Hello all,
I’ve owned an Armalite M-15A2 for 8 or 9 years. It’s a 20" GI-style rifle. I hadn’t really been shooting a whole lot until this past year. Recently, I added a Spike’s Tactical midlength carbine, which blows the Armalite away. The much-higher quality of my carbine has made me think that I should ditch the Armalite and get a nicer full-length rifle.
I’ve been doing lots of reading and shopping online, but I’m not finding a lot of what I’m looking for. I really want to get the nicest rifle I can get, but without breaking the bank. I simply don’t want to pay $1500 to $2000 for an A2. I’ve looked at some of the most popular brands…Spike’s, BCM, Noveske, DD, etc. But 99% of what’s for sale currently are M4-style carbines with collapsible stocks and rail handguards. Don’t get me wrong, I think those are cool, which is why I bought the Spike Middy. But I want a pretty much “plain vanilla” A2.
Currently, a Colt Hbar Match Target is leading the competition for me. But as I’m sure you know, there are several different versions. Since my carbine has a 1/7 barrel, it’s not mandatory for this one to have that. I could use a 1/9 barrel and just use lighter bullets. I’m also undecided if I should go with a “bull” barrel, or get one with the compensator. I prefer the looks of the compensator, but the bull looks a lot easier to clean. Which of these would you all recommend? I’m leaning towards the bull barrel, unless you all think the compensator makes a huge difference.
I know that BCM and Noveske don’t list an A2 on their websites. I’ve also checked out Bushmaster and Rock River, but from what I’ve gathered, neither has the reputation of being as high-quality as Colt. I’ve even thought about “building” my own rifle, but it seems like I’d still be spending more than the Colt. (Buds has several different ones in stock…all around $1000.) Are there any other brands you all would recommend I check out?
Thanks for that link. I just searched for an A2. That looks awesome. Do you know if BCM rifles have a nice trigger, or would it be pretty similar to my Armalite?
Thanks,
Brad
Just a quick update for you all. I did sell my Armalite. Like I said, I have a Spike’s Tactical 16" Midlength Carbine. I also picked up a Spike’s M4 Lightweight upper, which I haven’t had the opprtunity to shoot yet. My plan is to get a few hundred rounds through each upper, and keep the one I like best.
But I’d still like a nice 20" rifle. I’m definitely interested in getting one of the BCM uppers, but they’re out of stock. The complete BCM A4 is $1135, but that’s even a little more than one of the Colt Match Targets, which are right around $1000. I do realize the Colts are Hbars, and the BCM has the Government profile barrel, and the railed upper. Have any of you all fired both? FWIW, I did buy a Geissele SSA trigger group and an extra Spike’s Nickel-Boron BCG. I guess I’m just wondering which rifle would be more accurate? Would the heavy barrel of the Colt be a PITA (about half a pound difference)? Would the reliability of both rifles be about the same? Since I have a rifle with 2 railed uppers and an extra carry handle, would the railed upper on the BCM be a lot better than the Colt? Lastly, can I assume if I ever decide to sell, that the Colt will hold it’s value better?
I had a Colt Hbar A2 a while back. It was super accurate but the bull barrel really makes the thing front heavy.
I would personally go with the BCM A4 style rifle but I do believ the Colt will hold its value better outside of the shooting community because of the name.
Yeah, I’m leaning towards a Colt as well. I would love to try out a BCM, but I just think the Colt’s resale value will be better than pretty much any other AR if I ever decide to sell it in the future. The model I’m currently kicking around is the 6700C. It’s a Match Target Competition model with a flat-top A3 upper with removable carry handle and compensator. Then again, I’m also thinking an old SP-1 or Sporter model with pencil barrel would be pretty sweet. I can see this Black Rifle Disease could get expensive in a hurry.
They are IMHO the best production rifle made. Primarily designed for 3gun competition, they are equally at home in any other role where accuracy and reliability are needed. Had over 8K rounds through my 20" JP15 without a single malf. before selling it and upgrading to their CTR02 rifle. The JP15 upper would work well w/ your upper…just throw an A2 carry handle on it. Accuracy and reliability are amazing. Their 1:8 twist bbl will drive 55’s through 77’s. If you want a great single action trigger to go w/it, their JP trigger is very reliable and can be had in different weights. Never had any buyer’s remorse w/a JP.
That said, if you are looking for a chrome lined bbl., JP only offers this in their VTAC line in a 16" bbl.
Hi - I just went through your exact same issue. I ended up with a Colt Match Target HBAR. I got it for $770 shipped. Most advice I got was to just get a Colt. BTW it is a 6700. Good luck!
