My 2023 AR-15 Tier List, The ranking of AR-15 brands. Find out which are the best and the worst!

[@ChatBot1337]

The comments do not disappoint on this one. 😂 The elitism and feverish brand loyalty within firearms are better than midget wrestling.

[@randyreviewsit]

Love this comment!!!

[@InfaredAffliction]

“ Elitism “ sounding like a liberal .

[@randyreviewsit]

Found the guy who overpaid for a kac

[@InfaredAffliction]

@@randyreviewsit just happily payed about 3k for my rattler lt after tax and perfectly happy

[@randyreviewsit]

Knew it was someone who overpaid

[@11aaguilar]

I understand your reasoning and balance between price but how you absolutely trash Geissele for charging $2200 for their ARs and call them overpriced and place them in C tier, and then in the next breath put HK at A tier? HKs are crazy money and give you nothing more than most other companies, your logic doesn’t follow.

[@randyreviewsit]

This was involved innovation and the hk has the piston. The 2024 one will be focused on shtf so proprietary parts are going to count against you and the sales with Geissele lately will likely put them in a higher tier when we look at it that way. Which is probably more representative of what most people should shoot for, something for shtf as of right now

[@alphasierrahotel7]

Yes, contradictions through out the video. One company gets a better score while another suffers for the same reasons and both are reputable companies that hold premium contracts? It’s your list and opinion, however it’s not completely logical.

[@roblowe8295]

@@alphasierrahotel7do you have a better list without your perceived contradictions?

[@randyreviewsit]

@ashlen737 I don’t think you have ever worked anywhere that does contracts… the best quality place rarely get large contracts

[@savageinstitute9569]

​@randyreviewsit that makes it a recommendation for random people not a tier list😂

[@GunBoss1776]

FN is at least A tier for me man. They make MOST of the chf barrels in the game. One of only 2 brands on military contract which doesn't mean too much anymore but their guns simply work and there barrels are top tier any day. Wish they made their own bcgs instead of sourcing to AO precision but AO makes good shit.

[@krisrhebergen]

FN has the best quality control of any of the military contract. There’s a reason colt lost the contract to them.

[@marklemist6928]

For real. I got a chf barrel from them I wouldnt sell for geissele money. 10 shot group sub moa.

[@mll7674]

I bought an FN barrel for my Saint Victor.

[@xxdizannyxx]

I believe BCM makes their own barrels and uppers. My bcm recce has a bcm forge mark on the upper. Maybe they started this not far in the past.

[@Sun_Downer]

Nice to hear someone from the 2a community call out how cringe the punisher skull is.

[@johncannon3593]

I have been a fan of the Punisher comic book character since the 70's when I was a kid. I can't tell you how disappointed I have been to see the symbol coopted by Team6 wannabe's and all the other 2A community posers. Stop using a comic book character for your LARP bullshit.

[@dduff4383]

​@johncannon3593 the worst is the COPS who have the nerve to put it on their uniforms. Frank Castle is literally a MURDERER. Like 82% psychopath. Cops shouldn't identify with that EVER.

[@twistofcain_666]

​@@johncannon3593especially when it's used by those back the blue bootlickers... Punisher hated cops.

[@professionalpookie]

​@@twistofcain_666 🙄

[@CompanyHaze]

​@@twistofcain_666😂😂😂yeah cuz criminals are better than the big bad pigs!!😂😂😂

[@moderngunguy3666]

The problem with SIG is they come out with rifles and then they stop supporting them which makes it hard to get parts

[@randyreviewsit]

Yeah if they brought back the old 55x line I would be all in lol.

[@moderngunguy3666]

@@randyreviewsit That's the bad thing about sig, they use their customers for testing. And then once they get it figured out they charge you an arm and a leg.

[@epiccowboymemes2042]

@@randyreviewsitIf you're talking about the 556, that was their baby. The others were not their creation. Switzerland owns the rights to those.

[@WettDoggTV]

​@moderngunguy3666 that's literally what every gun maker does.. Except for Glock, they just keep releasing the same exact gun over and over with a new number beside it and people are like "ooh did u see the new Glock".. yeah it's just like the last one, same shitty trigger, same shitty buis, same shitty grip and zero innovation

[@epiccowboymemes2042]

@@WettDoggTV What's wrong with the trigger?

[@chrismiller100]

Just bought my first AR. The amount of information and number of brands available are mind-boggling. I didn't really know where to start. I watched a few "top 5" and "top 10" videos, and I wasn't ready to drop over $2k on a high-end AR, but I didn't want to buy bottom of the barrel, either. I was ready to pull the trigger on either a Stag or a Springfield Saint Victor, but a local gun shop talked me into an LWRC for only a couple hundred dollars more. Got the LWRC Discovery. Unfortunately, I'm in CA, and have to wait until next week before I can pick it up. Glad to see that you ranked LWRC so high on your scale.

[@MilspecPanda]

You’re not gonna be disappointed with LWRCI

[@ryanjoband9082]

How you kicking the rifle? I've decided on lwrc as my main ar too, just waiting on moving to a free state in a few months

[@chrismiller100]

@@ryanjoband9082 Love it. The only thing I regret was not learning more about the available mounting systems. The rifle I bought is neither KeyMod nor MLok. It's an LWRC proprietary mounting system that doesn't have any 'aftermarket' products that work with it. That's OK, because this is only my first AR, and I've heard they like to multiply. Hopefully I'll be moving to a free state soon, too, so I can put a normal rear take-down pin in and remove the magazine lock. My house is for sale, and I'm already packed and ready to go. Just waiting for the right buyer. I'm going to miss having my own private shooting range, though.

[@scotttraxx]

How much u got it for?

[@chrismiller100]

@@scotttraxx $1,399 with the California compliance equipment - 10 rd mag and juggernaut system.

[@mavrikmavrik3032]

It's a good time to be in the AR market. I think you're getting a good gun if you buy any of the brands in the A, B & C categories. I wouldn't hesitate to buy a PSA rifle either if that was the price point I was looking for.

[@ryanvargas4889]

Anderson Manufacturing…”We’re not Bear Creek.”

[@mitchell808]

I own a Wyndham Weaponry ar15 and I absolutely love it. Fires straight and true and never had a jam! About 300-400 rounds through it

[@WARDADDY72]

As an owner of a Daniel Defense V7 I feel good about my purchase. Also the fact that I got it from my local shop when the DD rep was in store for a huge DD event. I paid 1900.00$ for mine but got 800 rounds of Norma ammo and four magazines and a nice bag for that price. So I got my new v7 for really 1400.00$. Love it. Bought a IWI Z-15 a year later because of the bang for the buck. Lol. And have a pistol build with an Aero lower. I feel I have fone well with my choices. Thanks for the video brother.

[@alexdelk5988]

how did you get a brand new one for that price!!!! i got a v9 for 2k new but like WHAT and this was 2 years ago

[@Bobgill31]

@@alexdelk5988i got my dd v7 cali compliant for $1650 after tax on euro optics website

[@RustCohleTX]

Got v7 pro for 1.6k with fire trigger

[@alexdelk5988]

@@RustCohleTX dang i must have just gotten ripped off 😥

[@MilesHoppus]

yea i got mine for $1500 on Dahlonega Armory somehow lol. such a good rifle. really S Tier

[@michaelhairston7284]

I couldn't disagree with most of your placements more. I wonder how many of these rifles you have actually owned. I have owned most of your list other than the lower tier stuff...I think msrp effected your placement too much rank only on performance and materials let the price be the price and offer your opinions but don't let them effect your ranking if your ranking is based on quality of product. My training group (who are all engineers) literally tore these rifles apart to see who was worth what. A lot of what you said is true....I just disagree with your rankings all in all Jobe well done

[@hannibalbarca2939]

I own a lot of the rifles on this list. What do you place on A and S tier, personally? Would love to hear your thoughts as I also disagree with OP.

[@michaelhairston7284]

@@hannibalbarca2939 I think radian Geisele and LWRC and all tier 1 rifles some will choose the original piston lwrc mostly because if price but I would put the di LWRC as best all around rifle out of most of these when considering price. I believe there is a real application of the law of diminishing returns once you cross the 2400 mark but some would say the same for 1500. It's really about taste budget experience and expectations...most who really run the weapon hard and on purpose will still make changes to many if not all of these....thats why we usually build vs. Buy...what I would like to see is a best parts list...In my rifles I run JP silent buffer assemblies, lwrc barrels when I can get them if not I got a similar secret sauce barrel that seems to spec out identically even down to the flutes ....I prefer an ambi lower on a matched upper forged over billet...trigger for me is the Geisele ssd radian charging handle src lightweight bolt and carrier ...bullet proofed gas block and yes that loud ass lantec muzzle break unless it's canned then surefire qd ratchet...furniture could be magpul or not...whatever suits your fancy depending on the build's purpose

[@martylucas8557]

I don’t agree with you. His ranking wasn’t solely based on pricing alone, as you said. He gave surrounds in his ranking decision. However, pricing “always” plays a key role in ranking, because the pricing needs to be justified…either tier up or down. So let’s see your ranking. You’re obviously an AR snob who knows it all.

[@MrJord311]

Nerd

[@Jimyjonescones]

Sounds like you have put some through the ringer inside and out. What would you both say is best AR FOR $1000

[@BLINC606]

Never had a problem with Anderson. They make cheap and good enough lowers. The uppers you can throw some really nice parts in and come out cheaper and better than something stock for the same price.

[@detroitvseverybody3813]

At that point why wouldnt you just build your own?

[@BLINC606]

@@detroitvseverybody3813 I agree with that. Which is where Anderson shines imo.

[@jonjonbrock]

I love my AM-15. Dude is just hating on Anderson because it isn’t a flashy brand. I bet he tries conceal carrying 1911s and claims glocks are garbage.

[@BLINC606]

@@jonjonbrock Lol true

[@Duck_Boi556]

anderson lower with bcm upper is possibly one the best budget builds to do

[@austingriff833]

The Anderson is a mil spec rifle with magpul furniture around 450 bucks. Shots good runs fine and really reliable. People just crap on em because they’re cheap

[@billn911]

Agree! I have several Anderson lowers that I have built out and they are great!

[@knightcustombuilds6988]

Anderson is just fine, they had a QC fallout a few back. Otherwise as far as mil spec goes AM15 is in spec for the most part.

[@HalfRightFlock]

I’ve toured their shop this year. I was impressed.

[@hairydogstail]

Nothing wrong with Anderson receivers and this tier list shouldn't be taken seriously..As long as the parts meet spec and tolerance the rifle will perform as good as any AR..

[@jaybot7813]

Same for PSA!!!

[@tedm4932]

I bought a Windham Weaponry few years back and haven't had any problem with it at all. Great AR !!

[@dtogo4286]

I got the HBC and it's been flawless

[@tedm4932]

I hear you 👍@@dtogo4286

[@bigmacfullerton7870]

WW made very good rifles at a very fair price. Unfortunately they went out of business recently. I have the SRC and it’s a great rifle

[@tedm4932]

Yes, I agree ! Back in the time Bushmaster was the #1 Very sad all the gun techs that lost their jobs. Thanks to our fantastic economy thanks to the communists democrats for closing down businesses !!!!!@@bigmacfullerton7870

[@TheRealMrBlackCat]

​@@bigmacfullerton7870FYI, Windham Weaponry had been purchased and has reopened. New owners and management, and they are continuing warranty support.

[@ericshindler5829]

Great video if you could please review bolt action rifles I’m telling you the biggest bang for the box would be Tika This is utterly amazing, accurate, smooth, crisp, factory, treater, sub MA all day, long and yards all for $800..

[@randyreviewsit]

Unfortunately I don’t shoot many bolt rifles, I am working on a website though that should allow people to update things and give you a good comparison but it’s still in the early stages

[@supa_sets8636]

Brother I mean this in the nicest way, but I do not think your out here in the rain or shine training, beating your rifles up in the woods, getting dirt and mud on em, Using cover, running and gunning etc. that is the only way to test these rifles. “actually using them”Anyone can slap an upper on a full auto receiver and spam until it melts. But really what did that test? Nothing. I’m just saying this seems a bit off based

[@RaddadFDE]

Thank you for this. I was thinking the same thing.

[@runnug]

Hey there Randy What's your opinion on Stag arms?? Specifically their Stag10 models? Was there any perceivable quality change when they moved from Connecticut to Wyoming??? Thanks for your Tier list!!

[@ro794]

It’s a solid rifle. Was my first it’s quality.

[@jamesstephenson2346]

Its aero. Literally. Aero owns them. Barrel is shitty ballistic advantage. Rest is aero. Ill let you decide if thats ok

[@BAFM510]

​@jamesstephenson2346 aero has a sale on stag right now.

[@dean7673]

Do you have a stag?

[@TerminalM193]

My first AR was the ruger AR 556 and she's been an absolute beast when it comes to reliability. I also own 2 HK, 1 colt and just this year I got my first SOLGW complete.... I wish I knew about this company before I bought my 2nd HK because I'd only own 1 HK and two SOLGW rifles.... Idk what kind of magic sauce they're lathering their rifles in but you can literally weigh down the rifle with an LPVO, offset rds, wml with pad, sturdy rail covers and a bcm forward grip and I swear to god the gun feels exactly the same if it was completely naked with cheap magpul flip ups. The balance of the rifle feels absolutely amazing and the confidence I have running one is like no other...

[@Blueknight1960]

I bought a stripped GOLGW lower. I also have 2 PSA complete lowers, I don't see where the GOLGW lower is any better than PSA's. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying the GOLGW is bad, it just isn't better than a PSA lower.

[@TerminalM193]

@@Blueknight1960 All "mil-spec" stripped lowers are going to be near identical aside from special coatings and sometimes flared magwells & trigger guards. PSA make absolutely phenomenal gear.... Their biggest problem is horrid QC. Their workers take PSAs awesome, in-spec gear and parts and turn them into out of spec or "low quality" due to poor fitment, not staking or not following proper torque specs.... I could go on and on. I had to learn the hard way with PSA a few times but that's been quite a while ago. I still will completely disassemble - resemble all complete builds from psa just to check all the major boxes. They're only getting better and better. SOLGW got put on the map from their complete uppers and moved on from there.... I'm pretty sure they still don't produce any parts in house but rather use major production facilities to work on specific designs and specs, get all the parts in their warehouse where they then go over the rifle with a fine tooth comb, stamp their name on everything and jack up the price.

[@satx08cbr]

I just bought A 300 blk out SOLGW as an early Christmas gift. I can't wait to get it on the range.

[@tristenwilliams1943]

I have an aero 10.5 upper and lower swapped to an adjustable gas block, ran suppressed it’s whole life. It’s great.

[@beararms3703]

The only disagreement I'd have is Rock River Arms. Their AR beat out ten other companies on this list in trials for the DEA contract. Since then, the US Marshals and FBI have begun buying them as well. They are also the company to produce AR's for the DoD when we're arming foreign security forces.

[@randyreviewsit]

It seems to be a trend on the rra stuff, maybe my experience was anecdotal and not reflective of them. I will probably try to get some time in on one this year so I can update the tier list with 2024 changes. Already predicting a few moves

[@trentinbennefield2009]

@@randyreviewsit my Anderson is great their is no wiggle between the upper and lower can take a beating and the one I got came with magpull furniture 15 inch hand guard 16 inch barrel and its accrete in my opinion its equal if not better than an aero. never had fail to feed no light strikes when I weighed it it was between 6-7 pounds so I'm not sure you have had an Anderson or at least have never actually tested it because if you had it would be higher up. or maybe I was lucky and got a good 1 out of a million all I know is that the one I have is very a very good rifle

[@breed4659]

Rock river makes an outstanding rifle. I treat mine like shit and it's never missed a beat, and is by far in a way the most accurate AR I've ever owned. I've had personal experience with a few rock rivers that just seemed to be freakishly accurate

[@siebitup]

Agreed, my RRA has a few thousand through it, and it's been nothing but perfect. Durable, accurate, a tad heavy, but easily remedied.

[@SirDadbod]

contracts are probably more about budget and politics than performance...im just guessing..

[@austingriff833]

Aero deserves b. They’re tough,reliable, less expensive & have that legendary flared mag well from factory. They’re really solid and at a solid price. More expensive doesn’t always mean more better.

[@randyreviewsit]

Ben stoeger just broke another bolt on his aero, watch his video.

[@austingriff833]

@@randyreviewsit they’re just milspec nitride. I won’t use another one of those. Nickel boron been getting rough reviews too. Nickel is Smooth but not the best. In my research and experience a good option that’s smooth and strong is DLC. I like Sharps rifle company. Aero lowers are generally pretty tough. Any mil spec lower parts kit is junk. Spend the extra 40 and get Geissele. Especially because you get that extended bolt catch. I like to build my upper with faxon parts. Faxon makes a Good barrel about 150 bucks with the 1/8 twist rate (my preferred twist rate for 55-62 grain)

[@OverrSpoooL]

​@@austingriff833I do Precision sheet metal engineering / fabrication. I used my mitutoyo dial Caliper that is capable of measuring 0.0000 to inspect the rifle I just built. The tolerances on the Aero precision we're far within tolerance. The tolerance was just as good and some places better than my Buddy's Daniel Defense. I also bought their 16 in stainless steel 416r fluted barrel which is beautiful. I don't know why so many people hate on Aero precision. In my experience, Their stuff is definitely higher than milspec, but it can fit mil-spec. If you look at the Tolerance on most milspec products they only go to .00 so to have their upper receiver, lower receiver, takedown pin holes, and other important Dimensions be within .005 it's pretty impressive. Just saying.🤷🏻

[@gutWrench9mm]

@@randyreviewsitthe aero bolt lugs like to shear

[@gutWrench9mm]

@@austingriff833 carpenter 158 has the least variables to go wrong when heat treated. properly heat treated 158 bolts can last up to 60,000 rounds.

[@2amichaelj]

I bought an ADM UIC mod 2 16" complete upper and a stripped lower before ADM raised their prices. They used to be a great value. The complete upper new was $890 shipped and I bought their lower used for $250. With parts to complete the build I have $1,300 in the rifle like it would come from the factory.

[@hoppinggnomethe4154]

Where the fuck did you buy your Anderson complete upper? The most expensive one they offer is like $500

[@2amichaelj]

@@hoppinggnomethe4154 ADM. American Defense Manufacturing

[@Clinton-n7x]

@@hoppinggnomethe4154 ADM = American Defense Manufacturing, not Anderson

[@jamesstephenson2346]

​@hoppinggnomethe4154 youre coming off awful aggressive for someone so wrong.

[@dougersonify]

LWRC is underrated. They’re overshadowed by DD. If the stopped with the goofy proprietary (but still amazing) upper on the DI. it would be among the elites.

[@ChokolateSushi23]

LWRC was the gold standard before I had even heard what a Daniel Defense was. Those who know, know.

[@CharlieW72]

The crazy thing about the proprietary stuff is that it’s doesn’t create the compatibility issue that some people think it makes. You can still put a BCM, DD, G$ upper on that lower; or a different BCG (I’m almost sure) in the LWRC upper (I don’t see why you’d want to). Proprietary in this case is made in house with different features from the rest of the market, but not exclusively compatible like proprietary meant in the case of early Apple products or old Sony vaio stuff…

[@randyreviewsit]

@CharlieW72 I hope you watch my 2024 list later this year because yeah I am weighing it for shtf where proprietary stuff will count against you.

[@CharlieW72]

@@randyreviewsitI’m looking forward to it! I think LWRC is very underrated. I get that the term proprietary discourages a lot of people, but it’s a non-factor.

[@SPKLifeStyle2.0]

@@randyreviewsit hurry up with that video, haha

[@alexferrara9287]

Not sure if anyone else mentioned this but, the CMMG Dissent is actually DI/Internal Piston, not a Short Stroke Piston. Which makes it even more impressive considering you get an adjustable gas system and foldable stock (doesn’t use a buffer tube). Looking at price to performance ratio, I’d more so put CMMG in the bottom of A Tier but, to each their own.

[@randyreviewsit]

You are absolutely right I misspoke, Mike from cmmg corrected me as well at iv8888. They are right on that border and creeping into A tier.

[@chrisrosenthal1210]

Not sure I'd even put the word piston in there. It's DI all the way, the rest is the buffer assembly. It's typical AR design all the way through the gas key. Everything else is opposing/ return force.

[@alexferrara9287]

@@chrisrosenthal1210 Maybe I wasn’t clear enough with what I meant, my bad bro. DI aka Direct Impingement, is actually an internal piston. Somewhere along the line people started calling it DI but, functionally its a piston itself. But yes overall, it shares a lot with a standard AR-15.

[@chrisrosenthal1210]

@@alexferrara9287 But there is no piston on a DI gun... Just gas pumped into the bcg

[@alexferrara9287]

@@chrisrosenthal1210 Armalite begs to differ brother. Instead of me explaining, I’ll just copy/paste what Armalite said in an article…. ”The AR-15/M16 and the AR-10 family of rifles employ a unique gas powered operating system patented by Eugene Stoner in the 1950s. This gas operating system works by passing high pressure propellant gasses tapped from the barrel down a tube and into the carrier group within the upper receiver, and is commonly but incorrectly referred to as a “direct impingement” system. The gas expands within a donut shaped gas cylinder within the carrier. Because the bolt is prevented from moving forward by the barrel, the carrier is driven to the rear by the expanding gasses and thus converts the energy of the gas to movement of the rifle’s parts. The bolt bears a piston head and the cavity in the bolt carrier is the piston sleeve. It is more correct to call it an “internal piston” system.”

[@donmiles5080]

I've used Anderson receivers with very good results. As long as you find two that fit together right you got a real good gun at a very good price. I don't really care what other people say. That's just been my personal experience. Going by other peoples ranking of best to worst is like comparing apples and oranges. One person gets a bad orange and all of sudden all those types of oranges are bad according to them. They get areal good apple and all of a sudden all those types of apples are great. Some people don't like my type of handgun according to their videos. In other videos other people love it. I'm the only person that can decide what is the best or worst for me.

[@steringp1434]

I don't think that you understand the difference between objective and subjective opinions. In the video he was stating objective facts. You prefer to go by your subjective, emotional feelings about 'what is the best or worst for me.' The ranking were not about you and your feelings. They were based on logic and facts.

[@randyreviewsit]

What I think the other item is sure maybe he got a good Anderson lower, but you are more likely to have a great lower from the higher tiered stuff for sure, to me the ranking is partly you pay for piece of mind. Sure psa has a lifetime warranty, but I would rather not have to warranty something at all and I have never heard of someone having to warranty anything from H&K.

[@howardmccully7982]

Anderson's QC is much better nowadays...but snob mentality at its best is all they get...sad😢

[@randyreviewsit]

@howardmccully7982 hoping to give them another try this year and see if things are better.

[@ronniegillaspy]

I’ve had an Anderson for 4 years and never had 1 problem with it. Only FTF was due to the mag not the receiver. Hog hunt with it all the time. You don’t have to break the bank to have a good reliable firearm.

[@jaceelee5450]

The M&P sport 3 I would say is a B for $750 you get a 15" free floating rail, B5 grip and stock, and its a really reliable gun.

[@MAGDUMP]

Yeah I wish it would have came with iron flip up sights but they're keeping the cost down. Love mine❤️

[@jaceelee5450]

@MAGDUMP i agree I think all guns should come with some form of sights when purchased.

[@chaunceyhart1346]

The volunteer XV ($650 at my lgs) is a steal in my opinion.

[@jaceelee5450]

@chaunceyhart1346 love the free float rail on it.

[@EricBUCHHOLZ-dk8ey]

Everyone thinks that the AR they bought is the best out there. Bottom line is, if you can hit the target effectively and it’s reliable, then it’s a good one. I have a DPMS that is one of the most accurate ARs I’ve ever shot. My son has a Diamondback that shoots very well. Point is, if you can shoot it proficiently and it operates well then it’s a good weapon.

[@IVIadVillain-ck8xr]

Yepp

[@cloudies3671]

i think PSA deserves c tier. they are a good company and they do make solid AR 15s for a good price. They just don't have the track record.

[@TheUnholyLordClownz]

They do have a track record, it's not good. It's super common to have misaligned takedown pin holes which will have the buffer hit the buffer retainer pin and cause more muzzle flip, potential FCG jams with broken pins, and bolt bounce.

[@texasthib2029]

@@TheUnholyLordClownzwow the gun company that pumps out a million times more guns than the next highest in line has more issues than everyone else cause more people buy their shit DURRRRR

[@cdsmit27]

​@TheUnholyLordClownz i bought a PSA rifle a few years back and it was the biggest POS I've ever used. I couldn't get rid of it fast enough. I'll never buy PSA again.

[@RichardFeldman-q9n]

You can have the most high speed Rifle ever but if you don't train it don't mean jack

[@matthewr8294]

I don’t. My upper sat slightly crooked on my lower. It was reliable though. The bolt seemed to be shit too

[@xWoolhoodx]

The blackout defense is my first gun I’ve ever purchased! Just called yesterday and talked to Brooke . She was so amazing and walked me through the whole process. We added everything I wanted including the color scheme and out the door it was just under 2,200 and that was with their 400 off for black Friday !!! I’m so excited to get this gun and I’ll probably buy another once a new version comes out !

[@randyreviewsit]

Damn dude… starting at the top. Yeah they are great and their customer service is awesome too.

[@xWoolhoodx]

@@randyreviewsit honestly I never heard of the company and your review list was the greatest gunreview I’ve ever watched and I’ve watched over 100 in the past week. Your tier list and explanation for each brand was amazing! I wanna subscribe but I’m scared cause I think your reviews will make me buy a lot and hurt my wallet 😂.

[@emmanuelcantu4482]

I have a few builds but i recently bought a KAC SR-15 complete upper 14.5 inch and I slapped it on a LWRC complete lower and it shot very good! I shot it for the first time last night!

[@mattk7903]

Daniel Defense makes EVERYTHING in house. Including their barrels

[@Jim-su7en]

BCG’s ?

[@byronnlangley]

Nope their BCG’s are trash lol Palmetto State Armory uses FN barrels lol

[@Chris09978]

​@@byronnlangleypalmetto state doesn't use FN barrels they use whatever barrel they have in their shop. FN however does use their own barrels from LMGs on their carbine style of rifles. There's also a few other manufacturers that does use FN barrels too

[@randyreviewsit]

@Chris09978 you can definitely order some psa guns with fn barrels

[@Chris09978]

@@randyreviewsit thats interesting maybe that's on their higher end models not their sub 1,000 ones

[@elijahbrat3]

If sig isn’t A tier it’s S price point shouldn’t effect your rating as much as it did when we’re talking purely about performance and quality of part/ material same with DD

[@liggerstuxin1]

Agreed. Sig and DD performance and quality is top notch. Had Sig fix so many things I messed up. Love the mcx spear. Costs money blah blah. And DD is gold too. Feels like a solid chunk if iron and DDM4 V7 Pro also looks as cool as it gets. Barrel trigger hand guard, coating, furniture… and more

[@suteki恋人]

Putting Geissele in C tier is craaaaaazy. Easily in A tier, and that’s coming from someone with a DD MK18 SBR and sr15 11.5 CQB mod 2 SBR. Their rails are sick.

[@randyreviewsit]

After the 1260 price I saw the other day, they are definitely getting re-evaluated this year. For 1260 I am buying a Geissele all day over just about everything else, just sad they were oos by the time I saw them.

[@suteki恋人]

@@randyreviewsit agreed that deal was great, if i didn’t already have better rifles i would have gotten that real quick

[@chrisharrelson178]

Yeah, one guys silly opinion, Anodized, components, much better trigger than the DD mil spec, proprietary coating, forged bolt, Hux muzzle device. This guy failed to mention several upgrades.

[@randyreviewsit]

@chrisharrelson178 so a bolt coating and a hux device should cost $700 more than other guns in that class? I mean if we are going off msrp?

[@chrisharrelson178]

@@randyreviewsit You apparently don't know about their products. The bolt is not coated, it's forged instead of milled making it much stronger. The trigger, muzzle device, and bolt carrier are coated, the coating is a substantial technological improvement and lasts twice as long as others. This is documented by the military. DD is about 2 grand +/- $200, the trigger bolt and muzzle device is easily a 400-450 upgrade. plus you get that awesome anodized finish.

[@NOTHOTlanta]

Surprised to see Windham on the bottom. I have both a Dissipator, and an HBC I purchased earlier this year. Love them both. I figured they would at least be "service duty" LOL.

[@dtogo4286]

My HBC is just fine

[@marcelahernandez369]

Its a great milspec rifle. Multiple people who work at the gun store I frequent own their own windham weaponry ARs as well. It's a great mid-tier AR

[@jameswarrick9042]

Sig went wrong when Ron Cohen started running it. Kimber is still recovering from the Cohen years. Kimber was a very solid manufacturer before he came. He almost folded them.

[@randyreviewsit]

Wait whoa, the kimber guy is running sig? I did not know this but that would explain a lot

[@DaytonaRoadster]

(((Cohen))) well there is your problem

[@davidbladen5667]

I used to work in a gunshop back in 2009-2013. My boss came back from the Shot show one year and we were discussing some of the products. He had learned that 65% of the lowers out there were manufactured by Andersen. Several of the AR manufacturers were using Andersen lowers with their own company logo cast on them.

[@randyreviewsit]

Yeah Anderson lowers are fine, and spoiler alert I just finished up 1000 rds on the frontline and it did fine.

[@danielpatmore6839]

I will chime in a vote on the V7. I built a rifle with most of the parts from them. The arts are expensive there is no denying that and it does price out some builders, but they are amazing both in weight and feel. I would argue aero precision a solid B tier for their m4e1 receivers. Forged with billet looks and the screw in mag catch pin should be an industry standard.

[@kingbaldwiniv5409]

Agree completely with V-Seven. GREAT customer service! I buy parts from them and have had to ask pretty particular questions. They just hooked me up with the dudes in the shop. We talked about my questions, what I'm building, anything I needed for the build. Really great folks. The Harbinger .308 is the best .308 I've ever shot by far.

[@randyreviewsit]

Nice, I wanted to do a 308 build from them for a lightweight deer hunting gun.

[@hamacus]

Have an IWI Zion-15. One of the best purchases for the money in my collection . Rock solid. As is my CMMG. I may end up getting a Son's of Liberty next. Especially since they are here in town. Great list!

[@gutWrench9mm]

I feel like the Zion is what made his ranking vary based. You can literally take the Zion and base other guns around it.

[@Bob-bf3cg]

Geissele is a brand you buy on sale as they have them often. Also their CHF barrel is accurate with a nice profile and the REBCG is enhanced and smooth along with the Super 42 buffer combo. Great QC and good gassing. You could argue DD is overpriced too, Geissele has mil contracts on their rails as well as their triggers. Kinda wack that DD uses a mil spec trigger for that price.

[@randyreviewsit]

Yeah I keep hearing their sales are pretty crazy and yeah if you can get them for those 1600-1750 ranges then yeah by all means that’s a decent buy.

[@torch357]

@@randyreviewsit got mine on a decent brownells deal, was 1580 with a 400$ rebate. it's been a great gun, wouldn't pay 2400, and I have a BCM that I shoot way more and paid less for. 😭

[@heatheruntz5315]

I own a geissele super duty and love it but I bought it before I knew about blem sales. As far as DD I will buy theiruppers in the market for a mk18 their barrels and rails especially the quad rails are awesome

[@josephmcbrien7646]

​@@randyreviewsitgoing for 1460 right now

[@randyreviewsit]

For that price easily a-tier

[@theitalian556]

First time viewer here. Thank you for the list. My first phrchase was an M&P 15 it ran great but sold it and just picked up a LWRC. Looking forward to some range time!

[@mcb2757]

Colt is the Glock of the AR-15 world. Reliability and durability unmatched. Half century of military service. That's usually what you're paying for. Also Windham is the original Bushmaster. Seems like you don't know much about that gun. Windham is one of the best in terms of quality for the price; chrome lined barrel AND BGC and they have a lifetime warranty. Neither SW or Ruger has anything near that really.

[@randyreviewsit]

Maybe 10 years ago but does anyone think a new colt will be more reliable than a new bcm?

[@bigmacfullerton7870]

@@randyreviewsit does the Colt cost anywhere near the BCM??? No, but it’s just as reliable. That’s an apples and oranges comparison. And he’s right about WW. They should be higher on the list.

[@codytheduke6562]

Colt is not an average to below average cost, they may be reliable but it is basically a BCM that costs way more.

[@gunnshotts9892]

a "lifetime warranty" from a company that went bankrupt means shit huh?

[@bigmacfullerton7870]

@@gunnshotts9892 luckily, I will probably never need it anyway. My WW is a bad ass rifle

[@howardmccully7982]

Modern Andersons with their increased QC should at least be a C....I have an Anderson lower with an Aero upper, and have had great results..."for the money", as you said, they're hard to beat as compared to much more expensive combos-especiallywhen the money you saved getting that combo helps you afford better internals...it's hilarious to know I've outperformed several people using "better" rifles with my "poverty pony"...another great brand is Spencer, btw

[@busrolla]

As soon as he said “poverty pony” I knew I couldn’t trust the rest of the list.

[@almostontimehero5415]

Lmao @ the poors above me.

[@bookem5537]

​@almostontimehero5415 you're "one of those".. I bet my worst can compare to your best

[@howardmccully7982]

@bookem5537 not exactly, but fair point...the statement WAS a bit bombastic, lol...I still think they're much better now, and no longer deserve all of the hate and derision...just saying

[@americathefree3708]

I just watched a guy shoot a thousand rounds through a regular Anderson arms AR, he added a trigger mod to shoot full auto. In the end he was impressed and it had no flaws.

[@throwindirt9187]

My opinion on sig, I bought a MCX Rattler LT 6.75" barrel in 300blk about 6 months ago and I absolutely love it. I'm not sure why they're getting all the hate. Mine has ran flawlessly both suppressed and unsuppressed. Yes, they're expensive and on the heavy side but it's my favorite rifle right now. I really don't have any complaints with it. I also own a sig p365 XL and its a fantastic pistol for what it is.

[@chrisfisher3900]

I for one will stand up for Rock River. I had an operator 2 that was an absolute tank. Also had one of the varmint models with no problems from any of them

[@smpinkerman]

Agree. I have the coyote carbine

[@synystur21]

I’m glad to see my rifle (LWRC) in S tier. I think many people bypass looking for this rifle because of popularity/marketing of the other brands. I think they mainly get around by word or mouth advertising. I also don’t see them in many gun sun shops. I own the short stroke piston model and I chose it over DD and Geissele as I was looking for what I considered top tier for me! I’ve owned many of the brands on here and some that aren’t on here and I’ve built/assembled a few. I currently own, in addition to my LWRC is a SA Saint Victor because of the value for the price and also because I was in the market for a second or third AR right around the time panic buying had started and the gun came in as I was coming in to settle on a more basic AR. Thanks for the list. P.S. I paid about $2400 after tax, out the door around 4 years ago.

[@Charliemanee16]

I have a LWRCI too IC. The rifle is heavy after I added a few extra features I’ve been looking at the Saint edge due to its value and gas block (I’m waiting on my 🤫 tube). I say all this to say how’s the Saint ? Does it give you hiccups or do u need to run a Pacific ammo to run it ?

[@synystur21]

@@Charliemanee16 The Saint Victor has been flawless through various ammo brands and types, i.e. different bullet weights, 5.56 as well as .223. I don’t shoot anything past 62g though since they pretty much serve a defensive/shtf purpose. I do train with the rifles but I don’t “sport shoot” if that makes any sense.

[@ZroCool_Garage]

What parts does Springfield use that BCM uses???

[@CharlieW72]

Springfield used/uses BCM stocks, grips and hand guards on their basic Saints. I think Sootch000 (might be off on the name a little) reviewed that Saint, and his theory was that they were using BCM triggers and bolts if I remember correctly but none of that was ever really confirmed or denied

[@billn911]

That spikes tactical segment was worth the whole video. 32:06 😂

[@Phantom8589]

As Military Armor who has built and and is very familiar with parts barrels and standards the Colts(especially the SOPMOD) are much better than you ranked them. The Colts are way better than then BCM, CMMG or Cobalt. Put them in the A (bottom of A) as far as performance. Ignore the cost its on par for the Chromeline barrels the CMV 4150 is way better steel than most of the rest listed. They have more R&D for softer recoil than all the rest of the comapines listed. I say all this and dont own a Colt so im not invested in it just my 2 cents. Rest of the companines I agree with the placements Good research and it was well thought out keep up the good work.

[@randyreviewsit]

Are they still like this though? They got bought out and pretty sure like noveske, they aren’t what they used to be.

[@Phantom8589]

It might be the case, I have not bought or tried the civilian offering yet. I don't know how well they are matching part wise, so I would have to get my hands on it to see the quality. If they did what Noveski did yes I'd put them in C possibly D at that point(Was pleased to see your rating on Noveski). A really good point thou only time will tell on quality and durability. Thanks though appreciate the question.

[@Phantom8589]

​@@randyreviewsitAlso have you heard any issues on LWRC customer service side? I had 2 different buddy's who one and his DI was plagued with problems. He had trouble getting LWRC To help him finally sent it back it sat there for months when he got it back nothing has changed and it was having the same issue almost like they didn't even touch it. So he sold it for a steal and cut his losses. The other friend got the 45 PCC and it had issues with the barrel and shot a 6 moa (GrandThumb Actually did a review of it and had the exact same issue. And LWRC completely ghosted him. Has that been your experience? I only know of 2 but both we negative and LWRC seems to be very well liked and generally well made I thought. Has mad me very Leary though. Any thoughts?

[@randyreviewsit]

@Phantom8589 that’s not good to hear, the lwrcs I have used have all ran fine and never needed customer support. With this though it’s anecdotal so my experience may vary but that’s not good to hear at all and shouldn’t be happening.

[@matthewangotti7205]

I have a Windham Weaponry MPC that I bought 8 years ago. Stock M4, basically. Ir is solid as hell.chrome barrel, no frills. I would put it against any similarly priced AR (i.e S&W or Ruger) all day. Thousands of rounds & no malfs or stoppages. Pretty accurate too, for what it is.

[@jasonfite397]

I've owned Colts for years and they've always kept their value. You can keep your BCM and Daniel defense I'll stick with my Colt rifles thank you. I did get some good laughs out of the video great job.

[@randyreviewsit]

Sure old colts hold their value but would you still tell people to buy them now?

[@jasonfite397]

I love my 2022 Colt M4A1 . I don't understand why someone would buy a Daniel Defense M4 A1 when they can get a real Colt rifle.

[@randyreviewsit]

@jasonfite397 because colt got bought out and Daniel defense makes a better barrel and handguard…

[@jasonfite397]

@@randyreviewsit P.S can you make a video on AK rifes love to hear that list. God bless

[@randyreviewsit]

@jasonfite397 I don’t think people would enjoy it, I owned 3 arsenals and wasn’t that thrilled with them. I think psa makes solid guns and some other good ones out there, but the high end Ak’s are like 3k plus now.

[@PeasantKing-od5lg]

This is like a grade school student teaching a physics class.

[@randyreviewsit]

What would you know about taking a physics class?

[@PeasantKing-od5lg]

Hey bub. You the one making videos about something you know very little about.

[@randyreviewsit]

@PeasantKing-od5lg have you tested all these? Then you should make your own tier list, would love to see it.

[@rwschumm]

Any rankings for Bear Creek uppers or pistols/rifles?

[@randyreviewsit]

Nah not yet, and it might stay that way after I saw Reno May’s video

[@user-ps7ou9so2h]

@@randyreviewsit That video was very unfair

[@wolfe1978nm]

I own 3 of their uppers. They are fine, no real issues. Had a bad gas ring on one of the bolts, but I change mine out to helical anyway. A 5.56 16" rear charge, 223 Wylde 18" side charge and 10.5" 9mm side charge. They all shoot and run just fine. If you do buy, just strip down the bolt and give the bolt and barrel a good cleaning. Only thing to note is if you go with a side charging version, you are pretty much stuck with the BCA bolt, the rear charging are standard and you can swap it out for whatever other bolt.

[@michaellyons8236]

I recently bought a Windham Weaponry and I must say its a nice shooting rifle it's like Windham Bushmasters 2.0.. it shoots just as nice and just as smooth as my 2 Windham built Bushmasters... yes the company just recently shutdown but i personally think it's because they really didn't advertise their guns as much as their competitors did

[@johnspartan3405]

The owner also passed away back in March as well. Not sure if his family divided up his many many assets. I worked for a company he owned years ago and had multiple friends work for Bushmaster/Windham. We also shared a close mutual friend. Very caring and generous man who as far as my knowledge goes, was always good to his people.

[@bigmacfullerton7870]

WW made quality accurate and reliable stuff at a fair price. Chrome lined barrels, phosphate coated chrome lined BCGs and chrome lined and properly staked gas keys for $800. My SCR is a tack driver and it’s never been a problem at all

[@rikkrakk4012]

Windham Weaponry is opening back up

[@marcfalsetti9381]

I bought a WW many years ago, because through my research, they were the only AR producer who made the 7.62x39 into a reliably cycling weapon. And It Is!

[@Shadowdancer777]

I love lwrc. Best bang for the buck for me. Also like the unique look of them.

[@codytheduke6562]

Agreed, 100% S Tier

[@markbecker71]

I draw a line on nitrate barrels, I've seen them flake off after cleaning..less then 1000 rds 😮

[@kentuckyboy541]

I bought the m4le upper with chrome lined chf barrel from spikes in like 2016 when they were kind of the darling of the community in price vs quality. Built the lower to match with spikes lpk and lower. I have since evolved but I'll say this. That gun has become my training, farm, truck gun and i have run thousands of rounds through that gun with zero problems. Its just the basic gun with no gimmicky stuff but im still gonna have to disagree through experience on this one. Oh, and i drive an F150 with no stickers.

[@Jim-su7en]

It has them at D for their inflated pricing still make damn good guns

[@burgo57]

Try the Radical Firearm, budget friendly and great rifle.

[@getbrainseeds]

budget for a reason bad bolt carriers bad barrels i would even chose a anderson over them and my anderson only lasted 7000 rounds

[@thegrither2811]

A windham weaponry mpc was my first AR. i had no problems with it. Shot ab 5k rounds through it before selling it. It was definitely better quality than most other budget rifles

[@run_N_DoubleB_gun_N]

I think this list is pretty accurate. I think an opinion is par for the course. Everyones got an opinion, so respect it, and don't get butt hurt if your gun ends up ranking lower than you'd like. I think one thing you should consider is whether it is mil-spec or not. I have a two Colt LE 6920's they are milspec. They fire every time I pull the trigger, so I love them. Plus I can take any milspec part and put it on my gun. I've had LWRCI's and they were some of the most accurate AR's I've ever owned. You just have to decide where you want to spend your $ Are the top of the line golf clubs going to make you a better golfer? I'd say to anyone new to ar's is buy in the B Tier and spend your left over $ on training and ammo. Because lets face it, none of us are going to war anytime soon.

[@randyreviewsit]

Well said and I would agree with everything. This year the tier list is going to be more shtf and what I would actually grab.

[@BD1234-e8x]

You completely left out “Stag Arms”? 😂 Out of curiosity, what “tier” do you consider those? I bought their lefty 300 blackout and while not on Danial Defense level, they seem well made and Stag seems to be a very popular brand.

[@randyreviewsit]

Yeah just had no experience on them so I didn’t want to rank them. Seems like stag arms and a few others have some fans

[@forgotten320]

Stag buys the upper, lower and hand guard from Aero Precision with their emblem. I spoke with them at an event and they told me my Aero build was the same as the display they had. I'm not sure what barrel, bcg or other assembly parts. My understanding is Aero Precision makes the upper, lower and hand guard for many companies.

[@randyreviewsit]

@forgotten320 yeah I knew they outfitting a few companies just like toolcraft and microbest supply a lot of bcg for a bunch of companies

[@stevenmerlock9971]

At 1:00 not offended 👍, I understand your rating system. I’m not one if these gun snobs that thinks they are a paramilitary wannabe. I base my purchases off product design and politics. Any firearms company they fails to recognize my rights will never get $ from me. Because of this I changed my views from owning a vast collection of many different Brands & designs to standards that allow me to have spare weapons if needed. I sold all of my Colts, Remingtons, S&W’s, Ruger’s and will never buy their products no matter how good or innovative. I’m a solid D tier user. I absolutely love my Wyndham weaponry’s (too bad the company went under) . They have everything I need and more for my requirements. I shot over 25k before needing served and the company took care of it (lifetime warranty). They come standard with extras that cost more in my PSA’s and RRA’s. The reason for D listing comes down to money. I absolutely loved my Olympic Arms and when the ATF came to the company asking for records = Oopsie their records room caught fire so the Government went away empty handed = that’s an individual rights concern right there 🤩

[@mdmonroe82]

I would base the tier on how well they run. In a meltdown test the failure rate was so by brand: Geissele (901 rounds before failure), Sig (1,010), POF (2500), S&W (820) all outlasted Daniel Defense (686), Knights Armament (574), and LMT (833). Is that not considered?

[@plohish1337]

I haven't seen the test, but do they all have same barrels? no heavy barrels? if some rifle made 2500 shots and didn't fail, while another did 600 and failed, that tells me that's a heavy barrel vs standard one. also it's hard to judge by just 1 rifle, not all of them are the same.

[@randyreviewsit]

@plohish1337 you are right in meltdowns, it pretty much comes down to barrel profile and gas block.

[@mdmonroe82]

@@plohish1337 You can see the videos for yourself. All the barrels are an M4 profile. None of them were heavy. My point is, these high dollar companies are charging for the name and looks. It also shows that if a piston unit is added, the barrel will hold up much longer, because the heat is exiting the gin instead of being trapped inside.

[@CM-cv6zl]

As somebody who currently owns both a Geissele with a MK8 rail and a Type A Contractor, they are on par with each other. The Type A has an overall better fit, finish, and lower. I know the Type A is piston and doesn’t compare to DI, but the Geissele recoil impulse is slightly better. Also, the trigger and buffer system is nicer. The gas rings in the EBCG have lasted longer as well. I also prefer the Surefire muzzle devices on the Geissele as I’ve had 2 baffle strikes with my Sandman S. Both guns are incredibly accurate.

[@randyreviewsit]

Yeah Geissele has just had more hiccups and it seems like they are producing a lot of blems that people are buying. Not to mention if you end up wanting one during a non-sale time you are overpaying by as much as $600.

[@ronhall9517]

I own a WW AR. Installed a Geisselle trigger, upgraded some of the furniture and put an aim point pro patrol on it. Shoots great no issues 30000 rounds later. Chromed lined barrel holding up fine. You don't have to spend an arm and leg to have a nice rifle.

[@randyreviewsit]

Yeah the tier list this year I think people will more, we are changing up the scoring and getting back to just at-15’s

[@tonymickens8803]

I'd put Ruger in B simply because it's a Great Priced, Good Home Protection gun which is the Highest Percentage of the AR Customer base.

[@thickseed]

Definitely.

[@lanejohnson7656]

Although I don’t personally own all of them, but basically a test sample of 11 of them. All of them the AR556 that were bought when they first came out and out the door price was under $400. 3 of them have lived their entire life having the dog snot beat out of them riding in a truck and had the hell shot out of them. They look like hell but still going strong. 1 of them is owned by a Marine and if he says it’s a solid rifle it’s good enough for me. Admittedly the trigger at least on the old ones is horrid, but the upgraded trigger makes a world of difference and isn’t that expensive. I put the magpul handguard so I could mount a light, stock and a sling on mine and that’s it. Wish I would have bought at least 6 of them at that price.. lol

[@Jim-su7en]

Q.C. just isn’t there. Way too much beta testing going on at Sturm Ruger

[@patrickcoleman5718]

I have Super Duty, out of the list. Id still run my Geiselle above the rest, reliable, smooth, a fortress of a rifle. very well made. Yet, expensive. Buy when on sale.

[@Puddin127]

PWS easy A+, fit and finish are awesome on them, they released the Pic-Lock with the Mk1 mod2 like 5 years ago, BCM releases the Raider rail this year and everyone was like blown away lol.

[@randyreviewsit]

I want to try pws but my friends that have gotten them have had shaky experiences

[@MysticMungusSlungus]

Agree about VSeven. While I don't have any of their guns, I do have a considerable amount of their parts, and their parts (while pricey) are QUALITY. I exclusively use their hand guards on my AR10s.

[@spdcrzy]

I'm amazed that there are so few videos on V Seven when there are hundreds of Gucci build videos out there with other companies' parts. Them and JP are some of the best kept secrets even today.

[@MiguelHernandez-xy2if]

What does the Diamondback fall under?

[@craigthescott5074]

I like mine seems like a well made AR for a good price.

[@randyreviewsit]

Haven’t tried one will reach out and see if I can get one.

[@craigthescott5074]

@@randyreviewsit I bought a few when they were on sale just in case they decide to bring back the assault weapons ban. I picked one too shoot it’s been very accurate and reliable. I put a Vortec optic on it and just shot the crap out of it. No complaints so far, It’s a great AR for the price.

[@randyreviewsit]

Will try to get my hands on one this year to test

[@EndTheNFApls]

D tier

[@gronthomson]

Love this review! Thank you! Just curious, if you were to build an Ar-15 or two . . . or three, what would be your choices for uppers and lowers? I'm on the notification list for your 2024 version of this video.

[@randyreviewsit]

@@gronthomson vseven, sionics with suppressor dedicated gas, and munitionworks tuned for can

[@x3wildcard]

Man just said "LMT" and "parts availability" in the same sentence and it wasn't a con. What? Where are you guys getting LMT parts? Literal unobtainium.

[@RustyShackle1776]

I don’t see bear creek. Though we all know where they’d be

[@randyreviewsit]

Yeah no xp with them but from what I read it’s not good

[@huntgar]

It'd be hard to push them below C IMO. Maybe if the chart had F tier🤷🏻‍♂️ Low price, CHF, MPI, good customer service. A lot of people start with their uppers because they throw in the BCG/CH that PSA doesn't.

[@matthewmesser231]

Or Diamondback 😢😂

[@Jim-su7en]

F tier ?

[@dobbsconnor156]

Honestly the zev is in a great position but if you get a zev billet setup it moves up to S tier. As someone that has owned 75% of these your placement is pretty spot on man thank you

[@moderngunguy3666]

You do know who Wyndham weaponry is right LOL Wyndham weaponry should be B

[@randyreviewsit]

After the news today do you still think this…

[@moderngunguy3666]

@@randyreviewsit yeah the news today has nothing to do with anything. What would that change?

[@moderngunguy3666]

@@randyreviewsit plain and simple it's a good rifle that is made with all the correct materials unlike other brands in some supposedly top-end brands lol

[@randyreviewsit]

@moderngunguy3666 proves that the demand for their product at that price point isn’t there and confirms where they ended up on the tier list. If they had an amazing product at a fair price point with regular margins they would not be closing their doors.

[@moderngunguy3666]

@@randyreviewsit no I look at it as bad management and dealing with troubles after the sale of bushmaster's name. The price point is perfectly fine considering the quality and materials that are used to build their rifles. Which points to the fact that their advertising and promotion was not there. The product is pretty amazing actually considering it's exactly what you need made with all the correct materials.. their prices were not high I don't know you're kind of trying to act like the prices were high.. like I said they're not closing their doors because of the price of the rifle they're closing their doors because a lot of people don't even know they exist because of bad promoting or I should say non-existent.. no telling what else they have been working with after the sale of Bushmaster.. could be family and fighting could be anything

[@kl6911]

Although I agree with many of these WW is no way PSA/Anderson level. I have a CDI and its as solid as any A/B level you have on this list. And I know first hand because I have nearly half the A/B list myself as well. Id put WW at the B level

[@randyreviewsit]

There is no one in the world that would trade their Daniel defense or bcm for an Andersen, a psa, or a wyndham. Also, the other way most people would gladly trade those guns for a bcm or Daniel defense.

[@kl6911]

@@randyreviewsit I didn't say Id trade a DD for an Anderson either lmao. That wasn't the point of my comment. The point was that WW is above an Anderson and its not close imo. If you've shot a CDI you'd know. Id put that weapon next to my Sig SDI X series any day. The lower is better on the Sig but overall just as well built front to back. You have put Sig at B and Id agree with that.

[@bigmacfullerton7870]

@@randyreviewsit You have WW to low

[@slowmo7500]

Not disagreeing about the Geissele pricing but..they do have a nice bolt carrier group with some innovation. The rains are super solid, their gas system length is innovative, apparently it’s a 1moa barrel, and they make a lot of their stuff in house. Just saying, there’s some things that were overlooked.

[@randyreviewsit]

The rails bent, what innovation is in their bcg I have heard good things about it though, what different gas length are you seeing?

[@ShizawnSanders]

​@@randyreviewsitthey have a intermediate length gas system that is in between mid and rifle. The barrels and rifles are seriously under MOA with good ammo too and they will last past your grand kids. Only a idiot pays MSRP for thier rifles as they can be had with sales under $1600 all the time.

[@Cowboy0007]

@@randyreviewsit iM assuming that’s why socom picked the URGI must be because the mk16 sucks.

[@randyreviewsit]

@Cowboy0007 I wouldn’t assume anything they pick is because of performance, they did also select the sig m18

[@kellywahl2551]

Thanks for the video. Can you prioritize brands in each of their tiers from best to worst based on cost vs. quality?

[@randyreviewsit]

Will try to do that next time.

[@wsz594]

@@randyreviewsit you did that on this one with certain companies but not others thats why this list makes no sense. Geissele super duties are nice rifles but overpriced, i paid 1800 for fine got a good deal, but you have psa d tier even though you get a lot of rifle for 600 bucks. I have a radian model one and it is a tank refuses to quit running even though i barely maintain it at all, my friends model ones run like sewing machines as well, c tier is crazy. The only thing i dont like is the cerakote instead of anodizing.

[@randyreviewsit]

@wsz594 yeah the actual price people on Geissele I did get wrong for sure, the psa should be different now that Sabre’s are out, if you had a shtf would you reach for the Geissele or the radian I am curious?

[@SlickSlack4pac]

​@randyreviewsit I would be reaching for my LE6920, has the most combat use than any brand you have listed.

[@jamesstephenson2346]

​@@wsz5941800 was ripoff price dude. I bought all 3 of mine ar 1200, and thought they were barely worth that

[@TheMcDannells]

Great video man. While I think S&W and PSA should be a level higher, you gave solid reasons for every ranking and ultimately this is based on your experience with these brands. Really helpful man, thanks!

[@randyreviewsit]

You are going to hate the new list 😂

[@mma101100]

I have a Knights, a Radian, Cobalt and a Q. Knights is my favorite because that was my first Father’s Day gift lol

[@FierceMouse]

Congratulations on being a father. God bless you

[@JadedGLORY2689]

I'd love to rank all the AR Manufacturers out there with reasoning behind each ranking but i've yet to put significant time behind each company to offer an informed opinion. I'll get there one dy though. Thanks for the video.

[@bradyb2233]

PWS is S tier for sure, not sure who that was talking shit on them, but I have literally never heard one bad thing about them and personally I am collecting as many as I can. Good work brother

[@randyreviewsit]

Glad you are having a positive experience, I think in general they are solid but have had 3 people I am aware of have pretty rough times getting theirs to run and having lackluster customer service experiences

[@jasonhartman9513]

Nailed it with Blackout Defense. I own one and it's absolutly absurd!

[@slidinsidewayzproductionss7906]

I have a windham weaponary src 308 I love it perfect price excellent customer service lots of mods available I had an under gas issue cx took care of me shipping and quick turnaround process only had that 1 issue they sent it back better than I had got it to begin with!

[@randyreviewsit]

Hope it lasts, they are out of business now.

[@Time-and-Tide]

@@randyreviewsit Nov. 16 post on their social media site says they will be back up and running soon. They say the lifetime warranties are still going to be honored.

[@caseyplunkett6083]

If you won’t mind me sharing, I’ve personally never had an issue with PWS customer service. Worked at multiple firearm stores (up until 2018) and the establishments were strong proponents of PWS (and LWRCi for that matter). Ownership and fellow associates never had of any issues with customer service and certainly not QC. I hope that the quality and service is the same as what it once was. Considering that they produce the BRN-180 I’d personally rate the PWS at the A tier minimum. I owned the 6.8 LWRCi and sold it to get a 6.5 Creedmoor PWS. Both great rifles. Not sure if I’ll buy another LWRCi and I don’t approve of them not anodizing their receivers prior to cerakote.

[@randyreviewsit]

I was under the impression that foxtrot Mike/alpha whatever it’s called made the brownells stuff

[@caseyplunkett6083]

@ PWS certainly produces the short-stroke piston rifles for brownells. You may be thinking of Brownells retro series rifles.

[@PirateDinosaurTv]

I wonder where Patriot ordnance Factory would sit in this list. Their Revolution DI is $1200 less than the V Seven and is only a few ounces more in weight with quite a few neat technology features in it. Not sure how they would compare but it could be a contender.

[@justanotherinternetexpert7743]

Your being way to polite, the Renegade Plus is one of the best rifles you can buy right now. They make arguably the most durable out of the box Piston Ar15 on the market as well. The fact that he does not even mention POF-USA makes this entire list garbage. And legitimate.

[@randyreviewsit]

@justanotherinternetexpert7743 maybe because I have only shot their AR-10 you illiterate bum, I have posted that no less than 8-9 times in these comments that you have failed to read. I haven’t shot their ar-15 only their ar-10 so it wouldn’t be fair to comment on it . Maybe you are fine talking about stuff you have no experience with, but I would rather have real data. Also no one is going to be a tier making their handguard look like a goddamn warthog tusk that poses a stabbing hazard to the user. The only thing that is trash here is your comment.

[@Roscoeverdin5469]

@@justanotherinternetexpert7743 I own a POF 415 Edge. It is a great gun compared to other AR platforms I have shot and owned. The fact that POF isn't covered here doesn't make the ranking illegitimate. Not every gun can be covered. While I would have liked to see how the POF stacked up against others on this review, I already know. Bad mouthing is somewhat immature.

[@randyreviewsit]

@Roscoeverdin5469 I have only shot the pof in the ar-10 format which is why it wasn’t included in the list. If you want someone to lie about their experience or just make things up then this is the wrong channel for you.

[@Roscoeverdin5469]

@@randyreviewsit Do you have any reading comprehension? Reread what I posted. I was knocking the guy for knocking you for not including the POF in your review.

[@herrgodfrey9563]

I didn't buy a complete AR I built. I will say I thoroughly enjoy the Aero forged uppers and lowers. All the other parts are like LaRue, BCM, SOLGW, Criterion, CMMG and Spike's.

[@herrgodfrey9563]

BTW, Spikes is just the gas tube I had on hand lmao

[@herrgodfrey9563]

Total cost of the build was around 2k. Not the most expensive, not the cheapest but it runs flawlessly.

[@randyreviewsit]

You knew I was about to ask “what part from spike’s”. Yeah I finally started buying the tools to build and some parts when they are on sale. First build is going to be a 12.5 upper with the hm monobloc upper from lead &steel, and I think the rest will be v seven

[@herrgodfrey9563]

@randyreviewsit I was looking into V Seven. They're pricey but they look solid. A future project I'm wanting to do is build the lightest possible AR without having lightening cuts. Just for shits and giggles. I've been scouring the web for the lightest parts and one I came across is like a graphite/polymer hybrid with titanium reinforcement for the weak areas for the upper and lower. They weigh significantly less than even V Sevens. I'm going more for weight than functionality but if it functions too, it's a plus. I believe, based on my research, I can build one under 3 lbs unloaded. It'll almost certainly be a 3+k build but the beauty of building is you don't have to dump a lot of money at once if you're patient.

[@randyreviewsit]

@@herrgodfrey9563 yeah I love my v seven upper, I did just the enlightened stuff which is the most durable version of the lithium aluminum stuff and the extreme environment gas tube

[@parkerbyrd321]

I like the palmetto state stripped lowers. For the cost, it is hard to beat.

[@just-some-dude]

A list of companies that are *all* better known than several you have on your list: Armalite, POF, Bear Creek Arsenal, Del-Ton, Ballistic Advantage, Diamondback, Wilson Combat, Stag Arms, Bushmaster, Core15, Double Star, DPMS, Franklin Armory, JP Enterprises, Radical.

[@randyreviewsit]

Yeah I just haven’t used them at all or enough to have an opinion on them

[@michaellambert5223]

Radical 👍

[@NastyN8thegreat2]

Bear creek is horrible they have poor quality control me an several friends got stuff from them alot of blemishes an non milspec an jus poor quality stuff I wouldn't recommend them to anyone except the country we go to war with 😂 lol

[@randyreviewsit]

@NastyN8thegreat2 well put

[@stoiclearner]

Great overview and insightful analysis. I really enjoy this type of thorough long-form evaluation of the landscape.

[@randyreviewsit]

I left out a lot thst I had zero feedback on but if you are an ar fan right now is the best its ever been as far as options.

[@JW-wi1nf]

Where would Patriot Ordnance Factory (POF) rank on this list? In-house Innovation and Machining is there however function between users varies. Thoughts?

[@randyreviewsit]

Haven’t been able to spend time behind one, I reached out to them this year but didn’t hear anything.

[@davidmarks6002]

totally disagree with your rating of Windham Weaponry. Their products are top tier.

[@mll7674]

😂

[@ValkerieSilk]

Windham Weaponry came about after the sale of Bushmaster (speaking of Bushmaster ⬆️), it was comprised of it's former employees... Sadly, as of September 12th, they closed their doors.

[@johnspartan3405]

You sound like you might be a fellow Mainer?

[@jeredalmeida1880]

My brother worked for Bushmaster when they made that whole transition to Windham. He should've just come back to Mass and worked for S&W. More money and less moose plus the fishing is better.

[@johnspartan3405]

@jeredalmeida1880 why would any 2A loving American live in such a Democrat shithole like Mass by choice?

[@genbigmac2872]

@@jeredalmeida1880care to change your assessment now that S&W is moving to TN?

[@jeredalmeida1880]

@@genbigmac2872Of course. This is a good thing. Now they'll be in a state that doesn't stifle their creativity. Mass Compliant can now be an afterthought instead of a stipulation. Springfield is a shithole. My brother worked for Bushmasters/Windham years ago so it's old news anyway.

[@njrivetelite]

I ended up going with Aero Precision for my first build. I did look at your S Tier companies yes they're all beautiful & look very reliable. They're currently out of my budget atm. By the end of the year Ill be able to afford an A or S tier complete upper. So You might see me comment on your 2024 guide when it comes out. I'd like LWRC but the other options are solid too

[@randyreviewsit]

Make sure you check lead times too, I know blackout defense is like a year wait now. I am looking into griffin armament got an order on the way and excited to see how it runs because it is under 2k

[@njrivetelite]

@@randyreviewsit Year lead time is wild. I'd be nervous with that kind of wait in the current political climate. I'm definitely open to other manufacturers. I wanted to get my first build done on a medium/low budget. Later builds will be a bit more. Another build I really want to do it an AR 10 build

[@LetatDuPont]

S-tier: Anderson Arms, Palmetto State Armory A-tier: BCM, Daniel Defense, SOLGW, LWRCI B-D tier: everything else

[@ericshindler5829]

Radical arms for $400 I have had no problems .

[@zororora2210]

Just bought the IWI Zion 15 can't wait for it to come in

[@hoppinggnomethe4154]

Why the hell is Anderson Mfg and PSA ranked as low as ATI? They are far better than ATI Anderson Mfg's lowers are much cheaper than Aero's, and they just work. PSA makes great shit at low price, and they support the 2nd Amendment. They want to arm as many people as possible. Ranking them that low is a crime. PSA is no longer like what you remember. You lack the E and F tiers

[@azjeep26]

Well it's because subreddit said psa was bad at least that's what he told me.. 😂

[@DaytonaRoadster]

ive got an LWRC M612m and LMT and one DD rifle....the rifle i shoot the most and everyone likes is a all PSA rifle with a fixed stock. Always been reliable and everyone who shoots it really likes it. Good luck gun i guess.

[@ReticentIndignation]

Geissele, if you bought it on sale, would it go up a tier or two? Just curious. I did not pay for MSRP for my Superduty. Saw the Luna Black 16" for like 1300-1400 during the November black friday sales and Veterans day sales.

[@randyreviewsit]

Yeah on sale definitely up a tier maybe two. They are good guns.

[@ReticentIndignation]

@@randyreviewsitAppreciate it, yeah I don't know why anyone would ever pay MSRP. Thanks for the reply.

[@aew0aew0]

Geissele makes great guns. Complete rifles are expensive (about same price as DD) but include a much nicer trigger than DD and as far as I’m concerned everything else is about the same quality as DD. DD never does sales like G does as far as I know. I got my G upper on sale for about $800. Bought a trigger on sale for $120, and a stripped lower. Had a complete G built for $1100. Also, in the goofy meltdown videos have G in the top spot (ahead of DD) for most rounds fired full auto before breaking.

[@randyreviewsit]

@aew0aew0 yeah the sale prices of Geissele are definitely a big sway. For 2024 I am changing the score up as of more of a shtf thing. Which Geissele does pretty well in and I think it should be a better list for most users

[@aew0aew0]

@@randyreviewsit also DD still makes their barrels in the completely outdated government profile. Not innovating much there…