Truth is ARs and AR parts are about like anything else. There are guys who have had great luck with X brand and guys who wouldnt recommend them because of Y. Not talking about known junk brands, but most of the common brands.
There are lots of people with a lot of time behind the gun that wouldnt consider RRA or Stag components anywhere near lower tier. You can build one hell of quality AR without using anything stamped Sabre, Noveske, KAC, etc. On the other end of the spectrum there are those that think you are setting yourself up to fail if you buy any PART that isnt marked _____.
Buy the best you can afford based on a lot of research and go from there.
I think we agree in priniciple. You should buy the best you can afford.
I would also add that mission should drive your gear selection. If your mission is punching paper at the range then any part will do. If you intend to use your rifle for anything more serious than that (competition, personal defense, etc) then you may want to consider parts that are \"marked _____\".
There are best practices that high end parts makers generally adhere to or surpass. These best practices are often called the TDP. The TDP is a document maintained by the military that basically outlines, down to a very minute scale, the baseline that is acceptable for an AR. Remember, it is a baseline. The vast majority of companies don\'t meet the TDP (bad), there are about 3 that meet it (good), and a few that will generally surpass it (best).
Some people don\'t realize how much of an effect parts selection can have on an AR. Take for instance the pins that hold the front sight base (FSB) on the barrel. The FSB is also the gas block. This structure must be held to the barrel in a very rigid and rock solid manner or reliability will suffer as gas is lost. The TDP states that the FSB should be held onto the barrel via 2 taper pins. Why taper pins? Because when the tapers pins are driven into the FSB and barrel, their increasing diameter pulls the FSB down onto the barrel creating a super tight gas seal. The vast majority of makers use straight pins for this application. Do they work? Sure, most of the time, but for some applications we shouldn\'t accept compromise.
Parts, even tiny pins, make a difference. It isn\'t about brand, it is about quality.
That is the beauty of this thread. No one is saying it has to be Noveske, LWRC, or Knight\'s or you are wasting your money. Most are recommending BCM and DD which cost little to nothing more than RRA and Bushmaster. If you really need a budget build, S&W is making a great AR right now. BCM uppers can be purchased for $425. That compares favorably to just about every one.
Also keep in mind that the internet is a double edged sword here. That guy who has 10,000 rounds on his Bushmaster and always talks about how swell they are may be lying or mistaken. They may have all been shot from a bench while the Bushmaster was perfectly clean. It may not have been shot in the cold, wet, snow, mud, etc. The internet is full of people with an opinion that we don\'t know from Adam. It can be hard to get quality information especially on something as ego driven and brand loyal as a gun. No one wants to admit that they bought a turd or that their brand is somehow inferior - they get married to their gear and lose objectivity.
The real truth is that some parts are better than other. So, yes, buy the best parts that you can afford is the right attitude, but in some cases you may be best served to take that to mean \"save longer and buy better parts than you can afford right now\". If you understand what specific parts do and the best practices surrounding those parts, then you can make educated decisions on where to save money.
I imagine that SHOT will do that to you...
