[Fumbles]

Hello again all.

Well, after carefully pondering the great advice given me by you guys, I decided against building and today I pulled the trigger and bought a complete weapon.

I went with the LMT Standard Patrol Model 16.

I was on sale at my local store, not a lot off...around $100 but everything helps. Originally I wanted the Stagg Arms Mod. 1 but they don't have any at the moment and I really liked the feel of the LMT when I handled it.

I also picked up what is advertised as the Daniel Defense M4 V7. It felt very good but came sans any sights at all. Not sure I liked the almost full barrel shrouding either. So at $100 more than the LMT and then I'd need to spend $100 or so on some decent basic sights, it was starting to get way over what I wanted to spend in the first place. Originally $900 was my limit before taxes and DROS, registration etc.

But the main reason I went with the LMT was the fact that the LMT felt so much better to me, in terms of how it fit me, how it felt when I brought it up to my shoulder. It felt like a friend and I gotta say, at 6'3" I find AR's uncomfortable to shoulder in the first place....I feel like I need a longer butt....but this one felt great.

Now, I know these rifles are all pretty much the same, fully extended or otherwise....etc etc so I cannot explain this.

Anyway, I cannot wait for the 10 days to be up and soon as it is I am taking this baby out.

I'd love some advice from you guys.

Best cheap ammo?
should I clean it first?
lube it real well?
anything I should look out for in general with AR's or this particular AR?
How is the gas key staking typically on the LMT weapons?

But I would also like to find out from you guys what options are nice and affordable. While I am curious whether a quadrail will be uncomfortable to hold with bare hands...I think I want to get one. Are they difficult to install, do I mess with the warranty at all, which one is a nice one, do I need special tools etc etc etc?

Thanks. You guys get the picture. I am a newbie with 10 days to wait and a bunch of questions.

Pictures would be even better.

Thanks.

[mjkeat]

Your shop did you a huge favor by not having the other AR in stock. You ended up w/ the better of the two. LMT is a well respected manufacturer.

If I'm not mistaken the DD you felt up is their lightweight model w/ a full length tube. IMO the long tube would be ideal for taller guys w/ longer arms. It'll allow them to stretch out that support hand improving manuverability.

Ammo: I like XM193, Wolf, and Tula
Clean your AR first then whenever you feel like it after that lol. LMT's are a workhorse.
Always keep your rifle lubed.
You'll be GTG nothing to worry about w/ your LMT.
Staking is netoriously great.

The only thing Id recommend is getting an Aimpoint RDS.

Are you needing a quad rail to mount a bunch of things or just for looks? I like DD rails but they require special tools. If you're needing to mount a bunch of things go w/ a Centurian Arms rail, if not needing to mount a bunch of things get a Samson Evolution tube. Both will mount to your OE barrel nut.

[Fumbles]

Thanks mjkeat. I am going to look those up now.

Well since I am just getting started I don't want to mount a bunch of stuff......yet....LOL!! I like toys as much as the next guy though so who knows.

Truth be told I just want a super functional rifle and optics would be my next purchase. I would prefer a regular 'scope for accurate shooting out to distance because I like shooting long distances at hard to hit stuff. I know the AR is not meant for that really but still. What concerns me about that is that you are limited to sighting with the 'scope as long as it is fitted right? Which would make quick sighting impossible on a fast moving target.

So A red dot I suppose would be the best all around choice. Trouble is, I don't know about the cheaper stuff and the Aimpoint I looked at...Comp ML2 ...was about $500....waaaaaay too much for me. That is a good combat shotgun purchase and a bunch of accessories right there.

The reason I wanted some rail up front is 'cos I have a picatinny mount for my Countour HD camera. I figure it will be pretty cool to get some HD video footage while practicing.

I dunno. I am such a newbie to this. I carried an FNAL when I was in the military and owned an SKS for a while but got rid of it. I had customized that a bit but stripper clips? Prone to slam fire? It had to go. So for many years now I have only been a handgunner. I am really looking forward to having a rifle again, this time a pretty decent one.

[mjkeat]

My personal experience with purchasing cheap optics has not been good. I've wasted so much money replacing cheap optics that I wasn't satisfied with. After spending what I feel is a boat load of money on a couple Aimpoint H1s, an EoTech XPS, and a Leupold 3x9 I can see why people drop the extra cash. It's a night and day difference. It's well worth the sacrifice of saving a little bit longer.

There is one option I have exercised twice now. I have purchased 2 Primary Arms Micro Dot RDS and have been very happy. I put one on a dedicated 22lr AR and the newest one on a "rifle-ized" Draco AK pistol.

I have a Contour myself. They are great fun and a good way to critique your shooting.

[Quentin]

Fumbles, I'm sure you'll love your LMT. Great choice on your part! A shame there's a 10-day waiting period but maybe you can get a few things ironed out now. And that leads in to going with iron sights... Maybe you should stick with them at first and ponder optics longer. And if you decide to go with a scope then a flip up rear iron (or polymer, if you go Magpul) would be the way to go anyway.

Definitely consider the options MJ offered, he's got a lot of experience in this area but if you're on a strict budget, starting out with irons makes a lot of sense. Then like he said save up for something good. I hear many good things about the Primary Arms Micro Dot RDS as well and should have gone that way myself. I went for a couple Bushnell TRS-25 RDSes and though there hasn't been a problem yet - "yet" is always in the back of my mind. I feel good about iron sights so know I can switch over if need be but you do lose an advantage.