Comparing a colt 6920 to a Palmetto build your own kit

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I used to wine about the Colt KoolAid drinkers. Then I got myself a Colt 6920 and noticed that it tastes like grape, which is my favorite. Now I kind of drink the Kool Aid too. When the 6920 was stolen from the back of my truck while I was in the process of moving a few years ago, I replaced it ASAP with a Colt 6960CCU.

Colt is not the end-all-be-all and Mil-Spec is not the highest achievable standard. Rather, milspec means your gun doesn't suck any less than such-and-such standard. It is the lowest standard of achievement, but some of us find it comforting because it is definable and because the military arrived at that standard by learning some pretty tough lessons the hard way. Colt has been with them the whole way and has decades of experience building these rifles for front line combat. So yes, you do pay a little more for the Colt name. People in the know tend to respect that name, so the rifles tend to hold their value too. Colt still owns the Technical Data Package for the M16/M4. This is the military's list of materials, dimensions, treatments, and certifications that determines what "milspec" is. People pay more for Colt because they know what they are getting. It is nice knowing you have a properly contoured and chrome-lined CMV barrel that is MPI'd prior to leaving the factory, rated for full auto fire, and guaranteed to have a service life of 25,000 rounds. It is nice knowing that your gas block, gas key, and the collar around your receiver extension is properly pinned and staked. It is nice knowing you have a Carpenter 158 bolt, forged 7075 instead of cast or 6000 series aluminum in your receiver and receiver extension, and that all of these components are properly assembled by a professional who takes pride in their work. If you are looking for a hard use rifle, something to trust your life to, then paying the extra money for a Colt might be a good idea. You can find better fit and finish in a BCM or a Larue, but these rifles are going to cost you yet more. Sometimes considerably so. Colt gives the working man a solid rifle at a decent price. When I picked up my 6920, it was just under a grand and even came with sights. When I got my CCU, it was about $1200 and didn't have sights, but has the low profile gas block, midlength gas system, 15" freefloating M-Lock rail, and ambi switch. I consider both of these a steal for the price. When I had the 6920, I was on the bandwagon that is was the best service rifle of any manufacture or design available for under $1000.

I have a friend who just took advantage of some Black Friday sales to put together a PSA. It is a decent rifle and he is happy with it. Because it is set up much like mine at half the cost, he asked if I would rather have done something like his than pay for the Colt. I replied "hell no" so fast he was almost insulted, until I explained that I just like knowing what is on my rifle, and who built it. So I am not dissing PSA or their products, just saying that if you or a loved one might be trusting their life to this rifle, it might be advisable to pay for the Colt, as it is that minimum "milspec" standard that some of us have also trusted with our lives.

The 6920:
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The 6960CCU:
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I say get both. Get the Colt, then start collecting PSA parts over time so as not to take a big, up-front financial hit. Then have fun building your PSA rifle once you’ve gathered everything and shoot it to your heart’s content when done. If a PSA part breaks or gives you trouble, buy a replacement. And since it’s just a lower cost PSA build, you could always keep it as a beater “truck gun” if your state’s laws allow. Meanwhile, you’ll still have your reliable, gold-standard Colt to keep and enjoy shooting, too.
 
The only caution I have about Colt is their customer service when there is a problem with one of their products. I sent a Commander back for repairs....They had it for 10 months! I'm sure if it would have been a lot longer if Brent Turchi from their custom shop hadn't helped out. I was able to contact him with a PM as he used to post and help members on the 1911 Forum. I was never able to get any info on the repair with Colt before that,in fact It was impossible to get someone to answer their CS phone. This experience had a large part to play when it came to buying my AR.
 
I've had old Bushmasters, Stags and some parts builds (from Stag, Aero, Anderson, DPMS).
They all shot well, and ran fine.
I did NOT shop for the cheapest parts or try for the lowest priced build.
Also assembled them with proper tools (shop has them, I worked there, get to use their bench whenever).

There is a table on another site, been there for years, showing the differences between brands.
Do you need the phosphate coating under your front sight assembly?
That a "mil spec".

My current AR is a frankengun. Don't care. It runs great and shoots great. I treat it like crap.
I call it the "ex wife".
I sometimes clean it, throw it in the truck, let it ride on the floorboard.........it gets dinged and dented..........and I don't care.
Not a super cheap build, but it's an AR and I find them ugly and annoying................and entirely useful.

Think every good citizen should have one (talking about an AR LOL).
 
I never got off on assembling AR's.
Don't think them anything to write home about.
Just did it because assembling spread the cost out over time.

I have a Combat Commander I bought new, 10K shots, zero probs.
Had a Python, shot Woodsmans growing up.

Like Colt fine.

Wouldn't mind a pony on the side of my AR, but for what I do........not needed.
Hell if I had a Colt I might have to put it on the seat instead of floorboard ;)
 
I bought an ER Shaw bbl during the 1st scare. Took forever to get it.
Shot great, is now my bud's coyote rifle.
The pins for the front sight were not tapered and needed Loctited.
W 2-7X Redfield I get .75" at 100 yards w Hornady 55gr flex tip.
Did do the set screw and JP spring trigger job.
Every AR I've ever had was 1 in 9 twist and ran 55gr. They all shot good.
I'll use em for yotes........have shot chucks. Good enough.
If the SHTF comes around, figure the pile of 55gr stuff I have will also be good enough.
 
Colt's not a bad choice if one is going to leave it alone, meaning not change parts out.
^This^

If I were to buy a Colt 6920 that's what I'd do. Leave it alone.

If I was going to change anything at all (except maybe the grip or something like that) I'd probably pick something else (BCM, DD etc).

I'd buy a PSA and put it together if I were trying to get the lowest possible price spread out over some time.

Aero has some good things going for it as far as parts guns go though.

BCM is probably my favorite overall.
 
I put a lot of rounds through a PSA 16" middy and I liked it a lot. But the first range session I had with a Colt 6920, I found I liked it better. It shoots more consistently. Recoil was smoother, felt right and was quicker to get back on target. Ejection was more consistent. It wasn't just one Colt. Every Colt I've shot, I noticed the same thing.

I tore down a 6920 to clean out all the factory preservative and swap the barrel and RE. The parts fit together better on the Colt than they did on my PSA. The PSA needed work done to the feed ramps and the extractor spring replaced before it would run right. However, once the problems were ironed out, it never gave any more trouble. It just didn't didn't feel as good as the Colt when shooting it. I think spring quality has a lot to do with it.

Subjective, yes. For me, the price difference is worth it to go from a PSA to a Colt. I don't mind swapping out the barrel or changing the upper to a free float tube. I can get more money parting out a Colt than I can selling it whole.

If you do get an AR that gives you trouble, don't worry. They're easy to trouble-shoot if you know what you're doing and the solution is usually simple. The good thing about ARs is that once you get one sorted out, they stay sorted out.
Until you put a pawn shop magazine in it.
 
When Colts were $1200 I was incredulous that they were in such demand. Now that they are $7-800, much better.

Knight’s Armament SR-15 is the gold standard IMHO. I build all my rifles but a Colt will of course be reliable unless you get a very rare lemon.


Lots of parts on stock rifles I don’t like so I usually assemble everything myself.

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IMO it all depends on the role of the rifle . If you are getting a range toy or hunting stick to poke at pasture poodles or shoot a hog in the butt once in a while then the PSA level rifle makes a whole lot of sense and I confess to having a couple . However If you want a rifle for duty or defense then quite possibly paying the overhead for the inspections and quality controls that the " better " companys have in place is likely the way to go .
The theory is that you are not necessarily paying for better parts , rather you are paying for an inspection and quality control regimen that insures all the parts that go into an assembled rifle meet a set of standards and tolerances . Now even the best brands can have an occasional problem gun , but you will see a lot less of them due to the extra time and expense they put into actually checking that things are in spec rather than just dropping them into the recievers . Only the person buying can say if they are willing to shell out the bucks for the assurances , or if they feel competent to self inspect and deal with issues that may come up .
 
Colts are made up of parts manufactured by others just like every other rifle. Fan boys are going to be fanboys, that's just the way we are.
I went from Colts to rock river arms years ago because I wanted a better rifle. And then I realized I was wasting money with RRA products because I could build my own which were just as good for less.
It's humorous after all these years and all the problems and the crap that colt has put on the market to see people justify the higher price point based solely on their name.
By the way I still have my colt ARs and keep them because there's nothing wrong with them and their history for me.
 
I don't have any interest in mil-spec stuff. I generally like stuff that is better than mil-spec. For instance, I'm not interested in a mil-spec trigger on an AR - not when MUCH better triggers are available that drop-in. I certainly have zero interest in paying more for one mil-spec gun than another, especially since I'd be changing out parts anyway. PSA stuff works just fine as a platform for upgraded parts... just as well as a Colt.

As for the reliability thing - it's not hard to find a reliable AR these days. That's not really a point of distinction in favor of Colt - it's a big black mark against any particular rifle that isn't.
 
Only the person buying can say if they are willing to shell out the bucks for the assurances , or if they feel competent to self inspect and deal with issues that may come up .

Or, maybe, shoot the gun enough to know? Especially if someone is buying a gun for self-defense, you'd expect them to run several hundred rounds - maybe a few thousand - down the barrel to really get to know the gun. You're likely to kick up any "QC" issues somewhere along that line.
 
IMO it all depends on the role of the rifle . If you are getting a range toy or hunting stick to poke at pasture poodles or shoot a hog in the butt once in a while then the PSA level rifle makes a whole lot of sense

This sort of summarizes why I keep coming back to this thread. The OP says he’s an AK guy but wouldn’t mind having an AR just because. Then Colt everything is weapons grade plutonium and PSA makes iffy, cross your fingers stuff.

Maybe we summarize?

Colt 6920: a base model, no frills carbine, assembled by Colt using quality parts.

PSA: your choice of gas length, barrel length/material/twist rate/finish, with your choice of gas block, hand guards, sights, trigger, grip, stock, and bolt carrier group at differing price points assembled by them or you.

So often I hear the upper is where you should spend money on an AR so how about this:

$340 for a PSA 16” M4 profile upper with an FN supplied barrel, fsb, basic hand guards, 1:7 twist 5.56 NATO chamber, and proofed.

$60 for a PSA BCG that is full auto profile, MPI/HPT and shot peened, correctly staked.

$68 for a DD 1.5 rear sight.

$160 for a PSA lower with Magpul MOE furniture and EPT trigger group.

That’s $628 with around $200 for the charging handle of your choice and some extra springs if you like. That’s enough left over for a trigger upgrade in the $150 range or nearly enough for a second full lower.
 
For $500 I would get the Smith and Wesson Sport II or the Ruger AR. They are on sale a lot for around that amount

You can get a NIB Colt 6930 for around $850.

I have a few PSA's and am very happy with them. I have no problem using mine for home defense.

I have run several hundred rounds through mine and it is broken in to my satisfaction.

I do have a Spikes Tactical rifle though. You can feel the quality when you pull the charging handle back. Like it is on ball bearings. Ejection is dead on. I could put a 5 gallon bucket to my right and have 8 out of 10 rounds land inside it. Crazy accurate too.
 
i have 3 AR's
one S & W in 223
one PSA in 223
one PSA in 7.62 x 39
I an happy that the bullets come out the front.
My favorite rifle is a Ruger Ranch American in 7.62 x 39 with a 3-9 scope--a super accurate rifle for a short barrel.
ENJOY + I LIKE THAT I CAN USE ALL THOSE MINI 30 MAGS ON THE RUGER
 
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I have put together a couple AR's, I had a very bad experience with PSA. Several out of spec parts and a bad BCG, and PSA just gave me a run around and didn't do anything to fix the problem. Very iffy indeed. A Del ton kit from Midway was excellent. Thinking about another build. It won't be PSA.
 
I like PSA. They done me right when I complained about their cheaper buffer tubes which stripped with a bit of effort. Had 2 new ones in a week. Built several, still own a few along with the Colts, BCM, Daniel Defense.

Colt the gold standard? No, but it's a pretty good start for a serious weapon. Anything can break. Best advice is from Pat Rogers: M.E.A.L. (mags, extractor, ammo, lube). Have spares.

http://frfrogspad.com/ar.htm

M
 
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On any forum with more than one member you will get many opinions. Many guys claiming to have fired 10k rounds have weapons that look new. 10k rounds of any centerfire ammo costs more than most common service weapons, Id wager, with only what ive personally seen as evidence, that most never see 1k. People lie, and the anonymity of the internet has made things exponentially worse. Most serious classes tell you to bring a proven arm/ammo combination. If you show up with a shiny new pistol to a class, you start the day on the crap list, there is no exaggerating your round count at that point. With the internet that's not the case
I have rifles from low end to high end. For shooting pop cans once a month any will do. And one can build a plinking rifle for just over 300 bucks at the moment. If I'm taking a high round count course, not many brands will do. usually after a few stoppages the instructor will stop you and if you're lucky loan you a better rifle. You will see any brand stop but you will notice the same brands fail consistently.
Borrow a rifle, and use the 500 dollars to take a course and ask the instructor/s their opinion on which rifles you should consider to buy. most sell classes, not guns so you will get good info. If they see hundreds of thousands of rounds fired a month, they know what they are talking about. Or just google some instructors and ask, but the course would be worthwhile. IMHO the opinion of one decent instructor is worth 5000 internet experts on brand durability. Most will bluntly give a list that they see as serviceable and a list that they have seen too many failures.
 
But the question is what is the value the name brings? In some cases there is no question that the name means a better product. I'm not forcing an opinion, I actually left mine out intentionally because I knew where this thread (like all "colt glock hk vs psa hi point etc) would go.
John deere/ new Holland/ massey Ferguson vs Belarus or yanmar. I knew a few who replaced aging tractors with the junk brands. They all regretted it and due to lack of parts all have normal brands now. So the other brands were worth paying for the name. There are many 60 year old Massey Ferguson and ford tractors used every day. I know of exactly one of the junk brands tractors that made it 10 years.
Buy a bottle of tarantula or two fingers tequila and then a bottle of patron and see if "the name" is all your paying for. Or cheap beer vs "name brand". I don't drink but I have done it enough to see that with the name comes higher quality in some cases.
Ive bought cheap tools and electronics before. I always end up paying for "a name" when they give out. 99% of the time there is a world of difference.
I've worked in textiles for 20 years. We sell thread to many companies. Anyone who says Nike or under armour etc. is the same as budget clothes has no idea what they are taking about. Is it worth the difference in price... that's up to the buyer. But from the start of the process to the end, there absolutely are differences.
Of course some times I'm sure it's only the name that your paying for too. In my opinion Yeti may be the best example of that I've seen here. My yeti coffee cup would have luke warm coffee by dinner. My cheap beat up Stanley is still hot after 12 hours every day. Usually It all comes down to how much your willing to pay for the differences. Is Rolex better than timex... absolutely. It's easy to find 30+ year old Rolex still working. I'd bet most are, actually. Nearly all 30 year old timex are in a landfill. But is it worth the price, that's up to the buyer. To me it's not.
Anyone who bought a lorcin/ Jennings etc rather than paying for the name Glock/Beretta/sig etc.... they likely "paid for a name" the next time they purchased a pistol.
 
First, I would like to congratulate everyone on this thread for not posting "the chart".


A name brand means something to someone. It depends if you're that someone or if you may sell the rifle to that someone.
The 6920 gives you a quality, function tested carbine out of the box.
But, it is what it is: a basic AR from a reputable manufacturer with a warranty.

Flame away, the 6920 truly was at one time considered the "gold standard" among the "M4geries", but I don't consider it that way now. It's not that the 6920 has changed, it's that the AR market has changed significantly. Frankly, a rifle with carbine gas, a milspec trigger, and typical M4 furniture is more like the Honda Civic of AR's. Sure it functions. Sure it's a reputable brand. But there isn't a lot to get excited about. If this was 2005, I'd whip out my chart and hang my hat on the fact that it's parkerized under the FSB (haha). A lot has changed, improved, evolved since then. The 6920 isn't even CHF. If you want to name a rifle a "milspec gold standard," this is probably it: https://fnamerica.com/products/rifles/fn-15-military-collector-m4/

AR's have so many configurations and available parts, it's silly to attempt to tell someone what they want via a forum.
 
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