Thread: H & K sl8-6

Stag.. PUKE... I think the only parts I've ever THROWN away have been Stag
The current DPMS/CMMG/Double Star/Colt/LAR lowers are heaps better than year or so ago - they used to be a little loose
To say CMMG is good but DPMS not, is ignorance - they are the same lower forging, machined in the same jig, with a different name on the side.
i've been to 'big name' mfgs in the US and seen the guys out the back knocking them together from boxes of parts - no machine tooling - just like the rest of them.. I'm not even sure any of the major machinists actually assemble complete rifles?

You can get 100 people to rank them, and you might get a trend, but more than likely it will be based off what the read on the net or their mate, and it wont add up to who ACTUALLY forges and machines them.
Same with uppers forgings- if you think that each company makes their own then you're dreaming - have a look at the forging marks on a bunch of different upper 'brands' - most will be a square or keyhole.. you can buy 2 uppers form the same company with different marks

You can get some nice fruity, non run-of-the-mill bits, however you will pay to play, and some of it is just wank factor

The BEST lower I've EVER seen/got was machined in NZ - it is PERFECT in fitment - no longer in production unfortunately.
Noveske has a good name and up there in quality, however the one I played with was the worst barrel extension/feedramp fitment I think I've ever seen, same with Bravo Company
As a complete package from Puke, OK, Good, V/Good
Stag -puke to OK
RRA - OK - some good
Colt - OK
CMMG - good
Doublestar - good
STI -good - V/good
DPMS - good
Bushmaster - ok
Windham - ok
Remington - ok
JP - V/good
NEA - OK
Noveske - V/good
Smeiser (sp?) - good
BRD - V/good
Spikes - OK
Norinco - puke puke puke

Buy what you really want, not what is available at that second - If a eg RRA/DPMS etc is $400 more than Norinco - then its a no brainer.. whats $400 when you're spending $2-3k?
Least you know the gas key will be properly staked (and checked on assembly) the trigger wont be worse than rubbing 2 pieces of 4x2 together, the receivers will have a reasonable fitment and other uppers are guaranteed to fit - when you're buying non US gear, not made to standards, then you're taking a big gamble. Yanks have been doing it for 40+ years vs a fly by nighter thats been at it for 6 months and using its customer base to iron out its QC and mfg issues.

Stuff to think about and notes:
You will find out pretty quickly that quadrails are mostly useless and become huge when you put covers on them
Handguard length, carbine, mid, rifle, extra long? All my uppers are transitioning to mid and longer length round handguards - I was told I would do this years ago..
90% of triggers are throw away unless something has been put in its place thats not 'mil spec'
Get the furniture you want -sticky Hogue, Hard Magpul, in between Magpul +, ERGO (puke),
Low gas block, front sight gasblock, railed block, adjustable block..?
Gas system length - my 3 gun setup is a mid length 16" - it is a SHITLOAD nicer to shoot than a carbine - so much smoother. Have some 16" rifle length gas barrels to try out
ARs arnt the lightest of guns, and a 20" bull barrel points and handles like shit.. if it a bipod gun then no issues, but a run and gun comp rifle - just say no
No point in a 14.5 on a bipod gun either
A certain 'gunsmith' in the Nth Island chambering barrels, has no idea when it comes to gas port sizes - I know of more of his barrels that have been pulled and put in the parts bin than I know of still on guns - stay away and save yourself the grief

By answering the questions to start with, you end up getting what you ACTUALLY want rather than 'a gun', and in the end, save money as you're not replacing bits
You're not looking at entering the market at the bottom due to the $ range, so why settle for it?
Something will fit the rough picture you need, then its about working with the supplier to tweak it the way you want it
You can have a semi custom gun built for not much more than a out of the box