DPMS Panther Sportical 5.56 NATO
If you’re looking for a perfectly capable AR with absolutely no frills at all and a very nice price tag to boot, this might just be your rifle. The Panther Sportical has a Picatinny rail and, well, not much else.
In fact, the description on the DMPS website reads, “This carbine might just be the most simplistic, straight forward AR on the market.” Which is actually a good thing if your desire is to customize every bit of your AR.
The Panther Sportical has all the functions you’d expect from an entry-level carbine, including a lightweight 16” chromoly barrel, adjustable stock, A2 birdcage flash hider, and a 30-round magazine. The total weight of the Sportical is 6.3lbs (unloaded) and the overall length is a handy 36.125 inches.
Aficionados might say the Panther Sportical is lacking about $150 in mandatory upgrades, but Sportical fans say they’ve got a solid weapon that shoots the same ammo just as flawlessly. In addition, the bonus of choosing a “bare bones” AR like the Sportical is that all your money is going toward the rifle itself, and not a bunch of chincy add-ons that you’ll want to replace later, if you want to think of it that way.
Lowest Retail: $607