Not so much specific vendors......

by John Meeker, Sunday, June 30, 2013, 17:02 (4168 days ago) @ RidinLou

as some good ones have been listed by knowledgeable people.

Reviewing your expected tasks, the specific characteristic needed for each of them....

...and then reconciling reliability factor -- which may or may not be dollar related. But a good dollar spent with an upper tier mfg is cheaper in the long run, especially when the object being purchased has an application to defensive safety.

...is this for a fast unloading in limited spaces? What are the best specs for such a task? Weight and dynamics certainly applies there. You'd be surprised how much a 20" premium heavy bbl weighs. I was.

...are animal varmints at further ranges the main use, and personnel close quarters secondary? Then another set of specs apply.

What ammo to fire? A 1-8 twist in a Wylde chambered barrel - stainless - will do a lot towards using a wider spread of rounds, as well as a medium length gas system.

What after market grip, stock, trigger group [ahhh...Gissle[sp], thy name is loveliness for a varmint/sniper

and on down the line. I will say that if insist on having max range, long bbl life, and higher velocity you could find a good deal of that with a Rock River Coyote 24". But it isn't good for fast shooting in around corners in a hallway or out a car window while evading unpleasant peoples, etc.

I really haven't anywhere the experience and interests of a true AR guy. But my next upper will be a Rock River, mid-length gas, 16" LW bll., flat-top, with good backup sights and a dot optic. Medium size cocking tab, Chrome lined bbl/forged fluxed bolt an ye auld etc. And my gungho tactical nephew monitoring my purchase so it all melds into a light handy accurate reliable self-defense weapon. I can get it all in a Rock River [and probly many other good mfgs'] already built, for just a couple hundred bucks [or so] more than trying to part it out.

Were I an experienced expert, it's probable that I could achieve those goals quite economically. but I'm not and not gonna pretend I have the time and patience to become one. That's why a knowledge pool of gunners such as assemble here, are notable and to be depended upon for sage wisdom and advice -- Thanks to The Bunch, for good company can be hard to find. A tip o' the fave brown whiskey to you all.