new guy needs help

[mrshankmmz]

my buddy and i are wanting to get a pair of ar-15 carbines that are the most similar to the m4's we use in the Army. i have read alot on this sight and so far it looks like the best for our buck is something made by LMT or S&W. i would like for some help on what we should look at. also i was wondering how much of a difference there is in accuracy between the 16" and 14.5" barrels. im sorry if this post is too vague for quick answer. all help will greatly be appreciated.

[Jay Cunningham]

my buddy and i are wanting to get a pair of ar-15 carbines that are the most similar to the m4's we use in the Army. i have read alot on this sight and so far it looks like the best for our buck is something made by LMT or S&W. i would like for some help on what we should look at. also i was wondering how much of a difference there is in accuracy between the 16" and 14.5" barrels. im sorry if this post is too vague for quick answer. all help will greatly be appreciated.

Colt LE6920

No difference in accuracy.

[Failure2Stop]

Aw hell, you opened up a whole can of worms with this one. . .

Here's my take on the situation-

Though Colt makes the M4s for the .mil, the civilian lower receivers are different. That being said, you will not be able to purchase a lower receiver like the M4 without a great deal money, paperwork, and time. So, the next best thing comes into play here.

An civilian Colt lower will have fire control group pins that are larger than the .mil pins, which everyone else uses in their civilian guns. So, unless you want the pony on your lower (many others do, including me), I would just go with an LMT lower receiver. There are other options, but the LMT has really good small parts. Going with the Colt lower will not lose you out on anything though, except for the large FCG pins.

The upper receiver is the most important part of the carbine. Colt upper receivers are the standard by which others are judged. Most do not come close. You can easily buy a 6920/6921 (Civilian version of the M4) upper recever, but it is going to be a little pricy. You can also go with an LMT, which will be less expensive, but will not be as "milspec" as the Colt.

If you get a 6920 or LMT 16" barrel the barrel will be a bit longer than your issued M4s, but it is the easiest way to accomplish your goal.

If you really really really want to get as close to an M4 as possible without doing NFA paperwork, you can buy a 6921 or LMT 14.5 upper and have a flash-hider permanently pinned and welded to your barrel.

You can just get the complete guns as well, which makes everything easier.

You can also get a complete 6921, but you will have to do NFA paperwork and wait for it to clear before you can get the gun (seems to be running about 1 month from the date the BATFE receives your paperwork).

Accuracy difference between 14.5 and 16? None. There will be some velocity difference, but high velocity does not equal better accuracy. Iron sight users will generally shoot better with a rifle than a carbine due to the greater sight radius of the rifle. With a carbine length gas system, there will be no difference between the 14.5 and 16 sight radius. LMTs seem to have better than average accuracy potential, but really, the best way to get more accuracy out of your system is to feed it quality ammo and practice a lot.

Prepare for the flood. . .