Originally Posted by Peregrino

If you are sticking with a carbine, get anything with a 9" gas system and a 16" 1/9 stainless or chrome lined barrel. (Don't get stuck on having one "just like the one I've got at work". You won't be using your personal rifle the same way, with unlimited military ammo, and sexy accessories that need 14.5 barrels w/grenade launcher cuts, finicky gas systems, etc.) You should be able to get a decent one with minimal upgrades from Delton, RR, DPMS, etc. for something less than $800.00. Any of the reputable "assemblers" (although more are getting into the game, very few people actually manufacture every component) will give you a quality rifle that'll do anything you need short of defending the Alamo from the zombies. Read all marketing claims with scepticism, they're all fighting over percentage points. MILSPEC is a real spec; however, it's not a guarantee of quality. Not all parts need to be MILSPEC, not everything marked MILSPEC is, and a lot of quality manufacturers don't bother. Quad rail handguards, fancy stocks, match triggers, wazoo iron sights, etc. are all things you can buy/scrounge later.

(The question you really asked - DelTon. Call and talk to them. They'll build anything you want at a reasonable price. Next would be RR or DPMS. If I won the lottery I'd check out LMT or one of the other top end guns. I've had bad experiences with BM and nobody else has differentiated themselves enough to catch my interest. Good luck; everybody is getting on the bandwagon, just like they've done with 1911s. Price and/or accessories (bells & whistles) are not guaranteed indicators of quality.)