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rob_s
10-14-2009, 08:10 AM
http://tacticalyellowvisor.net/mediac/400_0/media/Skulls_Final.jpg

By way of introduction I thought I'd post up what I'm best known for, which is the Explanation of Features and Comparison Chart of Major Brands of Commercial M4 Carbines (http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pwswheghNQsEuEhjFwPrgTA&single=true&gid=5&output=html), also referred to in most circles as simply "The Chart".

The valuable information here is the Explanation of Features. The Chart has long ago become a basic representation of what is out there and available. I have run out of room to keep adding every maker that lives out on the right-hand side of the Chart, and so pretty much only makers who are hugging the left side are added at this point. Please don't ask "why isn't brand x, y, or z on the Chart". My suggestion is that if you read the E of F and find features that you think you want, email the list of features to the maker you're considering and ask them if they include them or not. A caution here, as anything other than a "yes" answer is typically the beginnings of a runaround. If they say "no, but..." you can pretty much ignore everything after the no.

Please feel free to post the above link wherever you like, all that I ask is that you email me with a link to wherever you post it so that I can keep an eye on things.

Also please feel free to follow the instructions on the Chart for posting to the original thread on M4carbine.net if you have corrections you need made, and post here or contact me if you have questions about the Explanation of Features.

Cris
10-14-2009, 08:16 AM
Wow, nice chart. Will be printing and saving this to the archives.

rob_s
10-14-2009, 08:20 AM
Thanks for reminding me...

If you want to print, set your printer to landscape mode and click on the option to scale to page width. The width of the Chart causes formatting issues if you try to print it in portrait.

Cris
10-14-2009, 09:21 AM
Already ahead of you, I always do print preview to see how things scale out.

lino
10-14-2009, 09:38 AM
nice chart

Dan
10-14-2009, 09:56 AM
What a great sheet. For a guy looking to build my own rifle, it is nice to know what parts to look for and why.

JaxChris
10-14-2009, 10:02 AM
Yes, more well-known AR guys on the board. Finally!

Welcome Rob!

rob_s
10-14-2009, 11:16 AM
What a great sheet. For a guy looking to build my own rifle, it is nice to know what parts to look for and why.

The E of F really helps is this regard when shopping for parts. It allows you to be an educated consumer and ask intelligent questions when comparing two parts that may appear to be different but are different prices. The answer is often that the more expensive part has undergone more testing (as in bolts, for example).

Since you're building from scratch, I would caution you that fantastical coatings and promises of never having to clean the bolt and such are the exception to the rule of higher cost (typically) = higher quality. There are companies out there selling coated BCG parts that are 2x the price of a BCM but haven't undergone half the testing. The coatings may be great, but if you paint a turd gold...

Dan
10-14-2009, 03:23 PM
The E of F really helps is this regard when shopping for parts. It allows you to be an educated consumer and ask intelligent questions when comparing two parts that may appear to be different but are different prices. The answer is often that the more expensive part has undergone more testing (as in bolts, for example).

Since you're building from scratch, I would caution you that fantastical coatings and promises of never having to clean the bolt and such are the exception to the rule of higher cost (typically) = higher quality. There are companies out there selling coated BCG parts that are 2x the price of a BCM but haven't undergone half the testing. The coatings may be great, but if you paint a turd gold...


Makes sense, thanks for the heads up