captain obvious
Member
I'm just about to [finally] order all the parts for my AR kit rifle - but I still can't decide whether I want the full length, 20" barrel A2 type rifle, or an eevill collapsable stock M4gery. Help me THR!
Standard AR-15 or M4gery?
- Thread starter captain obvious
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Feanaro
Member
I'll sum up the entire thread that follows for you. I'm psychic, you know. 
You need a 20" barrel because .223 is a wimpy cartridge and it becomes a .25ACP when you chop the barrel down. A 20 incher feels better too. 20" inches is too long for those incursions into enemy base camps. You need a 14.5" with a Phantom/Vortex/Birdcage FS. It'll do fine at the ranges you actually use it at. 14.5" plus a flash hider/brake is just a waste of space. A 16" barrel feels great. You should just get a FAL, ARs jam too often.
Honest opinion, a Dissipator-style rifle has great balance and it's a good compromise between 20" and 14.5"+blahblah. But between the two I like the 20" better.
You need a 20" barrel because .223 is a wimpy cartridge and it becomes a .25ACP when you chop the barrel down. A 20 incher feels better too. 20" inches is too long for those incursions into enemy base camps. You need a 14.5" with a Phantom/Vortex/Birdcage FS. It'll do fine at the ranges you actually use it at. 14.5" plus a flash hider/brake is just a waste of space. A 16" barrel feels great. You should just get a FAL, ARs jam too often.
Honest opinion, a Dissipator-style rifle has great balance and it's a good compromise between 20" and 14.5"+blahblah. But between the two I like the 20" better.
captain obvious
Member
But I already own a FAL - this is just a sunset celebration rifle
Erich
Member
I got the M4gery, because I see the AR as more useful in the short range (under 200 yards, probably under 100) scenario. The shorter barrel makes it a lot easier to maneuver, which is more likely to be an issue in short-range encounters.
Anything long-range, I'd rather have a real rifle. Since you already have a battle rifle, why build a rifle that doesn't do the same job as well? You need a rifle that does a different job better! Get the M4gery!
Anything long-range, I'd rather have a real rifle.
Since you already have a battle rifle, why build a rifle that doesn't do the same job as well? You need a rifle that does a different job better! Get the M4gery!
Feanaro
Member
Captain Obvious, your name and your post together almost caused me to short-curcuit my keyboard. I was being sarcastic.
Anyways, since you have a boomershutzen for long range already, an M4gery is bunches of fun. And if you need to infiltrate said enemy bases/camps, you'll be prepared.
Anyways, since you have a boomershutzen for long range already, an M4gery is bunches of fun. And if you need to infiltrate said enemy bases/camps, you'll be prepared.
El Rojo
Member
I bought a 20" Bushmaster V-Match A3 fluted heavy barrel. A few months later I bought a Bushmaster 11.5/5.5 A2. I bought the V-Match for squirrels. If you are not going to use this gun for varmints, start with the M4gery. Uppers on AR15.com are cheap and you can always get your next flavor in a few months. Have fun.
Here is my take on AR-15s. They are designed to be light and handy. Why not get a 16" bbl in a rifle that is already light weight? It is silly to try and make a plastic and aluminum rifle a benchrest type gun. It can be done and they perform well but my point is, why not use the lightness and smaller size of the AR to your best advantage? Get a carbine because if you want a bigger more powerful rifle, they are out there. The CETME and FAL are never going to be as light as handy as a small AR so let them fill there role and let the AR fill it's role. The cool thing about the AR is that it can be pretty much anything that you want it to be with the right parts because you can alway go up in size and weight but you can't really go down with some guns like the FAL. The FAL is going to much heavier than an AR even if both have 16" bbls and collaspable stocks.
I`ve gotta go with the rest here,get the M4gery. I was in pretty much the same boat you are a few weeks ago. I already have a CETME (a good one!) that I`m really happy with so I figured a full sized AR would be a little superflous for me and my needs (plinker). I ended up with a Bushy 16" HB with CAR tele stock. It`s a neat,handy little thing. I actually wish it weren`t a heavy barrel but the price was right. Marcus
Marcus
rbernie
Contributing Member
I've gotta be contrary here - I never thought that the standard-weight 20" barrel added any real forward mass to the rifle. I can swing on target (without overswing) with a 20" barrel as well if not better than I can with a 16" barrel.
The only real advantage to the shorter barrel, IMO, is for indoor work (cars or buildings) where the extra barrel length is likely to actually hang up on things and limit your ability to bring the rifle to bear.
The only real advantage to the shorter barrel, IMO, is for indoor work (cars or buildings) where the extra barrel length is likely to actually hang up on things and limit your ability to bring the rifle to bear.
Mulliga
Member
M4gery.
Mumbles_45
Member
I was gonna say what everyone else has said about how you already had the FAL and so go with the M4gery but a whole bunch of people beat me to it. Id just like to add that if I personally was getting an AR for my AWB sunset celebration I would go with the evilest one I could manage, that being the one with the collapsing stock and a really short barrel
rock jock
Member
M4gery.
M4. An M16A2 type rifle is not a whole lot lighter or handier than the FAL for a whole lot less payload, as you no doubt already know.
I had a Colt CAR-15 in my latter LEO days for SHTF situations and it was just the ticket. For starters it was unique and evil looking in those days which is a very useful thing; and very compact and handy. Fast, too.
I sold it when I retired into sagebrush country where a 16" .223 is a bit silly. Even so I still have twinges of regret for selling it.
Still, my M1A is a comfort if something wicked this way comes.
I had a Colt CAR-15 in my latter LEO days for SHTF situations and it was just the ticket. For starters it was unique and evil looking in those days which is a very useful thing; and very compact and handy. Fast, too.
I sold it when I retired into sagebrush country where a 16" .223 is a bit silly. Even so I still have twinges of regret for selling it.
Still, my M1A is a comfort if something wicked this way comes.
Andrew Wyatt
Member
you need an 18 inch barrel.
Hellion Productions
Member
Dissipator. I just wish Bushmaster made a .308 version.
Best,
John Bear Ross
Best,
John Bear Ross
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