What do you like or hate about (insert brand)'s AR?

[Rex G]

Well 2 trips to the local gun store and nada. Anyone have any tips on finding a halfway decent rifle (like those discussed in this thread)? It seems like gun stores and online are barren. I know, I am about 3 months to late but I thought I would ask anyway. Where do you all go online? Are you setting up alerts for everything?

Primary Arms; follow the link in the orange-colored toolbar. They have some “boutique” brand lowers and complete weapons, right now, at this moment in time. For the uppers, go straight to Bravo Company Manufacturing.

I set alerts, at Primary Arms, for complete LMT lowers. That is how I got mine; just picked up, at the end of last week. I had to settle for the lowers with “PDW” stocks, as that was what was available, but I wanted to try one of those, anyway. (My appointment to pick them up was set about two weeks after I placed the order.)

[HCM]

Well 2 trips to the local gun store and nada. Anyone have any tips on finding a halfway decent rifle (like those discussed in this thread)? It seems like gun stores and online are barren. I know, I am about 3 months to late but I thought I would ask anyway. Where do you all go online? Are you setting up alerts for everything?

You are probably better off buying a complete upper and a complete lower separately.

Brownells currently has Colt and SOLGW uppers in stock.

The upper is the most critical part.

G&R tactical is a good source for BCM. For SOLGW The SOLGW Owners Facebook group would be the best place for alerts.

Second Primary Arms as a source for Geissele uppers and complete guns.

[mrozowjj]

Well 2 trips to the local gun store and nada. Anyone have any tips on finding a halfway decent rifle (like those discussed in this thread)? It seems like gun stores and online are barren. I know, I am about 3 months to late but I thought I would ask anyway. Where do you all go online? Are you setting up alerts for everything?

No idea if it's in your price range or if this is actually in stock but it's been mentioned a bit early in the post:
https://www.larue.com/products/larue...-15-upper-kit/
Have that shipped to your door and have this shipped to your FFL:
https://www.larue.com/products/larue-billet-lowers/

$1000 ish plus whatever transfer fee is for the lower and shipping for it all.

[Default.mp3]

Well 2 trips to the local gun store and nada. Anyone have any tips on finding a halfway decent rifle (like those discussed in this thread)? It seems like gun stores and online are barren. I know, I am about 3 months to late but I thought I would ask anyway. Where do you all go online? Are you setting up alerts for everything?

Sionics just opened up for orders again, FWIW, though they have a few weeks lead time.

[GyroF-16]

Primary Arms; follow the link in the orange-colored toolbar. They have some “boutique” brand lowers and complete weapons, right now, at this moment in time. For the uppers, go straight to Bravo Company Manufacturing.

I set alerts, at Primary Arms, for complete LMT lowers. That is how I got mine; just picked up, at the end of last week. I had to settle for the lowers with “PDW” stocks, as that was what was available, but I wanted to try one of those, anyway. (My appointment to pick them up was set about two weeks after I placed the order.)

Specifically:

https://www.primaryarms.com/geissele...-16.25-08-188b

[rob_s]

No idea if it's in your price range or if this is actually in stock but it's been mentioned a bit early in the post:
https://www.larue.com/products/larue...-15-upper-kit/
Have that shipped to your door and have this shipped to your FFL:
https://www.larue.com/products/larue-billet-lowers/

$1000 ish plus whatever transfer fee is for the lower and shipping for it all.

This is an interesting option.

Can anyone that has one comment on that handuard attachment? it looks hideous, and appears to be bulky as hell, but maybe when handled it doesn't matter?

[rob_s]

FYI - Sionics bolts are Microbest.

Again, my experience may now be dated, and I have no idea what criteria Sionics gives Microbest when ordering bolts, so it's not about them in particular, but...

parts is not parts. I think we can all understand in 2020 that "fitment" alone isn't the only criteria of the "milspec" that matters. 20+ years ago, that's all it meant. "milspec" meant basically that you were more or less adhering to the various dimensions, particularly at points of intersection, of the parts. So your barrel fits into your upper. That's it.

As consumers got more savvy and manufacturers began appealing to that more educated consumer, concepts like "I'll just go get my bolts from the same guy Colt does" started to emerge. And for a time, people fell for it. But something I learned back in the days 10+ years ago when I'd have hour+ long conversations with Paul from BCM about the various vagaries of the minutiae of materials, testing, and verifications is that you can call up Colt's manufacturer, and even order what appears to be the exact same bolt, but it may not be. Did you spec the right steel? Did you spec the right HPT? Did you spec "all" or "batch"? Same thing for MPI. What finish did you get? Did you ask that the inside of the carrier be chrome-lined?

so I can buy a "microbest" bolt, but it may not in actuality be identical to the one they sell to Colt.

[Elwin]

Second to the suggestion of building using a quality complete upper. My experience of putting together a rifle fairly recently was that it was very feasible compared to finding a complete one in stock (though to be fair building was my "Plan A" and I didn't look too terribly hard for complete rifles). If you can just get an upper and stripped or assembled lower you're happy with, it shouldn't be too hard to get the other miscellaneous parts you need to finish the build. You may even find those locally.

Good news for uppers is that BCM also has a "notify me when in stock" feature that actually works.

[texasaggie2005]

This is an interesting option.

Can anyone that has one comment on that handuard attachment? it looks hideous, and appears to be bulky as hell, but maybe when handled it doesn't matter?

I bought one of those UU kits (16" PredatAR barrel, 13" MLOK handguard) a couple of years ago. Waited the 4 months for a matching lower.

The handguard attachment is bulky, and keeps you from carrying it around the barrel nut area, but in handling the rifle it didn't really matter.

The rifle was definitely an accurate shooter, but I found it horribly overgassed. To the point it was painful to shoot due to gas coming out of the charging handle. I traded it off for a LNIB Colt 6720.

[kitchen's mill]

How many angels can dance on the head of a pin.....

I was on scene when some of the M4 problems were being addressed in the Army.

I recall a small bucket full of broken bolts at Ft Benning during endurance testing, Colt bolts fail too.

I have also been on scene where Rock River LAR 15s were put on a full auto lower and shot to destruction. I remember gas tubes melting but don't recall bolt failures.

At the end of the day get a good rifle, some spare parts, a case of ammo, and see what breaks. (The case of ammo might be an issue right now.)

adjust fire then fire for effect