[SEHunter]

Hey guys, been browseing the forum for a while and decided to sign up. Im looking into my first AR-15 and have to say it seems like wanting an AR is an addiction so i cant wait to get one and start shooting. Im into varmit hunting mostly and occasional targeting for fun so i want to go with either a 20" or 24" barrel, as i will be set up waiting and the extra bulk and weight wont be an issue for me.

I decided to go with Colt and my question is about Colt having two web sites with their AR-15s'. One seems to be geared towards military/law enforcement use (LE) which all have 16" or shorter barrels and their regular site has models geared towards competition/target rifles (MT) and these have longer barrels. Are these two different breeds? I know a little about the Mil Spec stuff and was curious if the models with the longer barrels are of the same quality control and internal parts. Thanks.

[SEHunter]

School the new guy fellows.

[robocop10mm]

QC? the same. The only difference between the LE and MT Colts are the front 1/3 of the barrel and sometimes the bore. The MT's will not have the flash hider or bayonet lug. Many of the MT's will not be chrome lined. Generally chrome lined barrels are a little less accurate than non chrome lined.

[canebrake]

You're going to love the Colt!

[SEHunter]

Guys, thanks to both of you!

It has been like pulling teeth on another forum i am a member of to find answers about s Colt without hearing "paying for the name" or "BCM and LMC is better quality for cheaper", Geesh. So the MT are MILSPEC too, huh?

Anyway, thats good. I actually was prefering a non lined barrel because i predator hunt at long range and will not be shooting high volume. I am leaning to the MT line because of that and the longer barrels.

Is there a significant difference between the barrels that have the compensator and ones with a crown? I noticed both versions with each gun except the 24" stainless which i like alot.

[SEHunter]

I was back on Colt's LE web site and noticed the 24" ss accurized is on there as well as the commercial site. Does that mean the accurized rifle is considered as a LE model?

[billt]

These are a couple of new Colts I picked up this past week. A 6920, and a 6940.

[canebrake]

Originally Posted by SEHunter

Guys, thanks to both of you!

Is there a significant difference between the barrels that have the compensator and ones with a crown? I noticed both versions with each gun except the 24" stainless which i like alot.

It all depends on what you are going to do with the gun. The carbine is a CQB gun and it's a flash hider on the muzzle.

In your case, i don't think the rock chuck will be looking for muzzle flash.

[robocop10mm]

As far as I'm concerned the whole "Mil-spec" thing is over blown and misunderstood. It is not possible for a current manufacture AR-15 to be "Mil-spec" because it is semi-auto only. Part of the mil-spec is the selectfire capability. The firing pin is different. The bolt carrier is different. The lower is different. An AR is NOT milspec, period.

[billt]

Originally Posted by robocop10mm

As far as I'm concerned the whole "Mil-spec" thing is over blown and misunderstood. It is not possible for a current manufacture AR-15 to be "Mil-spec" because it is semi-auto only. Part of the mil-spec is the selectfire capability. The firing pin is different. The bolt carrier is different. The lower is different. An AR is NOT milspec, period.

+1 !

I couldn't agree more! I get so sick and tired of these 20 something "mall ninjas" carrying on and on about how Colt is the only manufacturer of AR-15 rifles that are "Mil-Spec". Even if it were true it does not mean automatically it is of better quality.

A retired friend of mine who worked for over 40 years at the Lockheed Skunkworks once told me a story of how one time when Lockheed was involved in the building of the SR-71 Blackbird, that a high ranking Air Force General demanded the American flag was to be painted on the tail fin. Kelly Johnson tried to explain to him the paint wouldn't hold up at the speeds and altitudes the SR-71 flies at. He said, "Find one that will!" Lockheed spent over one million dollars of the Air Force's money trying with several coatings manufacturers, to develop a paint that would work. They managed to do so at great cost to the American taxpayer. Would this paint last any longer if you painted your garage with it?

Mil-Spec is designed for a certain purpose. It doesn't mean in itself that anything that is Mil-Spec, is necessarily "better". The mall ninjas need to understand this. They don't. Bill T.