Quote:
Originally Posted by hdwhit
Well, the gun was designed by Eugene Stoner at Armalite. And the M-16 I carried while in the Army was made by General Motor's Hydra-Matic Division, not Colt. So, while I will agree that the rifle has performed well, in my case none of that was attributable to Colt.
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The AR15s we shoot and buy today are descendants of the M-16 you are referring to IMHO. Colt has been the standard bearer for the modern M4 type rifle for over 20 years. They have proven themselves all over the world in all sorts of conditions.
This does not mean that there are not other great rifles on the market or that others do not have strong value but it is hard to argue against Colts rep in the world of modern AR15s.
The Saint seems like a decent option but the price will have to come down below $799 before it becomes a real competitor in the market. IMHO. Once they get to the $600-$650 range they will be more of a player IMHO. As cyphertext already pointed out there are some real differences in the Saints specs.
They have a decent list of features. You can argue their real world value vs say a Sport II but for many people these will make a difference.
-Mid length gas which IMHO is best for 16" ARs.
-BCM Stock and Grip
-BCM Keymod polymer handguard which looks interesting.
-1/8 twist Melonite coated barrel.
- BCM 7075 Alum Milspec tube. (Some don't care but if I have a choice I will take 7075 over 6061.)
-158 Steel Bolt, Shot Peened & Magnetic Particle Inspected bolt
-High Quality Rear Flip up sight.
-PNT trigger group which should be smoother by virtue of the coating if nothing else over a standard GI trigger.
Just replacing the stock, the grip and the handguard 3 of the things most often swapped out on a Sport II will cost you. $100 The Sport II is going for $600 so if you are getting the Saint for $700 for many people it is a push vs the Sport II.