I'm looking to get my first AR, I'm pretty set on wanting the Bushmaster MOE Mid-length 5.56. I want to use it for anything between 0-600 Yards, (600+ yards would only be range shooting,) and I was wondering if it turns out that I'm not happy with the 16" barrel, I could swap it with the 20" National Match Heavy Barrel, without any negative impact. (Other than the increase in length and weight.)
A nice build would be a duplicate Colt type AR15 A2 HB 20" Rifle with the rifle stock. Such a rifle would be more accurate than all the 16" stuff. Just a thought. HB of CJ (old coot) (hundreds of AR builds, 95% of them 20" rifles)
It seems you are talking about wanting 2 separate rifles. With a 20" barrel, the best bet is a rifle stock and with the MOE you will get the carbine stock. Also, if you are wanting accuracy, I would go with a free float handguard vs. normal style handguards. This improves accuracy by free floating the barrel.
The MOE barrel is an M4 profile barrel which means under the handguards it will be quite thin. I think .6**" something and then back to .75" for the Front sight/gas block and back to .72"-ish or so after the gas block. These barrels are great for 100yds shots, but anything out past 2-250 and groups will open up and the round will start to suffer. With the shorter and thinner barrels, you will have lower velocity which will give you limited range to be able to accurately shoot with. With the MOE rifle, you are buying frills and stuff that you are basically saying you don't want and will change out. You will basically spend money you don't need/want to. You best bet to get what you want is to build your rifle yourself. There are several very good videos on MidwayUSA and Brownells to help you along. I have built quite a few and they are easy to do and I got exactly the parts I wanted for the rifle instead of buying and swapping later.
If you are going to buy a rifle without building, I would suggest getting an 18" SPR profile barreled upper receiver and mating it to a lower that you buy separate. The SPR barrel profile is much thicker under the handguards, .8" or more, and ends up about the same after the gas block as the Bushmaster barrel. Also, I would recommend a mid-length gas system because it is more gentle on your components regarding wear and tear from recoil. You can still get the MOE handguards for this if you choose. The longer barrel is more accurate and will give you a little more velocity, yet still be fairly maneuverable vs. a 20" setup with a fixed stock.
Or here, plus they have a deal for a free upper with the barrel! Their uppers are made by Aero Precision which are top notch, I use them for my builds. AR-15 Parts - Barrels - Surplus Ammo
I simply suggest building at least the upper because then you get exactly what it is you are wanting without compromising with a pre-made setup. And you don't have to swap out parts later and spend more money than necessary. Plus it is a blast to do. Good luck.
That's a lot to take in, haha, I think I'd be happier with a 18" - 20" barrel, my issue is I'm still slightly stuck on the looks of the gun, I don't really like the look of a free float handguard too much, that's partly why I like the MOE. I like the Bushmaster name, and the price was about budget, I really only have about 1200$ for the gun if I want to get all of the add-ons that I wanted. I suppose I'm most concerned with accuracy/effective range (up to about 600 yard) and appearance.
I intended to put a Nikon M-223 3-12x42SF BDC 600 on the gun, with a red dot mounted on the scope. So an effective range for 600 yards would be nice, I think the 20" barrel would be best for me, but like I said, I'm also very concerned with looks, and the stock and handguard I like a lot. I haven't really been able to find another gun that I liked as much for the same price, however I could settle for a gun with a similar stock type, and a free float handguard on a 20" barrel, if the handguard had picatinny rails long enough to mount both a vertical grip, flashlight and a bipod.
Like I said, I've got a limited budget and I'd like a gun that is the best overall for anything I could use it for.
Welcome to the fun and madness of building your AR15 Rifle your way. But be warned....once you test these crazy fun waters with your right big toe, you will want to quickly dive into deep fun $spendy$ crazy insane FUN FUN FUN. Welcome aboard and you....HAVE BEEN WARNED!!! HB of CJ (old coot)
Now you have me going again to re-enter this fun and silliness and build another AR15 HB 20" rifle, only this time left handed and chambered for the 6.5 Grendal. It is YOUR fault sooss there!!
That's a lot to take in, haha, I think I'd be happier with a 18" - 20" barrel, my issue is I'm still slightly stuck on the looks of the gun, I don't really like the look of a free float handguard too much, that's partly why I like the MOE. I like the Bushmaster name, and the price was about budget, I really only have about 1200$ for the gun if I want to get all of the add-ons that I wanted. I suppose I'm most concerned with accuracy/effective range (up to about 600 yard) and appearance.
I intended to put a Nikon M-223 3-12x42SF BDC 600 on the gun, with a red dot mounted on the scope. So an effective range for 600 yards would be nice, I think the 20" barrel would be best for me, but like I said, I'm also very concerned with looks, and the stock and handguard I like a lot. I haven't really been able to find another gun that I liked as much for the same price, however I could settle for a gun with a similar stock type, and a free float handguard on a 20" barrel, if the handguard had picatinny rails long enough to mount both a vertical grip, flashlight and a bipod.
Like I said, I've got a limited budget and I'd like a gun that is the best overall for anything I could use it for.
Is your budget $1200 for just the gun or the gun and optics? Because with those optics, I think the budget won't work for both!
If your budget is $1200 for just the rifle, then you can build it for much less. If you like the look of the MOE stock, it is pretty cheap, around $50 or less. The MOE handguards can be had for around $30. There are places you can get the handguards, stock, pistol grip together for a low price and other places have the lower parts kits with the MOE grip and stock. Check out Palmetto State Armory and DSGArms.
With your scope, I would have an 18"-20" barrel. (Personally I think the 20" barrel is too long for a carbine stock). Don't get so hung-up on the name of these manufacturers, you end up paying for the name and standard quality. You can basically build the MOE rifle you want, with the length barrel you want for about $700-$800 and not have to get parts later to replace ones you settled for.
I parted out your build with simple and quality parts for about $775 +/- a few. If you want, PM me and I will send you links to all the parts. This leaves you plenty left over for getting the tools to build it with, and you will still be under the $1200 rifle build you wanted.
It doesn't look like you have a PM option under your screen name. If you click on my screen name it should have a drop down menu. If the PM option doesn't show, that means you can't PM. Check with the moderator to see if you can change it, or check in your profile to see if you can add it. If those don't work, email me at dakotachris at hotmail.
Have you decided what twist rate you're going with? I started a similar build a couple months ago and ended up going with a a White Oak Armament 20" barrel with a 1:7 twist. This rate should let me use some of the heavier 75+ gr. bullets to help buck the wind at distance, while still letting me use cheaper 55 gr. bulk ammo for more trigger time at closer ranges.
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