Which AR-15 to Buy

All right, after reading the 1000 th “I just found this site, and my friend has a Vulcan AR 15 for sale, is it a good deal” thread, I though about putting this together for the newbie. This is a compilation of a lot of the stuff I have learned from spending way too much time around here. Its also a lot of stuff I wish I had known before I started putting money into rifles. I am far from an expert, so if you see errors (in facts not opinions) please let me know. I also could use help with details on the different brands and what they offer. Please share your knowledge.

In a nutshell, "mil-spec" rifles are made based on a "Technical Data Package" which is a closely guarded secret document which belongs to Colt. This gives the specification for every part on a rifle. The TDP not only tells the specifications of the part- dimensions, materials to be used, etc, it also specifies how parts are to be tested.

For example, the standard for barrels, is that every one must fire a high pressure round, and then be MPI inspected. There are specs for testing of every part in the rifle. The spec might be for individual or batch testing. Colt and FN must have metallurgists who test samples of every batch of barrels, for example to confirm that the metal the barrel is made of is what the supplier said it is. This is true of bolts, springs, pins, etc. Every part has a specification for how it is to be tested, and all testing is documented. For example, the Crane article says that a lower receiver is inspected for 102 different points. This is all overseen by government inspectors as well, who can step in and say- "Lets see this particular rifle tested in this way" at random.

What does all this do for you? Well, lets say that "company J" forges upper receivers. One day they make 1000 upper receivers, and happen to ship 500 to FN or Colt for military rifles, and another 500 to Vulcan (just as an example). The milspec may require that a certain number of the receivers are subjected to destructive testing to confirm that the mix in the alloy was done correctly for the batch. While doing this, they find that a mistake was made, and the whole lot is rejected. Meanwhile, Vulcan- the official supplier to the Speshul Forces is busy building uppers out of their receivers. They can also advertise that they bought their uppers from the same company which supplies the military. The only difference is the quality assurance which takes place after manufacture. 

COLT
WINDHAM WEAPONRY
ARMALITE 
STAG
BRAVO COMPANY MANUFACTURING
BUSHMASTER
SMITH AND WESSON
DPMS

What does all this come down to?

You have to decide what you want and how much you want to pay for it. Can you buy a Colt and get a lemon? Yes. Can you buy an M&A kit and get a great rifle? Yes. When you pay more for parts you are paying more for something which is MORE LIKELY to perform well. The extra you pay for the Colt makes it LESS LIKELY that you will have a problem, but does not make it impossible. The smaller amount you pay for one of the cheaper uppers means less quality control and makes it MORE LIKELY that you will have problems. If you are a contractor or SWAT cop going into dangerous places, you should spend as much as you can afford because the price of a part failure can be your life. In addition, when you pay more for higher quality raw materials, you will likely get a longer life from them. If you are intending to attend courses which teach you to shoot (we all should), or to compete in three gun competition or you like to put many hundreds of rounds downrange when you go out, you will likely start to stress your rifle more and you will probably see the benefit from the extra $ you put into your gear. To me, putting more money into quality components is getting easier and easier. When you consider that 1K of Wolf ammo is going for over $200 these days, putting an extra $200 into a rifle which will probably last the rest of your lifetime is a no brainer. That said, we don't all need Colts. Most of the companies above provide very good products which will meet the needs of most users. Buying a decent product and then spending a lot of time using it is the best way to find out if it is reliable, as well as being ready to use it if the need ever arises.
ARM