Colt vs DPMS

[HiBC]

Sums what up?In what way does this link contribute to answering the OP's question?
Just seems like a negative,arrogant,pointless rant,imo.

[MTT TL]

Best source of AR quality and how to buy one on the net:

http://www.tacticalyellowvisor.net/2501.html

[madcratebuilder]

Originally Posted by OttoJara

Cristcorp you have opened my eyes, my sights are now set on the Colt 6520. It is everything I am looking for, I had a plan on how to pay for this, but I really don't want to sell my series 70 for the money. I do have a belgium made Browning A5 Light Twelve I might use for funds. I am already selling my Judge. Quite a step up, Judge to Colt AR.

I think in your situation the Colt is a great choice. It's a excellent rifle and holds resale better than other AR's. Be careful not to catch BRD, one AR can turn into several AR's rather quickly.

[OttoJara]

One last question (I hope). What is the difference between the A2 and the M4? In the CDNN catalog I'm also looking at the M4 for $1099.00. Is there a reason for me to spend the extra $200?

[OttoJara]

Bump

[Quentin2]

I didn't bother to go to CDNN but the A2 has an integrated carry handle/sight while the M4 should be a flat top. More to it than that (barrel length) but check their specs and you'll see.

[Double J]

I have a Colt Match Target Competition H-Bar that shoots great,...but I hate it. It's heavy to carry, noisy to shoot, and it is a Colt, which means the lower receiver isn't standard AR-15 issue. Parts interchangeability gets to be iffy.
And then there's my little DPMS in the M4 style. Cost less than half the Colt. Is easy to carry. Easier on my ears. And I'm not afraid to get it dirty, which means I use it a lot. And, most AR parts easily interchange, so I can always change it to suit me.

[chris in va]

I'm not made of money, so looking at the S&W M&P Sport for $600. Everything I need, nothing I don't.

[OttoJara]

I guess what I should have asked is, is a $200.00 difference worth it to go from $899 to $1099 from 6520 to a 6920? In a local store, the 6920 had a $2000.00 price tag on it. They will always give you a better price if you challenge them on it. But still, it seems that the M4 is the more advanced way to go.

[Quentin2]

I guess what I should have asked is, is a $200.00 difference worth it to go from $899 to $1099 from 6520 to a 6920?

Sorry, everyone has their own answer to that question. Either is a fine choice if it's what you want. You have to live with your choice so give it a lot of thought before buying.

You keep saying M4 but some of the very early M4s had integrated carry handles. Better to say A2 vs. A4 which gets to the heart of integrated carry handle vs. removable carry handle.

[tirod]

A couple of points.

One, SHTF doesn't exist. If you really need that gun, they issue it to you. And it could likely be an FN M16A2. Colt hasn't always done the job.

Two, picking a brand first means assuming it has quality. It very well does not. That changes over time, and on the open market, there is competition.

Three, the AR market uses the milspec standards for the M4 as a guideline, but you cannot possibly buy one. It's automatic Government use only. Whatever you get will be short of that, and only certified milspec if the Government hands it to you.

Four, since you must do homework to ensure you are really getting the quality you want for the money, you need to know what features are milspec, and who uses them. Then you have to ask if it's even relevant to your use. You CAN get better than that. Milspec is a minimum standard of construction to get the government what it wants, without cheating the taxpayer. It is NOT the ultimate technical standard or best way to make it.

Five, if you don't know what specs you are getting, using the price as a guideline is useless. Makers and vendors in the distribution of firearms do not pay exactly the same money for identical parts, and do not mark them up for the same profit. Government suppliers NEVER discount their goods, to protect their contract pricing - which means it's inflated to support their reputation.

Six, buying Brand or style of gun ignores what you will really use it for. It may be a cool SHTF gun, but lugging a Barrett .50 thru the streets of Katrinaville may not be the best choice. Examine what you need it to do most of the time - then choose the caliber and barrel length to do it. They are primary, not Brand, because that's what launches the bullet. An engraved name on the lower contributes nothing to the barrels accuracy or the ammunitions striking power. Case in point, if you plan to hunt with it, you may very well not be allowed to use a Colt, simply because 5.56 is illegal in your jurisdiction. Colt doesn't necessarily offer the best alternative caliber, and insisting on Brand at that point is useless. You can't have it in the caliber, barrel, or work to install it. It will not be Colt.

Seven, working through the process of matching the parts to the task means understanding milspec could very well not apply. That's where you have to discern quality, not hype. Quality is reflected in material selection, appropriate shape, and what testing it went through to show it met a standard - and what that was. Do you get a semi auto bolt carrier group, and live with it's lighter weight and that it cocks the hammer on the back of the firing pin, or use the originally designed full auto BCG with it's slightly heavier weight, and which cocks the hammer on the shoulder of the carrier that shrouds the firing pin? Have you read the pros and cons of both, or just willing to take whatever you get and live with it? Some did, and found Colt had seriously cut away semi auto carriers, and even used different sized take down pins, which complicated swapping uppers. It was not a simple pop the pins and switch.

Eight, since Brand, milspec, and internet recommendations cannot be trusted to get you what you need, it's important to realize that you could very well wind up with an albatross completely unsuited to what you needed to use - regardless that you wanted it. That's fine - if you want it, get it. Using firearms has some flexibility, and it's often a matter of degree, not being either capable or completely incapable. However, the emotional assessment of being satisfied will likely tilt one way or the other, and reservations or complete dissatisfaction is common. At that point, at least, some knowledge is gained - it's up to the individual to decide if it was worth learning that way.

Me, I studied on the AR for some time, reflecting on what I liked and dislike about it while using it for 22 years in the Army Reserve. It boiled down to selecting the caliber and barrel, then what upper would be needed, the optic/sights, furniture, and trigger, in that order. Too many approach it backwards, and wind up with a $1200 wonder rifle that still only shoots 2MOA, and can't do better. In that regard, it's milspec.

If you want better than 8" groups at 400 yards, you don't get milspec barrels and assume they do it. Don't get suckered into the trap of Brand or spec, select features that meet the goal.

[goodspeed(TPF)]

I'm not made of money, so looking at the S&W M&P Sport for $600. Everything I need, nothing I don't.

Please provide a link. Thank you.

[OttoJara]

No doubt Goodspeed, that's a great price. I won't be shooting out more then 150 yards, problaly less then 2000 rounds per year, I really have to think about what I need more then what I want. I really want a Colt I'll probably end up with the 6520.

[Quentin2]

Well $899 for the Colt 6520 is very tempting. And down the road you always can buy a flat top upper receiver group. Then switch between the two uppers as you like.

Of course down the road you'll buy another lower but that's the way it goes with ARs! Ask any of us...

[OttoJara]

I just hope my wife doesn't read this. I don't mind the upper, I think I like the carry handle, I also realized that you CAN mount optics on the handle so that changes everything. Looks like I am back to the 6520 and a little cash for the extra mags and ammo. I'll wait a bit got the optics part but I'm sure it won't be long. If everything goes right, I hope to have it in less then a month.

[OttoJara]

There is a gun show here in West Palm Beach next weekend. I'll be there looking and holding. Then out to the parking lot to tailgate for the Jimmy Buffett concert on the same property. Next Saturday will be a good day.

[garryc]

I've shot a bunch of Colt's and lots of others. Colts never impressed me much.

You can go to CDNN investments and get a S+W M4 profile for $800. Comes with a bunch of thermo mold mags. I've always like the S+W's

[OttoJara]

I looked at the Smiths and I do like them, this for me is a BIG purchase and if I don't like what I get, too bad I'm stuck with it. I really need to get to a range and shoot a couple different ones if I could.

[RockyMtnTactical]

I would choose Colt between the two but why not consider a BCM or a Spikes?

[Tbag]

Otto if I was spending your money I'd run from the Colt 6520, as you will quickly find out that you won't want a fixed carry handle that is handicapping you, especially when it comes to hunting. Likely in the long run you will want a flat top, shop harder you will find a 6920 for about $1000. Nothing wrong with LMT, BCM or even the S&W's. In todays market you should consider a pre-owned rifle, as Florida is a pretty free state and that way you by pass paying taxes and other b.s. Join some local Florida forums you may find some very good deals.

[Father Time]

One, SHTF doesn't exist. If you really need that gun, they issue it to you.

I'm not going to try to turn this into a "shtf" thread but I will say a few things.

First: SHTF does exist. Katrina and the Japan quake are the most recent examples. (SHTF doesn't have to mean a "Mad Max"/"end of days"/"zombies rise from the dead" senerio)

second: If you "need" a rifle and don't already have one with you... you are in big trouble.

third: You will never be "issued" a rifle as a civilian.... Name one time in history where that has happened.


Back on topic:
Colt follows mil-spec standards. While this itself dosen't make the rifle "better" the fact that they take to do it "the right way" usualy means better quality control and reliability.

[tirod]

SHTF when a tornado hit my neighborhood and we spent 6 hours chainsawing our way 200 yards to the pavement. Didn't need to fight a running gun battle to get that done, a Stihl Farm boss served better.

I don't see the Japanese having shootouts looting shops.

Katrina, 150,000 people jumped in their SUV's and motored up the pike until they ran out of gas. It's the few left behind who had some problems. That was downtown. The rest was pretty quiet except for those illegal gun searches.

Americans are currently digging out of some violent storm damage in NC, haven't heard of running gun battles there. What they need are chain saws, propane powered cookstoves, lights, and generators.

SHTF guns? Send yours, they desperately need them, right? Not. It's a fantasy situation, Americans don't have a friggin clue. The knowledge of real SHTF died with the last Civil War veteran. If you don't CCW, SHTF really doesn't fit in your day.

Got an action plan to deal with a random workplace shooter, natural catastrophe, or bombing, fine, please relate how an AR you carry daily fits in. The End Of The World As We Know It isn't a highly likely prospect, and guns aren't the first choice of response in a lot of cases.

Drunk drivers kill more people than guns. If we all carried an AR, would that stop? Wearing your seatbelt would do more.

SHTF is an internet fantasy. Life comes at you where you can't do anything about it.

[Father Time]

Tirod: SHTF =/= shootouts and zombies. SHTF can also mean major disasters. Does it mean that you need a gun in every SHTF situation? No, of course not. But if you feel like your imune to natural disasters then fine. Have you ever heard of someone being traped in the wilderness? Ever heard of someone's car breaking down in the middle of a snow storm?
Haveing a Tornado wipe out your house or a hurricane flood your city is not "internet fantisy".

Once again. SHTF does NOT mean mad max and end of times type senario's.

(You don't see the Japanies shooting each other because they have a diffrent culture and diffrent ways of looking at the disaster. That and due to the fact that guns are restricted by the Japanise goverment)

I also NEVER said or even implyed that you would "need" guns in a SHTF scenario.
What I did say was "If you ever "need" a rifle and don't have one you are in big trouble". This was not an exclusive "SHTF" statment. This was a broader statment about firearms in general. Thats the whole point of CC. Haveing a gun when you are faced with a threat.

Don't put words in my mouth and don't make assumptions about what I'm trying to say.

(I also have extensive knowlage about drunk drivers and the damage they cause due to my occupation. I doubt there is anything you could say to me or show me that would surprise me.)

[Freedom Watcher]

All people have had to see the last couple years is that our country is on the verge of a possible economic collapse. Tell me that wouldn't produce scenes of civil unrest or call it what ever you want to call it. There are presently ongoing stealth efforts to limit our gun freedoms, this may be reason that people have made a run on high quality AR15's since AR's are in short supply. Once we lose freedoms and liberty, we never regain them.
We are only one crisis away from possible bad scenarios happening and people seem more at unrest in our country since possibly the civil war. God help us if anything of crisis nature happens.
Don't drink any kool-aid the government is passing out.

[OttoJara]

This maybe a little off subject but, I like the look of the long forearm on the AR on the front page of TFL. Is that a 14.5" or a 16" with an extended forearm grip. I do believe I have my mind made up. The Colt 6920 is top on my list. Thanks for all your help guys. I'll have pics up as soon as I get it.