Never been an AR guy. Been shooting a few friends' lately, though. Thinking about getting one. Which do you guys think is best in terms of value? Trying to keep price down so I can spend more on accessories.
Build one! You'll learn more than you ever could buying a complete rifle by putting it together yourself. If you are looking that route, or even wanted a complete rifle,
Palmetto State Armory is a good place to start. They had a mid-length 16" barrel with an Aimpoint PRO special a few months ago for $999, a very good deal.
Just some thoughts..... High capacity magazines will allow you to miss more often? If a gunfight requires enough ammo to start the Gulf War all over again, you are in a bad place without a Marine squad as backup. If you are intending to prepare for a firefight, you need at least three people armed with squad weapons, extra ammo or a combat load out, hopefully a medic taggin along.
On the practical note, ANY pistol you have practiced with and are proficient with should do the job with one or possibly two magazines. Past that and you are looking at a prolonged firefight and you'll be at a disadvantage.
I'm old school and love the 1911 and am VERY proficient with it all the way out to 200 yards. Not braggin, just stating facts. The gun is only part of the equation.
Semper Fi
I don't doubt your experience or proficiency, but I find this argument to be complete BS. This is like saying you can fly around with too much fuel. There's no reason to shortchange yourself. There is no downside to carrying an additional 5-7 rounds in a high capacity magazine besides a few ounces and a slight increase in grip size/very slight loss of concealability. High capacity magazines offer the opportunity for a skilled shooter to get more hits in a shorter amount of time. If you're not proficient, sure, it's just more opportunities to miss, but then again, nothing is going to help you if you suck.
Additionally, the only reason a 1911 should be considered an adequate platform anymore is that it's one of the easiest pistols to shoot under stress. There are more reliable, more accurate, higher capacity and lighter options available today. I love them, and have one, but it's not my go-to gun by far.