Been a while since I was looking for a new AR so I figured I would ask the experts.

[TheComedian]

I did look at search, so forgive me if I missed anything, but after spending the last several years shooting mostly shotguns and some long range, I wanted to start taking carbine courses monthly. 14.5" ish barrel, lightweight and something that I can send 800-1000 rounds a month through. So durability/reliability is key. 400 yards and in (would like to punch some steel at 600 yards occassionally but not the main focus here).

I'm not going to build it myself (I'd like it to work)

I love my LMT MARS-H AR10, so I know that brand well, just curious to what others think would be a good setup. Also have a JP 16" for three gun that I guess could work. I'd rather not spend KAC money on it but I'm not looking for a budget gun here.

Appreciate the replies

 

[longshot2000]

If you are going to put it through that many rounds, and want good performance, durability and accuracy, I would suggest another LMT. Colt would be a good option as well, but if you have been spoiled already with a MARS-H or JP Rifle, I would look at LMT and a few Colt rifles.

A chrome-lined barrel chambered in 5.56 NATO is recommended for that level of service. The barrel will be good for 15,000 rounds. A stainless or unlined CMV barrel is more like 2,000 to 3,000 and not worth spending more for a 14.5" to 16". You might have trouble finding 14.5" in what you want, but you can get a 16" cut.

Doing your own work limits what you can buy, as LMT is pretty much rifle or wait. Colt gives you options. You might consider a monolithic Colt upper, which is available in 14.5". The Colt M5 is an interesting spin as well. We have a few Defender 14.5" full rifles.

 

[wvfarrier]

Any 16" quality (PWS, Noveske, Daniel Defense, etc) will what you are asking. Hell, I run courses with a frankengun that has less that $800 invested in it. That being said, I prefer piston guns (like pws)

 

[TheComedian]

If you are going to put it through that many rounds, and want good performance, durability and accuracy, I would suggest another LMT. Colt would be a good option as well, but if you have been spoiled already with a MARS-H or JP Rifle, I would look at LMT and a few Colt rifles.

A chrome-lined barrel chambered in 5.56 NATO is recommended for that level of service. The barrel will be good for 15,000 rounds. A stainless or unlined CMV barrel is more like 2,000 to 3,000 and not worth spending more for a 14.5" to 16". You might have trouble finding 14.5" in what you want, but you can get a 16" cut.

Doing your own work limits what you can buy, as LMT is pretty much rifle or wait. Colt gives you options. You might consider a monolithic Colt upper, which is available in 14.5". The Colt M5 is an interesting spin as well. We have a few Defender 14.5" full rifles.

Thank you! I figured I might need (want) to stick with LMT. Haven't ever looked at Colts outside of a few revolvers I owned back in the day. Will do some research.

 

[TheComedian]

Any 16" quality (PWS, Noveske, Daniel Defense, etc) will what you are asking. Hell, I run courses with a frankengun that has less that $800 invested in it. That being said, I prefer piston guns (like pws)

I have a DD PDW 300 Blackout that I really like, but don't shoot it often. Wasn't sure how long they hold up shooting that much though. Thanks for the feedback.

 

[Molon]

Colt M4A1 SOCOM Barrel Accuracy: Another Look

In 2010, I posted one of the first publicly available, in-depth accuracy evaluations of a Colt M4A1 SOCOM barrel. At that time, the Colt SOCOM barrel was relatively new to the civilian market. Many people, including myself, were pleasantly surprised by the level of accuracy/precision that I obtained with the SOCOM barrel; particularly since it is a chrome-lined, NATO chambered “military-grade” barrel. Since that time, the Colt M4A1 SOCOM barrel has developed a significant appreciation amongst AR-15 enthusiasts.


The M4A1 SOCOM barrel

Recently, I assembled another upper receiver group based on the Colt M4A1 SOCOM barrel. This new build features a Colt cage-code marked M4 upper receiver, a Colt “C” marked bolt carrier group and a 13” Geissele MK14 M-LOK free-float hand-guard.

A genuine Colt M4A1 SOCOM barrel is 14.5” long and has a medium contour; it is not an HBAR. The barrel has a 5.56mm NATO chamber and a 1:7” twist.

Colt SOCOM barrel

Colt HBAR

A genuine SOCOM barrel has the typical M4 circumferential cut-out located approximately 1.4” forward of the gas block for the attachment of an M203, as well as rectangular shaped cut-outs underneath the hand-guards on the port and starboard sides of the barrel, located approximately 1.4” aft of the gas block, for the same reason. The gas port on a genuine SOCOM barrel has a diameter of 0.062” and the barrel employs a carbine-length gas system.


The SOCOM barrel has a stripped weight of 1 pound, 14 ounces. That is only 2 ounces heavier than the ubiquitous 16” government profile barrel found on the Colt 6920.

Colt SOCOM barrel

Colt 6920 barrel

The stripped weight of the SOCOM barrel is 5 ounces heavier than the stripped weight of the standard Colt 14.5” M4 barrel. The pic below shows the difference between the standard M4 barrel and the SOCOM barrel. From the gas block journal forward, the two barrels are identical


SOCOM barrel on top, standard barrel on bottom

The next pic is a close-up comparing the two barrels in the area between the chamber and the gas block journal, showing you were the extra weight is added.

The date-code on my original SOCOM barrel was “11/03” and the date-code on my newer SOCOM barrel is “02/18”

My original SOCOM barrel hand an “F-marked” front sight base. Colt no longer stamps an “F” on their front sight bases, but their newer front sight bases maintain the length of 1.98” from the top of the barrel to the shelf for the front sight post.

My original SOCOM barrel was stamped:

“C MP 5.56 NATO 1/7”

The newer SOCOM barrel is stamped with Colt’s cage code.

“13629 M P 5.56 NATO 1/7”

Both of these SOCOM barrels have the “O” stamp near the chamber portion of the barrel, indicating the barrel has a chrome-lined chamber and bore. Naturally, the M4A1 SOCOM barrel has M4 feed ramps.

Accuracy Is Final


In 2010, my original SOCOM barrel with the “11/03” date-code produced a 10-shot group fired from a distance of 100 yards that had an extreme spread of 0.90”. That group was fired from my bench-rest set-up using match-grade hand-loads and a high magnification scope.

My newer SOCOM barrel with the “02/18” date-code produced a 10-shot group fired from a distance of 100 yards that had an extreme spread of 0.93”. This group was fired off of sand-bags using match-grade hand-loads and a high magnification scope.

. . . .

 

[Hobo Hilton]

Since you love your LMT MARS..... Why not get the same setup in 556 ?

Shop - LMT Defense

This weapon is built with the LMT® patented Monolithic Rail Platform, MRP®. The only true monolithic rail platform, milled from a single solid piece of

lmtdefense.com

 

[babyguppy]

.....
I LOVE my pre 1990's Colt 20" match HBARs. Those things are dead nuts accurate. Only thing that shoots close is my WOA White Oak Armament 20" Heavy.
Both rifles LOVE 77 grain OTM Sierra's and Bergers.
I fell in love with that stuff.
I had a buddy that has an early La Rue 5.56 that would shoot like a cat on fire. This was when La Rue used ?? Lothar barrels? Man, I can group with that gun.. smooth like butter...
I have another friend with a JP 5.56 barrel. 16" medium polished..... OMG, it felt like a sin, mounting that barrel on an upper. The barrel was a polished piece work of art. It should have been in a museum.
Shoots AMAZING..... granted barrel was like 600 bucks?? but.. OMG.. yup.
Feed em the right ammo, and amazing things happen.

 

[TheComedian]

Since you love your LMT MARS..... Why not get the same setup in 556 ?

Shop - LMT Defense

This weapon is built with the LMT® patented Monolithic Rail Platform, MRP®. The only true monolithic rail platform, milled from a single solid piece of

lmtdefense.com

Was what I was thinking, just wasn't sure if there was something new and earth-shattering out there these days.

 

[TheComedian]

Colt M4A1 SOCOM Barrel Accuracy: Another Look

In 2010, I posted one of the first publicly available, in-depth accuracy evaluations of a Colt M4A1 SOCOM barrel. At that time, the Colt SOCOM barrel was relatively new to the civilian market. Many people, including myself, were pleasantly surprised by the level of accuracy/precision that I obtained with the SOCOM barrel; particularly since it is a chrome-lined, NATO chambered “military-grade” barrel. Since that time, the Colt M4A1 SOCOM barrel has developed a significant appreciation amongst AR-15 enthusiasts.


The M4A1 SOCOM barrel

Recently, I assembled another upper receiver group based on the Colt M4A1 SOCOM barrel. This new build features a Colt cage-code marked M4 upper receiver, a Colt “C” marked bolt carrier group and a 13” Geissele MK14 M-LOK free-float hand-guard.

A genuine Colt M4A1 SOCOM barrel is 14.5” long and has a medium contour; it is not an HBAR. The barrel has a 5.56mm NATO chamber and a 1:7” twist.

Colt SOCOM barrel

Colt HBAR

A genuine SOCOM barrel has the typical M4 circumferential cut-out located approximately 1.4” forward of the gas block for the attachment of an M203, as well as rectangular shaped cut-outs underneath the hand-guards on the port and starboard sides of the barrel, located approximately 1.4” aft of the gas block, for the same reason. The gas port on a genuine SOCOM barrel has a diameter of 0.062” and the barrel employs a carbine-length gas system.


The SOCOM barrel has a stripped weight of 1 pound, 14 ounces. That is only 2 ounces heavier than the ubiquitous 16” government profile barrel found on the Colt 6920.

Colt SOCOM barrel

Colt 6920 barrel

The stripped weight of the SOCOM barrel is 5 ounces heavier than the stripped weight of the standard Colt 14.5” M4 barrel. The pic below shows the difference between the standard M4 barrel and the SOCOM barrel. From the gas block journal forward, the two barrels are identical


SOCOM barrel on top, standard barrel on bottom

The next pic is a close-up comparing the two barrels in the area between the chamber and the gas block journal, showing you were the extra weight is added.

The date-code on my original SOCOM barrel was “11/03” and the date-code on my newer SOCOM barrel is “02/18”

My original SOCOM barrel hand an “F-marked” front sight base. Colt no longer stamps an “F” on their front sight bases, but their newer front sight bases maintain the length of 1.98” from the top of the barrel to the shelf for the front sight post.

My original SOCOM barrel was stamped:

“C MP 5.56 NATO 1/7”

The newer SOCOM barrel is stamped with Colt’s cage code.

“13629 M P 5.56 NATO 1/7”

Both of these SOCOM barrels have the “O” stamp near the chamber portion of the barrel, indicating the barrel has a chrome-lined chamber and bore. Naturally, the M4A1 SOCOM barrel has M4 feed ramps.

Accuracy Is Final


In 2010, my original SOCOM barrel with the “11/03” date-code produced a 10-shot group fired from a distance of 100 yards that had an extreme spread of 0.90”. That group was fired from my bench-rest set-up using match-grade hand-loads and a high magnification scope.

My newer SOCOM barrel with the “02/18” date-code produced a 10-shot group fired from a distance of 100 yards that had an extreme spread of 0.93”. This group was fired off of sand-bags using match-grade hand-loads and a high magnification scope.

. . . .

Awesome!! Thanks for the details and info

 

[RUTGERS95]

I did look at search, so forgive me if I missed anything, but after spending the last several years shooting mostly shotguns and some long range, I wanted to start taking carbine courses monthly. 14.5" ish barrel, lightweight and something that I can send 800-1000 rounds a month through. So durability/reliability is key. 400 yards and in (would like to punch some steel at 600 yards occassionally but not the main focus here).

I'm not going to build it myself (I'd like it to work)

I love my LMT MARS-H AR10, so I know that brand well, just curious to what others think would be a good setup. Also have a JP 16" for three gun that I guess could work. I'd rather not spend KAC money on it but I'm not looking for a budget gun here.

Appreciate the replies

first, you mentioned intent but did not specify a price range. Any idea what you are looking to spend max (scope/accessories included)

 

[RUTGERS95]

Thank you! I figured I might need (want) to stick with LMT. Haven't ever looked at Colts outside of a few revolvers I owned back in the day. Will do some research.

lmt rahe or colt 6720 if you can find one

I've a rahe and it's fantastic, well balanced, not heavy, nice recoil impulse, accurate and LMT
The Colt 6720 (I prefer the 6520 for nastalgia) gives you the lw barrel, light stick overall, reliability etc etc accurate too

for DI and not the piston rahe;

LMT MARS-L 5.56

fixed

 

[Molon]

colt 6720 if you can find one The Colt 6520 (I prefer the 6720 for nastalgia) gives you the lw barrel, light stick overall, reliability etc etc accurate too

Colt 6520 Accuracy Evaluation

The 16” barrel found on the Colt 6520 has been the de-facto standard for what constitutes a light-weight 16" carbine barrel for decades. This barrel profile is affectionately referred to as a "pencil" barrel (cause John Wick once killed three men in a bar with one.) The profile is just a shortened version of the 20" barrel found on the Colt M16/M16A1. This 16" light-weight barrel is also the same barrel that is found on the Colt 6720.

Colt 20" M16A1 barrel

Colt 6520 barrel

The Colt light-weight barrel has a barrel diameter of 0.625” at the gas block and approximately 0.57” forward of the gas block. The barrel profile has a slight taper underneath the handguards from the chamber to the gas block with an average diameter of approximately 0.64”. The stripped light-weight barrel weighs approximately 1 pound, 6 ounces.

The light-weight barrel is chrome lined, has a NATO chamber and a 1:7” twist. This barrel employs a carbine gas system and has M4 feedramps. This accuracy evaluation was performed with a LaRue Tactical free-float handguard installed.

Colt 6520 upper

Colt 6520 converted to a flat-top (6720) with a Colt M4 upper receiver

The test vehicle.

The barrel stamp.

M4 feed ramps

Shooting was conducted from a concrete bench-rest using a Sinclair Windage Bench Rest in front and a Protektor bunny-ear bag under the stock. The ammunition used; match-grade hand-loads topped with Sierra 55 grain BlitzKings. Sighting was performed using a Leupold VAR-X III. A mirage shade was used. Magnification was set at 25X and the scope was adjusted to be parallax free at 100 yards. Wind conditions were monitored using a Wind probe. The set-up looked very similar to that pictured below.

The Wind Probe

Six 10-shot groups were fired in a row in a slow and steady manner. Those groups had extreme spreads of:

1.18”
1.92”
1.28”
2.53”
0.96”
2.24”

for an average extreme spread of 1.69”. Using RSI Shooting Lab, I over-layed all six groups on each other to form a 60-shot composite group. The composite group had a mean radius of 0.56”.


The 60-shot composite group . . .

The smallest 10-shot group.

.....

 

[RUTGERS95]

Colt 6520 Accuracy Evaluation

The 16” barrel found on the Colt 6520 has been the de-facto standard for what constitutes a light-weight 16" carbine barrel for decades. This barrel profile is affectionately referred to as a "pencil" barrel (cause John Wick once killed three men in a bar with one.) The profile is just a shortened version of the 20" barrel found on the Colt M16/M16A1. This 16" light-weight barrel is also the same barrel that is found on the Colt 6720.

Colt 20" M16A1 barrel

Colt 6520 barrel

The Colt light-weight barrel has a barrel diameter of 0.625” at the gas block and approximately 0.57” forward of the gas block. The barrel profile has a slight taper underneath the handguards from the chamber to the gas block with an average diameter of approximately 0.64”. The stripped light-weight barrel weighs approximately 1 pound, 6 ounces.

The light-weight barrel is chrome lined, has a NATO chamber and a 1:7” twist. This barrel employs a carbine gas system and has M4 feedramps. This accuracy evaluation was performed with a LaRue Tactical free-float handguard installed.

Colt 6520 upper

Colt 6520 converted to a flat-top (6720) with a Colt M4 upper receiver

The test vehicle.

The barrel stamp.

M4 feed ramps

Shooting was conducted from a concrete bench-rest using a Sinclair Windage Bench Rest in front and a Protektor bunny-ear bag under the stock. The ammunition used; match-grade hand-loads topped with Sierra 55 grain BlitzKings. Sighting was performed using a Leupold VAR-X III. A mirage shade was used. Magnification was set at 25X and the scope was adjusted to be parallax free at 100 yards. Wind conditions were monitored using a Wind probe. The set-up looked very similar to that pictured below.

The Wind Probe

Six 10-shot groups were fired in a row in a slow and steady manner. Those groups had extreme spreads of:

1.18”
1.92”
1.28”
2.53”
0.96”
2.24”

for an average extreme spread of 1.69”. Using RSI Shooting Lab, I over-layed all six groups on each other to form a 60-shot composite group. The composite group had a mean radius of 0.56”.


The 60-shot composite group . . .

The smallest 10-shot group.

.....

oh yeah, well aware of those colt lw abilities
fixed my post, mixed up the 65 and 67. I've one 6520 left and have to say, it might be favorite in the stable. Just a fantastic firearm

 

[TheComedian]

lmt rahe or colt 6720 if you can find one

I've a rahe and it's fantastic, well balanced, not heavy, nice recoil impulse, accurate and LMT
The Colt 6720 (I prefer the 6520 for nastalgia) gives you the lw barrel, light stick overall, reliability etc etc accurate too

for DI and not the piston rahe;

LMT MARS-L 5.56

fixed

Thank you for the feedback and and info. Will check out the colt for sure!

 

[TheComedian]

first, you mentioned intent but did not specify a price range. Any idea what you are looking to spend max (scope/accessories included)

I'm happy to pay for quality so price isn't the biggest issue.

 

[RUTGERS95]

I'm happy to pay for quality so price isn't the biggest issue.

then I'd narrow it to the Colt 6720 (flat top), LMT Rahe or the LMT with the shorter barrel. Personally, I'd go Rahe, it's a piston and that turns some off, but man it's the cat's meow

The way I look at it, you Colt to 1k ish, Centurion Arms to 2k and then it's just LMT and KAC. With the Colt and LMT, all the rest are just chasing the same reliability, accuracy, proven performance etc.. If you wan the free float barrel and no A post sight, the Centurion Arms is lesser known, but what a fantastic stick and cs/qc that is off the charts. Reviews are excellent and you can get the CM4 with the 14.5" and they'll customize it how you want it. Fantastic accuracy....

 

[Happiness Is A Warm Gun]

Since we are talking Colt, another option that flies under the radar for some reason are the Colt 6960s. You can either buy just the upper from brownells, or an entire rifle from various dealers. Very lightweight and nicely balanced with a tapered light barrel instead of the government profile.

 

[TheHorta]

Have you considered Windham Weaponry?

 

[Molon]

. . . Colt 6960s. . . .. Very lightweight and nicely balanced with a tapered light barrel instead of the government profile.

The 6960 barrel is not a tapered light-weight barrel.

This is a tapered light-weight barrel.

......

 

[M4orturnate]

Its such a awesome time to be a gun guy. Unless you go the cheap ass penny pinching route you'll be hard pressed to get a ar that is unreliable. I could probably name 30 brands that would satisfy most of our carbine needs. Heres a few off the top of my head i have experience with. Sig 516, Daniel defense, fn, solgw, triarc, pws, lwrc, bcm, lmt, colt, even some of the budget guns are honestly pretty decent like ruger, windham, older stag, DPMs, sig. I personally like to build so i hand select every part but its not for everyone.

 

[Happiness Is A Warm Gun]

Yeah, I actually own a couple bcm elw uppers with tapered profiles along with the colt 6960. The end result is they feel very similar in the hand, so I must have lumped them together as being tapered. I have not had a reason to remove the handguard on the colt, unlike the bcms, either. Regardless, either one would be a good choice for the OP, along with the other top brands mentioned like kac and lmt.

 

[supercorndogs]

If you are going to put it through that many rounds, and want good performance, durability and accuracy, I would suggest another LMT. Colt would be a good option as well, but if you have been spoiled already with a MARS-H or JP Rifle, I would look at LMT and a few Colt rifles.

A chrome-lined barrel chambered in 5.56 NATO is recommended for that level of service. The barrel will be good for 15,000 rounds. A stainless or unlined CMV barrel is more like 2,000 to 3,000 and not worth spending more for a 14.5" to 16". You might have trouble finding 14.5" in what you want, but you can get a 16" cut.

Doing your own work limits what you can buy, as LMT is pretty much rifle or wait. Colt gives you options. You might consider a monolithic Colt upper, which is available in 14.5". The Colt M5 is an interesting spin as well. We have a few Defender 14.5" full rifles.

2k-3k rounds to shoot out a 223 barrel? Surely you jest.

 

[TonyTheTiger]

2k-3k rounds to shoot out a 223 barrel? Surely you jest.

I did it once but I consider it an atypical fluke. I've heard of F-Class or Highpower guys pulling barrels at sub 4k but I think their accuracy standards are different than the other 99.97% of 223 shooters.

 

[Molon]

2k-3k rounds to shoot out a 223 barrel? Surely you jest.

It depends upon a persons definition of "shot out." A dirt-clod shooter isn't going to notice the difference in precision after 3,000 rounds through a stainless steel match-grade barrel. A top level Service Rifle shooter who can't afford to lose a single point because of the barrel can see a difference at that round count.

...

 

[Lug Nut]

2k-3k rounds to shoot out a 223 barrel? Surely you jest.

Mag dump a lot and trash a barrel faster than that.

 

[M4orturnate]

Mag dump a lot and trash a barrel faster than that.

I put 6k suppressed rounds through my criterion 14.5 before i cleaned it the first time. Still as accurate as i can hold with a eotech

 

[RUTGERS95]

I've never seen an unlined barrel get shot out in so few rounds from semi auto fire, which is most

 

[MontanaMan]

Unless you just really feel the need to drop the coin on an LMT, there are really many available guns that will do what you want done today...........really a lot of guns, for a lot less money.

The extra $$$ may buy some additional peace of mind & maybe a wee bit higher likelihood of zero issues, but not really much.

Many have been mentioned here already, but many more not yet brought up are available. Barnes, BCM, LaRue, FN, SOLGW, just to name a few more.

MM

 

[TimC in KY]

Have Compass Lake build what you want.

 

[Thorbeast]

I really like my 14.5 LW Daniel Defense barrel. It's probably my favorite barrel for what you describe. Personally, I feel like the LW barrels do make a difference in regard to ease of handling.

I also like my LMT MRPs, but LMT barrels are heavy. I wish LMT made a factory LW barrel.

Based on what you said in the OP...

I'd get a used KAC mod 2 upper ($1500ish and they are quite light - but once the barrel is shot out, it'll be difficult to replace). A LMT mlok upper and a LW barrel of your choice converted for MRP use by D Wilson. Or some other custom build using a DD LW barrel.

The way I see it, if you aren't going to switch barrels ever, the KAC is a great option. I like the LMTs but any of the uppers longer than 9.25" are overpriced right now, IMO. Pre-corona, you could always find all the uppers on sale if you shopped around, now they sell over MSRP. After you get a barrel, bcg, CH and irons, you'll be at or above the cost of the KAC. I also like to switch barrels on my LMTs, which means scopes (red dots and acogs aren't easy to dial the difference in zero between barrels), so the LMTs end up heavy.

My 14.5 P&W mutt (DD BCG and barrel) with ACOG and red dot is probably the best carbine I currently have. It's also the least expensive AR I have, but the build philosophy fits the AR better than other build philosophy IMO. Simple, light, accurate, fast.

 

[TheComedian]

Unless you just really feel the need to drop the coin on an LMT, there are really many available guns that will do what you want done today...........really a lot of guns, for a lot less money.

The extra $$$ may buy some additional peace of mind & maybe a wee bit higher likelihood of zero issues, but not really much.

Many have been mentioned here already, but many more not yet brought up are available. Barnes, BCM, LaRue, FN, SOLGW, just to name a few more.

MM

Thanks MountainMan... have been leaning towards the PWS after doing some additional research on it. Seems to be ver well built and reliable

 

[TheComedian]

Have Compass Lake build what you want.

Not familiar with them. Will check them out

 

[pineoak]

Also have a JP 16" for three gun that I guess could work.

Is it set up for 3 gun and you don't want to change anything to be able to run it for 3G?

Or is there some other reason why it wouldn't fit the bill? Doesn't have the credibility of an SR15?

 

[FuhQ]

I did look at search, so forgive me if I missed anything, but after spending the last several years shooting mostly shotguns and some long range, I wanted to start taking carbine courses monthly. 14.5" ish barrel, lightweight and something that I can send 800-1000 rounds a month through. So durability/reliability is key. 400 yards and in (would like to punch some steel at 600 yards occassionally but not the main focus here).

I'm not going to build it myself (I'd like it to work)

I love my LMT MARS-H AR10, so I know that brand well, just curious to what others think would be a good setup. Also have a JP 16" for three gun that I guess could work. I'd rather not spend KAC money on it but I'm not looking for a budget gun here.

Appreciate the replies

LWRC

 

[mrtoyz]

Your JP fits the bill pretty well so I’m guessing you just want something else. I get that.
LMT, strong choice, wouldn’t argue that. Another to look at would be ADM rifles. Great features, quality components. Definitely worth a look.

 

[GUNNER10]

I did look at search, so forgive me if I missed anything, but after spending the last several years shooting mostly shotguns and some long range, I wanted to start taking carbine courses monthly. 14.5" ish barrel, lightweight and something that I can send 800-1000 rounds a month through. So durability/reliability is key. 400 yards and in (would like to punch some steel at 600 yards occassionally but not the main focus here).

I'm not going to build it myself (I'd like it to work)

I love my LMT MARS-H AR10, so I know that brand well, just curious to what others think would be a good setup. Also have a JP 16" for three gun that I guess could work. I'd rather not spend KAC money on it but I'm not looking for a budget gun here.

Appreciate the replies

Honestly If you like LMT go LMT, there are a lot of good options out there and for carbine type courses or matches, I really don't think one specific manufacture is going to make or break you. LMT arguably makes one of the most durable uppers on the market and you can really build what ever you want. I personally Have a 12 inch shovel nose Piston, a 12.5 DI Quad War, and a 16 inch mid length in 13.25 inch MLC.

I would have no issues randomly grabbing one for carbine course

 

[pineoak]

I was going to suggest a value option:

Get the cheapest S&W M&P15, toss a quality sling on it (bring a white light but leave it off), and beat the crap out of it in classes with high round count and cheap(er) ammo, laying it down in gravel, etc; have more $ for courses

Unless you're running it suppressed it should be pretty reliable, but overgassed. We've had two with no issues other than being overgassed. Perfect for lower priced mousefart ammo

Bring the JP as backup in the vehicle

If you decide later you must have a nicer SHTF gun, you can sell the beater gun and get the LMT/KAC/BCM/Colt with 10k fewer rounds on it

At the ranges most courses run, the only diff will be furniture and the nicer guns will have a but less recoil

After typing this, screw it, you have nice guns and $, get whatever makes you happy

If you run A2 birdcages for MD, try a Precision Armament AFAB as an MD (need washers to time it on)- not much louder or concussive than an A2, but noticeably improved muzzle control

I recommend it to everyone I know. Wife's friend tried an AR15 for the first time and loved shooting my wife's Colt w AFAB. She shot her husbands and complained it wasn't as good. We realized after it was the AFAB that made the diff

 

[TheComedian]

Is it set up for 3 gun and you don't want to change anything to be able to run it for 3G?

Or is there some other reason why it wouldn't fit the bill? Doesn't have the credibility of an SR15?

My wife wants to make the JP her gun... go figure.

 

[TheComedian]

Is it set up for 3 gun and you don't want to change anything to be able to run it for 3G?

Or is there some other reason why it wouldn't fit the bill? Doesn't have the credibility of an SR15?

Pfft, I could care less about credibility in what I own. I will pay for quality, performance and reliability (in every purchase I make) but don't really GAS what the label/brand is.

 

[pineoak]

My wife wants to make the JP her gun... go figure.

You married a smart woman. When she sees your new buy and likes it better... you'll get the JP back. If the JP proves to be better and more reliable, she'll hold onto it. I know how this works.

 

[babyguppy]

You married a smart woman. When she sees your new buy and likes it better... you'll get the JP back. If the JP proves to be better and more reliable, she'll hold onto it. I know how this works.

so..... buy another JP?

 

[Malcolm31]

so..... buy another JP?

This guy is onto something…



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