About to buy an AR-15... help appreciated.

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cronuss

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Sorry if this is a bit long... I'm torturing myself over this right now.

This is a HUGE purchase/decision for me.

Been saving for a while, and finally feel like it is time to buy my AR-15. Prices and demand seem to be going up, I assume because of election/Obama fears, etc... so I don't want to wait any longer.

I've always loved the M4 Carbine. It has always been my favorite firearm in general, and is the whole reason that I originally wanted an AR-15.

I primarily intend to use the rifle for target shooting, and possibly for unlikely home defense scenarios (but I have a handgun, and plan to get a shotgun for that). However, I'd be lying if I didn't also intend to have this as a possible SHTF weapon, despite how silly the idea is or isn't.

I spent a lot of time researching various AR-15 models. For a while I was convinced I would go with a good bang for the buck $800ish one, like a Bushmaster, Stag, etc, and that Colt and the likes were out of my reach.

Then I started looking at the Colt 6920, and realized I could get one for around $1100. This is the gun I've always wanted. It is basically the M4 Carbine I love, made civilian. I began convincing myself that it would be worth the few hundred dollars over the Bushmasters, Sigs, Stags, etc.

Then I saw the M&P15 Sport. This thing looks awesome. At $650, this is easily the best bang for the buck AR-15 on the market, IMO. Honestly, the only missing feature I care about is the dust cover. That and of course they aren't stress tested as much, so I assume there is always that tiny increased chance of it failing.

I am at a serious standstill on this.

If I were simply in the market for my first AR-15 in general, then the M&P15 Sport seems like the perfect choice. It has everything I need, and isn't missing anything important. I could use the extra money for some accessories, ammo, or gun club fees. I know the M&P shoots great, is 99% reliable, and is a great deal.

But this is difficult, because the Colt is the gun I've always wanted. If it were between the Colt and a Bushmaster/etc, for a few hundred dollars, then I'd get the Colt. But now we are talking about almost DOUBLE the price. I could buy almost TWO of the M&P for the price of the Colt.

It is the fact that I've always loved that EXACT gun, the profile, look, etc, that is making this so hard for me. I also know that the Colt is the better SHTF weapon, and wonder in general if I would regret passing it up in 3-4 years from now.

One last note (sorry if this part sounds crazy), is that I began looking into the Magpul stuff. I was thinking if I got the M&P then I could get the stock/grips/sight/mags for it. I love the look of that brown or green stuff on the ARs. However, if I got the Colt I wouldn't be able to afford such accessories, and to be honest... I wouldn't want to touch it. As I said, the Colt M4 is the exact profile I fell in love with as a kid and still love it, so I would want to leave it in its original form. So that is one more angle to this.

In some ways, the only reason I really want the Colt is because it is the golden standard, prolific M4 that I always loved. The dust cover, FA, and slightly higher reliability don't really factor in here.

M&P15 Sport:
Pros: Shoots great, can accessorize it, save money, etc.
Cons: May always have that nagging thought that I could/should have got the Colt, and may not be reliable in dire situations.

Colt 6920:
Pros: The profile I've always wanted, reliability, and peace of mind.
Cons: Price, and lack of funds (and possibly willingness) to customize.


Someone help end my torture!!!
 
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You should wait to get the one you want. I was in the same boat. I always wanted a Colt AR and just didn't have the money for one, so I went and bought a Stag instead. I ended up selling the Stag and buying a Colt a few months later. The 6920 is a fine weapon. Also check out the 6940 or the 6940P.
 
FREDDY401 said:
You should wait to get the one you want. I was in the same boat. I always wanted a Colt AR and just didn't have the money for one, so I went and bought a Stag instead. I ended up selling the Stag and buying a Colt a few months later. The 6920 is a fine weapon. Also check out the 6940 or the 6940P.
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Thanks for the advice.

What were the reasons you weren't happy with the Stag and decided to get the Colt in the long run?

I feel like I'm being stubborn and irrational in my desire for the Colt, as it is primarily the M4 profile that draws me towards it...
 
FREDDY401 said:
Its not that I wasnt happy with the Stag, I just really wanted the real deal.
Click to expand...

Gotcha. I would feel the same way if I were comparing it to a similarly-priced AR. As I said, compared to the Stag/Bushmaster/etc, it would be a no-brainer for me to go with the Colt, even if it were a few hundred more. But the complication here is that the M&P15 Sport looks to offer everything I need for half the price... it just isn't "the real deal." Argh.
 
The M&P15 Sport is a fine rifle but I dont like the idea of not having a dust cover or forward assist. Not that I really use any of those features, it just makes me wonder what else they skimped on.
 
I'm assuming you're in a Free State. In MA, you'd have to do some major surgery to make the 6920 compliant, and that'd be like neutering Secretariat.

Think of the 6920 like a Krugerrand: expensive, but a known quantity that will always hold its value.
 
one-eyed Jack said:
Save up more $, sell something and get the one you want. I bought a Colt Woodsman new for $70 when I was a kid because I didn't have the $85 for the match target model and I've regretted it ever since. Jack.
Click to expand...

Good advice. However, are my reasons for wanting the Colt even rational? (The looks/profile/name/etc)
 
ScottS said:
I'm assuming you're in a Free State. In MA, you'd have to do some major surgery to make the 6920 compliant, and that'd be like neutering Secretariat.

Think of the 6920 like a Krugerrand: expensive, but a known quantity that will always hold its value.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I live in NH but I work in MA. I was considering getting the license that allows me to transport my guns through into MA so I could stop at the range to/from work. Would that be a problem with the Colt?
 
cronuss said:
Yeah, I live in NH but I work in MA. I was considering getting the license that allows me to transport my guns through into MA so I could stop at the range to/from work. Would that be a problem with the Colt?
Click to expand...

I dont think you can do that, not unless you make the gun compliant. Even then I'm not sure you can still bring it into MA.
 
ScottS said:
Yup. The 6920 is a non-AWB-compliant weapon manufactured after Sep 1994. As such, it is illegal for normal citizens in MA.
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Well, crap. What makes it non-compliant that doesn't make the M&P non-compliant?

I drive an hour to work each way and it is hard to get range time. Was going to bring it with me and just have lowcap mags in the trunk.
 
I'm no expert on the M&P Sport, but the Colt 6920 rings the bell for 1) threaded barrel; 2) flash hider; 3) bayonet lug; 4) collapsible stock. Technically also because the A2 flash hider accepts a NATO-standard grenade, but that's just gratuitous.
 
MA-compliant M&P 15 Sport is probably your best bet, since you would not want to neuter a 6920 just for target practice. Not sure about NH, but some shops in CT & MA are selling the M&P for $650 or less. Price/availability of pre-ban mags should be no problem either, so you don't have to compromise functionality.
 
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ScottS said:
I'm no expert on the M&P Sport, but the Colt 6920 rings the bell for 1) threaded barrel; 2) flash hider; 3) bayonet lug; 4) collapsible stock. Technically also because the A2 flash hider accepts a NATO-standard grenade, but that's just gratuitous.
Click to expand...

Hah... can you even buy the m203? If so, what do they cost?

i actually wish i wasnt such an M4 fanboy. if i werent, id honestly just get the M&P outright :\
 
If this is your first AR-15 rifle then go with the S&W M&P15. Take the rest of your budget and buy ammo. Shoot it for a year, 1K to 2K of rounds. Find out what you really want from an AR15. Then order/build what you now know you like, based on shooting, not looks, profile and name.
 
cronuss said:
Hah... can you even buy the m203? If so, what do they cost?

i actually wish i wasnt such an M4 fanboy. if i werent, id honestly just get the M&P outright :\
Click to expand...

Actually, it's not the M203 that's the issue. The standard A2 flash hider on the 6920 is capable of launching STANAG 22mm rifle grenades, which as we all know, is the preferred weapon of drug-dealers everywhere.

Remember when I said it was gratuitous?
 
You can get something like this. It's a Colt MT6400R, the compliant model of the LE6940.

242-1.jpg


243-1.jpg
 
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Anything I should be considering with the barrel twist on the Colt vs the M&P?

Colt is 1/7 (right?) and M&P is 1/8.

How will that affect what ammo I use, and the cost of ammo, etc?

Which shoots the widest range of ammo?

Also, is the Colt just as accurate as the M&P?
 
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Gotcha. Do you know if the Colt is as accurate as the M&P? Supposedly the M&P is impressive in this regard.
 
Buy the gun you want. When money was very tight for me, I saved up and bought the guns I WANTED instead of settling. I have never regretted it. If you settle, every time you look at your AR, you will sigh a little inside and wish it was an M4gery. If you buy the one you want, you will smile every time you open the gun safe. [grin] In my book, the $500 is worth a lifetime of smiles.
 
Nicole said:
Buy the gun you want. When money was very tight for me, I saved up and bought the guns I WANTED instead of settling. I have never regretted it. If you settle, every time you look at your AR, you will sigh a little inside and wish it was an M4gery. If you buy the one you want, you will smile every time you open the gun safe. [grin] In my book, the $500 is worth a lifetime of smiles.
Click to expand...

Agreed. The price you pay for peace of mind is never too much.
 
Can't tell you which you should buy, but I bought the M&P Sport and love it. For the price you cannot beat it.

You will likely never need the dust cover or forward assist in any scenario short of going to Afghanistan (IMHO). S&W lowered the cost of this rifle by eliminating those two items, plus made the finger well an integral part of the lower to drop mfg. costs. You get a bull barrel, but I like that.

I decided to use the money I saved by putting on a nice optic, replaced the OEM hand guard with a Magpul MOE and bought ammo and pre-ban mags. The rifle has not malfunctioned after 400-500 rounds without cleaning.

Everything is a compromise between cost and features... If money were not part of my decision criteria, I may have bought something else.. or I may have bought two...
 
I'm actually having trouble finding information on the Colt, which is strange because I thought it was one of the best, most popular AR-15s you can buy.

I can't find many reviews on youtube, articles on the web, etc.

The M&P15 Sport has dozens.
 

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