Considering one of two carbines

**SteyrAUG** · 05-06-24, 21:12

Originally Posted by shadowspirit

A few of you are being hard on me.

Just listen to the advice and roll with the rest. Try and accept that this kind of post has happened a 1,000 times and some folks aren't up to answering the same questions over and over. Don't take it personal.

Some recommendations. Most of your posted wants and needs were incredibly vague, which makes it even harder to help out a new guy. A lot of your supporting criteria for considering the rifles in question were almost baseless. But most of us went through the same learning curve at some point so just don't take it personal and move forward.

**fedupflyer** · 05-07-24, 01:27

Originally Posted by shadowspirit

A few of you are being hard on me.

Your asks are being a bit schizophrenic.

Lets work backwards...

1 - what is your budget for the upper?
2- what are your must haves?
3- what would be your like to haves?

Based on what you have posted, I think you would be served well with a 16 inch, light weight profile that is free-floated.
Something like the Criterion Core barrel or the BCM Enhanced light weight (ELW) barrel.
Slap a PSA lower on it and it would be a fairly descent rifle. If you watch the sales, you can get a fully assembled PSA lower for around $130.

**Alpha-17** · 05-07-24, 10:46

Originally Posted by shadowspirit

A few of you are being hard on me.

Welcome to the internet.

I don't subscribe to the "buy a Colt" philosophy of many on here, but they are a decent option. Some of your requirements and comments are more than a bit strange, and indicate you are operating with some incorrect notions in regards to equipment.

Listen to what folks are saying, find something that fits your perceived needs for a carbine, and get it. Then get out a train with it. That's far more important than getting the one carbine to rule them all.

**Spiffums** · 05-07-24, 11:12

Originally Posted by shadowspirit

Thanks for the posts thus far. Most recommend Colt. It is about $150 more and I thought the FN was every bit as good. Also, there's a lot of Colts out there for sale, which gives me the impression resale value will go down in the future. Also, they may go down further in price from what they are now due to how many Colt seems to be pumping out. The FN Basic Carbine was discontinued and the Patrol Carbine was brought to market, so I doubt they will go further down in price.

Honestly unless you just sell it on here or TOS's EE the run of the mill people will not want to give more than $500 for it because they can get a new AR for that! You buy a good rifle because you have need or want a good rifle. I have a BCM upper on a Bushy lower from the ABC days. There is no way I could get "what it's worth" if I tried to sell it even parting it out. So don't get too hung up on resale value.

**Stickman** · 05-07-24, 13:54

Originally Posted by Wake27

Oh look, another M4C thread where OP wants something in the $700 range and all of the responses are pushing towards “spending just a little more” with recommendations that will end up nearly doubling the OP’s price tag. Good job guys.

Would you let a friend buy an open container of milk with a smudged expiration date from the clearance aisle? I mean, it could actually be fine. Or, he or she could spend another 10-20% more, and buy milk that you knew was good.

While the above analogy obviously isn't the same thing, I feel the concept is close enough.

As for the OP worrying about the resale value, I'm not a fan of any posts which start playing that game. Since it isn't legal to purchase firearms with the intent of reselling them, it dances a line that I just don't care for. I'm not saying OP is a fed looking to set someone up, but with the current political climate, it just doesn't sit well with me.

Just a quick take on this.

**SteyrAUG** · 05-07-24, 14:38

Originally Posted by Stickman

As for the OP worrying about the resale value, I'm not a fan of any posts which start playing that game. Since it isn't legal to purchase firearms with the intent of reselling them, it dances a line that I just don't care for. I'm not saying OP is a fed looking to set someone up, but with the current political climate, it just doesn't sit well with me.

Not only that, the market is so AR saturated at this point you would have a time getting 50% of what you paid as soon as the put the first round down the barrel.

**shadowspirit** · 05-07-24, 18:10

Originally Posted by Spiffums

Honestly unless you just sell it on here or TOS's EE the run of the mill people will not want to give more than $500 for it because they can get a new AR for that! You buy a good rifle because you have need or want a good rifle. I have a BCM upper on a Bushy lower from the ABC days. There is no way I could get "what it's worth" if I tried to sell it even parting it out. So don't get too hung up on resale value.

Weren't the Bushmasters really good back in the ABC days?

**shadowspirit** · 05-07-24, 18:24

Originally Posted by Stickman

...As for the OP worrying about the resale value, I'm not a fan of any posts which start playing that game. Since it isn't legal to purchase firearms with the intent of reselling them, it dances a line that I just don't care for. I'm not saying OP is a fed looking to set someone up, but with the current political climate, it just doesn't sit well with me.

Just a quick take on this.

I'm honestly not some gov employee. The post above got me wondering if they come on sites like this and post.

I only sold 2 in my life. They were both 1911s I didn't want anymore. Both times I went through a FFL.

One of the well known guys with a video channel has a few week old video about some new regulation defining who is a dealer. I didn't watch it yet.