Brand-So many good ones out there, hard to recommend one
Caliber-5.56 for your first, hands down
What will this be used for? Plinking? Carbine classes?
Plinking
I got one at the 1500 for a good price from these guys Class3Sales.com and I love it. No problems and looks great. Have you thought about 5.45? It is cheaper and if you are just shooting target it is going to make about the same size hole on the paper. I would suggest flat top as it leaves a lot of room for change such as carrying handle if you want or optics with BUIS. Just my 2 cents
The only bad thing about 5.45 is its very hard to find. Plus not quite as cheap as it used to be.
Thats not bad, I paid that for 500 of 5.56 at the 1500
what about reloading the 5.45, is there equipment and supplies out there to do it that would make it even cheaper?