I am looking at getting an AR15.  I already have an Armalite AR10.  I do know I want a Chrome or stainless Carbine with a flat top.  But I need to decide whether I want another Armalite or a Bushmaster.  I love my Armalite- great quality and lifetime warranty.  I am not familiar with Bushmaster products.  Any feedback as which might make a better AR15?

Are you talking about getting a stainless steel barrel? If so, one of the primary differences in the two will be the Armalite has the slightly smaller .223 chamber on their stainless barrel, and the Bushmaster has the slightly larger 5.56 chamber on their stainless steel barrel.

Which is better? It depends on what you want to do with the rifle. If you are building a rifle to squeeze all the accuracy you can out of it, the Stainless Armalite will serve you better. For about aything else, I would skip the stainless steel barrel and get a chrome lined, non HBAR barrel profile (M4, lightweight, govt profile or fluted barrels for instance.)

Fill us in a little on what you want to do with the AR15 and you will get much better advice on what will best suit your needs.

I want to use the AR15 for several things.  It will be used for range work, small game hunting, and tactical setup.  I have a stainless barrel on my ar10.  I have always been told that it will last longer than the Chrome and it is more accurate.  Have I been informed incorrectly?  I want to make this ar15 a tactical weapon.  I will eventually put a Trijicon Ta31F or Ta20 on it.  Any advice on other options?

I saw the DPMS Panther Sweet 16.  It looked pretty sweet.  Does anybody have any feedback on this AR15?

Based on what I've read from BM owners in here, I'd avoid BM & go with the Armalite or a Colt. I own a Colt AR-15 & Armalite AR-10 & neither has ever given me the first malfunction. When you buy the best made, you're never disappointed, IMO.

Glock36,

When some manufacturers refer to a chrome barrel as an option, I believe they sometimes mean it is  chromoly, which is different from a chrome lined barrel.  I think it means a barrel containing  chromium-molybdenum as an element in it's composition.

Someone else speak up if I'm wrong, but chrome lined is different (and most people believe longer lasting and easier to clean) than a chrome (chromoly) barrel.  I've looked a chromoly barrels in stores and seen nothing like the chrome lining I would have expected, thus my  post.

Quoted: Are you talking about getting a stainless steel barrel? If so, one of the primary differences in the two will be the Armalite has the slightly smaller .223 chamber on their stainless barrel, and the Bushmaster has the slightly larger 5.56 chamber on their stainless steel barrel. Which is better? It depends on what you want to do with the rifle. If you are building a rifle to squeeze all the accuracy you can out of it, the Stainless Armalite will serve you better. For about aything else, I would skip the stainless steel barrel and get a chrome lined, non HBAR barrel profile (M4, lightweight, govt profile or fluted barrels for instance.) Fill us in a little on what you want to do with the AR15 and you will get much better advice on what will best suit your needs.

Good questions.  A little more info is in order.

Glock 36,

I believe it all boils down to what you want.  Probably the most important thing to do in the purchase of a AR 15 is to be able to check the weapon out before you buy it.  I have both Bushmaster and Colt rifles.  Due to my employment, by regulation I have to carry a Colt while on duty.  Being one of the firearms instructors for my department I’ve seen a few Colts come directly from the factory in unsatisfactory condition.  Thus far out of 15 different rifles that have made it to the range, 3 had improperly fitted trigger guards that did not allow the magazine to drop from the magazine well and on one of those three the safety selector was not properly finished; the hole was not drilled for the detent to fit into on the switch.    With this condition the safety just kind of flopped around between safe and fire. Rifles shouldn’t leave the factory like that. Me?  I like Bushmaster and Colt.  It’s not like Bushmaster doesn’t let some lemons out there either.  I was lucky, I got to check out my Bushmaster before I bought it and it is a great rifle.  I was lucky with my work Colt because I got another great rifle right from the factory.  As far as Armalite goes, I have no experience with them.  I could only imagine it boils down to sentence one and two above….get what you want and check it out before you buy it.  

An ArmaLite M15A4 carbine oughta do the trick.

Of course I would say that as that's what I bought !!  (And I really like it.)