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Posted: 11/28/2005 11:46:06 AM EDT
I've been reading posts on this site for some time now, everyday i check new topics and read as much as i can about in all areas of this site (mostly general discussion, hometown (washington) and industy. I have never owned an AR so this will be my first. Im interested in plinking and paper. I've seen so many different comments about all 3 manufactures and have come to realize it is similar to buying a new car. I know that this isnt the first time someone has posted something like this but i would really appreciate it if everyone who reads this will at least post their $0.02. My two main wants are a 16in. barrel, and collapsible stock (4 or 6 position). I plan on adding optics soon after getting which ever rifle i choose. Either Eotech, Aimpoint, or ACOG. The models i have been looking for and am interesting in hear opinions are:
- RRA Tactical CAR A4 - Bushmaster M4A3 or Superlight - Colt LE6920 I am curious as to the price of these models and availability. And also how reliable they are seeing as how this would be my first AR. I live in a small town with 2 gun/pawn shops who mainly push Bushmaster. I know there are alot of people who really love Colt, but would appreciate it if they justify their response rather than just saying Colt is the best like i've seen posted before. And also the fact that the DEA was awarded the contract for RRA doesnt really hold much value to me, its the people on here's whos experience and knowledge that matters. Being a Noob, reading post similar to this one really help out new commers. So please please take a few seconds and post regarding this so that other noobs can use this in making a decision. THANK YOU |
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Thank you for posting this question, I also am interested in these same rifles and was wondering some of the same questions. What part of WA are you from? I dont really know all too much in order to give my opinion, but from reading on here also I've heard good things about all 3 manufactures. I've seen RRA for $850 Bushmaster M4A3 for $950. I dont know much about Colt nor have i heard too much about them other than that they are overpriced. Also i've been reading alot lately about bushmaster on here and have heard alot of people talking about issues they have been having. RRA and Colt are the only two i believe that have a limited lifetime warranty. Hopefully other people will be able to add their $0.02 because like you I have alot of these same questions. Someone should make a "Complete NOOB guide to buying their first AR" pinned topic that addresses all of these questions and more.
Look forward to seeing replies |
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Colt, because I have one ordered. heI chose Colt for its reputation of reliabilty, better quality control and higher resale value (not that that'll be an issue).
As for their lifetime warranty; it exists, but it would be interesting to see how Colt would respond to a non-LEO civilian looking for repairs. I too look forward to the replies, although I based my choice on several previous, similar threads. |
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Given your primary application - paper punching- any of these will be good choices
The Colt is the clear "better" AR due to subtle qualities they other two do not have or include. But these difference will not matter to the casual shooter. That said, many who buy Lexus do not really 'need' one but appreciate the quality just the same Bushmaster M4 A3 is 2nd The RRA third in this list, and the DEA bit is meaningless as the choice by the DEA also awarded Colt a large contract as well as others..........a point under reported I would encourage whatever choice you make, include a flat top upper to keep your future options open Shoot the crap out of it, and then, and only then consider enhancements like lights, optics, etc Enjoy and welcome to AR15.com |
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From another thread. Take from it whatever you need to know
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I vote LMT because I own one and buying a LE LMT lower and a Colt LE6920. I have never owned a Colt AR-15 before, I want one now.
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and in the interest of fair play, take whatever you need from this one for balance Pat Rogers AR15 review of Colt versus "the others" and this one for good measure |
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Blah blah blah.
Buy what you want, not what guys on the internet told you to. Personally, I like RRA.....and that is about as scientific as this subject is going to get. People pushing what they like the best. WIZZO |
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I was waiting for someone to post a reponse like this. Its not a matter of buying something because "guys on the internet told you to" after all this website is titled AR15.com so one would think comming here that people would be able to help noobs. Living in a small town with very few gun shops its hard to gather info. Maybe instead of following the trend of people pushing what they like, you should elaborate on WHY you like RRA maybe you've owned a bushmaster or Colt or some other and find that the RRA fits better has a better finish or they have great customer service. All people say is i like this rifle.... but nobody ever talks about experiences with other rifles and how they maybe have swayed them towards a specific manufacture. For a someone who might have to save up for a rifle like this, the decision might be a little more detailed than just buying what you want. Remember some of you were also noobs at one point, and info. like this might seem elementry for you, but for others it is very valuable in making a decision. |
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I have a Colt, 2 DPMS, RRA, and a Bushmaster. I have about 8000 rounds through one of the DPMS, 2000 through the Colt, and maybe 500 through the RAA and about 300 through the Bushie. I like them all and have experienced no problems. I would not buy another DPMS because I do not like their bolt carriers. However no problems with any of them.
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Beagleboy, Thank you for your response......It really helps out to see responses like that versus "get what you want" or "This is the best"
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I've heard the the Colt LE6920 is hard to get ahold of and is pretty expensive...Is this true? Does anyone know of where i could get one and how much a good price is (besides EE)?
I had a chance to handle a Bushmaster and Colt and Wades in Bellevue when i was home for Thanksgiving. Maybe since i just dont know enough about ARs, but i really couldnt tell a big difference in just handling them. Other than the fact that the colt was marked LEO which is pretty cool. I've been trying to decide for awhile now about what manufacture i want to buy from, and im thinking im starting to look more towards bushmaster and colt rather then RRA. I've heard alot of good things about them, but the wait is what is pushing me away.. |
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I like RRA because they are local, have 2-stage triggers standard in their rifles (a $100 option from other companies), have great fit and finish, are very accurate, and are a great bang for your buck.
Bushmaster is second place because the one I've had rattles and got really finicky in cold weather (I blame the weather). It is accurate enough, but not as accurate as my RRA. The fit and finish was pretty decent and it has one of the best trigger pulls of any standard AR15 trigger I've ever had the pleasure of using. Colt is 3rd for me because I haven't been impressed witht the rifles I've seen and handled. That, and they have non-standard trigger and hammer pins (.170" compared to the industry standard .154"). They have done this for a purely politically correct reason as there is no advantage to doing this. Hope this helps a little. WIZZO |
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I like RRA as their prices are excellent, just like their quality. Colt goes a few extra steps, but their prices are not justified in my opinion. If you do have a very rare occurence of an RRA product having troubles, they make sure to make it right. RRA also offers an accuracy guarantee with a life time warranty.
I myself like custm builds, but if I were going out of the box, it would be a RRA R4. In a very close second, I would save up the extra few hundred bucks and get a 6920. |
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Colt. They put more work into each rifle than any other big name manufacturing outfit.
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BucsFan1,
Old info, and may not be currently as accurate. Colt is a pretty safe bet, but I am less than trusting of most weapons testing that I not part of. People who have legitimately been part of large scale testing will understand what I mean and why |
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This is what convinced me to buy a RRA......No looking back. |
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All three are good choices. I personally own RRA upper and a parts kit in one of my AR's and it is great. I am definately buying more RRA for future builds.
However: I wouldn't hesitate to buy Bushmaster or Colt. You honestly can't go wrong with any of the three you've listed. There are few bad choices you can make when buying an AR. |
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I to am a big fan of RRA. Own several ARs that I have built using RRA parts. For Fit, finish, and $$ I dont feel you can go wrong.
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Among the 3 you mentioned: Colt, Bushmaster, and RRA. I went with middle of the road as far as price was concerned. I own a Bushmaster M4A3. As far as fit and finish, I am very happy with the Bushy. The Bushy has all the same qualities as the Colt, but not paying for the over priced name just to shoot @ paper/range is priceless. Yes the Kool-Aide drinkers wouldn't agree.....
Anyway, like WIZZO and others have said: Buy what you want, not what others want you to buy. 4X4SC |
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I have a feeling Bushmaster's stranglehold on the market is waning.
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I just traded off a Colt. It was a nice gun but I'll never buy another one for one simple reason: the sear block. Colt's little Mother Hen improvement limits the owners options for aftermarket triggers and even alternative uppers. Buy what you like but I'd say you'd be wise to stick to something that follows mil-spec conventions.
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That's odd. I've had no problems putting Colt, RRA, CMT, and LMT uppers on my Colt 6920 lower. Also, given that I don't change trigger groups as often as underwear, I guess my Colt wil do just fine. |
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>>That's odd. I've had no problems putting Colt, RRA, CMT, and LMT uppers on my Colt 6920 lower. Also, given that I don't change trigger groups as often as underwear, I guess my Colt wil do just fine.<<
OK, I could be wrong about that one (easily). My understanding was that Colt shaved their bolt carrier to clear their sear block and that other carriers might hang up on the block. I'll defer to your experience on this point. As for the trigger group, all things being equal, wouldn't you rather have a gun that followed industry standards rather than being the odd man out -- especially when the odd-ball set up offers no advantage to the user of any kind? |
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Bumpin' off Wizzo's post (hope you don't mind, man)... Just as Wizzo prefers RRA (and probably has more knowledge of most major names of the ARs), and others prefer their Colts, Bushmasters, etc. I prefer my Bushmaster. I am still new here too, and like you researched the heck outta this site. I wanted to know everyone's opinion on their preferred brands of ARs. After all my research, I went with the Bushmaster M4A3 "Patrolman's Carbine" (I paid $845)... Bushmaster "Patrolman's Carbine" I can only give you my limited experience. I am a Patrol Officer in NC and wanted an AR for duty. I chose the BM M4A3 and so far, am really satisfied with it. I am slotted for a 4-day rifle school to get "qualified" with it for carry in the middle of December '05. I have shot about 100 rounds through it, so far, primarily for function firing. My Range Report My advise to you, being new still, is to read, read, read. I even went so far as to print off interesting articles, created a folder on my computer for "AR15 related stuff" and have a TON of gun-related websites in my "favorites". Please feel free to shoot me an IM or e-mail, if you want further information on where to get good deals/prices on mag, ammo, gun cases, etc. Oh, and Welcome to the site and g'luck with your AR purchase! eta: grammar and stuff. |
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You are correct, Bushmaster has OK fit and finish. It is the intangibles that make the Colt a better weapon OFF the range. |
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It's not an issue for me. Colt parts are readily available and I have no need for a fancy aftermarket trigger. Colt may have funky pins, but they build their rifles right and that's what matters to me. Form follows function in my book. |
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>>Colt may have funky pins, but they build their rifles right and that's what matters to me.<<
Can you elaborate? What, specifically, does Colt do better than other builders? I'm not challenging you. I'm interested . . . |
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Colt takes more time and care in assembly...wich is why I build my own from the best parts I can wich if done right is every bit as or more reliable and well built than some off the shelf.Thats probably one of the reasons colt is more .They take the extra steps like MP inspoecting Bolts,barrels and carriers individualy than testing a few from a batch or attention to detail like parkerizing under the FSB where other manufacturers assemble before parkerizing to save time.I still like Bushmaster better because of price and quality.Although I use Colt bolts.
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Colt has very strict QC standards with regards to following the Technical Data Package which defines all the specs for the M16 family of weapons. It covers critical dimensions, finishes, metallurgy, etc. Nobody but FN has access to the TDP so the other brands are simply reverse engineered. Some do a better job than others. When I buy Colt parts or a Colt rifle I know that I'm getting quality. |
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I agree that, if you know what to look for and what specific components to use, you can build a quality rifle yourself. Aside from my Colt 6920, my favorite carbine is comprised of an RRA lower with Colt internals, an Vltor receiver extension with a Colt H buffer and spring, an LMT Sopmod stock, an LMT 14.5" upper with a Colt bolt and carrier, and an LMT charging handle. It runs like a top. |
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If I could just afford Colt barrels I would use them..CMMG sells a mil-spec individually MP inspected barrel.
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Get a Colt. Wades is one of My favorite gun shops but they are not the cheapest store in town look around.
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For anyone that is interested in the process a true mil spec M4A1 goes through here is a good read
quarterbore.com/library/pdf_files/mil-c-71186.pdf Not all Colt AR15's go through this process. This is a military required process and non-military products aren’t 100% identical As for TDP's...any kid with access to an engineering lab, 3D scanner and high end CAD software can use a computer to spit out the Specs of an M4A1 down to .00000001 of an inch, and 99.99% metallurgical content. We aren’t talking microprocessors here. If you dont think this is true contact the Stevens Institute of Technology, which I attended while I was an LEO back east. You'd be surprised what technology can do |
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Ya i noticed that Wades was pretty F'n expensive. But it was nice to actually see some of the stuff i have been reading about and looking at on the net. Being in Ellensburg sucks, cause their arent alot of places around here selling ARs or related Accessories. However i did buy a H&K (SA80) magazine while i was down there.....You might laugh at me because i dont even have an AR but i already have a magazine. Well my thinking is that you can only look at a magazine so long before you go nuts and need to purchase the rifle it fits. That and the folks up here at the local gun shops have been telling me to get as much 30rd magazines as i can. I also have a USGI Okay ind. mag thats supposed to come tomorrow. I guess its kinda like a justification thing for me. After seeing everyones posts and the poll RRA and Colt are the two most popular. |
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If you get an RRA have you considered a midlength or are you set on the CAR handguards?
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www.larsenfirearms.com/
A few of My freinds in the tri-cites have bought from Leif and have got pretty good deals. You may also want to try federal way discount guns they had a 6920 for sale there a month or two back that was very well priced. |
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Wow the bushie is catching up.....I didnt expect to see so many people favor the Colt. It would be interesting to see more people voting on this to see where it goes. In older threads it seemed to go Colt, Bushmaster, and then RRA. I was curious as to where you could find the Colt in stock and what a good price is for it, and also where you can find the RRA in stock at. I found 5 or so bushies at a local pawn/gun shop for 950 NIB, is that a good price for the M4A3.....Thank you all...and please keep posting as this thread has been very helpful to me as im sure it has been to others including PermaNoob
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Also...I was at a local gun shop today tell him about the post i made and some of the comments. The first time i mentioned RRA to him, he had never heard of them. After going in there a few times and asking questions and handling rifles he told me that he was going to order one in to test it out and see what all the buzz is about. So far he has primarly had experience with Colt, Bushmaster, Olympic, and Wilson. Its awesome to find shops that will take their customer service to this kind of level.
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Wow im really surprised with the outcome so far of the poll.........I'd didnt expect some of those results....I think given more time and people voting and the RRA will have the most votes.....I thought the M4A3 was a little bit more popular then what its showing....But i guess a lot has to do with 1,000 people have looked at this post but only a few hundred have voted.....Lame hinking.gif
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In true ARFcom faashion, I did both. |
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I personally would not buy from a gun dealer who has never even heard of RRA. I would be concerned with getting advice from a this guy if he hasn't even heard of one of the major manufacturers of ARs.
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Rock River Arms Tactical CAR A4
It's the one I bought! I got the midlength. Couldn't be happier. |
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haven't heard of anyone having difficulty finding 6920s, just complaints about the asking price.
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