'Base model' AR 15 manufacturer?

You can pick up a basic DPMS and Bushmaster for about that price. Or you could buy a Del-ton parts kit and stripped lower for slightly less.

Here is an example of a Bushmaster selling close to that price:

http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.aspx?Ite...

I build Match AR's.

Today, when you order an AR-15 it is allot like going into a car showroom and buying a car. You can eiether spend a few hours going over all the accessories and choosing options, colors etc - or buy one on the lot. No two cars on the lot are ever the same - and the same thing goes for AR's.

AR's have an upper and lower. 99% of the bells and whistles are associated with the upper. Lowers come in standard - 80% of all made are identical - 19% are carbine with collapasable stock, and 1% are high end custom lowers. From a shooting standpoint they all work the same.

A plain Jane AR is the A1 upper. This is a Vietnam era receiver with limited adjustable sights on the carry handle. Perfect for plinking, hunting, and ok for match shooting. Next is the A2 - same carry handle, but much nicer iron sight instantly adjustable to 800 meters - this is the recommended upper if you want one to stash away or just ocassionally use. The A3 is the flattop - has no sights - you need to pony up $200 - $400 for BUIS (back up iron sights) to even shoot it or install a scope.

For every part on an AR there are at least 3, if not 60, different custom versions made by dozens and dozens of companies. There are over 90 different barrel designs alone - length, twist rate, barrel weight, material, crowning and finish.

You must be very careful when buying an AR! Every company - about 17 now - that make rifles also sell stripped down lowers for people like me to build custom rifles from. Unfortunatly, back in 2007 and 2008 people started to buy these by the hundreds for $75 each in the hope a new Obamma ban would let them sell 'em for thousands each. Never happended. But, with the increased demand - these scalpers are buying cheap Chinese parts, putting them together on kitchen tables - and selling them as name brand factory produced guns. They have bad triggers, jam easily, and are dangerous.

Bottom line - never buy a new or used AR today unless it comes with the original rifle box and warranty card. The stripped lowers were never sold with these. Unless you have a friend who knows AR's like I do, looking for the warranty card and box is the only way you can tell a cheap knock off form a factory tuned rifle.

The "base model" AR would be any AR rifle that mimics the "standard" 20 inch, carry handle, A2 sighted version.

Brand to brand... every maker offers such a version... no rails, no removable carry handle, mil spec barrel.

Olympic, Bushmaster, Armalite, Century Arms, DPMS, Colt, Stag and S&W, etc. all offer basic AR rifles for sale.

A flat top A3 AR is not a plain jane. A plain jane is not manufacture specific. All of them make plain jane guns. You indeed want a flat top for optics. Many good brands like RRA,Bushy,Stag,DPMS and on and on. Not a bad price for a good AR.D

That is lower than 6 months ago for sure. But it would be nice to know the brand and whether or not the rifle was 100% factory or a build.

its no doubt a DPMS "Sportical". Look it up. I've seen one, and it sure is plain vanilla.