Whether for field use, home defense or just an afternoon of fun, the AR-15 is a fantastic weapon system. There has never been a better selection of quality carbines at affordable prices than right now. For your first AR, or your 10th, the following rifles from Springfield Armory, Bushmaster, Ruger, Smith & Wesson and more all come in under $1,000.
- RELATED STORY: Pistol-Caliber Firepower – 15 Can’t-Miss 9mm Carbines
- RELATED STORY: Tactical Advantage – 17 Combat-Tested, Home Defense Rifles
Unfortunately for those of you in the “unfree states,” we didn’t put any featureless AR-15 rifles on the list. Sorry.
To learn more about the AR-15 rifles featured in the gallery above, please visit the following sites.
AR-15 Info
Bushmaster XM-15 Standard
bushmaster.com
Colt Expanse M4
colt.com
Dark Storm Industries DS-15 MOE Standard
dark-storm.com
DPMS AP4 Carbine
dpmsinc.com
Mossberg MMR Carbine
mossberg.com
Ruger AR-556
ruger.com
Savage MSR 15 Patrol
savagearms.com
Smith & Wesson M&P15 Sport II
smith-wesson.com
Springfield Armory SAINT
springfield-armory.com
Windham Weaponry Carbon-Fiber SRC
windhamweaponry.com
This article was originally published in ‘Personal & Home Defense’ Spring 2017. To order a copy, please visit outdoorgroupstore.com.

