Rental AR Range

[TrappedinCalifornia]

...Looking for a range where I can rent and shoot a variety of AR 15s to see which one I want to buy...

Much as with 10/22's, an AR-15 can be a 'rabbit hole' in terms of experimentation. If you are simply looking for a Plain Jane AR that 'fits' you, as others are suggesting, there's not much difference out-of-the-box, at least in general, and, often, brand loyalty holds greater sway. If you're looking for an High-End model, with several 'customized' features, I wouldn't be overly optimistic that you'll find one or, at least, a wide variety at any, given rental facility in a given area. For instance, even the recommended Route 66 has certain 'limits' on the AR varieties available; though they do have a 'cross spectrum' of styles, it can run you a bit of money to 'test' every 'variant' on the market.

AR-15's, for some, are buy once, cry once and done. For others, they are a bottomless hole; i.e., much like potato chips for many, you can't just have one. For still others, they become an endless quest for that 'perfect' combination where there is always, lingering doubt that there might be something 'better,' be it an assembled rifle or 'custom' part, lurking out there which has, to that point, escaped their attention and Heaven help them when something 'new' is introduced.

Put another way, what I believe you are seeing in the responses thus far are attempts to be 'helpful,' but a bit more detail from you regarding what you are looking for vis a vis 'differences' might provide some insight into how to better answer your question. That includes directing you toward a shop which might 'best' (insofar as is possible) meet your expectations/needs.

[2A forever]

The basic platform is pretty much the same no matter what you get. It's after the initial purchase that you start to add, and change things to make it yours. That's the best part of the platform, don't like the way this or that works, there is someone who makes it a bit different that will probably work. The bad part is that you may end up with a box full of stuff from trial and error.

BTW, I've got a 'box full of stuff' for sale...

[keith1911]

FT3 in Stanton has ARs available to rent, but they're all their own builds. As other's have said it depends on why you want to shoot different versions, but they are pretty much able to be setup the way you want.

[Rifle ronin]

I would think the length of the gas system would be what you want test while actually shooting. Accessories are too numerous.

[Jimi Jah]

The difference comes with various calibers. My 350 Legend shoots much differently than the 5.56, same bolt and carrier. Same with the 7.62x39 Commie gun, that one is a fav, bigger bang, more power, bigger holes to see, cheaper ammo.

[NataliaJoe]

OP are you weighing the options between fixed mag and featureless? Or are you trying to compare brand a vs brand b?

[NataliaJoe]

This is very interesting information. Thank you. I agree the features are probably more important but I need to be able to try them to find out?


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[sigstroker]

Close your eyes, you probably won't be able to tell one from another and I have lots of em.

Well, pretend to close your eyes. Shooting with your eyes closed is not a good idea.

[deerdeerdeer]

Hello,

I’m in OC. Looking for a range where I can rent and shoot a variety of AR 15s to see which one I want to buy. LA, OC, IE, or SD area is okay. Anyone have any recommendations?

Thanks,
N


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Just get an AK-47, we don't play with lego's, gonna catch a fade here for this. AR has its uses, one of us CGer would take ya out, just ask. If anything look at the for sale and ask if you can pay for range fees and free fieldtrip, I am sure they would take the offer

There is a builder here that builds for fun and sales it for the exact price of the parts, I believe it was Butters? You can PM him, he is addicted to building, pretty knowledgeable on the AR platform..

[n8vrmind]

This list will trigger PSA fan bois and others may argue about tier placement of their fav AR brands... IMHO, it largely comes down to parts QC and craftsmanship of the builder. If you have the financial means, buy at least a mid tier.

[crishh]

you can go with

Route 66

[battleship]

AR's are like cars in as far as how they are marketed. Materials, performance, reliability and styling all of which is a determining factor. And with that comes the price tag. If money is no barrier you can get what you desire or take a cheaper model.

[Jimi Jah]

Barrel, trigger and glass is what's important. The rest is window dressing or snob appeal.

[gforce357]

[golfish]

ARs are pretty simple. I didn't know a thing about em until I found CG. With limited help here and some YT videos I was able to build a few of them. I even milled out a few using a jig and router.
Its not a huge money saving thing but you will learn a lot..buy a stripped lower and a kit from PSA.