I have a decent collection of firearms: pistols, revolvers, shotguns, and rifles, but my arsenal was lacking an automatic rifle. So I began my search for an AR. After researching several different mid-level AR-15's, I decided on the Stag Arms Model 4. Stag Arms AR's are made in New Britain, CT, they are also one of the largest manufacturers of AR 15 parts in the world. They are most notably known for their left-handed AR's. One of the things about Stag Arms that lead me to buy one of their rifles is their lifetime warranty and barrel replacement warranty. The lifetime warranty covers defects in materials and craftsmanship, also, if through normal use the barrel wears out, they will replace it. Pair that with their outstanding customer service and you have a winning combination. All Stag Arms AR's are chambered in 5.56 NATO.
The Stag 15 Model 4 is your classic pre-ban, A4 style rifle with a composite A2 fixed stock. It features a Mil-Spec A3 upper assembly that is made from forged 7075-T6 aluminum. It has a detachable carry handle with standard A2 style ,dual aperture, rear sight. Removing the carry handle reveals the the flat-top Picatinny/Weaver rail, this was a must have feature for me. Another must have was the 20" ,rifle length, heavy barrel. The barrel is made from Chrome Moly steel and features six groove, button rifling with a 1:9 right hand twist ending in a Phantom muzzle break. The barrel is not chrome lined though so regular cleaning is a must. Front sight is a standard ,adjustable, fixed post . This rifle has some heft to it, 8.5 lbs to be precise. It came with one 20 rd magazine and a nice , hard plastic Stag Arms rifle case. The finish on this weapon is flawless, it is very well made, everything fits together precisely. I shook it and the only thing that rattled was the front sling loop. As with most AR's, the Stag 15 is really easy to field strip and reassemble.
I bought some Wolf 55gr FMJ ammo and hit my range to see how this AR shoots.
Above is my first firing, 10rds, 75yds, 2.5" bullseye, off-hand and standing. You can see where I first hit below the bullseye and tracked my fire up. I'll take this time to tell you, this is my first AR, I don't have a lot of experience with AR style rifles. I've only handled a few and shot less than a dozen rounds out of one. So bear with me, this is a learning experience. I have had some help though, my dad carried an M16 in 'Nam, plus I have a couple friends in the military who showed me the ropes.
I benched the rifle on the shots above. I sat down ,used sand bags as a rest and shot 9 rds at 75yds. It was supposed to be 10 rds but one failed to fire, I'll chalk that one up to cheap ammo. Stag Arms says all it's rifles' sights are "factory zeroed". After firing I laser bore sighted my rifle, they're not lying, dead on.
I bought a set of handguard rails ,CAA (Command Arms) vertical forward grip and a Hogue rear grip. The rails bolt on through the hand guard's vent holes, I had to remove the hand guard for this. I didn't have a tool for doing so, I just used my hands and a little elbow grease. The rail installation was pretty simple and I only attached one to the bottom. The CAA grip is pretty sweet, it attaches firmly to the rail and has rubber coated finger grooves and backstrap plus a compartment in the bottom. The Hogue rear grip is a vast improvement over the original, hard composite grip. It's soft rubber construction is very comfortable, especially with such a heavy rifle. The old grip would bite into my hand something fierce. The Hogue provides a perfect non-slip grip.
That's not all though, I also bought an NcStar 3/8" ,quick release, riser rail for my flat top and Bushnell 3-9x40mm scope. The NcStar riser is nice, it's easy to adjust. After that it just uses the side lever to clamp to the flat-top. Trust me, it's solid, I don't think it'll move, I tried. I used a little thread locker (Red) on the adjustment screw anyways. It is a suitable alternative to the much more expensive brands of risers. Using Weaver extra tall, quad lock rings I leveled and mounted the scope. I laser bore sighted the scope, then used the quick release to remove the whole mount. After reattaching it, I bore sighted it again, it held it's zero perfectly, exactly what I was looking for. Also the riser and rings allows the scope to just clear the front sight post. On the picture above you can see a small laser sight I attached to it, it was originally on a pistol of mine. I just wanted to get a feel for it, I've since removed it and the forward grip because the rifle would not fit properly on my bench rest with them on.
I have a plan for two different load-outs for this rifle. One with the carry handle/rear sight attached and the forward grip. Maybe a flashlight, but I don't want a whole lot of stuff hanging off it. The second load-out would be with the scope and an under barrel, rail mount, bi-pod. I also plan on removing the standard sling loops and installing a single point loop for use with a single point harness.
Now that it's scoped up, time to hit the range again.
I moved the target out to 100 yds. I shot from a seated position using my MTM Predator rifle rest. Above is my "sight in" target, it took 9 shots to get it to a decent zero. You can see it was shooting high before adjustment.
Above is another target I shot after initial sight in, I like this 5 shot group. But it needed a few more clicks for adjustment.
So I adjusted it a little more and got the above 5 shot group, two of which almost entered the same hole. I'm pretty satisfied with these groups at 100 yds. I'm sure I will bring them in tighter with more range time. One thing I noticed is the trigger pull, it's a whopping 8.1 lbs! That is not something I'm used to, in the two targets above you can see where one shot went away from the group, I blame this on not being acquainted with the rifle's trigger. I'm hoping to get used to the trigger pull with time and practice, if not I may have to have it replaced with a lighter one.
Overall, I think the Stag Arms, Stag 15 Model 4 is one of the better choices among entry to mid level AR's. Stag Arms makes an affordable, quality rifle, made right here in the USA and backed up with a lifetime warranty. For my very first AR 15, I feel the Model 4 was the best possible choice for me. If I make the decision to buy another AR, it will be a Stag, in particular, their piston operated Model 8. The Model 4 has an MSRP of $1015, but it can usually be found for $750-$800 from dealers or on-line.
As I bring this review and range report to it's conclusion, I'll say this: I am extremely excited to finally own an AR. Now I know why they are so popular, first of all they're very fun to shoot, and there's just something about owning one that instills American pride. Yeah, I know that sounds a little cliche' , but I believe owning an AR is the ultimate way to exercise our 2nd Amendment rights and freedoms as gun owning Americans.
http://www.stagarms.com/product_info...roducts_id=209
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