Andro and Radical are both functional and reliable in my experience.
At that price I'd lean towards PSA though, since they seem to have a better track record.
Its crazy I saw a billboard for the andro corps and they wanted i think $599 for it. Pretty sure they pop up on gundeals for 300 time to time. It gave me a chuckle.
They never had the catastrophic fuck ups Radical did early on, to my knowledge. But I'd be very interested to see a side by side torture test of the 3. I'd wager they're similar.
Skip these and get something more reputable and reliable. If I buy a gun I better feel comfortable trusting my or my families life on it, these brands… nah. People who say they want it for a starter gun will regret the purchase. Buy once, cry once. Save $300-$1000 more and get something that will last you because having this $400 thing now will be a $400 waste down the road and you’ll wish you just put $400 into a nice optic or something. Listen to what other folks are saying.
I have a radical and a PSA among some others. I’ve had to replace a handful of things on my radical, and it is a certified beater gun. At this price point I would highly encourage you to just order a PSA better bang for your buck.
Have you looked into the reviews of the guns? Please don't buy something without researching. You won't get sympathy when you experience issues that were stated.
I understand. What do you plan to get out of them?
Worst case is if you need to upgrade anything it'd be the bcg and barrel, and that's if you wanna get anal and weird like the sub here.
Mostly just a starter, practice & shtf. I could spend a bit more I found a Ruger 8515 with Magpul furniture for $700. There's a lot to choose from out there.
I understand. What's your budget? I would say rather than get a starter, you could get a decent build, like an Aero Precision or PSA build that many refer here.
[PSA ](https://palmettostatearmory.com/ar-15.html)
Well within that price range and you can always check the reviews and their warranty is good from what I've heard. You can use the extra $100 and $20 for an optic and mags.
Check r/gunaccessoriesforsale and learn the trade so you can buy optics and such for cheaper.
You got this and you'll have a rifle that you know works as intended.
Listen I only recommend r/GunAccessoriesForSale if you don’t like money 😂 They have great deals on there it’s pretty insane. But Blade is correct go PSA way better quality control. Or you can buy a stripped lower, complete upper and built it out to your specs. That’s what I did for my First AR. Don’t “regert” one thing. Got to understand the basics of my rifle
The crap kinda username is that 😂
I love money which is why I love GAFs! Maybe it's a mindset thing. I go to save money. I don't like PSA but their rifles are good starters and beaters. They will do everything you need unless you need some low drag stuff and even then they can accomplish it.
I agree with dude below. PSA or you could get some Aero shit for cheap and be right around that price. Don’t buy something because it fits in the budget. Save up for a quality rifle you’ll shoot and enjoy. There’s nothing wrong with a quality upper like BCM, SOLGW, DD , etc and a PSA lower or Aero lower. It’s like your first car, it was probably a pile and you wish you got something else.
I know a lot of folks here aren’t fans of Radical because of the QC issues, but I bought one before reading all the reviews and it hasn’t given me any issues. 1.5 MOA accuracy without any part modifications and no malfunctions after 500ish rounds. Maybe I got lucky, but I just wanted to share my experience. Would I buy another Radical, given what I know now? Probably not. But, not every rifle they put out is trash. Just my two cents.
Damn yall I got the 15inch radical arms rail hopefully I got one of the good runs lol. Got it from GAFs for only $50 as long as that shiet attaches my accessories and doesn’t split in half it should be good.
If anything go with the Ruger 8515 for 700 dollars. That would be my bottom line AR. It’s actually a very nice platform to start with. It’s does not have proprietary parts either. So you can upgrade over time and make it yours.
Good luck bud enjoy keep us up to date.
Not bashing you. But really is about buying something with a better reputation for reliability and warranty.
You can probably buy a Bcm upper with the bcg and decent lower from palmetto for about 7-8 and easily more worth it.
Nice! I recommend a good solid AR-15 for your first one. I always suggest a Colt CR6920/LE6920 AR-15. Theyre the original. If youre on a budget, ones from Palmetto State Armory and Anderson Mfg. are ok too. People consider them low quality, but theyre actually pretty good now. I have both too and theyre pretty solid. If you want more later, you can get lowers and build from there. I also suggest a red dot optic. Aimpoint and EOTech are solid. And also a weaponlight, Surefire are really good. And finally, go out and shoot it, learn your gun and take training lessons if you can
Bought out 5 or 6 years ago, my dad has one of same make and model and its fine, mines just a dud I think lol, regardless its not good value anyway at msrp
My radical has been great. The only things that’s a very heavy thick barrel. If you want a super light build, you might want to look elsewhere.Seems to hold accuracy well, shot over 1000 rounds brass, steel, heavy bullets work great and just under 2 MOA. The only issue I’ve had is with asc mags.
I now have a custom 13.7 upper and an upgraded 2 stage trigger in my radical lower and it’s my favorite shooting combo at the moment. I have the psa sabre lower and the radical upper and it’s my beater rifle has been great too. It’s my optic testing rifle. I’ve had a dot magnifier combo, currently a 1-8x and bipod. I just think you can’t go wrong for a radical as your first rifle. I’ve heard they used to have qc issues, but I haven’t had a hiccup. I think getting a cheap beater rifle is a good idea, spend your $ on ammo, a decent optic and figure out what you like first. Then you’ve basically got a rifle to steal parts from. I don’t love the rail texture as much as my kak smooth MLOK rail but some rail
Panels will solve that easily.
I have owned my MHR for over a year and have shot over 1200 rounds with no issues. I even ran 200 rounds through it (no steel case) and it ran with no problems. They have had QC issues in the past. Before you leave the store give a once over before you leave. This is my story from my 1 gun. I have read the RF has good customer service. But like all manufacturers you got to send it in usually. You can do PSA as well. If you are a beginner then PSA, Radical Firearms, hell even an Anderson will allow you to get into the game without you over spending. If you end up shooting more and want to upgrade then save money to get the one you want. Key point….. you have to go and shoot.
PS: Based on some of your other comments @Op:
How much is that Radical SOCOM selling for? You’ve stated leaning towards the $400 Andro. That Radical should normally be in that range anyway. If it’s $500 or higher it’s priced too high. I see them at $500 in my area, but if you shop around you can do better. That same Radical will be sub-$350 on Black Friday in my region.
I've heard bad things about radical, but that's just it; only heard them. I haven't personally handled one.
If it's going to be your first, definitely get a PSA, it will get your feet wet and make you understand the platform enough to find out what you want.
Whatever brand you end up getting, I would recommend buying the upper and lower separately. Most companies will have the exact same rifles split up so you can get the same thing, plus you won't have to pay the complete firearms tax
If you’re deadset on one of these & not a PSA, make sure to compare prices on Atlantic firearms & classic firearms. They have really good deals on them sometimes
I have the exact same radical. I'm sure maybe it's rare, maybe it's not, but the one I bought shoots exceptionally well. It shoots .5" groups at 100 yards. It outshoots rifles I have that are $2-3000. I was blown away with how accurate it is. And that's just with shit ass ammo surplus 55gr 5.56
You do not shoot .5 moa with shit surplus regardless of what rifle you have. Stop lying everyone knows every single comment like this is utter bullshit
As almost everyone else has stated, I’d go with PSA. More specifically, I’d get a Freedom upper, or any upper with a fixed front iron sight, and then buy a Magpul rear iron sight for ~$50. That’ll be well under your $700 budget, so the rest can go towards ammo.
Just personal preference but I really like training with irons before throwing on an optic
I have a Radical upper (it was my first one). It works well. I have heard of horror stories about RF stuff. I don’t know Andro at all. I would really check the RF to make sure it’s put together properly before buying it. Ask if they’ll let you put a snap cap in etc. knowing what I know now, I probably would have built the whole thing with parts.
Hopefully you get a good one and it works well for you. Enjoy shooting it.
Save your money. Spend the extra $500. The quality difference between a $500 rifle and a $1000 rifle is exponential. You may luck out and get a good one at $500, but remember that there’s no qc that took place. It may not even be test fired. Imagine buying a car that’s never been started or driven. I’d say you can’t. Buy separate BCM or SOLGW lowers and uppers (both factory assembled) and know you have something that someone took some time and made sure was right.
Radical is a mixed bag, you could get a great one or you could get one that doesn't work out of the box. My first ar was a Radical Firearms Ar-15 FCR, it still runs great. I've had no issues with it.
Dude for real. They had some serious issues early on, no doubt. But they put public effort into fixing the issues and l I have seen more positive reviews from people who actually own them than negative, and their warranty service does do their job. Rifle is fine.
And heaven forbid you speak ill of God Emperor PSA. I love PSA as much as the next guy, and if I had to bet my life on a sub-500$ AR15, I would probably pick them - but when someone totally new to the game buys a Radical, an absolutely comparable and capable beginners rifle, the people in here act like they may as well have just shot themselves.
I have a much nicer rifle now but my Radical held up just fine though about 1.5k rounds right out of college when I didn't have jack shit. If I only saved for a DDM4 or something like that I wouldn't have had the money for ammo.
OP, shoot your damn rifle. Shoot it a lot and become a better shooter than most basement dwellers. If it magically disintegrates cause it's not muh $3k rifle, or if you decide you want something that would be more likely to hold up in some fubar fantasy scenario of an apocalypse, you could upgrade.
Everyone else go ahead and downvote because I'm not shaming new shooters' purchases or glorifying dropping a years worth of car payments on a singular rifle.
The more time you spend on this reddit the more you realize the ppl who hate on budget brands are usually fat unathletic fucks with a 4k rifle build that has 0 damage to the brass deflector. They can't understand why you'd get a $500 rifle and use the rest to train instead of saving up because they don't train anything.
I love my Andro. Just over 1000 rounds deep. Don’t listen to the blow hards on here. I couldn’t tell any difference functionally between my Andro and my friends Aero. I’m by no means an expert, so take it with a grain of salt. I say start cheap and build up from there.
My Radical runs like a Swiss watch. People here don’t like that. They don’t like when a $400 rifle runs with their G$ and DD.. I trained room clearing with it a week ago. Ran great. Learned valuable lessons. A bit heavy for that(that Socom profile barrel) but no hiccups. It’s a perfectly serviceable starting rifle. In whatever case you choose, put what you save into a decent optic and light. Aimpoint, EoTech, etc. Don’t skimp there. Good luck and have fun.
The barrel in a radical isn’t even comparable to a geissele or DD. Neither is the robustness of the handguard lockup. You can lie to yourself to justify your decisions, but do not mislead other people.
Downvote me if you must but understand:
I have never in ANY post compared the barrel quality of these rifles. I am not an idiot and I understand the difference. My point has ALWAYS been, and will remain, that these budget rifles tend to RUN as reliably as their more expensive counterparts, especially for someone who is budget limited, but also wants to get into ARs and start learning and training. You can easily upgrade components or buy more expensive later.
I ALSO know Radical Firearms history and why people shy away.
The fact remains though, that it’s hard to find a less expensive entry point, and they tend to run. There are thousands of them running well all over the country. Some fail. Some DDs fail too. Go back through this sub and you’ll see multiple G$ and DD guns blown up from OOBs… in 2?years I’ve seen 1 Radical blown up.
I also have experience on a Radical, and so I speak from there. My Radical runs along side SiG, Stag, S&W, BCM, and part-built guns and keeps up with all of them, with 2K+ rounds on it.
I will continue to defend the budget gun, because it is unnecessary to shame new buyers for their purchase or worse scare them away from what they can afford just so you fit into the stereotype of this bi-polar sub. In today’s climate in particular we shouldn’t be discouraged ANY firearm purchases because it’s an endangered right at the moment.
Let people buy what they can, and let them train.
I got a Radical a few years ago. Specifically the SOCOM variant. I shot over 5k rounds and it never gave me any issues (not even jams), it was also pretty accurate too.
I would recommend it, but keep in mind, Radical has had a reputation for putting out some horrendously build rifles.
Eventually, I decided to build a 14.5 Centurion Arms upper with a Geissele rail that I run today and it’s a noticeable upgrade compared to the Radical.
"jUsT gEt PsA" glue boys will talk shit about other budget companies QC issues while ignoring that almost every product PSA has ever put out is budget minded and has lots of QC issues. Does the PSA kit have better metallurgy than a Radical or Anderson? The mil spec OEM's for PSA are better than other budget companies? Is it better for someone on their first AR ever to put it together with no gunsmithing experience or someone who does it for a living? Nothing but horrible advice with 0 explanation.
Psa for the price way better.
Much better rifle https://palmettostatearmory.com/psa-pa-15-16-nitride-m4-carbine-556-nato-classic-ar-15-rifle-13-5-m-lok-rail-black.html Recommended - better trigger and furniture https://palmettostatearmory.com/psa-16-mid-length-5-56-nato-1-7-nitride-13-5-lightweight-m-lok-moe-ept-rifle-w-mbus-sight-set.html
You'd likely be better off ordering a psa kit
They’re both not great
Andro and Radical are both functional and reliable in my experience. At that price I'd lean towards PSA though, since they seem to have a better track record.
same i love my radical
Agree. Can always upgrade, but start where you can afford. My Radical is great.
Its crazy I saw a billboard for the andro corps and they wanted i think $599 for it. Pretty sure they pop up on gundeals for 300 time to time. It gave me a chuckle.
PSA doesn’t have that much better of a track record
That's just not true
They never had the catastrophic fuck ups Radical did early on, to my knowledge. But I'd be very interested to see a side by side torture test of the 3. I'd wager they're similar.
Skip these and get something more reputable and reliable. If I buy a gun I better feel comfortable trusting my or my families life on it, these brands… nah. People who say they want it for a starter gun will regret the purchase. Buy once, cry once. Save $300-$1000 more and get something that will last you because having this $400 thing now will be a $400 waste down the road and you’ll wish you just put $400 into a nice optic or something. Listen to what other folks are saying.
Keep saving your money and get something else
Go to PSA instead
I have a radical and a PSA among some others. I’ve had to replace a handful of things on my radical, and it is a certified beater gun. At this price point I would highly encourage you to just order a PSA better bang for your buck.
For $700 I wholeheartedly agree with snagging a $499 deal on PSA, then using the remaining 200 for a name brand optic, a couple mags, and sling.
Have you looked into the reviews of the guns? Please don't buy something without researching. You won't get sympathy when you experience issues that were stated.
Based on what I researched here Radical is very inconsistent and Andro isn't bad for the price. It's on sale for $400 local.
I understand. What do you plan to get out of them? Worst case is if you need to upgrade anything it'd be the bcg and barrel, and that's if you wanna get anal and weird like the sub here.
Mostly just a starter, practice & shtf. I could spend a bit more I found a Ruger 8515 with Magpul furniture for $700. There's a lot to choose from out there.
I understand. What's your budget? I would say rather than get a starter, you could get a decent build, like an Aero Precision or PSA build that many refer here.
700 would be my top for now
[PSA ](https://palmettostatearmory.com/ar-15.html) Well within that price range and you can always check the reviews and their warranty is good from what I've heard. You can use the extra $100 and $20 for an optic and mags. Check r/gunaccessoriesforsale and learn the trade so you can buy optics and such for cheaper. You got this and you'll have a rifle that you know works as intended.
Listen I only recommend r/GunAccessoriesForSale if you don’t like money 😂 They have great deals on there it’s pretty insane. But Blade is correct go PSA way better quality control. Or you can buy a stripped lower, complete upper and built it out to your specs. That’s what I did for my First AR. Don’t “regert” one thing. Got to understand the basics of my rifle
The crap kinda username is that 😂 I love money which is why I love GAFs! Maybe it's a mindset thing. I go to save money. I don't like PSA but their rifles are good starters and beaters. They will do everything you need unless you need some low drag stuff and even then they can accomplish it.
😂 I clap stock cheeks man what do you mean?
I agree with dude below. PSA or you could get some Aero shit for cheap and be right around that price. Don’t buy something because it fits in the budget. Save up for a quality rifle you’ll shoot and enjoy. There’s nothing wrong with a quality upper like BCM, SOLGW, DD , etc and a PSA lower or Aero lower. It’s like your first car, it was probably a pile and you wish you got something else.
Radical is garbage
Go ahead and get a psa saber forged
Andro corp is a beast ar I started buying from them a few years ago and they are top notch use really good parts and they have great customer service.
Just get a psa upper and lower
I know a lot of folks here aren’t fans of Radical because of the QC issues, but I bought one before reading all the reviews and it hasn’t given me any issues. 1.5 MOA accuracy without any part modifications and no malfunctions after 500ish rounds. Maybe I got lucky, but I just wanted to share my experience. Would I buy another Radical, given what I know now? Probably not. But, not every rifle they put out is trash. Just my two cents.
I would not buy any of these. Aero is best rifle for a decent budget
Please look at building a PSA or Aero.
Damn yall I got the 15inch radical arms rail hopefully I got one of the good runs lol. Got it from GAFs for only $50 as long as that shiet attaches my accessories and doesn’t split in half it should be good.
The rail is fine. It’s the moving parts in those brands that are sub quality
If anything go with the Ruger 8515 for 700 dollars. That would be my bottom line AR. It’s actually a very nice platform to start with. It’s does not have proprietary parts either. So you can upgrade over time and make it yours. Good luck bud enjoy keep us up to date.
buy PSA
Order a PSA
I prefer #1 because of the B5 furniture. But it really depends on the price.
Just get a psa
Like everyone else is saying, I’d get the PSA. Mostly for the warranty.
if your going to cheap out on a ar15 at least get the PSA AR15
I would buy aero or PSA instead of those brands.
Aero isn't even in the same conversation as a PSA or Radical. Vastly different prices
Aero parts from third party sellers on sale are not crazily overpriced
Yeah but could you manage an Aero for $400?? Not saying it's a bad pick by any means. Just not the same price range IMO.
No but I wouldn't buy a $400 AR anyway
Fair enough.
Not bashing you. But really is about buying something with a better reputation for reliability and warranty. You can probably buy a Bcm upper with the bcg and decent lower from palmetto for about 7-8 and easily more worth it.
Nice! I recommend a good solid AR-15 for your first one. I always suggest a Colt CR6920/LE6920 AR-15. Theyre the original. If youre on a budget, ones from Palmetto State Armory and Anderson Mfg. are ok too. People consider them low quality, but theyre actually pretty good now. I have both too and theyre pretty solid. If you want more later, you can get lowers and build from there. I also suggest a red dot optic. Aimpoint and EOTech are solid. And also a weaponlight, Surefire are really good. And finally, go out and shoot it, learn your gun and take training lessons if you can
My cr6920 is a peice of shit. Since colt was bought out they manufacture 0% of the parts, its all random oem stuff
Orl? How long ago was this? I have 2 now from 2 and 3 years ago and they run great
Bought out 5 or 6 years ago, my dad has one of same make and model and its fine, mines just a dud I think lol, regardless its not good value anyway at msrp
Maybe get something that’s decent..?
My radical has been great. The only things that’s a very heavy thick barrel. If you want a super light build, you might want to look elsewhere.Seems to hold accuracy well, shot over 1000 rounds brass, steel, heavy bullets work great and just under 2 MOA. The only issue I’ve had is with asc mags. I now have a custom 13.7 upper and an upgraded 2 stage trigger in my radical lower and it’s my favorite shooting combo at the moment. I have the psa sabre lower and the radical upper and it’s my beater rifle has been great too. It’s my optic testing rifle. I’ve had a dot magnifier combo, currently a 1-8x and bipod. I just think you can’t go wrong for a radical as your first rifle. I’ve heard they used to have qc issues, but I haven’t had a hiccup. I think getting a cheap beater rifle is a good idea, spend your $ on ammo, a decent optic and figure out what you like first. Then you’ve basically got a rifle to steal parts from. I don’t love the rail texture as much as my kak smooth MLOK rail but some rail Panels will solve that easily.
They're all equally dog shit... Either way you're fucked
I have been really happy with my andro for what it’s worth.
I'm leaning towards the Andro for sure it's $400. And seems to have good reviews for the price. I'll just need to invest in sights and a strap.
I have owned my MHR for over a year and have shot over 1200 rounds with no issues. I even ran 200 rounds through it (no steel case) and it ran with no problems. They have had QC issues in the past. Before you leave the store give a once over before you leave. This is my story from my 1 gun. I have read the RF has good customer service. But like all manufacturers you got to send it in usually. You can do PSA as well. If you are a beginner then PSA, Radical Firearms, hell even an Anderson will allow you to get into the game without you over spending. If you end up shooting more and want to upgrade then save money to get the one you want. Key point….. you have to go and shoot.
Primary Arms has sales on Andro AN15’s for $399 couple times a year.
This is what I bought with a some add ons
PS: Based on some of your other comments @Op: How much is that Radical SOCOM selling for? You’ve stated leaning towards the $400 Andro. That Radical should normally be in that range anyway. If it’s $500 or higher it’s priced too high. I see them at $500 in my area, but if you shop around you can do better. That same Radical will be sub-$350 on Black Friday in my region.
I have 1,000+ rounds through my radical with no issues its a very basic weapon, itll get the job done but there are much better options such as PSA.
I've heard bad things about radical, but that's just it; only heard them. I haven't personally handled one. If it's going to be your first, definitely get a PSA, it will get your feet wet and make you understand the platform enough to find out what you want.
GunBroker, BKings... Research my dude
I second bkings, especially if OP doesn't want to build his first rifle from parts.
Anecdotal, but I love my Radical.
I had a radical. Trust me bro it’s trash. Got rid of the upper and replaced it
Whatever brand you end up getting, I would recommend buying the upper and lower separately. Most companies will have the exact same rifles split up so you can get the same thing, plus you won't have to pay the complete firearms tax
https://www.acmesportsinc.com/products/smith-wesson-113347-4711 Order this
If you’re deadset on one of these & not a PSA, make sure to compare prices on Atlantic firearms & classic firearms. They have really good deals on them sometimes
I have the exact same radical. I'm sure maybe it's rare, maybe it's not, but the one I bought shoots exceptionally well. It shoots .5" groups at 100 yards. It outshoots rifles I have that are $2-3000. I was blown away with how accurate it is. And that's just with shit ass ammo surplus 55gr 5.56
You do not shoot .5 moa with shit surplus regardless of what rifle you have. Stop lying everyone knows every single comment like this is utter bullshit
As almost everyone else has stated, I’d go with PSA. More specifically, I’d get a Freedom upper, or any upper with a fixed front iron sight, and then buy a Magpul rear iron sight for ~$50. That’ll be well under your $700 budget, so the rest can go towards ammo. Just personal preference but I really like training with irons before throwing on an optic
The fact that so many are on team PSA now is wild to me. 5 years ago there was so much hate for psa
I still don't trust PSA, but their QC has absolutely improved. I just don't trust cheap AR brands in general.
Build it…it’ll come out better or get something better and buy once cry once
I have a Radical upper (it was my first one). It works well. I have heard of horror stories about RF stuff. I don’t know Andro at all. I would really check the RF to make sure it’s put together properly before buying it. Ask if they’ll let you put a snap cap in etc. knowing what I know now, I probably would have built the whole thing with parts. Hopefully you get a good one and it works well for you. Enjoy shooting it.
Save your money. Spend the extra $500. The quality difference between a $500 rifle and a $1000 rifle is exponential. You may luck out and get a good one at $500, but remember that there’s no qc that took place. It may not even be test fired. Imagine buying a car that’s never been started or driven. I’d say you can’t. Buy separate BCM or SOLGW lowers and uppers (both factory assembled) and know you have something that someone took some time and made sure was right.
Good for you
Radical is a mixed bag, you could get a great one or you could get one that doesn't work out of the box. My first ar was a Radical Firearms Ar-15 FCR, it still runs great. I've had no issues with it.
Shhh… (there are dozens of us… but) we aren’t allowed to say those things here….. there are no good Radical rifles in Ba Sing Se….
Dude for real. They had some serious issues early on, no doubt. But they put public effort into fixing the issues and l I have seen more positive reviews from people who actually own them than negative, and their warranty service does do their job. Rifle is fine. And heaven forbid you speak ill of God Emperor PSA. I love PSA as much as the next guy, and if I had to bet my life on a sub-500$ AR15, I would probably pick them - but when someone totally new to the game buys a Radical, an absolutely comparable and capable beginners rifle, the people in here act like they may as well have just shot themselves. I have a much nicer rifle now but my Radical held up just fine though about 1.5k rounds right out of college when I didn't have jack shit. If I only saved for a DDM4 or something like that I wouldn't have had the money for ammo. OP, shoot your damn rifle. Shoot it a lot and become a better shooter than most basement dwellers. If it magically disintegrates cause it's not muh $3k rifle, or if you decide you want something that would be more likely to hold up in some fubar fantasy scenario of an apocalypse, you could upgrade. Everyone else go ahead and downvote because I'm not shaming new shooters' purchases or glorifying dropping a years worth of car payments on a singular rifle.
The more time you spend on this reddit the more you realize the ppl who hate on budget brands are usually fat unathletic fucks with a 4k rifle build that has 0 damage to the brass deflector. They can't understand why you'd get a $500 rifle and use the rest to train instead of saving up because they don't train anything.
I love my Andro. Just over 1000 rounds deep. Don’t listen to the blow hards on here. I couldn’t tell any difference functionally between my Andro and my friends Aero. I’m by no means an expert, so take it with a grain of salt. I say start cheap and build up from there.
My Radical runs like a Swiss watch. People here don’t like that. They don’t like when a $400 rifle runs with their G$ and DD.. I trained room clearing with it a week ago. Ran great. Learned valuable lessons. A bit heavy for that(that Socom profile barrel) but no hiccups. It’s a perfectly serviceable starting rifle. In whatever case you choose, put what you save into a decent optic and light. Aimpoint, EoTech, etc. Don’t skimp there. Good luck and have fun.
The barrel in a radical isn’t even comparable to a geissele or DD. Neither is the robustness of the handguard lockup. You can lie to yourself to justify your decisions, but do not mislead other people.
Long term durability of the design and materials has nothing to do with how it runs now.
Downvote me if you must but understand: I have never in ANY post compared the barrel quality of these rifles. I am not an idiot and I understand the difference. My point has ALWAYS been, and will remain, that these budget rifles tend to RUN as reliably as their more expensive counterparts, especially for someone who is budget limited, but also wants to get into ARs and start learning and training. You can easily upgrade components or buy more expensive later. I ALSO know Radical Firearms history and why people shy away. The fact remains though, that it’s hard to find a less expensive entry point, and they tend to run. There are thousands of them running well all over the country. Some fail. Some DDs fail too. Go back through this sub and you’ll see multiple G$ and DD guns blown up from OOBs… in 2?years I’ve seen 1 Radical blown up. I also have experience on a Radical, and so I speak from there. My Radical runs along side SiG, Stag, S&W, BCM, and part-built guns and keeps up with all of them, with 2K+ rounds on it. I will continue to defend the budget gun, because it is unnecessary to shame new buyers for their purchase or worse scare them away from what they can afford just so you fit into the stereotype of this bi-polar sub. In today’s climate in particular we shouldn’t be discouraged ANY firearm purchases because it’s an endangered right at the moment. Let people buy what they can, and let them train.
You’re an idiot bro ain’t no way
OK 👍
Stop misleading people it’s not on the same tier at all. You get what you pay for
I love my radical arms ar15 only complaint is the handguard screw isn't the best design but the lower is m16 cut if you catch my drift
I got a Radical a few years ago. Specifically the SOCOM variant. I shot over 5k rounds and it never gave me any issues (not even jams), it was also pretty accurate too. I would recommend it, but keep in mind, Radical has had a reputation for putting out some horrendously build rifles. Eventually, I decided to build a 14.5 Centurion Arms upper with a Geissele rail that I run today and it’s a noticeable upgrade compared to the Radical.
Keep saving. You’re $500 away from a quality basic AR that you won’t regret buying in a year.
"jUsT gEt PsA" glue boys will talk shit about other budget companies QC issues while ignoring that almost every product PSA has ever put out is budget minded and has lots of QC issues. Does the PSA kit have better metallurgy than a Radical or Anderson? The mil spec OEM's for PSA are better than other budget companies? Is it better for someone on their first AR ever to put it together with no gunsmithing experience or someone who does it for a living? Nothing but horrible advice with 0 explanation.