bring little to the table beyond their name.
The HK 416 is a phenomenal rifle. But they make a singular rifle based on the AR bolt pattern and trigger group/ receiver. With how you leaned on absurd pricing being a large factor in dropping tiers, I find it ironic that HK is placed so high simply on having a different gas system, overlooking the absurd price hikes based on limited availability and name recognition.
KAC is the epitome of military contract price gouging. They make a great rifle, and their barrels unjustly live in the shadows of companies like Daniel Defense, but if you feel Geissele is C tier based on absurd pricing, your A tier if KAC feels too biased.
LMT, I agree. They make piston uppers, accurate barrels, have phenomenal machining at a justifiable premium. Again, premium pricing justifying pricing of around 2k shows too much hypocrisy of you’re scaling.
Smith and Wesson being higher than PSA or Anderson is just absurd. Their QC ain’t there and their build quality doesn’t match anything else they put out.
Thanks for the video. We’re lucky to have so many manufacturers that we can have this kind of banter.
Yeah the Geissele stuff was my mistake as I went by msrp, rather than true street price. This year I will have tested the Anderson frontline and that video should be out before the 2024 tier list. I am also updating the scoring factor of things to focus more on what I would actually grab if things went down
IWI zion z15 owner here.. Great AR, even better is the pricetag on it, im surprise there is not much videos/reviews on here for the zion z15.. Most of the videos are from 3-4 years ago.
I have a SIG M400 and It is still the same price as the Z-15 I think, but I'd much rather have the IWI for the handguard. The Tread handguard on the SIG is complete trash. Replaced it with a Timber Creek.
totally disagree with your rating of Windham Weaponry. Their products are top tier.
Where does Delton fit in here?
Delton is like ruger
What tier would you be in if you got a knights armament upper with an Anderson lower? That makes it a “B” tier?
If you paid are you reasonable price for the upper yeah
Patriot ordnance factory - palmetto state armory - both Christian companies making rifles with good energy and prices for what you get. I might buy a DD BCM IWI or IWRC. Decent prices for what you get especially BCM and IWI are cheap for what you get when you look at the competition and equal quality and features for 50-200% more money from other companies.