M4, HK-416, SR-556, and now SIG-516?
 

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It's all just hype. How much better one gun is compared to another is really for the user to decide. Everybody's personal preferences are different

Basically...yes.

Anyone comparing the AR to just about any other infantry rifle available needs to ask themselves a very simple question: If the platform is so inferior, why is it that almost every special forces unit in the world outside of the U.S. uses them? Those guys can choose anything they want, yet their choice always seems to be AR. Surely, there must be a good reason?

(And don't take my word for it; just go to Wikipedia and look at the list of AR users in the M16 and M4 articles. You can see that almost every SF unit from Europe to Southeast Asia has adopted AR-model rifles.)

If you just intend to use the rifle on the range, you should have no reason to expect jams. You're not subjecting the weapon to combat conditions. I usually put about 200 rounds through my AR every time I take it to the range, and I haven't had a jam yet (even with some of the crappy reloaded ammo that my range sells).

Mostly hype. Theoretically a piston-driven given is more reliable, but it's also heavier and a properly-maintained AR series rifle is plenty reliable. I've rarely had a C7 jam on me except when firing blanks.

Pisto guns seem like they weigh 2x as much as normal ARs. I don't see how someone could want to lug something like that around

One brand of AR-15s to definatly avoid is vulcan, blackthorne, or whatever their name is now. This one company keeps changing their name to avoid going out of business. Their ARs are the worst you could possibly get.

A lot of people are die hard Colt AR-15 fans solely because of Brand name. I would like to get something from Bushmaster

I always thought the Bushmasters were the more popular choice for civilians and local LE.

I think nowadays, Bushmaster pretty much cornered the market in AR-15s, but, as I said, there are a lot of guys who would want Colt AR-15 just for the sake of brand name. It really depends on personal preferences, young research on each rifle and see which one is better internally, or who has the better price range.

Or better yet, just build an AR-15 from the ground up.

They are. Colt shot themselves in the foot by being too SCARCE and too EXPENSIVE back in the day. the 1990s and 2000s were the decades of the other manufacturers grabbing a whole bunch of Colt's marketshare.

Bushmaster came out the big winner. Then LMT/PAC West, DPMS and a few others.