Lots of great stuff in or linked from this thread.

When I bought my first ar, I knew I was buying middle/lower-end (Bushy). I wanted to figure out if I liked the platform knew I'd break or lose springs, pins, etc., had to figure out what accessories and furniture I'd like, if anything.

I've since upgraded significantly (DD). But I leaned a lot on that first ar, and still have it. It's "relatively" light, and Mrs CatSnipah is pretty comfy with it, in general. So, I guess you can say we have His and Hers rifles, ha.

Kidding aside, I still bust it out now and then to plink with, while the DD is what I will use for training classes, etc. If we ever hit another bum-rush price skyrocket period, I might consider selling the old ar, but I'm not in any hurry. It still has a place.

I've learned a lot by reading this forum over time. I lurked for quite a while before joining. Lots of valuable info floating around here.