Here we go again.
If you don't know, or understand, the various features in The Chart then you need to review the Google Doc or pick up a copy of this month's Surefire Presents Guns & Ammo Combat Tactics and turn to page 64 to find an article written by me along with the Chart.
Don't read any more into The Chart than what is there.
However, there ARE certain assumptions made with interpreting The Chart and the writeup.
First is that you're interested in defensive use of the carbine. Most people would therefore agree that longevity and reliability (not in that order) are the two most important things in this case. As such, the features listed are relative to those concerns.
Second is that you're not out looking for 1/4 MOA accuracy. The hard truth is that most people can't shoot that well to begin with, and aren't going to use ammo capable of that accuracy in this type of rifle. I would submit that if what you're looking for is a bench-rest one-holer than a 16", M4 profile barrel, with a collapsible stock and GI trigger are NOT what you should be shopping for.
Third is that people want the best quality they can get at a given price. The features listed (assuming that you've decided for yourself that these features are desirable) all cost money to include in a rifle. As such, the more features you have the more expensive the rifle will be. If you don't want the features, then you can use The Chart to find the rifle with the features that you DO want and which carbines have those features.
I hear things all the time like "my Bushmaster is more accurate than my buddy's Colt" or "my Oly has run for 10k rounds without a hiccup" or "my DPMS only cost me $600". Great. Fantastic. I am extremely happy for you, and if you are happy with what you bought then I would never suggest (other than in jest) that you part with it. However, keep in mind that you are limited to sample sizes of one, or two, or whatever. What is relayed in the Chart is fact to the best of my knowledge, and there are ways to have the Chart adjusted if you disagree with the facts.
Make of it what you will, use it for what it's intended, but don't get offended that your pet carbine sample size 1 (or even 10) is further to the right than you would prefer. Soldier on with whatever makes you happy. Nobody is asking you to do anything other.
Finally, for those that ARE interested in sub MOA accuracy, and ARE capable of firing those kinds of groups, and ARE going to use the kind of ammo that can produce said groups, and DO (for whatever reason) want to do this kind of shooting with an M4-pattern carbine...
Remember this, accuracy (once the above is eliminated) is a fickle thing. Anyone that spends time around a range and keeps their eyes open will see that carbines that are virtually identical in every way will prefer different brands, weights, lengths, loadings, etc. You can have two identical Colt 6920s side-by-side right out of the box and one might find that a Black Hills 77 grain is the most accurate load for that gun, and the other may prefer a 62 grain loading from the same maker. There are so many variables that go into making a rifle accurate that ammo selection has to come into play because those variables can NEVER be identical from gun to gun.
