Well, I'll probably be the only one on here to say this and if it seems like heresy to some....oh well
I prefer the Mini14 myself. Yes I said it.
Reasons behind my choice:
1. It's not a "stormtrooper" gun
2. I don't get sucked in with having all the bells and whistles
3. It fires the same .223 rnd as most rifles in the AR platform
4. I like the action
5. I wanted something that is "different" from the current trend
6. I LOVE the A-Team
All those things being said I hope you have fun with this project. ARs are great fun. I'll be shooting one for work here soon enough