Alright Guys and Gals here is the story.  After 6 months of research on the different producers of AR-15's, I have decided on purchasing a Bushmaster.
I do not wish to have a flattop receiver.  I will add a red dot sight to the carry handle and add a trijicon front sight post.

I will use this rifle for home defense, tactical training, and for general plinking.

However, I cannot decide what length I wish to purchase and I was hoping to get some insight here from all of you.

Here is what I have narrowed my selection to.

Standard A2 20in barrel (muzzle brake optional)

Standard Dissipator 16in barrel, full handguards

Shorty AK 14.5in barrel plus 1.5in AK-74 muzzle brake

Postban m-4 with fixed telestock, 14.5 in barrel plus muzzle break

Here are my questions.  What are the advantages/Disadvantages of the 16 in barrel versus the 20 in barrel? (velocity, accuracy etc)

What are the advantages/disadvantages of a postban muzzle brake

Is the fixed telestock any good? Is it just a wannabe add on or is there an advantage to using it.

Thanks for your help in this selection process.

Kai

If it were me I would go with the dissipator. You get the best of both worlds. Full sight radius in a short gun. My 16" bushmaster shorty isn't as accurate as my 20" kit gun, but I live them both equally.

Have you thought about an A3 with a carry handle?

As you are limiting the choices to postban, I'd go with a lightweight 16" barrel on a C7 upper (A1 sights) and a fixed A2 stock.

As your intended purpose is home defense, tactical training and general plinking, the 16" bbl is fine.  You are losing a hair of velocity over the 20" and the shorter sight radius may affect accuracy beyond 300 yards, but you will have a lightweight, nicely balanced and easily handled carbine in return.  I wouldn't worry with a muzzle brake, as it's not really necessary with an AR anyway.  I like the C7 upper, as the sights are "set them and forget them", and the A2 buttstock is sturdier than a fixed telestock.

Just my .02.  I'm sure that you will get other good opinions from the members here.

Bud

Bushmaster is a good choice.  As to the barrel sive.  I prefer the 16" over the 20"  and mine shoots accurate enough.  You may notice a difference bench shooting but otherwise unless you are trained in long distance shooting I do not think one is better then the other and in a shooting situation how often are you in a bench shooting position?

I chose the Rock River, 16" heavy barrel, no flash hider, M4 style hand guard.  I like the fatter grip of the M4, seems better isolated from heat, and I have big hands.

Never understood the point of a non-telescoping look-alike stock. Not as comfortable, lose storage.  Why make it look like something it is not? They don't look as sturdy, to me as the A2 style.

I went with a flat top, but with an add-on rear sight.  Have to scrape up the bucks for a GOOD optical sight, and wanted to be able to shoot it while I waited. Also, I like to have a backup to the high tech sights.

Dissipator.  Good handling, accurate enough, and full sight radius.

Quoted: I will use this rifle for home defense, tactical training, and for general plinking.

This is the critical statement.  Based on that you don't need a 20" barrel (especially and HBAR), so a carbine length barrel (16") is fine.  If you plan on doing 'tactical training' at the schools you will want the lightest possible rifle.  This eliminates the Dissapator with its HBAR (unless you can find some of the M4 profile Dissapators).

Going with a factory standard rifle I'd suggest the PostBan M4 Here is why:

1) Compact
2) Lightest of all your choices.
3) The 14.5" barrel is long enough to generate favorable terminal results with M193 out to 100 yards.

Here are my questions.  What are the advantages/Disadvantages of the 16 in barrel versus the 20 in barrel? (velocity, accuracy etc)

Accuracy isn't change, precision is (the 20" is a bit more precise) - but for your intended uses there is FUNCTIONALLY no difference.

Velocity is higher with the 20" and M193 fragmentation range is doubled.  But again for the intended uses you really don't need this.
What are the advantages/disadvantages of a postban muzzle brake

Is the fixed telestock any good? Is it just a wannabe add on or is there an advantage to using it.

The 'fixed' telestock isn't all bad.  A bit longer than I prefer, but it saves you several ounces, and helps the rifle balance better.  It also gives you an option on how you want to mount your sling (standard style or from the top of the stock ).

The standard stock is a bit stronger and has the storage area for your cleaning kit.

Another option is to get the Dissapator (same precision as the 20", but compact like the carbine). It has the fixed rear stock.  Then do the following:
1) Replace the A2 rear stock (plastic part) with the A2 stock.  This makes the rifle handle much better for the average person.

2) Send the Upper to Kurt's Kustom and have him turn down the HBAR barrel to a lightweight barrel.  You don't loose any accuracy, just weight.  You will appreciate this if you carry the rifle for long periods. (actually you can do this to any HBAR - 16" carbine or 20" rifle)

Thanks for all the info so far.

I have considered the flattop receiver, but I was worried baout the add on rear sights, I was worried bout having enough room to mount a rear sight and still have room for optics, and I was worried about seeing through the optics and staring straight into my front sight post.

Any comments on this?

Thanks
Kai

Go to the Rock River Web site, and take a look at the "Complete Uppers" page.

Toward the bottom, is a listing for LE TACTICAL CAR uppers.  Note that the rear sight is high enough to use a standard looking front sight.

If you add a scope, you will probably have to remove it to use the iron sights; at least that's how it looks to me. You can always use higher rings if you need to rise above the front sight, and a pair of quick-remove rings for the rail is not hard to find.  You may not feel as dedicated to iron sights as I am, so don't sweat it if this looks like too much hassle.

www.rockriverarms.com/rifles/Complete_Upper_Halves.htm

Forget the Bushmaster muzzlebrakes; they are way too loud. You will end up spending more money on dental work than ammunition! I recommend getting a pre-ban barrel (or upper) and having a Cavalry Arms compensator permanently attached; this is probably the best of the post ban compensators (my opinion). 16 inch is fine, but any post ban gun is going to have some muzzle flash.

I really like the RRA LE Tactical rifle.  If bought a preban lower, could I buy a pre-ban LE tactical upper for it legally?

OK, Lets say for a second that I decided to go totally preban, If I own a preban lower, can i put any preban upper on it, including flashhider, on it?

If I had a preban lower, could I put a real telestock on it?

Where would I find preban lowers and uppers?

What pricer range am I looking at?

You guys are really helping me out here
thanks
Kai

The Bushmaster A2 stock and their tele-styled stock share the same dimensions.  It's not as small as the original collapsible styled stock, so it will shoulder the same as an A2 stock.  It is a lot lighter, but there is no storage space as mentioned above.  I know this because I started with an AK shorty Carbine, and just swapped the A2 stock with a Bushmaster Tele-styled stock.  If you put them next to each other, they are the same height width and length.  For me personally I find the AK muzzle brake too loud for my tastes.  I've heard the Mini comp works better, but is louder, but I'm planning on getting the M4-styled barrel in a full 16 inch length, without a muzzle brake.

If you get an A3 rifle (flat top) it includes the carry handle so you can still use most carry handle mounts.  I've seen A3's with scopes, red dots etc. where the front sight doesn't even come into view, depending on the riser you use.  Many people with aimpoints/reflex etc..  actually use the sights to help zero in the dot.  after that, with two eyed target acquisition, you don't even notice the front sight anymore.   Again for me, when the time comes, I'm getting the A3 flat top, just to have the option.  These are of course my opinions/observations, and many may not agre with me, but heck, it's my rifle. {;)]

Personally IMO a 20" standard A2 is the best engineered, and have the fewest problems with function.  Forget a muzzle break they are toooooo LOUD.

If you want to try Highpower Competition, the A2 sight will be the only one capable of accurate fire from 200-600 yards.  The carry handle A3 sight does not have enough elevation for 600.

The H bar IMO is not as problematically heavy as some claim it to be.

You can't go wrong with a Bushmaster.

Haffun with your new purchase!!!!
 

Halfcocked,
What kind of mount it that scope on? Could you post a pic a little closer? That's kinda neat looking