Hi People and Happy Holidays!
Ok I posted on 12-19 requesting advice on 1st AR ...Thanks for the input. Anyway I have since done much reading and checking around and I think I have narrowed it down to three.
First is a Colt MT6400c...I keep reading that Colt is better due to better Q C, and more testing of parts with the end result of better relieability. I am concerned about caliber with the Colt. Will it be able to fire 5.56 mm ammo w/o problems? As it doesn't say anything about this on Colts website. Only says 223 rem and I would like to be able to use both types of ammo.  The next two are Bushmasters The first one is the XM15 E2S A3 type or the Superlight A3 type. I like the light weight and stubby stock of the superlight but not so sure I like the lighter barrel. I guess I like the Colt better due to it's rep. It does cost a little more but I have found you get what you pay for. I think I will leave my first AR intact to learn on, so the incompatability thing with the Colt (for me) is no big deal. If it will handle 5.56 ammo ok. I will likely build my 2nd AR to make it custom to my taste, once I learn more and get a bunch of trigger time and find what I need/like. SO I was wondering what you guys think? Are there any things I sould be looking at in compairing above AR's other then I have already gone through? I was also wondering about hi cap mags. Is it legal for me to us 20 or 30 rnd mags on my new AR? I don't know if it would matter but I live In North carolina. Anyone know good places to shop for my AR in NC Jacksonville/wilmington area? Or good online places to shop for a Colt or a Bushmaster? Well thanks guys Rick  

no problems with the ammo in either gun. Although I'm gonna disagree with who ever told you colt's are better. Any of the other manufacturers make a product that is equal to if not better than colts. My advice would be to get a whatever brand you like.

The 6400C is really about as close to the Military M4 you can get in the civilian market and is chambered for the 5.56mm and the barrel's 1:7 twist will handle just about any ammo weight you'd throw at it.  I have been really happy with Colt lately - their fit, finish and function has been flawless on all the rifles I've sold over the past year or so.  The reason Colt advertises the rifle as a .223 is because it's a commercial rifle, so they advertise it using the commercial ammo caliber.  As you pointed out, the fire control group pins are still Colt only, but there are still trigger upgrades available.

The Bushmasters are both fine rifles as well - however, I would strongly advise firing a rifle with the stubby stock before firing one.  I have found the stubby to be much too short for firing comfortably.  I've noticed a slip in Bushy's QC lately, but nothing that has really alarmed me much.

You're approaching this very well.  After all, you've already admitted to yourself that after you buy one - you'll be buying another.

In closing, I personally prefer the Colt, but any of the above rifles would serve you quite well.

The only thing against the Colt is the compensator (get rid of it).  I'm also not a fan of the faux telestock - but that's a cosmetic not functional issue.

Personally I'm a big fan of the ultralight weight barrel.  The Stubby stock though is a bit short - especially if you don't use the stock the right way (the buttplate should be on the chest, not in the shoulder - more like a sub-gun stance).  With a spacer though it works very well.  My current carbine is a flattop with the BM ultralightweight barrel and the stubby stock (which has been lengthened).  Short, light, and very manageable.

This pic is a little tough to make out, but here is the barrel of my Colt MT6400C:

[img]http://home.comcast.net/~cjan99999/Cmp.JPG[/img]

If you look closely you will see that it says 5.56 [:)]

As far as the cloners being superior to Colt, read these threads and draw your own conclusions:

[url=64.177.53.248/ubb/Forum56/HTML/000497.html]AR15 deficiencies[/url]

[url=http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=3&f=118&t=176742]More from Pat Rogers[/url]

Since my old Bushy went back for warranty repair three times and still doubled I'm not especially thrilled with Bushmaster's notion of "customer service". I can certainly understand that bad rifles happen, but they should have given me a new damn rifle. If I had known then what I know now I would have brought the BATF into it.

I would rather rot in hell than be forced to own another one of their half-assed products.

Enjoy your new Colt. Chances are it won't be seriously frigged up out of the box. In the unlikely event that it does have a problem all Colts have a lifetime service agreement.

[img]http://home.comcast.net/~cjan99999/Service1.JPG[/img]

As far as Bushy's warranty goes, I sold mine exactly two weeks before the one year warranty expired...

The Colt will fire the 556 ammo fine. Both the Colt and Bushmaster rifles will make you happy. I have owned a Colt MT6700 and I know own the Bushmaster Modular model. I didn't put many rounds through the Colt before I sold it but it worked great. The Bushmaster has been flawless so far. The Colt 6400c model goes for about $950, the Bushmaster Modular model I paid $1099 for. You might want to look into the Modular model, for the extra $150 you get lots of nice extra features. You get a 16" barrel that is chrome lined and fluted as opposed to a 14.5" with a compensator. Chrome lined barrels are much easier to clean, 16" barrels will have better terminal effects, fluting will help disapate heat and many don't like the Colt compensator (it's loud and often shoots off). The Bushmaster comes with a B.M.A.S. integrated rail system that free floats the barrel. This gives you the ability to add accessories and mount optics further forward. Free floating gives you better accuracy. The Bushmaster comes with flip up front and rear sights which I like, first I don't have to buy a buis to use with a rail mounted optic and second is I don't like to see the front sight post in the view of my optic. Two other nice additions are a Ergo grip and an ACE ARFX stock. The ACE stock is much nicer than the Colt stock that is there only to meet the AWB ban. The Ergo grip is also much more comfortable. So as you see you get allot of money's worth of nice extras for not much extra money. The Colt is the hot rifle in the AR15 style weapons right now and is the closest to what the servicemen are carrying. The Colts also will keep their value better then any of the others. I hope this helps.