New Colt .308s

[teutonicpolymer]

http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2...-rifle-family/

The budget model seems very attractive and looks like it can annihilate the M&P10. I am liking what I see.

[JoshNC]

Would be great if Colt would use a low-pro gasblock and extend the fore-end over the gasblock on the monolithic upper variants.

[VIP3R 237]

I agree with joshNC about the hand guard, that is the one thing that has held me back from jumping in on the 901 platform.

[teutonicpolymer]

It seems that the budget model has that

[LRRPF52]

Yup. The AR901-16S is going to sell well I think. Before this was announced on TFB yesterday, I commented last week how Colt is uniquely positioned currently with the 901 to be competitive with the GII because they have a much shorter receiver design, due to the shorter BCG of the 901. Since the market trend is heavily leaning towards lightweight, well-balanced guns, the other companies are doing everything they can to put the 1993-forward receiver and BCG sets on a diet, whereas Colt only needed to get away from the quad rail, without really touching the critical core components of the gun.

I didn't think they were anywhere near responding to it, but they obviously are ahead of the power curve, especially since they introduced this rifle years ago before the GII came about.

Either way, 2015 is going to be an interesting and exciting year for AR10's, hunters, action shooters, and recreational folks looking for more retained energy from Stoner design rifles and carbines.

We have entered a stage in the AR family's evolution that indicates this design has way more longevity in it than anyone could have imagined. When you start to consider the unique position that Colt is in with their modular mag well, you then see that a whole new line of parent cartridges is possible as well. I was handling a 901 at the LGS the other day, and several trains of thought started going through my mind, mainly because of the balance point of the BCG, imagining the quad rail gone and replaced with modern lightweight tubes. Gears are certainly turning, and I suspect Colt is way ahead of that thought process in many ways.

[teutonicpolymer]

Yeah these look like winners. I was thinking of getting a bolt gun but I may just end up with a 16s instead now.

[LRRPF52]

I started to write a detailed market analysis of these developments, but I realized that it was much too lengthy to post in this medium.

Several legacy companies are well-poised to enjoy excellent sales for the next decade, whereas many are faced with some critical choices to make if they are to expand or contract.

I see three main tiers right now, with serious consequences for them all. Some extremely positive, and some very troubling.

Either way, it's going to be a buyer's market like we've never seen before in the AR15/AR10 industry, for both civilians, and others...

[Eurodriver]

$1600 MSRP? I'm down.

[ZGXtreme]

These were announced just as I was pondering what my dedicated deer rifle would be. The AR901 variant has won based on what I have seen thus far.

[SeriousStudent]

This might solve my conundrum how what parts to use for a .308 AR build. I'd honestly rather buy a factory rifle, and let them handle the teething pains.

Plus I have a spare 6920 upper just sitting in a safe. Hmm.....