As expected, the requests are starting to come in from non-gun-owning friends, family, and coworkers. Predictably, they are asking what AR they should buy. While my temptation is to get on my high horse and say "no AR, you don't even own a Glock 19 yet!", that's probably (a) not helping and (b) more likely to turn them away. The AR has the potential to be the gateway drug to not only the world of guns, but then of shooting, then of training and competing, and then of political beliefs and leanings. So my thinking is that they should be encouraged to buy whatever TYPE of gun they are initially interested in but we should be guiding them towards a gun with the following features:
1) reasonable price. I think that puts most people in the <$1k range, possibly as high as $1.5k.
2) modern features. whether we believe in them or not, folks want (or think they want, or will want almost immediately) things like a mid-length gas system and extended, free-float, handguard.
3) highest possibly quality. I actually put this last instead of first because it probably matters least given the goal of getting a gun into their hands. While I think the 6920 is a better gun than the DPMs with the keylok handguard, they think they know what they want and the 6920 aint it.
4) complete gun. For someone that might be willing to tinker I'd suggest the 6920 OEM and a rail and some furniture. But I don't think most first-time buyers want to, or should, be tinkering.
5) readily available. Obviously the panic that will ensue in the coming weeks will affect this, but I think that most first-time buyers will want to be able to walk into a local gunshop and walk out with a rifle. Wich also rules out the 6920 OEM and similar.
I'm racking my brain, and I can't come up with one. I'm still trying to stear people towards the 6920 complete gun in the absense of anything worth a damn that has a rail on it and retails for ~$1k.