The Best Beginner AR-15

I’ve had buyer’s remorse when purchasing a new gun, so in this article, I strive to help you avoid that awful feeling by providing you with the best beginner AR-15s on the market. I love building AR-15s, but my first wasn’t a build-your-own project, and I’m glad I purchased a complete gun because I didn’t know what I wanted until I’d taken it to the range several times. This is why all the ARs below are functioning firearms out of the box; you won’t have to order a lower from one company and an upper from another or install any parts (but you’ll get there one day!). I gathered input from other AR-15 experts, checked reviews, and tested several beginner ARs to compile this list. Let’s start with my top pick.

Ruger AR-556 MPR – Best Overall

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Trusted Brand
• Reasonably Priced
• Reliable
• Quality Components

Cons:

• Upgrades Are Likely In Your Future (trigger and charging handle)

Why I Chose It

The Ruger AR-556 is the best beginner AR-15 because it’s manufactured by a trusted brand, is affordable, and goes bang when you pull the trigger. While it’s not a high-end AR (we’ll get to one in a minute), it’s ready to slap an optic on, buy some ammo, and head to the range.

Ruger priced this AR about the middle of the road, so you’ll find cheaper and more expensive ones, but Ruger used quality components to ensure reliability. For example, the barrel is cold hammer-forged chrome-moly 4140 steel, which is on par with others in this price range (and on the list). The twist rate is 1:8, which means you get one rotation every eight inches, most ARs will be 1:7, 1:8, or 1:9.

Eventually, you’ll find some parts to upgrade, but that’s the case with EVERY AR I’ve owned, so I can’t knock it too much for that. The charging handle and trigger are two of the first parts that most shooters upgrade. The furniture (anything that doesn’t directly affect the shooting capabilities like the stock, grip, foregrip, and other AR accessories) are also parts you’ll want to upgrade in the future. But they are by no means a must for a new AR-15 owner. You won’t be disappointed when starting with the Ruger AR-556.

Specs

• Caliber: 5.56 NATO
• Overall Length: 33”
• Barrel Construction: Chrome-Moly Vanadium 4150V Steel
• Barrel Length: 16”
• Twist Rate: 1:7
• Weight: 6.5 lbs

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Inexpensive
• Reliable
• Decent Components

Cons

• Furniture Upgrades Are In Your Future

Why I Chose It

The PSA PA-15 (and nearly all PSA ARs) is one of the best cheap AR-15s you’ll find because it’s reliable and uses decent components. My brother owns two and loves them. You can save even more money if you pick up a BLEM—a gun with often only slight blemishes, often sold at a deep discount.

Some guys knock PSA ARs because “they’re not as good as the XYZ brand.” Then you see that the XYZ brand costs three or more times the price of the PSA AR-15. No one claims this is the ultimate AR-15. You’ll definitely find some things you’ll want to upgrade (trigger, grip, and stock are the first things most upgrade), but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better one at this price.

Many advanced AR-15 lovers recommend using a PSA lower when building your first AR, but most also agree that a Mil-spec lower is a Mil-spec lower.

I’ve fired my brother’s PSA ARs without any problems and have helped upgrade some parts on them. If I were looking for my first AR, I wouldn’t hesitate to start with the PSA PA-15 because it’s inexpensive, leaving a lot of room in the budget for high-quality optics and any other upgrade you might want.

Springfield Saint Victor – Best Mid-Tier

Image sourced from Springfield-armory.com.

Specs

• Caliber: 5.56 NATO
• Overall Length: 35.5”
• Barrel Construction: Chrome-Moly Vanadium
• Barrel Length: 16”
• Twist Rate:1:8
• Weight: 6.9 lbs

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Trusted Brand
• Reasonably Priced
• High-quality components
• Reliable

Cons

• More Costly Than Other Mid-Tier AR-15s

Why I Chose It

The Springfield Saint Victor is perfect for us middle-of-the-road shooters. If you’re looking for quality without the high-end price tag, this is the AR-15 for you.

The Springfield Saint Victor is crafted with high-quality components, such as Springfield’s free-floating M-LOK handguard, nickel-boron trigger, Melonite-coated barrel and carrier group. Thus, this AR is exceptionally reliable.

However, it is on the higher end of the mid-tier range because it utilizes the parts mentioned above. Still, the Springfield Saint Victor is an excellent AR-15 to ignite the addiction.

Geissele Super Duty MOD1 – Best Premium Beginner AR-15

Image sourced from Geissele.com.

Specs

• Caliber: 5.56 NATO
• Overall Length: 36.875”
• Barrel Construction: Cold Hammer Forged, Chrome-Lined
• Barrel Length: 16”
• Twist Rate: 1:7
• Weight: 7.6 lbs

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Premium Brand
• Highest-Quality Components
• Reliable
• Needs Minimal Upgrades
• Match-Grade Accuracy

Cons

• Expensive

Why I Chose It

If you’re in the “buy once, cry once” crowd, the Geissele Super Duty MOD1 is the perfect beginner AR-15. It is a custom-quality AR straight out of the box, requiring minimal upgrades (if any).

At this price point, reliability and high-quality components should be a given. The heavy profile Cold Hammer Forged, chrome-lined barrel and Nanoweapon-coated Reliability Enhanced Bolt Carrier Group (BCG) handle high rates of fire while maintaining accuracy and reliability. The SSA-EX two-stage trigger gives you incredible control and performance, as well as many other high-end components you won’t find on a cheap AR.

But all of this comes at a steep price compared to the rest of the AR-15s on this list.

If you have no interest in building an AR in the future, the Geissele Super Duty MOD1 is an excellent place to begin (and end).

Bear Creek Arsenal BC-15 – Best AR-15 Pistol for Beginners

Image sourced from BearCreekArsenal.com

Specs

• Caliber: 5.56 NATO
• Overall Length: 22”
• Barrel Construction: Chrome Moly Vanadium 4150 Steel
• Barrel Length: 7.5”
• Twist Rate: 1:7
• Weight: 4.7 lbs

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Inexpensive
• Solid Feel
• Unique & Fun

Cons

• Less Accurate Than a Carbine or Rifle
• Upgrades Are In Your Future

Why I Chose It

If you’re looking for an AR-15 pistol, I’ve been impressed with my BCA AR. The BCA BC-15 is inexpensive, feels solid, and functions well.

When I first saw the price of Bear Creek Arsenal ARs, I was shocked by how inexpensive they are, even when they’re not on sale (many of them often are, so you get an even better deal!).

When I pulled my BCA AR out of the box, I was impressed with how solid it felt. There were no rattling parts (indicating everything fit snugly), and it just didn’t feel cheap. It also doesn’t function like a cheaply built AR-15. It cycles most ammo well (I don’t recommend feeding it the cheapest ammo and expecting no malfunctions)

In general, I like AR-15 pistols because they’re different. Their shorter barrel and lack of stock (to comply with federal regulations) give them a special look and a unique (and exciting) shooting experience.

However, there are a couple of downfalls you’ll run into.

The first has to do with the shorter barrel; it will be less accurate than a 16” barrel, but you’ll rarely notice it at typical pistol distances (within 50 yards). The other con is that you’ll want to spend more money on upgrades. I would recommend a pistol brace to aid in accuracy, and I’m considering changing my grip and upgrading the trigger.

So far, I’ve been impressed with the BCA AR pistol sent to me and would recommend it to any first-time AR-15 pistol buyer.

Bravo Company Manufacturing – Honorable Mention

Image sourced from Bravocompanyusa.com

Specs

• Caliber: 5.56 NATO
• Overall Length: 35.5”
• Barrel Construction:
• Barrel Length: 16”
• Twist Rate: 1:7
• Weight: 6.1 lbs

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Premium Brand
• Custom Quality Components
• Requires Minimal Upgrades
• Reliable

Cons

• Expensive

Why I Chose It

I must mention the BCM RECCE-16 KMR-A because it’s another high-end AR with a large and loyal following. If you want an AR that needs virtually no upgrades out of the box, then a BCM AR is the way to go.

You can trust that it will go bang and cycle reliably every time you pull the trigger because BCM uses high-quality parts designed to perform in a home defense situation or at the shooting range.

The biggest drawback is the initial price tag, but as I said earlier, “buy once, cry once.” If you’re comfortable with the idea as a beginner, a common cost-saving trick is to buy an upper receiver from BCM and then a lower receiver from a budget outlet like Palmetto State Armory.

We are committed to finding, researching, and recommending the best products. We earn commissions from purchases you make using the retail links in our product reviews.  Learn more about how this works.