GF, I well remember the controversy when the Army went from the M-14 to the mouse gun. The Ordnance Corps was against it. Defense Secretary MacNamara and his Ivy League whiz kids forced it on the military. Gen. Lemay liked the AR-15 for Air Force Security people to replace the aging m-1 carbines. Now the Army is looking at a 6.8 mm to replace the 5.56. The old .45, proven in WWI, WWII, Korea, and Viet Nam is making a comeback, too. Personnaly, I like it fine for self defense. The FN FAL or the AK-47 are better man stoppers than the M-16. In the mean time, an AR-15 makes sense for a citizen seeking a self defense weapon. I hear that there are new higher caliber uppers in the works soon.