AR Snobs, Are You One?

[Donny1]

There is no mistake, the popularity of the AR style rifle is nothing less than a phenomenon. However, as an outsider looking in it seems to feel like an exclusive club, with the cost of membership being the price of an AR rifle. Don't get me wrong, it's a club I intend on joining, I just haven't made it there yet.

I do get the feeling from the AR community that not being a member excludes one from total acceptance. Not as bad as when I'm riding my Mountain Bike and Road Bikers won't even acknowledge my existence, but some level of being second class does seem to be put forward.

Is it just a numbers game? If there is someone posting for help, whether it be a problem, product opinion or whatever related to a non-AR type weapon, the responses are helpful and adequate. But ask a question about an AR and it explodes into a feeding frenzy and volumes of information.

AR builds. Please explain this to me. Is this a separate club? Are you somehow higher up on the scale if you built your AR as apposed to someone who buy's a completed rifle? This I can understand this more than the "club" itself. Are builders like the Board of Directors? I'm sure building it yourself is very fulfilling but the time, energy and money spent, and from what I've read some issues with built vs out of the box makes me wonder why all the popularity exists.

Thanks for your feedback!

[damon1272]

AR snob..no. I own a few and they are fun. The one thing that sets the AR apart from other platforms is that a person with average mechanical ability and the ability to read and understand instructions can assemble a very nice rifle by themselves. The AR just does not need precision gunsmithing like other platforms for the most part. Between the wars and general interest in what the military is using the AR is a plug and play platform. Not so with say a Remington 700 or most anything out there. The aftermarket is huge for teh AR and I think that combined with people buying cheap products is what the source of some of the horror stories we read about. Other manufacturer would be wise to develop other plug and play platforms that incorporate many of the same products. Combining what other on this board have trailblazed as far as getting AR's into the state they are relatively new for many people. And that is a good thing!

[Cokebottle]

Yes, and it makes me better than you!
Yes, but I don't look down on you for not owning one.
No, and I feel left out.
No, I never will and My Raven .25 auto is all the protection I need.

None of the above

No, and I have ARs as well as other weapons. I don't feel left out, and don't look down on anyone who doesn't have one.

[RobG]

Its just another weapon. When I first got it it seemed just sooo bad azz. But with bullet buttons and 10 round mags its become more of a novelty. I shoot my LE buddies in all its true AR glory and then its pretty cool. I think many are bought/built here in Kalifornia more of a, "I can actually have an AR here," than for any other reason.

[SnWnMe]

Funny MTB vs Roadie analogy. Roadies don't like MTBers because we don't dress like Mardi Gras rejects, we can roll through ANYTHING without pointing out every piece of debris to the rest of the pack (watch out for that dangerous bottle cap!) and our hills aren't steady grades of nice road.

But back On Topic: If it has to be split open to load, or has a BB or has a weird stock with a goofy tube sticking out in the back, then it's not an AR

[coma]

There are snobs everywhere you go. I see them at the range all the time, tacticool, heavy but can't shoot it worth $&!37!!
Imho, get one, what ever you can afford, you can build one for $500, sure it'll have iron sights only, and won't be able to add any fancy lights, scope, lasers, bipods, etc. Learn how to shoot it in every position then get one with all the bells and whistles.

[HotRails]

Forget about "status" and just get what best suits your purposes.

[battleship]

If you insist on owning a Wilson Combat AR i would say your a bit of a snob.

Sure there is an AR culture but i have yet to see any snobbery at the range, only people eager to show you there weapon, and try and get you interested.

[halon101]

i have a fancy one and a basic one. i have them because i love them and was trained on them. i built them because thats the kind of guy i am. i am suprised when gun fanatics dont own one. but i dont look down on those people, i just want everyone to enjoy the rifle the way i do. that being said i feel just a passionate about most of my guns. rem 700,870,597 my beretta 92 and my 1911
what i dont understand are the ak fanatics. i prefer the sks. the only reason russia switched to th ak is because its cheap and easy to produce. the sks is a milled reciever and superior

[DJ Skillz]

The fact that I'm better than you is irrelevant to my AR ownership.

[Chris51080]

Some in the AR crowd are a bit snobbish. IMO, they are the ones who say think you need to get all Noveske or Daniel Defense bits and pieces, or the gun is worthless. Its a status thing to show off all of the big name stuff that you can shove on the AR.

Another part of the AR crowd is the tacticool crowd. They want to imitate what they see in the movies, or what they see the military doing.

I fall into a much smaller sub-category; I built my AR because the state of CA doesn't want me to have one. Thats the only reason I have it...simply because the government of California would like to outlaw it, and keep me from owning one. It's my way of sticking it to them...by following the letter of the law.

All that being said, they are fun to shoot. There is almost no recoil, so the wife enjoys it as well. It is a great platform, that is easy to use, and easy to modify for your needs. I built mine up as a rifle to use in short/medium distances should the shat ever hit the fan.

[shooting4life]

I have a couple of ar's but shoot them the least out of most of my guns. I don't like picking up brass so revolvers and bolt guns are the order of most days

[professorhard]

Im not an AR snob, but I will sometimes poke fun at people's "builds" that consist of Del-Ton, Model 1 sales, Stag, UTG, Leapers ect. only because those products are very inferior to others on the market and are usually purchased by the most elite of the mall ninja airsofters.

[jonni]

Im not an AR snob, but I will sometimes poke fun at people's "builds" that consist of Del-Ton, Model 1 sales, Stag, UTG, Leapers ect. only because those products are very inferior to others on the market and are usually purchased by the most elite of the mall ninja airsofters.

that sounds pretty snobish to me

god forbid people buy what fits into their budget. Everyone should buy OPERATOR GRADE OPERATOR GEAR FOR A TRUE OPERATOR LEVEL BULLET BUTTONED AR15 TO BECOME A REAL OPERATOR

[Cokebottle]

Im not an AR snob, but I will sometimes poke fun at people's "builds" that consist of Del-Ton, Model 1 sales, Stag, UTG, Leapers ect. only because those products are very inferior to others on the market and are usually purchased by the most elite of the mall ninja airsofters.

that sounds pretty snobish to me

god forbid people buy what fits into their budget. Everyone should buy OPERATOR GRADE OPERATOR GEAR FOR A TRUE OPERATOR LEVEL BULLET BUTTONED AR15 TO BECOME A REAL OPERATOR

+1

Now who's the mall ninja