So I bought an AR-15. As a city dweller I have no real use for it, but I figured I better buy one before the pre-election hysteria winds up any further, plus I'm having a kid and I figure I need to buy him one in case they are illegal by the time he turns 18.
I've always been confused by this practice. I mean, if you just want one, cool, no other reason needed; but to buy one just because libs hate them or because they might be made illegal one day doesn't make much financial sense to me (if they're illegal, you won't be shooting yours anymore). I think a fat donation to the NRA or the state-level org of your choice would be a better use of the money (not to mention training, ammo for guns you have, etc).
Don't get me wrong, I had one myself. I built it as soon as the AWB ended because I could, because 223 was cheap, and because I wanted to try the platform out. I had specific design goals in mind (had to be light and compact, no mall-ninja attachments). Once ammo got expensive and once I realized I didn't really care for it all that much, I flipped it for a very nice profit at the height of the Obama-gun-ban-scare (nothing like selling a 4yo and well used gun for 2x what it cost to build).
As for mags, Jim is correct about Brownells. Good mags and good prices for their house-brand ones. Get a C&R, send it to them, and get further discounts (you could recoup your C&R fee in the savings on mags alone).
Chris