Quoted:
Best for what?
If you want a weapon, Bushmaster is the best. If you want a collector, Colt (preban). If you want a target rifle that looks great, Armalite.
-Troy
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I think this pretty well sums it up!
I have owned Colt, Bushmaster and now Rock River Arms.
My Bushy A3 Dissipator is the best to be used as a weapon as Troy said. It is superbly reliable and very accurate. Additionally, it incorporates almost every single Mil-Spec currently in use. In short, Bushmaster is as good/better than what our own military uses.
The Colt I had was a pre-94 Sporter Target w/ block. Yep, the lower was technically pre-ban as it still had the A2 flash hider but it was sans bayo. lug. It was reliable (not as much as the Bushy though) and was pretty well made. I was pleased with it.
The Rock River LEGP is the most asthetically pleasing AR I have ever set hands on. Superb quality and craftsmanship and utterly reliable. I rate it better than Colt and Bushmaster.
I still consider myself a Bushmaster man though I will take a RRA anyday.
I will not pay the $ for a simple AR-15 A2 pre-ban Colt as I would personally only consider a very early SP1 if I were gonna drop the cash for a pre-ban.
If you choose Bushy, Rock River, Colt or Armalite you are going to be okay.