The piston discussion on the earlier running AR clone thread is great. I really learned alot and see the benefits of this new design. However, it sounds to me like the chance of me buying a stock AR with the piston already installed is slim to none. Thus, I need to turn my attention back to buying a great, base model from some manufacturer and then later get around to the piston and other upgrades. Accordingly, because I want to find out some more general information about ARs, their retailers, etc., I'm starting a new thread.

I stopped by GM and checked out their selection. Appears they carry S&W, Bushmaster and DPMS. Based on Sqib Joe's comments about the improved quality in the S&W, and about a 50/50 split on unsupported pros/cons of DPMS in various other Internet forums, I tried to compare the three companies' products by myself at GM. I'm left wondering the following:

1.) Would any serious gun collector purchase an AR from GM or Cabelas (I'm not sure Cabelas even sells them)? Anybody know how GM or these big box places picks which models of a particular manufacturer's to sell on its racks? Where locally can a person go to get some good hands on information about different brands and models that doesn't also contain a bunch of "ford vs. chevy" type bias?

2.) Anybody here own or shot a S&W M&P side by side a dpms? Anybody have any knowledge of the M&Ps beyond that which I can find myself in the S&W 2007 product guide?

3.) Appears even the S&W M&Ps on GM's racks are fairly base models, but as long as I can know that I can upgrade parts later, without any limitations other than cost, a base model if fine by me. What are the standard base model features that I have to have now so I'm not kicking myself later because I can't do some upgrade due to the limitations of the base model? For example, it appears that certain older designs that are still made today don't easily accept optics, etc.

I'm thinking .223 and using it on prairie dogs in SD at least once a year with paper targets most of the other time so putting together a great rifle for these purposes for between $850 and $1300 is my ultimate goal right now.

Thanks,

Mark