Top 10 Best AR-15 Forum Communities
Posted by Arthur Adler on May 12th 2023
As an owner of an AR-15, it is important that you are up-to-date with the latest firearm technology to equip with your weapon. There are many websites that you can visit for the latest information but it is better to be a part of a community.
By being a part of an online forum, you can engage, learn, and get a few tips and tricks from fellow AR-15 owners like yourself. On these forums are experts, beginners, and curious-minded individuals looking to find out more.
Here are the Top 10 Best AR-15 Forum Communities.
- AR15 Forum
- AR15 Armory
- Survival Monkey
- FirearmsTalk
- The Armory Life
- Reddit AR15 Forum
- M4Carbine Forum
- AR15.com
- AR15 Builders Forum
- AR15 Nation / FaceBook
AR-15 Forum
The AR-15 Forum features a sleek and modern website. It highlights special articles on top when arriving at the forum. Below it has a “Featured Content” section that focuses on DIY AR-15 Pistol Build Kits, Members, Forums, and Blogs.
What it makes up for with a stylish layout leaves a lot to be desired. When trying to get to the actual forum, you never leave and remain on the original page.
This forum focuses more on selling users products rather than enhancing and promoting discussion. You can find the latest posts on the side, but if you are unable to go to the forums, you cannot do much.
AR15 Armory
Ar15armory’s forum harks back to message boards of the past, in the best way possible. This forum is broken up by General Conversation, The Armory, Black Hole Weaponry, Industry Forum, Equipment Supply, and Hometown Gossip.
This forum has it all. Whatever your interest or talents are with an AR-15, you are sure to find a hub to discuss it on this forum.
Besides its variety, the website has a stellar interface platform that is easy to navigate for any users. You are not overwhelmed by advertisements and clickbait.
Survival Monkey
SurvivalMonkey has a similar layout and feel to Ar15armory but lacks the easy-to-navigate platform. What puts SurvivalMonkey at second, similarly, to Ar15armory is its variety and specialized hubs.
The forum is categorized by Announcements, Survival-Preparedness-SHTF, General, and Off-Topic. With it being survival-themed, that is its biggest category.
You can find recent threads and resources on the side which is convenient for those wanting to stay up-to-date.
Along with that, you can see users currently online, trending tags, and forum statistics.
SurvivalMonkey has garnered 42,626 discussions overall.
FirearmsTalk
With the bronze comes Firearmstalk. It shares similarities to Ar15armory and SurvivalMonkey but overall is lacking in the organization that made the other two stand out.
It features a similar and classic forum layout which is easy to navigate but lacks categorization making searching for certain topics difficult.
There are 308 pages of total discussion, which highlights its healthy and active discussion. On the side, you can see the latest replies to threads throughout the forum.
Unlike the first two Firearmstalk features separate tabs for articles, showcase, media, members, and sponsors which gives the forum more depth.
The Armory Life
The definitive source for firearms enthusiasts claims TheArmoryLife at the top of the forum. You can find the latest threads along with what’s new, members, and more information about TheArmoryLife website before scrolling down to find their discussion posts.
Rather than being bogged down by all current threads, possibly overwhelming the user, it is laid out by specific categories. Each section informs the user how many threads there are plus messages.
This forum is categorized by EDC, Gear, Guns, Skills, Survival, Reloading, The Lounge, Armed with Knowledge, and lastly News & Announcements.
While the user can find the latest threads on top actual news and announcements regarding the forum is at the bottom. As a new user, this signals a lack of importance or value compared to other categories on the forum.
Like the previous three forums, sign up is easy and takes only a few minutes.
Reddit’s R/AR15
Reddit is a comprehensive forum featuring separate “subreddits” about any topic you would like to find more about. These subreddits are individual communities whose focus is on that topic.
Reddit’s layout like the previous four shares similarities in terms of layout but is considerably more random and less organized.
Unless you search for it, finding a specific topic such as “survival” is not as easy to find. You can post questions, photos, and anything you’d like as long as it follows the subreddits rules and guidelines.
The same must be done at the other forums to prevent being banned.
What helps Reddit stick out is you can search for threads by new, top (hour, week, month, year, and all time.) and controversial. This allows for some organization but not by much.
Reddit is a highly popular website but lacks in various areas.
M4Carbine Forum
Powered by vBoard, an Internet forum staple it features an easy-to-use layout and navigation. Featuring 23,000 pages of discussion this forum has a lot to be desired.
m4carbine’s forum is consumed by advertisements at the top of the page that do it no favors. While great for the website, it overwhelms and takes away from actual discussion.
Others on the list chose bright and stimulating colors while this forum went for a more dark and gritty approach. That plus advertisements of all sorts make this hard on the eyes.
Discussions are plentiful on this forum but the overall lack of cohesion remains uninviting.
AR15.Com
The majority of AR15’s website are affiliates, news, and sponsors. This user navigating this website would benefit from installing ad-blockers to make navigation easier.
Compared to the other forums mentioned, the forum is not the top priority by any means. At the top, there is a tab called “discussion forums” with a variety of firearm topics. The actual forum itself is organized well, very clean to use but lacks the desirability of the others.
If you are in the market for buying or upgrading your AR-15 this website is ideal. As for actual discussions, despite its consistent activity, would not be the first choice.
AR15 Builders Forum
AR15 Builders forum is a great fit for AR15 owners interested in building platforms and guns of their own. If you are looking to engage in building discussion than this forum is perfect. With that said it lacks other necessary functions for a proper forum.
Users can buy/sell/trade parts on this forum. For builders, this can give them a new base and allows them to network.
The forum itself is very clunky and hard to navigate.
AR-15 Nation On Facebook
Facebook is a great medium for networking. One of its more popular features is its ability to allow users to join groups. There are groups for pretty much anything. Unfortunately, the only way to join the AR-15 Nation on Facebook is by request. It is a private group that you must ask to join.
While this isn’t a big issue, it gives the wrong message. The other forums mentioned are open and inclusive.
By being closed it can give off the wrong impression.
These communities all offer something unique and different while remaining committed to discussing AR-15s. Most feature a classic forum layout that is easy to navigate. Joining these communities is free and only takes a few minutes. If you are looking to join an AR-15 online community we recommend these for the most fulfilling and exciting discussions.
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