Then I submit that you are very ignorant where thes rifles are concerned.
LOL. Maybe. I will say that I spend more time actually shooting ARs than I do reading fanboy publications about them. So you may have a point. My opinion comes from my own experiences and they aren't fed to me by any web site or magazine article or blog. I go with what I have found works.
Here is an explanation from someone who is far more knowledgable about these rifles than I.
Who goes by the name????
"Ever wonder why a Colt LE6920 sells for over $1k while an Olympic Plinker sells for under $600 on occasion?
This is an unfair and absurd comparison. Because there is a drastic difference between Colt's Quality and Oplympic does not mean that connection can be made between RRA, Bushy, or Armalite or any of the other fine AR manufacturers. It's like comparing a Springer Loaded to a Hi-Point.
One reason is that there are dozens of places to change parts away from the specifications military contractors must provide to cheaper parts and practices that may not be necessary for commercial ARs. Not all of these changes are bad. Many of them will never be noticed by 99% of shooters; but some of them can effect function and I think it is important that a buyer understand what type of trade they are making when purchasing a rifle.
I would agree with this statement to a degree. And I will suggest that in most cases with quality manufacturers the difference makes no difference in performance. But I like how he says 99% wouldn't notice so that anyone who disagrees can just be lumped into the 99% ignorant category and dismissed.
Quite simply the "Pony" costs more because it cost more to make an AR with a Pony on it.
We'd have to see their balance sheets to substantiate this. So this statement can't really be considered fact.
Colt uses parts that are held to a higher standard than other makers (according to the technical data package)
Can you post this "data Package" to substantiate this? You could make your standard hand forged and folded parts, but is it really needed?
and assembles them properly (staked carrier keys and castle nuts, etc.).
I have personally seen Colts with poor staking jobs on them. So this is untrue.
Brands like Bushmaster, RRA, DPMS, et alia are less expensive because they cut corners on manufacture and assembly, it really is as simple as that.
mmmmmmmmm, not buyin it.
This doesn't make them bad, but it certainly does render them not as good.
Complete opinion without field test data to back it up.
Whether this fact will be in evidence for a range gun is debatable, and most ARs are never subjected to the kind of use where the extra QA/QC will be noticable. A Colt M4 (#6920) is better than a Bushmaster, Armalite, RRA, DPMS "M4". Whether the differences in quality matter to you is a function of your budget and the intended use of the rifle, not any objective analysis of the guns themselves. Here's a good list of general differences:
Again, opinion and unsubstantiated bull. You can't just say they're better. You gotta prove it somehow. This writer obviously has something to gain by patting Colt on the back. Perhaps money? Perhaps a sponsorship? Perhaps a career? Who knows. But it most definitely sounds biased. So I reject it.
1. Use cheap extruded or cast charging handle instead of proper forged charging handle.**
2. Cheap shot-filled or plastic buffer instead of correct military rifle or carbine buffer.***
3. 4140 barrel steel instead of 4150 MIL-B-11595.*
4. Don't proof test the barrel or bolt.*
5. No need for magnetic particle inspection of barrel or bolt.*
6. Don't test-fire the rifle prior to selling it.***
I'm sure some companies do at least one of these things. I'm really not gonna bother looking at your chart cause it doesn't really mean anything. They all don't do all of this though. I'm pretty sure Bushy, RRA, and Armalite all test fire their products before shipping them. So you gotta point out who is doing what.
7. Replace heat-shielded handguard with lower grade plastic and no heat shield handguards.**
Not really important since most guys go with a railed forearm nowadays and those are far superior to colt factory handguards.
8. Use the same front sight base for every model instead of F-marked front sight base for flattops.*
Don't know about this one so can't comment.
9. Cast front sight base instead of forged.*
10. Cast upper and lower receivers.**
11. Plastic upper and lower receivers.**
12. Have a bunch of uppers that don't quite meet the Picatinny spec? We'll take them at a discount!**
I know for a fact that this isn't true on every rifle other than colt.
13. Torquing and staking the gas key is something the customer can do.***
Again, I've seen some sloppy staking jobs on Colts.
This is just a lie. I know some guns don't have them. But a large number do.
15. Why buy chrome-silicon springs designed for the weapon when we can use a cheaper steel and cut them to fit?***
Don't even know if this matters. There are companies that make far better springs than what come in a Colt, so it doesn't mean all springs are crap.
16. That part is only a little out of spec. We can make it work with a little grinding and save money on parts too!***
17. Why use trained monkeys for assembly when regular monkeys work for half and can do the job almost as well?***
18. Make so many exceptions to your "lifetime warranty" that it will be impossible for anyone to ever make a valid claim against your "warranty."
19. Nobody will ever notice a few .001" difference on that part.**
Now the guy is just panicing and throwing poo across the room.
20. Our patented spray-paint finish is much better than anodizing.**
My Bushies, RRAs, and Armalites all have black anodizing and EXTREMELY durable parkerizing. Not that powder gray colt stuff. They are the way a "BLACK" rifle should be. They're not gray rifles.
21. Shipping every rifle with an HBAR profile to save machining costs, even if it is an entry rifle/"lightweight" carbine.*
That's just a plain lie. All three companies I've mentioned have different barrel configs.
22. Replace metal parts with plastic -plastic magazine release, trigger guard or delta ring.**
Not true on my Armalite. Bushmaster does have a plastic trigger guard plate... but I replaced it with a nice RRA winter guard made of metal.
23. Use an Unmarked/mismarked A2 Elevation Adjustment Knob for the rear sight.**
Don't know enough about that to comment. Could be true or just a fat lie. I know my rifles hit where I point them.
24. Plastic A2 trapdoors in the butt of the rifle stock.**
Who still uses those?
25. Replace forged AR15 hammer with cast hammer.**
26. No drain hole in stock screw.**
27. Dremel cut feed ramps instead of feed ramps cut prior to anodizing.***
28. Use cheaper cast/extruded receiver extension instead of military extension (different diameter also).**
29. No parkerizing under the FSB.*
30. Straight pins or even roll pins instead of taper pins in FSB.***
31. Using A2 windage drums on detachable carry handles.**
32. Don't mark the barrel with chambering or twist rate.**
33. Don't stake the castle nut in place.**
34. Don't shot-peen the bolt during manufacturing.*[/i]
All of these I'm sure have been done by someone, but this guy implies that everyone but Colt does this. And it's just simply a big fat lie. It is obvious this person has something to gain by bashing everyone other than Colt.
I've attached a chart that goes through the various manufacturers and how each of them fall short of the proper specs for these rifles. Again, because other companies don't do this doesn't necessarily make their rifles "bad", however it will not hold up to the use and abuse of a colt because the parts are not as robust and the assembly is not the same.
Then why do I know so many Joe's that refuse to buy a Colt because they've seen so many of them crap out under pressure? My best friend is a retired marine and says he'll never waste his money on a Colt. And before you go trying to lump him into the 99% of us ignorant rifle owners. He may very well be one of the best shooters in the southeast. He's won many a sniper competition and IDPA match. And placed 25 out of 50 at an invitational sniper shoot a year or so ago with 49 of the best shooters in the country. Not saying he's an expert. But he knows what works. You know what he's got in his safe? A Bushmaster Dissipator and two RRAs with stainless barrels. Not because he's cheap. But because he didn't see the point in wasting money on a name.
The question that the buyer needs to ask themselves is whether or not they want to cut corners to save money or spend more to get the best quality. Its a personal choice and there isn't a right or wrong answer. However it is a guarantee that there will be the usual folks that will get their panties in a bunch because someone has the audacity to point out the facts regarding their RRA or bushmaster.
It is a fact that there is a difference. That it is better is pure supposition and is absurd without any real test data to confirm it. Just saying it's better doesn't make it better. you say Colt is the best, have you ever shot a Les Baer AR? How about an LMT? No one is saying that Colt is a bad weapon. They're nice. But not worth what you pay for them. I have a 1,200 dollar RRA that will beat a 1,200 dollar Colt hands down. Because you get more for your money with other companies. You can show me all the parts lists you want. But without any side by side accuracy, durability, and reliability tests, your opinion has just as much value as everyone elses. And that's all it is. Opinion. It's great that you're a fan of Colt. And you should feel good that I'd never own one on a dare. That means more for you. But with Colt's "Go F yourself" policy with civilians, they'll never get a dime of my money. And now that they're not top dog in contracts, you're gonna see a huge crawling back on their hands and knees beggin us poor little civies to buy their products. I for one will gladly turn my back on a company that has turned it's back on us for years. They are no friend to the gun owning population.
Do you really think anyone takes Colt fans seriously? When 80% of AR guys say that just about any of the top quality companies turn out a fine product and then a flaming 10% of Colt fanboys come out yelling "It's Colt or Death". Anyone with half a brain passes that off as fanatics doing what fanatics do. And for that reason Companies like Bushmaster, RRA, and Armalite have enjoyed a great deal of success and have loads of satisfied customers. Even if we are ignorant and don't know how make good smart rifle go bang.
