Check out GrabAGun. They have S&W M&P AR-15s on sale for $559.
Whatever you get, you should come to an Appleseed. You will learn more about shooting a rifle in a weekend than you probably ever thought there was to know about it. You will learn some very solid fundamentals that will help you whichever way you go, whether it's military, competition shooting, or anything else. We shoot the Army Qualification Test at Appleseed -- it is a lot of fun to see how you stack up, and if you shoot an Expert level score, you get our Rifleman patch. For adults it's only $60 for the weekend, and we have discounts for those under 21 like yourself. If you want to be more of a "rifle guy," getting some good systematic marksmanship instruction will be a lot better for you than trying to teach yourself, I promise.
www.appleseedinfo.org
If you're dead set on the Oracle, I noticed that there is a deal on them right now for $499 after a $50 cash back rebate: http://www.slickguns.com/product/dp...5-type-semi-auto-rifle-223-49999-after-50-mir
FYI, the Oracle does not have a receiver height rail on the gas block -- it has a "gas block height" rail. The Magpul won't work. You need a "gas block height" front sight. Run a search for that and you will find plenty.
As far as Appleseed goes, yes, next weekend is the last shoot in 2014... but we will be releasing our 2015 schedule soon with plenty more shoots across the state. Keep an eye on the website and the firearms training section here.
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