Hey Everyone, I've been reading the posts on this site and you all seem to know what you're talking about.  I'm looking into buying my first AR-15 but I'm not sure which brand to go with.  I was looking at the 800ish brands (Stag Arms, Bushmaster, DPMS, etc.) but a friend who has an AR told be to stay away from the Bushmasters for one reason or another.  My uncle told me that they use Colt AR's on the local Police force and thinks I should drop a few more bucks and go with the Colt.  I was wondering how reliable the cheaper ones are as compared to to Colts and if anyone can offer me guidance on the situation.  Thanks for Reading!

My bushy has never failed.  Holds about a 1.25" group at 100 yards with XM193.  I've got a M4 type carbine and think of it as a damn fine rifle.

Nothing wrong with a bushmaster.  Stag and Rock River are also good options.  Colts are really nice but in my opinion not worth all the extra money over the others.  My personal favorite is LMT because you get all the qualities for the most part of the Colt with a couple hundred dollars reduction in price.  I'm a big LMT fan, but wouldn't have any problem owning a RRA, Bushmaster, or Stag.  Just make sure what you get has a chrome lined barrel.  There is a chart floating around here someplace that compares the features of all the major players in ARs.  Maybe someone can post it that has it saved.

Rock River is a fine rifle.  However, I've been disappointed with the Bushmaster that I've purchased this year.  I much prefer my Armalite to my Bushmaster for a myriad of reasons (fit, finish, trigger pull, accuracy and life-time warranty).