I couldn't agree more. As well, the range of features available in BCM guns is a significant advantage. Colt offers nothing that justifies settling for an upper that lacks what you want.Originally Posted by TGS
I couldn't agree more. As well, the range of features available in BCM guns is a significant advantage. Colt offers nothing that justifies settling for an upper that lacks what you want.
“There is no growth in the comfort zone.”--Jocko Willink
"You can never have too many knives." --Joe Ambercrombie
Why not? Only argument I can think of would be hand-wavy legal reasons re: self defense with an 80% "gun." Presumably if he's put 1100 rounds through it without issue, the holes were probably drilled OK. Unless the finish is flaky, I'm not sure what a new lower would be doing for him.
I'd never buy an 80% lower, to be sure, but as long as he has it I'm not seeing the harm in sticking with it.
I see two reasons:
1) I don't want the optics of shooting a BG with a "homemade" gun. This is admittedly subjective and personal.
2) I will never be convinced that it is as reliable as a factory gun.
Both just my opinion.
That's understandable. I'd still be fine using it as a hobby/range gun lower. IMO, if he already doesn't trust the whole rifle, I'd keep the whole thing as is and buy a BCM or equivalent quality gun to use for protection, etc, and relegate the 80% AR to range beater status.
Given that there are no concrete functional issues with either rifle, it seems like the biggest problem is trust in the gun, which is totally legit. If you're going to keep a weapon around for self-defense, having confidence that the gun will work is as important as anything else. That threshold is personal and changes over time. Besides, there is never a BAD reason to buy another AR....right?
My understanding is that if you built the 80 percent for your own use, and have indeed used it for several years, you can stamp or engrave it (meeting legal requirements for engraving depth) and sell it without issue, just like any other firearm you use and then sell later. You just can't be in the business of buying and selling, or manufacturing for sale without a license, and you can't sell a non-serialized firearm. Of course, IANAL. And I probably wouldn't want the potential liability of selling someone else a firearm that I'd machined, if I wasn't set up in that business with insurance, etc.
If you like the parts you put in your 80 percent, it runs well, and the only real problem with it is it's an 80 percent, you might just pick up a quality lower and swap everything over. I like these:
http://www.jsesurplus.com/JSEForgedA...YMEGAARMS.aspx
I have one of the corresponding uppers inbound, FWIW.
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Not another dime.
Re: lowers, I swear by the Aero M4E1s, if only because : 1. integral trigger guard and 2. threaded bolt catch pin. These two features save a ton of time when you're putting them together. Otherwise as far as I'm concerned they're all equivalent as long as they're correctly machined and finished.
Let's back up - 'Mission Drives the Gear Train' -
What are your goals/needs with a given AR15?
Home defense? Patrol? Hunting?
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Let's say Home Defense:
You've solved problem 1 with weapons you're using you have one and a spare.
The Ruger may not be the highest quality gun out there, but after 3400 rounds, I wouldn't be worried about it. Inspect it, stake the gas key, stake the castle nut, drive on. This will be your primary.
The 80% gun after 1100 rounds without concerns, I'd inspect it, and drive on, it's likely fine. This is your spare.
Set them up identically with the same optics, lights, and furniture.
Continue working with each gun on a regular training/dryfire schedule. Keeping your roughly 3:1 shooting ratio between primary and spare. Save up for a BCM.
When you've got the cash, get your BCM - it's now primary (assuming it passes through your initial reliability testing), Ruger secondary, 80% becomes tertiary/experimental gun. You now have a gun you don't mind fidgeting with, without compromising your main weapons as you get the need to fidget. Or the 80% gun becomes a dedicated dryfire gun or a dedicated hunting gun, maybe you decide to build a long range gun or a 6.5G or 6.8SPC for funsies. Whatever, it's the gun you can futz with, because you aren't compromising your main defensive weapon(s).
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With the BCM and Ruger combo you now have all the things you need to take a high volume carbine course without concern. Though, frankly, you'd probably be fine with the Ruger + 80%'er.
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I see no reason to try to trade one gun away into a 'higher quality' gun right now. If you're dealing with home defense, your gun needs to get through 30-rounds of ammo...once. The Ruger has already shown it can do that at least 300 times...With proper inspection and maintenance, I see no reason to believe it won't make it through another 30-rounds right? Right.
The more you monkey with trying to make something into something it isn't. The higher the chances are you'll actually muck it up.
Don't overthink this.
You want to replace two vetted ARs because of teh interwebz and BCM Instagram circlejerks?
I have. That was my introduction to Olympic Arms. I was like "lol buddy your gun sucks" then I went out and showed him up by buying a dpms which the guy at the shop told me was good
"Customer is very particular" -- SIG Sauer
Great advice from the PF forum as always.
On the subject of sub-par AR's, one of my favorite is an old Smith and Wesson Sport. The slick sided model after the 5r rifling change. I bought it very cheap when there was a surplus of these going around. I think I paid about $450 bucks. I use it for a coyote calling rifle and it has been great. I have about 1K rounds through it with zero problems. I just took it out of the safe yesterday and cleaned it up, or boredom cleaned it. I can't wait to get back out and do some hunting when things get back to normal.
Like the others have said, it looks like the Ruger is serving you well, so I would just stick with it.
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