Was thinking of getting into a AR I realize that there are many different makers/prices but I don't want to break the bank (yes I'm cheap not by choice but by bank account).
Have done some net surfing and I'm down to Ruger AR 556 and SW M&P Sport ll. Ok I asked let me have it.
Shawn
Before I read through a couple pages of replies, let me suggest a few things. First of all, short answer, the Colt 6920 is probably the best sub-$1000 AR on the market and it is a true fighting rifle.
Longer answer, mil-spec means something. Mil-spec is not end-all but it does provide a good base level of performance. ARs stack into 3 groups; mil-spec(-), mil-spec, and mil-spec(+). If a rifle has a 1:9 or slower twist, lacks a forward assist, doesn't have a carpenter steel bolt or a chrome lined bore and chamber, or has a commercial receiver extension, I tend to group it in the mil-spec(-) group. I recommend not going below mil-spec. Don't confuse mil-spec with "top of the line." Mil-spec should be viewed as "minimum acceptable standard." The military is buying things from lowest bidder. For sure you can find better AR-15s than the Colt. The military arrives at these minimum requirements because experience tells them that it is necessary for a rifle likely to see hard use.
Mil-spec would be rifles like the Colt that are built to military specifications. Some people might ask why this level of performance is necessary and perhaps if you're never going to rely on your rifle, it isn't. But the mil-spec requirements in terms of materials and specifications were not arrived at arbitrarily. This rifle has fifty years of learning experience behind it, many lessons learned in blood. If you ever aspire to maybe shoot competitively or stockpile a few rounds in case society implodes and you have to defend you castle, you'll sleep better knowing you invested in this minimum acceptable level of quality. Things like a forward assist are rarely needed, but when they are needed, they tend to really be needed. A non-carpenter steel bolt may last you a lifetime, or not. Mil-spec rifles tend to have 1:7 twist barrels that will give you better results using more effective heavy for caliber projectiles. So yeah, on a budget, I would by a Colt or known quality manufacture that offers mil-spec or better performance, even if it meant I had to run it with iron sights a little longer or skimp on the ninja accessories. The Colt in particular has decades of experience behind it. They know how to build a rifle of that type very well and it is comforting to know you have the MPI high vanadium steel barrel, ect.
