Well, I have a carbine. No downside, but, I think a littler one would be handy as heck too. And very well could be unavailable sooner than later. I am not completely sold on the Ruger, S&W, PSA etc etc. However, I am not going to be buying a $1400 anything.... When it comes time I much rather have a heavier SP or HP rather than a 55 FMJ. I don't need to read or guess to arrive there either. And zombies at 50 yards best turn the hell around. LOL Payday today and nothing getting ordered. We'll see.
When it comes to AR's,....in my opinion, parts is parts. Any firearm has to have a decent barrel, but as far as AR's are concerned, about the only thing to look for is fit. Pick it up and shake it. If it doesn't rattle between the upper and lower, it's good to go. I put together an A2HB several years ago from garden variety parts that would shoot bugholes,...but it weighed damn near 9lbs. I didn't own another until fairly recently. I bought the most basic, lightest $500 AR Bud had. I doubt that its light barrel will group like the A2HB,...but I didn't buy it to shoot groups with. I bought it to repel boarders.
I suspect that the "boutique" AR market is taking a hit these days. People aren't going to drop $1500 and up for an AR with a bunch of gobbledygook that they're just going to have to wag around when a perfectly serviceable basic AR can be had for a tad under $500.
