Stag Arms AR15 Review [Is It The Right AR For You?]

The AR 15 is by far my favorite rifle…

It’s an accurate platform, it’s reliable, its ergonomics are near-perfect, and it’s a really fun gun to shoot…

But with all the options out there today, it can be difficult to distinguish a high-quality AR 15 from a sub-standard AR that might be lacking in some critical areas…

So in this Stag Arms AR15 review, we’re going to do a deep dive into what makes this rifle special…

We’ll be discussing how well-built this AR 15’s parts are, how well it shoots, if it’s worth the price, and a number of other things in this post…

By the end, you’ll have a solid understanding of what the Stag 15 has to offer, and you should be able to determine if it’ll be a good AR 15 for you…

Let’s get started!

Stag Arms AR15 Review…

The Stag Arms Stag 15 is a fantastic AR 15. It’s a great AR 15 because the Upper Receiver and Lower Receiver parts are high quality, it has a wonderful fit and finish, it’s accurate, it’s reliable, and it’s very reasonably priced…

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The following will give you more detailed information as to why the Stag Arms Stag 15 is a great rifle…

Stag Arms Stag 15 Review – Upper Receiver…

The upper receiver on the Stag Arms Stag 15 is of very good quality. It’s basically a forged aluminum, mil-spec upper which is pretty standard in today’s AR 15 market…

It does include a forward assist, which is something that I like because not all AR 15s in its class include one, and it has a standard mil-spec dust cover and shell deflector…

Now it should be noted that Stag Arms is famous for making a left-handed version of the Stag 15, but the truth is, the only thing left-handed about it is the upper (the lower remains a standard AR ‘right-handed’ lower)…

On the left-handed upper, the dust cover flips up instead of down (which is standard on right-handed AR 15s), and the forward assist and shell deflector are also found on the left-hand side of the upper rather than the right (which, again, is standard)…

I can’t comment on how useful the left-handed Stag 15 is for left-handed users because I am a boring old right-handed shooter…

But I do think it’s a really cool option for left-handed folks, and I have heard a lot of good things about it from left-handed shooters…

Barrel And Chamber…

The barrel that you get on the Stag 15 is very high-quality. It’s most likely a Ballistic Advantage barrel because both Ballistic Advantage and Stag Arms are now owned by Aero Precision (who also make fantastic ARs)…

And here’s the deal, Ballistic Advantage barrels are awesome, and if they are making these barrels for the Stag 15 (which I suspect they are), then that’s definitely another huge plus for the Stag 15…

Now, the Stag 15’s barrel does feature a 1:7 twist (which I prefer over a 1:9), and it’s also chrome-lined which will make it easier to clean and last longer…

It also has a phosphate coating which adds to its durability, and it’s free-floated, so the rifle will be more accurate…

The Stag 15 is chambered in 5.56x45mm NATO and the BCG (Bolt Carrier Group) is an M16 profile and appears to be very well-built and very durable…

Last, at the end of the barrel, you get a standard A2 flash hider, and all the parts in the barrel and chamber area, are fitted well and work smoothly together.

Rail/ Handguard…

The rail on the Stag 15 is very sleek. First of all, it’s very lightweight which is important because…

…in addition to keeping the weight down on your rifle, it keeps the gun very balanced as well.

On top of that, it’s an M-LOK rail, so you can easily mount lights, lasers, vertical foregrips, hand stops, and any other accessories that you might want onto your AR 15…

The M-LOK slots are located in the 3 o’clock, 6 o’clock, and 9 o’clock positions, and M-LOK is a great system because there are a ton of accessories made for it and it’s very easy to use.

All in all, I think a clunky rail can really make an AR 15 unbalanced and heavy. So I was very happy to see this super-sleek rail added onto the Stag Arms AR15.

Charging Handle…

The charging handle on the Stag 15 is very basic. It’s the standard mil-spec style charging handle, and it works just fine if that’s all you want…

That being said, I tend to prefer larger latches on my charging handles and ambidextrous controls, just because it gives you more options when reloading or fixing malfunctions…

So this is a part that you might want to think about upgrading, but if you don’t want to, as I said before, it’ll work just fine for you.

Lower Receiver…

The Stag 15 lower receiver is basically a standard mil-spec lower. It is a forged lower, which is a good thing in my book because it’s going to be stronger and more lightweight than a billet receiver…

And the overall fit and finish is very good. In addition to that, the new Stag logo is very clean and looks very cool…

I mention this because even though I won’t mention any names, there are some logos that just look ugly when they’re stamped onto your AR lower receiver…

That’s not the case with these Stag lowers, because they look very attractive and because the company moved out of Connecticut, they’re also stamped with ‘Cheyenne, WY’ as well…

Trigger…

As with a lot of other features on the Stag 15, the trigger is a pretty standard mil-spec trigger…

It’s not really anything special, but it is reliable and very serviceable. Most of my AR 15s still have standard mil-spec triggers in them, just because I haven’t felt the need to upgrade them…

And that’s the case with the Stag 15’s trigger because you can certainly shoot fast and accurately with it…

Now that being said, you can easily upgrade it with something like a CMC or Geissele trigger if and when you’d like to.

But if you are happy with it, I don’t think there is any need to upgrade it because as I said it’s reliable and as long as you train with it, you can shoot fast and accurately with it.

Pistol Grip…

The pistol grip that you get on the Stag 15 Classic is a standard M-16 A2 pistol grip…

Like the mil-spec trigger, it works just fine if you’re happy with it, and there is no need to replace it…

That being said, I always replace A2 grips on my AR 15s, and I do that for 3 reasons…

First of all, I don’t like the finger ledge on the A2-style grip. It’s not sized right for my hand, and it always seems to get in the way when I’d like to make a fast shot…

I can shoot perfectly fine with it if I need to, but I’m just not a fan of finger ledges or grooves on pistol grips in general…

Secondly, the A2 grip is kind of thin. It’s not very hand-filling for me, and again, even though I can shoot very well with a thin grip, it’s not what I prefer…

Third and finally, getting a new pistol grip for your AR 15 is very inexpensive, and installing a new pistol grip is extremely easy…

So in the end, I like to replace A2 grips with Magpul Plus grips, but if you’re happy with the A2 grip that comes on the Stag 15 Classic, then there is absolutely no need to change it.

Stock…

The stock that comes on the Stag 15 Classic is a standard collapsible M4 stock…

Much like the A2 pistol grip, there is no need to change out this stock if you’re happy with it…

You can easily adjust it to the length of pull that you desire, and you should be able to fire comfortably with it…

That being said, you can always upgrade it if and when you’re ready. There are a ton of AR 15 stocks that are stronger, more lightweight, tighter-fitting (so there is less rattling on the buffer tube), etc…

I have one of my favorites on my AR accessories list, but like I said, there is no reason to upgrade the stock that comes on the Stag 15 if you’re happy with it….

I should also note that Stag 15 Tactical model does have an upgraded Magpul stock and pistol grip.

Safety…

The safety that comes on the Stag 15 is a standard mil-spec safety. I have absolutely no problem with it at all…

I like standard AR 15 safeties like this one. They are smooth, easy to use, and ergonomic…

You can upgrade it to a safety with a shorter throw (45 degrees), or with an ambidextrous safety if you want to…

But as a right-handed shooter, I’m happy with this safety, and I don’t see a reason to change it.

Magazine & Mag Well…

The Stag 15 comes with a Magpul magazine which I think is fantastic. I love Magpul magazines because they are strong, lightweight, and very reliable…

In addition to that, the Magazine well that comes on the Stag 15 is just a little bit flared out…

This is a cool feature, and it’s an upgrade over the regular mag well that comes standard on most other AR 15s…

The reason why it’s a benefit to you is that it just makes it a bit easier and faster to insert a new magazine (especially when you’re under pressure)…

So this is a feature that sets the Stag 15 apart from many other AR 15s on the market, and it’s incredibly useful to you as the shooter as well.

Mag Release And Bolt Release…

Both the magazine release and the bolt release that come on the Stag 15 are pretty standard ‘mil-spec’ controls…

That’s not a problem for me because I find both of them to be easy to use, ergonomic, and fast…

That’s part of the genius of the AR 15 design in general. In its standard form, it’s incredibly ergonomic, and I think that really shows in these two controls…

Of course, if you want to upgrade these two parts, you can, but I don’t think there’s much reason to…

And I’m perfectly happy with them as they come.

Shootability and Accuracy…

The Stag 15 is an incredibly smooth AR 15 to shoot. It seems to be properly gassed for a carbine-length DI (direct impingement) gun…

And even though most ARs that I have fired are very controllable, I think the fit and finish of the Stag 15 makes it a very smooth shooter…

It’s also a fairly accurate gun, especially when you put a scope on it, and I think a lot of that comes down to the quality of the barrel…

As I mentioned earlier, the barrel that you get on the Stag 15 is very high quality…

This is an area where some of the cheaper AR 15s that are on the market are lacking, but the barrel that comes on the Stag 15 is excellent.

Red Dot Sight Or Scope For Stag Arms AR-15…

Like most AR 15s on the market today, the Stag 15 comes with an optic rail on the top of the upper receiver, and this makes it very easy to mount either a red dot or scope…

Now, if you want to optimize your Stag 15 for fast shooting in the range of 100 to 200 yards and in, I say put a red dot on it (click here if you need help finding a solid red dot)…

Also, because of the awesome free-float rail that comes on the Stag 15, I think an LPVO (low powered variable optic) would also be an ideal optic choice for this rifle…

There are a ton of great LPVO options out there, but if you’re on a budget I recommend that you check out these.

Reasons To Own Stag 15…

There are many reasons why you might want to own a Stag 15. First of all, if you want an AR 15 for personal defense or tactical uses, the Stag 15 is a fantastic option…

It’s a very reliable AR 15, it’s lightweight, it’s easy to shoot, it’s accurate, and basically, all you need (once you pick one up) is to get an optic for it and more magazines (I recommend at least 5 magazines)…

Another reason you might want to own a Stag 15 is for hunting. I can’t help you too much there because I’ve never hunted in my life…

But it is a 5.56 AR 15, so if that caliber is appropriate for the animal you’re hunting and is legal to use in your state, I think it would work just as well as any other AR 15 would…

Last, you might want to own a Stag 15 because it will be a fun gun to shoot. If that’s the case for you, then all I can tell you is… YES, the Stag 15 is a very fun AR 15 to shoot…

It’s a very smooth shooter, it’s accurate (so you can hit your targets), it’s reliable (so you don’t get frustrated clearing malfunctions), and it’s just an absolute blast to shoot (yes, that was a very cheezy pun haha).

Stag Arms Stag 15 Review – Final Thoughts…

So in the end, I think the Stag Arms Stag 15 is a fantastic AR for several reasons…

It comes with a great barrel, a sleek free-float handguard, a strong bolt carrier group, a great fit and finish, it’s accurate, it’s reliable, and it’s fun to shoot…

I think it’s one of the best, if not the best AR 15 under 1000 dollars, and I highly recommend it…