I am dead set on the KAC SR15.  The gun would be in a 5.556 caliber.  I've also heard that bushmaster quality control isn't consistent.  Thoughts on which gun you would choose and why
Just getting final opinions from experienced vets out there before i drop a bunch of money.  I don't think there's anything an ACR or SCAR can do an AR can't and the AR is cheaper.  I kinda thought acr or scars were so people could look like special snowflakes at the range.  and the folding stock doesn't give any bonus points for me.

BM and KAC aren't really in the same market segment. Scar's are pretty neat as variety is good. ACR's don't impress me.



I am an unabashed Colt fan, but I'd love a KAC if I wanted to spend that much on a 5.56 rifle. They have some proprietary parts but are built well enough that it likely won't matter.

I have 2 KAC ( Legecy and a Mod 1) and a Scar.
I like shooting the Scar but If I have to grab one rifle for SHTF the KAC is what I would pick.
The Scar is more of something to have different but when My friends shoot it they are more impressed with it than the SR15.
Maybe I am just more used to the AR platform so that is why it works better for Me.

The ACR was a good design when Magpul was in charge.
When Bushy made the rifle is was not to the spec as Magpul would have.
I have no use for the ACR as it was realesed.

KAC every day of the week, and twice on Sunday.

None of the above?

Despite all the noise and trash talking to the otherwise, the AR platform in this day and age is very refined, and pushing the envelope of what can be done in small arms design. I, personally, LOVE the fact that there are so many AR replacement parts from so many manufacturers, and all at great prices. This to me trumps any proprietary design, even if there is some marginal benefit to the rifle. There is nothing wrong with recommending a high end manufacturer, but if it were me, it would be something that sticks to standard mil spec parts that you do not ever have to worry about finding replacements for. This goes double if it's your friends first and only AR, because they have no idea what they are getting into by buying a proprietary design... most likely even if you try to explain it to them.

I'd get a Larue OBR or PredatAR for that money.

I've owned an ACR. Loved it. Realized I loved ARs better.
I'm back to DI ARs for a while unless something big changes in the piston field. I do love the folding stock with the ACR & SCAR merely for transportation.

Just my $.02

Stop these threads.  Go with KAC or even a BCM if you want all interchangeable parts.  Give the others some years to mature or enjoy shooting them recreationally.

I'd go with the Knight's. As for the SCAR, I'd choose an XCR over that. I've only handled both types of SCAR, but they just felt cheap.

This. Just got my brand new KAC SR15 yesterday. Give Troy at Lawmen's a call.

Knight's hands down! I picked up an SR15 e3 IWS last month and could not be happier! I already have 600+ rds through it and its my new shtf rifle. It is very lightweight and versitile carbine that has good accuracy. Many balk at the price but it comes completely set up right out of the box with top notch accessories. All I had to do was mount my ACOG, pop in a mag and enjoy. Once you start shooting it you wont want to stop! Good luck.

I am no expert, but for a semi auto rifle chambered in 5.56 the is nothing better than an AR 15.

I have 3 SCARs. Love them. You need to check the technical threads on the bolt carrier design to see what it does differently than an AR to improve upon the action. KAC did what they could within the confines of the AR architecture to enhance operation too, and that came at the cost of a proprietary bolt, but the SCAR's ground-up redesign of the BCG/piston operation system is quite robust and elegant.

I have 2 Bushmaster ACRs. I would recommend you pass. They are heavy, and the barrel choice by Bushmaster was ill-conceived.

I don't have the KAC, but would buy one. Nearly did last month. I probably will at some point in the near future, but I've been sidetracked onto an AK binge.

Obviously, I chose the SCAR over a KAC, but I have lots of AR platform rifles. I do think you have a bunch of competitive alternatives to the KAC at that price.

Of your choices, KAC.

IMHO, BCM, LMT and DD make comparable weapons.

Not true.

The SCAR platform really shines in .308, but the 5.56 offers some very real benefits versus a Colt (and I own 11 Colts). What is unclear is whether if offers a significant enough advance to replace a $1300 rifle (let's add the cost of a KAC rail in the mix) that has a wealth of data and availability of add-on modular components with a $2300 rifle without a portfolio of options. This is a very valid argument.

Truth!

... which is why the Navy dropped it from trials... or so I've heard.

I sold my SCAR because there really wasn't any factory support for it.

For instance, bbls haven't been available to the public, which is very irritating.

The Legacy KAC SR15 rifles can be had for under 1700.00 these days. A steal for what you get IMO.

That is precisely why I hate mismatched upper/lower combos. Because with me, they eventually end up not being mismatched. :)

You all know you do it on purpose so you can "get both"

SR15 gets my vote.

My ACR is just a novelty piece in my safe...I love it, love to shoot it but will not grab it in the event of SHTF or any other situation where my life depends on my rifle. I'm sure it would prove to be just fine but I prefer an AR15 any day.

I'd vote for the SCAR, I like mine better than my KAC.

Same here..I own (3) 16" SR15 E3's and a 11.5" SR15 E3 and I'd grab either one of those before anything else. I used to own a SCAR 16 but, I didn't shoot it much after the initial cool factor wore off. Didn't do anything better than my AR based rifles did when it came to the 5.56 cartridge.

I also had a decent amount of trigger time behind a ACR and it was way too heavy for my liking so, I even passed on the oportunity to buy one barely used for $1100 cause I wasn't that fond of it.

The ACR isn't even on my radar, I looked at one at SHOT but I don't see myself owning one.

The SCAR is great but as long as the SCAR-H exists that is the one I'd get.  It's a great battle rifle, and the 16 doesn't look as good when you know the 17 is out there.

I own an SR-15.  If you want a DI AR that is designed with light weight and reliability as it's key components I don't think you can do any better. I feel any talk of proprietary parts as a detraction is ill informed or unrealistic.  The price isn't bad when you price out the individual components and with the introduction of the new models the "legacy" guns are quite reasonably priced.  The way I have my SR-15 configured cost a hair over $1500, I sold off the SOPMOD, taupe rail covers and vertical grip for about $300.

This is the main reason I sold my 16S. I have the 17 on my short list and if I'm going to own another SCAR, the 17 is what I want. I was fortunate enough to be able to buy my 16 for fairly cheap and it was barely used at $1600.00 and I sold it for exactly what I had into it.

I had an ACR.  It was one of the first 500 out and it had issues with barrel alignment.  I got it out of the box and bore lasered it.  I couldnt dial the sight all the way over it was so off.  I released the barrel from the trunion and re-seated it...same thing.  Try again and again.  I ended up sending it in to Bush, they confirmed it was misaligned.  I have since sold it namely after I got my KAC.   I did really like the ACR.  It is incredibly ergonomic...best of any rifle and I had an XCR some years back that I thought was the cats ass when it came to ergonomics however the ACR was what the XCR should have evolved into.  My xcr had issues with accuracy (well it just wasnt that accurate) bolts coming lose, didnt open up much for cleaning...and I was tired of waiting for Mr. Robinson to get stuff done...like the stock which is now done DAMN IT!   But it took 3 plus years of promises from that guy.  Customer service sucked once tara left.  And I was worried about that companies survival...still am.  Did I like shooting it...yeah...not bad but it felt like a gun frankenstein built.  Dont get me wrong it was a tank and that bolt was pretty nice.  It never lived up to alex claim of eating wolf ammo for breakfast even after 500 rounds of brass.  But it still was a gun I still dig today...just wont buy based on my experience.  Back to my ACR, it wasnt bad at all...however there was one significant reason I dumped it...weight...well two and balance.  After handling my SR15 the ACR was a PIG!  Nose heavy and flat out heavier as well.  Not that it is too much to handle but once you handle and shoot both next to each other you quick fell the difference.  

So after all this my best friend buys two scars...16S and the 17S.  I absolutely LOVE the 17S!  for a 308 it is really amazing!  It is light and doesnt have the recoil that you would think for a 308.  We shot my SR15, his 16S and 17S all side by side.  We would go from one magazine to the next gun to gun.  Of the 5.56 everyone that did the side by side (500 plus rounds thru each) we all liked the SR15 better.  Weight wise they are very similar and balance as well.  So this was a wash...however I have an heavier EoTech than he doesnt so if all things equal my SR15 would be lighter.  I also have a grip pod on the front he doesnt so between the 16S and the SR15 all things equal...SR15 wins in the weight department.  Next was recoil...I put a BC1.0 on my KAC...his SCAR has a FSC556.  Mine was quieter and kept the muzzle down better.  His has slightly less recoil but once again more muzzle rise.  The SCAR has a total different recoil impulse you can feel the BCG travel inside the gun.  It feels as if you are firing in slow-mo when you go back and forth between the two guns.  It also seems like it cycles slower...these are semi so I dont know if the rate is different but it did seems like the gun was slower.  In addition the SCAR had more percussion slap!  It felt like someone was slapping you in the face if you stood next to someone shooting it.  My KAC...no!  My buddies wife shot all 3 and she is as thin as a rail and around 100 lbs.  She didnt like the 17S but did like my KAC and ended up shooting it more than we did!  The 17S is really awesome it is the only AR style rifle in 308 I have shot...it almost handles like a heavy 5.56...like my ACR...seriously!  I have shot alot of different rifles in 5.56 (Colt, ACR, XCR, SR556, SR15E3, SCAR, and BM).  The knight is one of my favorites.  It has been as reliable as they comes...wolf has been fine in it as well...I dont get it for I put the same wolf in my SR556 and it would get stuck in the chamber...not in the knight., I always though the SR15 was a picky eater.  At least mine isnt.  My SR556 (which is now owned by one of my buddies) was really quite nice for what it was and what I paid for it.  I had the SR556C...14.5" and fluted so it weighted better than the standard SR556.  I liked it but dont miss it.  

For the money knight is a tremendous buy.  I priced out a BCM with as close as I could get fixing and it was more!  The Stock (LMT), 2-stage trigger, quad rail, ambi controls, flipup sights, and so on...the BCM was...well more and in the end a lesser rifle.  it lacks the E3 bolt, the URX rail with integrated sight (my favorite part of the SR15) and an ambidextrous lower that is so well designed and clean that you forget what an AR is missing from an ergonomics stand point.  It is really a great buy for what you get!  Sure you could do a colt for 1000 or just under but it isnt a knight.  I went thru a ton of rifles before I learned that lesson.  Too bad for I always turned my nose up to knight then I got one..and I love it!