To buy or not to buy - Steyr AUG A3

[mmx1]

I just got an email for a group buy on the AUG A3 for 2300 + shipping.

I'm still kicking myself for not getting a Colt 6920 when he did one for $1300+ back in August.

It'd be my first long gun; I'd prefer to get an AR but I can't bring myself to pay the ridiculous markup on a quality AR (Colt/M&P/etc) these days and am trying to wait the market out.

Decisions, decisions.

Feedback? Anyone shot one of these?

 

[FMRAM]

I believe A4's has some rounds though that weapon. For that price you could get one of these and one of these.

 

[utak]

You can get a high quality piston AR, with all the fixings for that much.

 

[Junkball]

Whenever a firearm "should I buy" thread comes up, there is only one answer... that is, unless the alternative is to buy TWO firearms!

 

[gaijin6423]

Uh, I bought a S&W M&P two weeks ago for WELL under half of that Steyr. Even if you don't want to build your own, there are still plenty of deals to be had out there. DTI, based out of Elizabethtown, NC, makes a decent AR, and they're going for under 800 for a basic model.

 

[Rocketman]

I hate what's happened to the price of AR's as well, but IMHO you don't have to pay for the Colt name to get a quality AR either. Colt supplies the US M4s but not A4s (FN does) so maybe at least a few people in procurement feel the same way?

Also it's a big deal to me that Colt feels they need to put a sear block in their lowers to prevent us criminals from doing a full auto conversion. I can resist becoming a felon without their help. Their attitude pisses me off.

I've owned a few Colt ARs and they worked just fine but then again so do my RRAs and Bushmasters for significantly less money. RRA's have MUCH better triggers, chrome lined barrels and are accurate as hell.

As far as the M&P goes I have no idea why they bring a premium either. Someone else makes their lowers and assuming a good barrel and bolt carrier the rest is just parts.

I'm also curious as to what in the world an AUG offers that is worth an extra $1000 over anybody's AR. It looks like a cool weapon but no way is it anywhere near as flexable as the AR platform.

I think FMRAM has the right idea

Besides the price of ARs is not going down. Believe it.....

 

[mmx1]

I'm going by the chart posted on lightfighter as far as adherence to mil-spec. I plan on doing a carbine course down the road so I'm sticking to factory guns over built. I just mentioned Colt and S&W as the better known of the manufacturers near the top of the list.

http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=pwswheghNQsEuEhjFwPrgTA

M&P for 1100? Damn, I need to start shopping around for AR's more seriously.

 

[utak]

I hate what's happened to the price of AR's as well, but IMHO you don't have to pay for the Colt name to get a quality AR either. Colt supplies the US M4s but not A4s (FN does) so maybe at least a few people in procurement feel the same way?

Also it's a big deal to me that Colt feels they need to put a sear block in their lowers to prevent us criminals from doing a full auto conversion. I can resist becoming a felon without their help. Their attitude pisses me off.

I've owned a few Colt ARs and they worked just fine but then again so do my RRAs and Bushmasters for significantly less money. RRA's have MUCH better triggers, chrome lined barrels and are accurate as hell.

As far as the M&P goes I have no idea why they bring a premium either. Someone else makes their lowers and assuming a good barrel and bolt carrier the rest is just parts.

I'm also curious as to what in the world an AUG offers that is worth an extra $1000 over anybody's AR. It looks like a cool weapon but no way is it anywhere near as flexable as the AR platform.

I think FMRAM has the right idea

Besides the price of ARs is not going down. Believe it.....

Rocketman, can you tell them a bit about your experiences with LWRC?

 

[Rocketman]

If mil-spec is important to you that chart says it all. I've seen it (or one like it) a few years ago but it wasn't as complete and in several places not accurate. The Lightfighter guys have done a great job in keeping up with that stuff. Based on the old chart I knew that RRA and Bushmaster weren't all Mil-spec but for some reason it just wasn't that much of a big deal to me.

I think maybe I just have a hard on for Colt. I sure can't argue with mil-spec even though I have several thousand rounds thru one of my RRAs with no problems.

I probably just got cheap in my old age. When I bought my M1As I wouldn't buy anything but pre-bans with all USGI parts for exactly that reason.

Good luck in your search.

 

[Waldo]

Any thoughts on what the HK MR556 or MR762 will cost when they hit the market later this year?

 

[Rocketman]

Rocketman, can you tell them a bit about your experiences with LWRC?

I sure wish Zissou was around to talk about piston ARs. He's the man there.

I have an LWRC piston upper that I bought a couple of years ago after talking to a Spec Ops guy who used one during a couple of his tours in the sand box. He loved his and at the time was up to something crazy like 5,000 rounds without cleaning it just to see how long it would go. I lost touch with him after his last deployment but he was hoping to take delivery on a LWRC piston in 6.8 SPC before he shipped out so he could take it with him.

I've never had a problem with gas guns the way I use them now but I liked the piston concept enough to buy one. It's a great weapon that runs very clean and cool. I think a lot of the guys who run cans like them because cans are nasty and a piston upper stays cleaner.

Maybe it's just perception but I seem to be able to get back on target just a tiny bit faster with a gas gun. My piston upper seems to be just very slightly less accurate than my gas uppers. Maybe it's because of the weight and action of the piston over the barrel or maybe it's just me.

If I shoot in a 3 gun match I take my favorite gas AR but if I was going see combat in a nasty environment I think I would choose a piston over gas.

 

[Rocketman]

Any thoughts on what the HK MR556 or MR762 will cost when they hit the market later this year?

I don't know but I sure hope I have some extra cash when and if they do. I have a feeling they may be really hard to come by though.

 

[utak]

The SCAR's still in Gunbroker for like at least 3500. That's insane....

I bet the HKs are gonna be more then that. They already said the MR223 (civilian 416) will not be compatible with existing AR lowers cause of the German export laws.

Rocketman, I took your advice and got me the regular M6 a while back. $1450 well spent (and another $200 on bells and whistles like JP single stage trigger, carrying handle, and CSAT sights).

 

[gaijin6423]

Saw a SCAR at the Lejeune PX yesterday for about $2800. A bit cheaper, but still...

 

[FMRAM]

Saw a SCAR at the Lejeune PX yesterday for about $2800. A bit cheaper, but still...

The dealers selling them on Gunbroker.com are giving the great deal of $6000 for a "buy it now" price. :sleep_125