...and honestly, even though I grew up shooting .22 rifles & pistols, I have never owned anything larger then that, short of my glock 9mm pistol which I have not yet been able to take out to the range.  Mind you, I havent joined the gun club yet, there are two that I need to check out (the only two in my area).

So my whole family hunts, except for me.  And though I may start at some point, my main interest is target shooting.  

I started looking at the standard hunting rifles, like winchester and ruger; the whole lot of them really, until I found this article http://old.ar15.com/docs/idealRifle/

I have to admit, it was a very convincing read.  And so I have been researching the AR-15, and reading through posts on these message boards.

So I guess American Spirit Arms is not the good choice I thought it was...and it seems most of you recommend Bushmaster, Armalite, Rock River Arms, and a few others.

Let's say I'm interested in the Armalite, which continually seems to have high praise on this site.  Well, here's how much of a newbie I am...I go to their product list http://www.armalite.com/index-old.htm , and fail to find AR-15 in any of the model numbers.

Are they all AR-15's?  I see M15s and AR-10s, but no AR-15s.  Is M15 another name for AR-15?  I know AR-15s are similar to M16s, but that's where my knowledge ends heh.

What's the difference between A2 and A4 carbine?

Should I ask the local gun clubs if ported barrels will be a problem?  They are louder yes?  I cant imagine this would be too big of an issue at a shooting range, but I thought I'd ask you folks.

I'm thinking 16" barrel.  It's the shortest legal barrel offered correct?

I'm also thinking flat top so I can mount a scope and still shoot in a comfortable position, but what about other sights on the rifle?  I keep reading about A2 and A3 and have no idea what part of the gun they are refering to.  But I'd like to shoot the gun both with and without the scope.

.223 or 5.56mm - what's the difference?  Is there a difference?  

Look, Im sure these questions seem pretty lame to some of you folks but I hope I can get some help here.

I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks,
E

E =

hmm, well I'm not sure what that means mark.

could you elaborate?

^_^

Quoted: Are they all AR-15's?  I see M15s and AR-10s, but no AR-15s.  Is M15 another name for AR-15?  I know AR-15s are similar to M16s, but that's where my knowledge ends heh.

M15's are their model of the AR15's.  AR10's shoot .308 caliber rounds.

What's the difference between A2 and A4 carbine?

For Armalite, A2 is a fixed carry handle while the A4 is the detatchable (or flattop) model.

I'm thinking 16" barrel.  It's the shortest legal barrel offered correct?

Yes, without any further paperwork/taxes imposed, a 16 inch barrel is the shortest legal barrel allowed on a "rifle."

I'm also thinking flat top so I can mount a scope and still shoot in a comfortable position, but what about other sights on the rifle?  I keep reading about A2 and A3 and have no idea what part of the gun they are refering to.  But I'd like to shoot the gun both with and without the scope.

With other companies (such as Bushmaster], the designation of A3 is the flattop variety.

.223 and 5.56mm are basically the same.  .223 will usually refer to civilian match grade ammo.  5.56mm will refer to milspec, high powered ammo.    

On an AR, a chamber that is marked .223 (will be marked on the barrel, the mark on the receiver is no real indication) will have extremely tight tolerances and will give better accuracy.  However a .223 chamber cannot support 5.56mm military ammunition.  5.56mm ammo will create to high a pressure in the extra tight chamber.  5.56mm chambers will be NATO spec and not be as tight and accurate as a .223 chamber.  It will, howver, digest just about any ammunition you feed, except for maybe underpowered specialty target ammunition.  Rock River also has something called a .223 Wylde chamber that is supposed to be a hyprid of the two.  Not to tight, yet not as much space as a NATO chamber.  I'm not sure of the advantages, though.  It's not one or the other.  It won't be as accurate as the .223 SAAMI chamber everyone else uses but will be more accurate than the NATO.  However, personally, I wouldn't use the higher powered U.S. milspec ammo such as M193 or M855 in the Wylde chamber.

Welcome aboard!

You've come to the right place for info on black rifles. The folks here are better informed than any I've encountered anywhere else and they're not shy about answering questions.

You won't find anything on the market named AR-15. The '94 ban prohibits certain firearms by name. One of those is the 'AR-15'. If the rifle's manufacturer calls it an AR-15 then only government agencies can have it. You'll find names like M-15, CAV-15, PCR (Politically Correct Rifle), Match Target, XM15, and a host of other variations on the theme but you won't see an 'AR-15' in your local shop until the ban expires.

If you're looking for information, this sight is loaded with reviews and comparisons of every possible AR-15/M-16 variant in existence. If you're willing to invest the time, you can learn just about everything there is to know about black rifles right here.

If you're thinking about buying, the 'equipment exchange' is a good place to look for deals.

Either way, you won't find a more comprehensive source for info/advice than AR15.com

Are they all AR-15's?

In the sense that all copiers are "Xerox" machines.  Each company has their own marketing name for their rifles, but they're all "AR-15 series" rifles.  

Should I ask the local gun clubs if ported barrels will be a problem?  They are louder yes?

Muzzle brakes are louder than plain muzzles.  The gun club most likely won't care, but other shooters will like you better w/o one.  Avoid the Y-comp from Bushmaster--they're the worst.

I'm also thinking flat top so I can mount a scope and still shoot in a comfortable position, but what about other sights on the rifle?

Get a flat-top.  What to put on it will depend on what you want to do with the rifle.

.223 or 5.56mm - what's the difference?  Is there a difference?

www.ammo-oracle.com

I forgot to mention The Maryland AR-15 Shooters Site.  Lots of good reading there too.

Quoted: I'm thinking 16" barrel.  It's the shortest legal barrel offered correct? I'm also thinking flat top so I can mount a scope and still shoot in a comfortable position, but what about other sights on the rifle?  I keep reading about A2 and A3 and have no idea what part of the gun they are refering to.  But I'd like to shoot the gun both with and without the scope.

Welcome aboard. Lots of good folks on this site and tons of info. Sounds like you're leaning towards an M4 type AR. A2 refers to a fixed carry handle; and the A3 for the flat-top. You would want to get an A3 or flat top and you can use the detachable carry handle. Take it off and mount a scope when you want then use with the carry handle attached when not wanting the scope and use the regular sites.

Quoted: hmm, well I'm not sure what that means mark. could you elaborate? ^_^

Like aimless said, I do it to everyone who announces that he is a newbie.  That way if anyone ever turns out to be a real troll I can say: "I told you do!"