Sorry to regurgitate any past info, but some help would be great...I know zero about the AR platform.

1)I'm a lefty, is it imperative to purchase a Lefty AR or is it easily shot either way ?
2)I see there are many calibers available, for a starter is the 223 or 5.45 the sensible decision ?
3)Are most of you buying factory ammo to shoot(100 rounds a week), or reloading your requirement ?
4)What brand/model should I look at for a $1000-$1200 budget(not including scope) ?
5)And lastly: What options on the gun are needed/suggested by the members(charging handle, compensator, buttstock, etc) ?, I don't know what these terms refer to.

Thanks

Before you try to decide on a gun. Decide on the use/need. Is true mimilspec important, realistic accuracy need, weight, length?

Get a left hand stag in any of their configurations and shoot fiocchi 223 50 grain vmax ammo $20/50 and I'd bet you'll be happy. I personally prefer the standard A2 stocks but any little modifications you wish to make as you settle in are easy enough to do yourself

The military doesn't supply lefty ARs so it must be pretty easy to master the standard model. That said, Stag arms sells lefty ARs and has a good reputation.

I would start with a 5.56 chambered gun before exploring other calibers. Much more abundant and affordable ammo.
A 5.56 (or Wylde) chamber will shoot both .223 and 5.56 safely. It is not recommended to shoot higher pressure 5.56 ammo in a .223 chamber.

I reload most of my ammo, but prices for .223/5.56 ammo are about as low right now as at anytime in the past. If you want ultimate accuracy you will need to reload.
Learn the platform and then decide on how to feed it.

Brands and prices run from $400 bare bones to $3,000 bells and whistles.
You will have to do some research based on your needs.

I'm a lefty, and own both right handed and left handed AR-15s. Other than the ejection port and safety selector (you can easily purchase/install a ambidextrous safety selector after the purchase, if you're mechanically inclined), the AR platform (right handed) is pretty user friendly for us leftys.
I can operate the charging handle, magazine drop and bolt release on right handed guns very easily.

If you are set on buying a lefty version, I also recommended Stag Arms. As others have said, you have to ask yourself what your intended purpose is (defense, target shooting, hunting, etc). One of the basic decisions will be the choice of a 16" or 20" barrel.

If you're not familiar with AR terminology (charging handle, forward bolt assist, carrier group, etc), I suggest you read up on the topic. YouTube, can also be pretty helpful:

https://youtu.be/dJ8BNmd-FLY

https://youtu.be/OzLgZ2S40X0

You like tht Fiocchi stuff? I tried a few rounds last fall indoors, but haven't been able to shoot it outside since I scoped my AR. I'll have to pick some up and give it a serious eval.

GG, I do..I mainly handload but always like to keep a stash of that stuff around. It shoots very well. If you shop around and find what other decent factory ammo $20 gets you, it really starts to shine.
Just my opinion of course, but if you and your gun are up to it I'd definetly give it a whirl.

+3 on the Fiocchi 50 grain V-Max.

I've been shooting it through my S&W AR with great success.

Been buying it through Cheaper than Dirt, by the 1,000 round case.

Virgil B.

5.56 is a higher pressure round than the 223? Are you positive saying this?

Thank you all for your responses and help, as I said this is over my head in experience...I'm a bolt/pistol/bow guy. I'm planning to use it for short target(100 yds), plinking, and self defense.

After a lot of reading here and other AR sites, I think that I can ask some pertinent questions now that don't make me sound too stupid....I'll try to keep this short

Not sure I understand the concept of buying a new gun, then stripping it apart the day you receive it to change basic parts..it's just foreign to me. To be able to upgrade later makes sense, but never threw new parts in a draw for a gun before.

If I'm off base or wrong, please feel free to correct my thinking.
1)It looks like the Colt LE6920 is a good starter platform, in the 5.56 format.
2)I have a new Leupold VX3i 1.75-6x32mm scope for it, will need to find a solid 1 piece base.
3)Looks like I'll have to add a charging handle, and maybe a floating rail.

Gun
1)Gander Mountain has it for $1099, but I wanted to change the furniture to Daniel. I found a well known gun supply with the 6920 including the new Daniel furniture shipped for $979 and just the 6920 OEM2 for $750 shipped...should I just go for the installed Daniel version for $979 ?
2)Will I need to upgrade the trigger assembly ? I'm used to crisp clean triggers on my guns/bows, worried the AR will feel like my Marlin 25.

I don't have many local options available for purchase, so online distributors may be best...I do have an FFL down the road.

Thanks again for your advice

Sounds like a good rig. The Colt is a fine gun, on the mil-spec side, hard to do better. Look at the cantilevered mounts, Many scopes can't go far enough forward, to give you eye relief, without one.

according to some milsurp TZZ ammo I've shot, you would think so...

Having just gone through essentially what you are going through, I would suggest starting with a decent standard gun and take it out and shoot it a bunch. You will quickly realize which aftermarket switcheroos you want and which you can do without.

I was hoping the Colt LE6920 package I've chosen fit the "decent standard" category ?

It does.

Buy it, shoot a case or two through it, and you'll have a much clearer idea of what you want to change, or keep.

The trigger may be OK out of the box, factory triggers are checked for safety and function with specs, not "feel".

Yep.

I just heard back from the seller, he has to charge me tax +6%.

1)So is it wise to just buy the LE6920 OEM2 for $750 shipped, and buy my own Daniel furniture for $115 and install it...the savings can go towards ammo or a better trigger ???

2)Do I need special tools to install the butt stock/pistol grip/fore grip ???

Depends on which pressure standards you use.

SAAMI lists 55,000 PSI MAP (Maximum Average Pressure) for the .223. SAAMI also lists a 52,000 CUP pressure limit for the .223. The 5.56 is a military cartridge ad SAAMI does not list a pressure.

NATO uses a different method (EPVAT) than SAMMI, a method that places the transducer ahead of the case mouth and thus does not require drilling cartridge cases in order to make pressure measurements. The NATO standard for the 5.56 is 62,366 PSI.

The US military uses a test procedure (SCATP) that is based on the SAAMI procedure. Their pressure limit is the same as the SAAMI MAP limit, 55,000 PSI.

So there you have it - the 5.56 has a higher pressure limit than the .223 Remington. Or not.

I don't have a pressure gauge but I do have a chronograph and real M193 is loaded faster than any 223 factory 55 gr load I've seen. Proof enough for me.

That makes no sense.

U.S. military ammo is loaded to NATO 5.56 standard, not commercial 223 standards.

If that's not correct, then show a link that says military ammo is 223 pressure spec.

MM

You can purchase a copy of the US Army SCATP test procedures here:

http://standards.globalspec.com/std/1835971/army-scatp-5-56

and here:

https://global.ihs.com/doc_detail.cfm?document_name=SCATP%205.56&item_s_key=00093161



"show a link that says military ammo is 223 pressure spec."


OK, how about text from the actual spec itself? Paragraph 3.7 being the one of interest:

MIL-c-63989C(AR)
15 February 1994
SUPERSEDING
MIL-c-63989B(AR)
25 September 1991

MILITARY SPECIFICATION
CARTRIDGE, 5.56MM, BALL, M855
This specification is approved for use by the U.S. Army
Armament, Munitions and Chemical Command, and is available
for use by all Departments and Agencies of the Department of
Defense.
1. SCOPE
1.1 Scope. This specification covers the M855 Ball cartridge
for use in 5.56mm weapon systems with a “one in seven” (one
revolution in seven inches) barrel twist (see 6.1).
...
3.7 Chamber pressure. The average chamber pressure of the sample cartridges, conditioned at 70° + 2°F shall not exceed
55,000 psi. Neither the chamber pressure of an individual sample
test cartridge nor the average chamber pressure plus three standard
deviations of chamber pressure shall exceed 61,000 psi.
...

After writing my last post, I found an updated version of the MIL-spec.

http://quicksearch.dla.mil/Transient/74410E9F151846288451A5048FF039AF.pdf

http://quicksearch.dla.mil/Analyse/ImageRedirector.aspx?token=251894.31482

"MIL-C-63989C (AR)
AMENDMENT 4
30 January 2001
SUPERSEDING
AMENDMENT 3
15 October 1999"

Paragraph 3.7 is changed as follows, which increases the maximum average pressure to 58,700 PSI. This is neither the SAAMI .223 spec nor the NATO spec.

"3.7 Delete in its entirety and substitute the following:
3.7 Chamber pressure. The average chamber pressure of the sample cartridges, conditioned at 70 degrees plus or minus 2 degrees F, shall not exceed 58,700 psi. Neither the chamber pressure of an individual sample test cartridge nor the average chamber pressure plus three standard deviations of chamber pressure shall not exceed 64,700 psi."

More searching found this explanation as to why C.I.P/NATO 62,366 PSI equals SAAMI 55,000 PSI.

Which is different than saying 55,000 PSI equals 62,366 PSI. Kind of like comparing PSI and CUP.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/5.56%C3%9745mm_NATO

That's really convoluted..........but what I do know for sure is that genuine 5.56 MIL-Spec ammo such as IMI chronos faster than commercial 223, like PMC Bronze.

And in some guns, I will get short stroking or failure to lock back with 223 ammo, not with the 5.56.

Thanks for doing the look-ups; interesting info that can easily be taken out of context.

MM

It's not just how hot the ammo is loaded.
Try some 77 gr. Mk262 in your short throat .223 chamber.
My guess is you would see higher pressure.

I would assume (and I may be wrong) that SAAMI spec .223 ammunition is tested in a shorter throated .223 chamber and
5.56 NATO is tested in a longer throated 5.56 chamber.
So the comparison is not apples to apples.

Western Powders data for TAC powder and a Hor. 55gr. BT-FMJ bullet:
.223 Max Pressure 54,894 psi
5.56 Nato Max Pressure 61,335 psi

Western Powders Load Data

Not sure what the debate is about.

You hit the nail on the head.

It doesn't matter whether 5.56 ammo in a 5.56 chamber is loaded to higher pressure than 223 in a 223 chamber, that's not the point.

It does matter that when 5.56 and 223 are fired in the same chamber, 5.56 is unarguably hotter. Why some insist on debating this I don't know.

OP - sending a PM on your OEM II question, easier than watching the thread go off the rails.

I really appreciate that AH, I didn't want to interrupt the intelligent/technical conversation the boys had going

It's a good peek behind the curtain at some of the personas you are getting into.

All you have to do is look at a loading manual.

Western lists loads for both the .223 and 5.56, with the average max load for the 5.56 exceeding the .223 load by 1.5 grains.

Anyone who thinks adding an extra 1.5gr of powder to a case with 30gr of H20 capacity doesn't cause an increase in pressure needs to sell their guns and take up golf.

Because some people are so stupid they need to sell their guns and take up golf.