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Thread: Making do with Sub-par ARs

  1. #11
    Deadeye Dick Clusterfrack's Avatar
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    Jun 2013
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    Man, that's P-F for you. I spent the morning at the range, and returned to this excellent question. But everyone already knocked it out of the park. I've actually seen more problems with high-dollar ARs that are trying to make the platform do something special than I have with consumer-grade guns like yours. I agree that a quality BCG, and an inspection of a few key areas is probably good enough. Most parts fail either near the beginning or end of their service life. Your guns are in the early middle of the MTBF curve, so that's good.
    "You can never have too many knives." --Joe Ambercrombie
    Shabbat shalom, motherf***ers! --Mordechai Jefferson Carver

  2. #12
    Site Supporter Elwin's Avatar
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    Apr 2020
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    Cool, I appreciate all the responses, and the range of options based on what I'm willing/able to spend and/or sell. There's plenty of great advice out there regarding what to buy and what not to, but not as much that I've found for what to do in the time between an uninformed choice and having the money to completely do it over.

    Also, the castle nuts are staked. I'm no armorer, but that at least was an easy fix I could pull off on my own.

  3. #13
    S.L.O.W. ASH556's Avatar
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    Feb 2012
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    Braselton, GA
    Quote Originally Posted by Elwin View Post
    Cool, I appreciate all the responses, and the range of options based on what I'm willing/able to spend and/or sell. There's plenty of great advice out there regarding what to buy and what not to, but not as much that I've found for what to do in the time between an uninformed choice and having the money to completely do it over.

    Also, the castle nuts are staked. I'm no armorer, but that at least was an easy fix I could pull off on my own.
    The best thing you can do in the meantime is use good mags and quality ammo, but I'll bet you're already doing that. Do some dry work at home. Work bolt lock and tac reloads with dummy rounds. Work on ready-up. Positions (standing, kneeling, sitting, prone).
    Food Court Apprentice
    Semper Paratus certified AR15 armorer

  4. #14
    I have nothing to add to this thread other than to echo admiration for the responses given to the OP. What I mean is that nobody’s bagging on him for possessing and acknowledging that his equipment isn’t up there with DD, BCM and other high quality brands. Instead the responses are that if his stuff is working for his use, let it ride with good maintenance but also providing options on acquiring better gear.

    Damn I love this place...

  5. #15
    Gucci gear, Walmart skill Darth_Uno's Avatar
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    Aug 2017
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    STL
    I build and remodel homes. And I always tell my customers, you'll be much happier doing everything at one time. Not only is it more expensive to piecemeal the project, but you still end up with a room/project that you don't really love because it's not entirely finished or how you envisioned it.

    Given that they've made it this far, you're likely good to go for quite a while longer. But if you still just don't really want them after all, don't try to "fix" them. You'll spend hundreds of dollars and still have a gun you don't love. Sell everything and buy/build a better one, or just shoot the piss out of them as-is.

  6. #16
    Site Supporter rob_s's Avatar
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    Nov 2011
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    SE FL

  7. #17
    Four String Fumbler Joe in PNG's Avatar
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    Feb 2011
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    Papua New Guinea; formerly Florida
    Quote Originally Posted by Darth_Uno View Post
    I build and remodel homes. And I always tell my customers, you'll be much happier doing everything at one time. Not only is it more expensive to piecemeal the project, but you still end up with a room/project that you don't really love because it's not entirely finished or how you envisioned it.

    Given that they've made it this far, you're likely good to go for quite a while longer. But if you still just don't really want them after all, don't try to "fix" them. You'll spend hundreds of dollars and still have a gun you don't love. Sell everything and buy/build a better one, or just shoot the piss out of them as-is.
    Auto repair is similar- putting $2000 worth of parts into a $1000 car means you still have a $1000 car. That may still need more $$$.


    HCountyGuy
    I have nothing to add to this thread other than to echo admiration for the responses given to the OP. What I mean is that nobody’s bagging on him for possessing and acknowledging that his equipment isn’t up there with DD, BCM and other high quality brands. Instead the responses are that if his stuff is working for his use, let it ride with good maintenance but also providing options on acquiring better gear. Damn I love this place...
    QFT. Better a cheap gun that gets shot a lot over a safe queen that only gets bragged about. Or a cheap gun that gets treated like a safe queen but bragged about as if it was shot a lot.
    "You win 100% of the fights you avoid. If you're not there when it happens, you don't lose." - William Aprill
    "I've owned a guitar for 31 years and that sure hasn't made me a musician, let alone an expert. It's made me a guy who owns a guitar."- BBI

  8. #18
    Glock Collective Assimile Suvorov's Avatar
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    Mar 2011
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    Escapee from the SF Bay Area now living on the Front Range of Colorado.
    Quote Originally Posted by Elwin View Post
    Also, the castle nuts are staked. I'm no armorer, but that at least was an easy fix I could pull off on my own.
    Most of the stuff that is needed are things you can do yourself. I have even staked gas keys - wasn't pretty but has worked so far. The only thing I would do if you decide to keep them is be more aggressive on your maintenance schedule. Not a full detail cleaning but a wipe down and simple inspection so that if things are working loose you can correct them before they cause a failure.

    I serve as an RSO at a range in the Bay Area where there are a lot of highly paid tech guys who show up with the best ARs and optics money can buy. They can recite RobS's "CHART" by heart. They know Jack Shit about how to use them and it is painfully obvious when you see them shooting their NightForce scoped BMC with free floated handgaurd while resting their barrel on a sand bag. The very fact that you have sought training puts you heads and shoulders above these guys even if you had the lowest of lows in the AR world (which in my opinion you don't).

    That said - I can appreciate the desire to own something with more "pedigree."

  9. #19
    Site Supporter Elwin's Avatar
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    Apr 2020
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    Midwest
    Quote Originally Posted by HCountyGuy View Post
    I have nothing to add to this thread other than to echo admiration for the responses given to the OP. What I mean is that nobody’s bagging on him for possessing and acknowledging that his equipment isn’t up there with DD, BCM and other high quality brands. Instead the responses are that if his stuff is working for his use, let it ride with good maintenance but also providing options on acquiring better gear.

    Damn I love this place...
    That is exactly why I'm here and not somewhere else.

    Everything said here makes sense. I think I may look at just fixing the Ruger's staking and otherwise leave everything as-is for now, and then consider offloading the Stag upper and other parts for a price that gets me into a bargain on an upper I want. Down the line I'll eventually have the funds for a better lower, etc. It's not a complete lack of funds for rifles, it's just that it's only a bit here and there if I'm to avoid cutting into my pistol training and ammo, which are a much higher priority. Good options for getting the best out of everything in the meantime is exactly what I needed.

  10. #20
    Quote Originally Posted by HCountyGuy View Post
    I have nothing to add to this thread other than to echo admiration for the responses given to the OP. What I mean is that nobody’s bagging on him for possessing and acknowledging that his equipment isn’t up there with DD, BCM and other high quality brands. Instead the responses are that if his stuff is working for his use, let it ride with good maintenance but also providing options on acquiring better gear.

    Damn I love this place...
    At the risk of this turning into an outright love fest, I'll give a significant level of credit to the OP for NOT getting all high-BP REEEEEE when the answer didn't come back as expected. Another reason I prefer this place over some more specific forums.

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