Hi, just joined up and I have several questions.  I'm in college and taking tests to be a police officer.  I'm looking to buy a carbine for fun and that I can use on duty when I get the job.  I've never had an AR, but I have shot my fathers varmint rig he built several years ago.  He says to get a Colt and that it is top of the line.  But I've been told by some friends that Colt isn't that good anymore.  I'm looking at a Daniel Defense V7 Pro.  I have seen where the DD Carbine is about twice as much as the Colt.  Should I get the DD so I have it when I get a Police job, or get the Colt now and upgrade later?  I'm open to suggestions.

Thanks
Brian

Your dad is a wise man, and your friends don't know what they're talking about. Colt is better than it ever has been. They have chrome lined barrels really dialed in, and they have the best extractor springs. They've just been in the game for so long that they've learned a thing or two over the years.

Um, DD is okay, but I don't see anything to justify the price. They use FN barrels, which are good, but certainly not better than Colt. Their new furniture is also fugly as heck. Basically the only thing that sets them apart from Colt is the handguards, but that doesn't even begin to justify the 1500 dollar price tag. Buy a colt and slap a free floating handguard on it if you're really that into fancy rails.

I honestly don't know how likely it is that your department would let you use your own rifle from home, but that seems to be the exception not the norm. Most cops I know are lucky if their department will even sign off on a new grip or something these days. But having an unmodified LE6920 is going to give you the best chance of getting approval, and then you can try to get aftermarket stuff approved once you hire on. You might even get lucky and hire on with a department that will let you have an SBR, which would be ideal I think, so I wouldn't just go hog wild spending a bunch of money on a fancy gun that you might not even want in the end.

You can't go wrong with an LE6920, though. They're just too cheap and too awesome to turn down. I got one maybe six months ago for around 700, and it came with a carry handle and two mags, which I think are like twenty or thirty apiece. Didn't even need it, just couldn't turn it down and it's still in the plastic waiting for a rainy day. At that price, that leaves you 800 for an Aimpoint and other sundries. I would suggest an Aimpoint PRO and a Surefire Scout to start out with. Those are super solid choices that I think just about any department would approve if they're going to approve anything at all. A KAC drop in rail is also a great choice because it doesn't require modifying the rifle, so again good for department approval prospects. They can be had used for around 200. And as long as we're going in a SOPMOD direction I can't say enough nice things about the Crane stock. It's by far my favorite stock.

Probably gtg either way. Colt ARs remain just fine. Our county allows deputies to carry what they choose as long as they qualify with it. One buddy of mine has the issue A2 up front and his sbr (with papers) in the rear of his county Tahoe.

I stand corrected. Did they use FN at some point, or am I getting them confused with someone else?

Colt is perfect for duty carry. Wyndham Weaponry is a really good choice too. I'd personally go for they Wyndham because there is always the chance it can be locked up after an incident if cost is really an issue. I carry a 6921 Socom and its phenomenal.

This would be way before that. Like back when they were all straight up milspec and they only had that one rail.

OK, So no need to spend the bucks on a DD.  Other than Colt and Windem, any other brands on the lower cost side to consider?

Colt is good to go!

Get a Colt LE6920 and don't look back.

There probably isn't a dept. anywhere that would disqualify the Colt from use.  Unless they disqualified all personal arms.

With the different brands it would all come down to how knowledgeable the person making the decision is about ARs.

Definitely not at that price point. All the alternatives at Colt prices are inferior. You don't start seeing anything on par until you're well over a grand, and those are going to be your LMTs and DDs and that kind of thing.

There's really no AR on the market that's objectively better than an LE6920, and a whole lot that are objectively worse, despite costing far more. There are a lot of great ARs that are more featured than Colts, like maybe KACs and LMTs, but it's hard to justify the prices, especially when you consider those features you're paying so much for, being non spec parts, are going to limit your options in terms of aftermarket parts. There are also so many workarounds nowadays that do such a great job of solving wronghandedness and such that these extra features kind of lose some of their appeal. You can take a base M-forgery like the LE6920 and with some inexpensive parts have it completely pimped out with whatever your heart desires, and the end result is usually as good or better than the really fancy ARs.

Colt, BCM, LMT is where i would be looking for a duty use gun.  If you want more modern features like FF rail and midlength gas Colt offers the CCU at a good price point if you look around.

Many officers do just fine with a Colt 6920/6720, light, Aimpoint, and a good sling.  On of the best KISS configurations out there

Funny how what was considered decked out is now considered a KISS rifle.

Colt LE6920s are very popular for LE use for reasons already mentioned (cost, quality, etc.). I wouldn’t worry so much about planning which AR to buy based on your chosen profession. Most agencies have different policies ... Some allow you to carry your own if you qualify with it and some only allow you to use what is issued. My agency issues Colt LE6933 SBRs to us Patrol Deputies, but the City guys get issued LE6920s... Whatever you choose, spend the extra money on ammo and training. I can’t emphasize training enough, especially if you don’t have a .mil background. You will likely train far more with your sidearm in your profession than with your patrol rifle, so it’s best to take some courses to familiarize yourself with the platform. Assuming you’re still in College, I’d also recommend looking into becoming a reserve with a local LE agency or Explorer/Cadet program depending on your age to get additional experience and be able to network. You chose a great career, but it’s also very competitive, so do what you can to set yourself apart. This forum may be worth your time to check out for LE related questions. Good luck!

Colt, BCM, and Sionics are good to go.

BCM offers better features like free float m-lok or keymod rails and tapered barrels (their ELW). You can get a BCM upper and a complete lower separately either from BCM or say Aero Precision and have a solid setup that isn't too expensive.

Colt makes the Trooper or CCU ARs too, which have a Centurion free float rail.  The nice thing about free float slim rails is the extra real estate, being able to extend your support hand further out to control muzzle climb, and having a "roll cage" around your barrel to rest against barricades. The 6920 is a basic workhorse, but Trooper/CCU will give you more flexibility and future proofing with respect to mounting accessories.

Sionics makes carbines for LE departments but sells to civvies too.

IMO, BCM is best overall for features vs quality vs price though.

Daniel Defense makes everything in-house which is good and bad. Bad in that they can't be the best at everything. Price is kinda high.  I don't see DD being functionally better than BCM but they're more expensive.