I’ve talked a lot about other rifles: the Ruger Mini-14; Saiga 7.62×39 Rifle; M1 Garand and so on. The question that keeps coming my way is, “What about the AR-15? I’ve actually had people question whether I even like ARs or even have one. Well, I do and I do.
I talk about other rifle platforms for a few reasons. To start with, I like them. Additionally, I live in California and suffer the fate of a person who does not live in a free state. Thus, my AR-15 is rather limited. It has a fixed magazine with a “bullet button” that can only be actuated by the use of a tool such as a pen or the tip of a round. My other rifles (the Mini-14, Saiga and M1) do not suffer from this deficiency. For that reason alone, exploring the use of other defensive rifles in California makes a lot of sense.
That said, I love the AR-15 platform. It is the Lego of rifles, so it can be made into just about anything you wish. The picture that accompanies this article is a shot of my personal rifle. It was built by my gunsmith, Mike Hagen. It’s in 556/223, but I plan on buying uppers in .22 Long Rifle and 7.62×39. I’m even considering a 6.5 Grendel.
So, there you are. I do like ARs after all. By the way, since posting this picture I’ve been asked about the specific components of my AR-15 build. The rifle was built by my friend and master gun smith, Mike Hagen. Here are the various parts.:
- Doublestar Lower
- Daniel Defense lower parts kit
- Bushmaster 6 position stock and buffer tube
- Delton upper receiver and bolt carrier
- Yankee Hill Machine barrel and flash hider
- Midwest Industries free floating modular hand guard
- Magpul MBUS sights
- Stark Industries grip
- Stark Industries tactical mag well (added after this picture was taken).
The rifle was built for me as a security patrol rifle for use on the rare occasions when one of our security clients hires us to provide security and protective services for which a patrol rifle is warranted. It’s not common, but does come up from time to time.