Trying to decide on my Next AR

[1168]

The only midlength I've had (as well as another I had experience with but didn't own) wasn't reliable enough running .223 lower pressure ammo (PMC Bronze) in cold conditions. Up until recently, that's kept me scared away from midlengths completely. However, I am looking at the BCM 16" BFH Midlength. If it's as reliable as the carbine length 16"/14.5" running low pressure ammo (PMC Bronze, etc) in sub-optimal conditions, .

My 14.5 BCM mid length ....upgraded with a Springco blue spring, H3 buffer

I don’t know what else to say to address your concerns that a middie is inherently undergassed.

[Eurodriver]

You keep mentioning that.
I keep a browser window opened to the ArmsUnlimited page.
There’s just one left.
But it can’t beat the $605 6920 (OEM-2) from a few months back.

I wish I’d seen that!

$605 with a $200~ Centurion 2 piece is a no brainer.

I don’t get why the 1 and 2s are the same price right now.

[phixion]

I could not see the difference between Colt ARs and other brands- until I got my hands on a Colt, broke it down to replace the 16" barrel with a 14.5" M4A1 SOCOM barrel and started shooting it. There are a lot of things Colt simply does better than anything else I've gotten my hands on. Most are subtle. This impression was reinforced when I took IG's armorers course.

Would you mind detailing the subtle differences you've noticed?

[JediGuy]

I wish I’d seen that!

$605 with a $200~ Centurion 2 piece is a no brainer.

I don’t get why the 1 and 2s are the same price right now.

I went with a Troy SOCC for $135...

I think people don’t understand what they’re getting with the 2.

Edit: Also, some of the (remaining) reviews on AU for the 1 are less than convincing. Part of me wonders if they were pieces together. But the 6920 I got was good.

[tehpwnag3]

I don't own one, but I've read so much about how soft these shoot straight out of the box. If guys are typically running mil-spec strength springs and H buffers, how does yours work so well with a blue spring and H3 buffer?

My 14.5 BCM mid length is my perfect gun, especially once upgraded with a Springco blue spring, H3 buffer and bolt upgrade kit. I plan on buying some more pre election to put away along with mags.


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[MistWolf]

Would you mind detailing the subtle differences you've noticed?

I've had the chance to shoot three Colt ARs with the M4A1 SOCOM barrel with a carbine RE, H2 buffer and factory action spring. All three shoot the same. All three deliver about 2 - 2.5 MOA with Federal XM193. Recoil feels the same- quick and smooth, without being sharp. Ejection pattern is the same.

Fitment of parts is consistent. Lower parts fit without slop or being too tight. Selector action is positive. Mag release action is smooth and positive without excessive play. Bolt lock back and release is positive without requiring excessive pressure to release.

Fitment of trigger pins is neither too tight or too loose. Roll pin fitment is neither too tight or too loose. Pin holes are clean and round. Holes are drilled to the correct angle.

Thread timing of the RE & lower is correct. When installing a Colt RE to a Colt lower, the lip of the RE holds the buffer retainer pin at the right spot. The RE doesn't crowd the retainer pin post or barely catch the lip.

Fitment of endplate tongue & RE groove is right. When installing the RE, the endplate tongue holds the RE from rotating. This makes the RE almost self aligning during installation.

Fitment of upper & lower. I've yet to encounter a Colt that needed excessive pressure to pop a takedown pin or had excessive play between a Colt upper & Colt lower.

Gas port diameters are correct. Spring rates are correct, particularly the extractor spring. I've seen many brands, including BCM, have problems with marginal or weak extractor springs (in the case of BCM, it's because they got a bad batch of springs). Buffer weights are correct. BCG moves smoothly in the upper.

Fit & finish is right. Not the cosmetic fit & finish, but the fit & finish specified by the blueprint to assure proper function, protection from wear, reduction of friction and/or galling and resistance to corrosion.

Colt triggers have a horrible pull from the factory. Colt triggers feel like they backed up a gravel truck and dumped the whole load into the fire control group as the finishing touch. However, they clean up nice with a little grease, patience and dry fire.

Nothing on the Colt is guessed at or reverse engineered. Every dimension is known, every process specifically developed by or approved by Colt- and it shows. I have decades of experience fabricating and installing replacement parts for aircraft and have developed a good eye for details. Spend time working on ARs of various brands and pay attention and you'll start noticing the differences.

[opngrnd]

OP-My 16" and 18" Sionics builds work from -10 to 95+ degrees. My BRT Optimum builds work in the the same temperature. I use a variety of 223 pressure reloads, 5.56 factory, and 223 brass loads. The Colt 6920 I had did the same. The Sionics and Optimum ran smoother, but that's a side consideration to proper function.

Just buy quality and you'll be fine.

[Five_Point_Five_Six]

I've owned 12 AR15s over the past 15 years, but they were all relatively similar. Only a S&W has really given me problems. I'm down to 2 ARs right now. I'd really like to have at least 3, because I believe in having enough of one type of gun to last a lifetime of hard shooting schedules. There are several times a year where I shoot over 1k rounds in one weekend at a class or training, and between those I try to shoot at least 250 rounds a week.

I'd asked about the reliability of 14.5" carbine length gas systems, and something that user scottryan said made me have a couple of questions. I tried to PM him with them, but his mailbox was full. I'd also like to hear everyone else's answers.

1. It's been said several times in many threads here that most 16" midlength gas guns have their ports opened so wide that they aren't more reliable than a properly gassed 14.5" or 16" carbine length gas AR. Who are some manufacturer's who create a properly gassed midlength, and will they reliably cycle weaker ammo as well in harsh conditions including freezing cold weather and a cruddy environment?

2. Two of the ARs I'm considering next are a BCM 14.5" pinned/welded SOCOM profile barrel, and a Colt LE620 SOCOM. They're the same set-up, but it seems hard to decipher which is of higher quality. There's a lot of talk about the Colts of today being not as high of quality as they used to be, whether from outsourcing or other factors. However, it seems generally accepted that the Colt's barrel is incredibly accurate compared to the BCM. Accuracy is far down on my list of priorities compared to reliability and durability, but it makes it harder to decide. Between a Colt and a BCM 14.5" SOCOM, what would be the better rifle in terms of reliability, durability, and longevity?

3. Besides the KAC, what is generally regarded as the most reliable and durable AR money can buy? There may be more than one, but some that come to mind that seem to be regarded as such include LMT, BCM, and SOLGW. LMT in particular seems well regarded across the board, but what holds me back on the LMT is their use of standard weight buffers, semi-auto bolt carriers, and straight-pinned gas blocks rather than the proper taper pins (according to some authorities, taper pins are more durable and less likely to walk out than straight pins). Do the guns they sell to the gov't have straight pins or taper pins? I was under the impression they all had to have taper pins.

Nothing any of us can tell you will change your mind when all of these mid length and taper vs straight pin problems are made up in your head.

Buy a Colt. Buy a BCM. Buy a LMT. Buy a SOLGW. Buy a Sionics. Buy a Centurion. Buy whatever, shoot it, and move on with life.

[maximus83]

I've had the chance to shoot three Colt ARs with the M4A1 SOCOM barrel with a carbine RE, H2 buffer and factory action spring. All three shoot the same. All three deliver about 2 - 2.5 MOA with Federal XM193. Recoil feels the same- quick and smooth, without being sharp. Ejection pattern is the same.

Fitment of parts is consistent. Lower parts fit without slop or being too tight. Selector action is positive. Mag release action is smooth and positive without excessive play. Bolt lock back and release is positive without requiring excessive pressure to release.

Fitment of trigger pins is neither too tight or too loose. Roll pin fitment is neither too tight or too loose. Pin holes are clean and round. Holes are drilled to the correct angle.

Thread timing of the RE & lower is correct. When installing a Colt RE to a Colt lower, the lip of the RE holds the buffer retainer pin at the right spot. The RE doesn't crowd the retainer pin post or barely catch the lip.

Fitment of endplate tongue & RE groove is right. When installing the RE, the endplate tongue holds the RE from rotating. This makes the RE almost self aligning during installation.

Fitment of upper & lower. I've yet to encounter a Colt that needed excessive pressure to pop a takedown pin or had excessive play between a Colt upper & Colt lower.

Gas port diameters are correct. Spring rates are correct, particularly the extractor spring. I've seen many brands, including BCM, have problems with marginal or weak extractor springs (in the case of BCM, it's because they got a bad batch of springs). Buffer weights are correct. BCG moves smoothly in the upper.

Fit & finish is right. Not the cosmetic fit & finish, but the fit & finish specified by the blueprint to assure proper function, protection from wear, reduction of friction and/or galling and resistance to corrosion.

Colt triggers have a horrible pull from the factory. Colt triggers feel like they backed up a gravel truck and dumped the whole load into the fire control group as the finishing touch. However, they clean up nice with a little grease, patience and dry fire.

Nothing on the Colt is guessed at or reverse engineered. Every dimension is known, every process specifically developed by or approved by Colt- and it shows. I have decades of experience fabricating and installing replacement parts for aircraft and have developed a good eye for details. Spend time working on ARs of various brands and pay attention and you'll start noticing the differences.

Good post. Never owned a Colt and always wondered what I was missing. Now I wanna get one too....

[Uni-Vibe]

Good post. Never owned a Colt and always wondered what I was missing. Now I wanna get one too....

What impresses me about the Colt AR is that for only $300 to 400 more than the budget guns, you get a spec grade rifle. Last year I bought a new 6920 at a gun show. A little under $1000 out the door. I think you have to spend quite a bit more than that to get a "better" rifle.