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flintknapper wrote:TAM you are a "quick study", you have learned your AR's well in a short amount of time.

Thanks, flint. In fact, I learned something new just today about feed ramps. Apparently, they aren't all the same either. Who knew?

Apparently, one of our ARs has M4 type ramps, and two have standard ramps. All four appear to be properly machined and installed (the receiver is properly relieved with the M4 ramps). BTW, what do you use to remove accumulated copper from your feed ramps?

StevenB wrote:In the past I have been a pure semi-auto pistol guy, but have recently gotten intereted in the AR15. However, I'm having trouble distinguising between all the different brands. I'm considering DPMS (lite 16), Rock River, and Bushmaster= all 223. Just looking for some friendly advise on where to start, and any opinions on brands. I keep hearing they're all about the same with the exeption of Colt of course.

While they mostly have parts interchangeability, all ARs are most certainly not the same. We have two AR carbines we built on DPMS lowers and parts kits with uppers from ER Shaw and Model One respectively. We have a Bushmaster AR varmint rifle. And, we have a Rock River Arms AR varmint rifel. The two home built carbines are great. The Bushmaster is well made, and the mating of upper to lower receiver halves is tighter than the home-builts, and it has a really nice two stage match trigger with a one pound letoff. The RRA is the nicest of all of our ARs. The build quality is simply superb, and the mating of upper to lower receiver halves is the tightest of all 4 of our ARS. It also has a two stage match trigger which is only marginally heavier than the Bushmaster's, but still very light.

All 4 rifles will shoot either 5.56 NATO or .223 ammo, but the two home-builts and the Bushmaster are chambered in 5.56 (which permits use of .223), while the RRA is Wylde chambered - a chambering that is actually between SAAMI specs for 5.56mm and .223 caliber.

The two carbines and the Bushmaster all have 1:9 barrels, while the RRA has a 1:8 barrel. The RRA has a 24" stainless Wilson air gauged bull barrel. It will shoot the eyelashes off of a flea. The Bushmaster has a 24" heavy fluted barrel, which is 1" diameter under the handguards. Both of these rifles will shoot well under MOA, with the RRA able to put 5 rounds into one ragged hole at 100 yards. One of the carbines has a light 16.5" M4 profile, while the other has a 16.5" HBAR. All four are flat top receivers, but not all ARs are flat tops, and this will affect your sighting options.

All of this is to say that, while ARs "all about the same," that's not really true. One thing IS true, and that is that, when you get yours, you're going to enjoy the heck out of it — because the one thing they all have in common is that they are FUN!