Eric.

Damn, late to the party... Well, if the others back out, i'll use the coupon!

Personally, i prefer a "coated" bcg over a "plated" bcg. A coated bcg i.e. NP3, melonite, et al, is a finer coating that comes off in much smaller, dust-like pieces, as it wears. A plated bcg i.e. chrome, NiB, etc, is made with layers of metal that can peel off in larger pieces or even strips. As far as protection and lubricity, it all seems similar to me (although NP3 supposedly has the best lubricity). For the most part, i run my bolts wet and dont go 1000's of rounds before re-oiling it.

Living in NJ, what is this suppressor you speak of??

I thought the Blackbird was too cool also, but satellites ended that.

Oh, i got it. The 8 screws that attach their handguard to their proprietary handguard mount. Sorry to hear, but glad Aero made it right.

Im sure it can happen with anything mass produced. Are you taking about a flat top receiver? Im not understanding why it would have a rail mounting hole? Are you talking about the handguard (not the receiver)?

[quote name="Scorpio64" post="10190 Don't get me wrong, I love PSA and use them often, but when I need a top quality part, like a precision stripped upper to build a precision rifle on, I go to to BCM or even Aero Precision. I prefer Aero over BCM. Honestly, i dont see why BCM sells at a premium to Aero being that the quality is about the same. For those that arent familiar with Aero Precision, their background is in the aero space industry, hence the name and their experience making parts to tight tolerences.

Yes, and that brings us back to my original point; i feel using 6x magnification is taking away from the primary intended use of a red dot, which is...close/quick engagements. Just because you can adapt a red dot for targets past 200 yds doesnt mean that is the best way to go.

Rick, I addressed this in my previous post. In my opinion, once you approach 300yds and beyond, you really are better off with an SPR set up rather than trying to engage with a red dot, at that distance.

Yep. While the ratio of red dot size vs target stays the same, in reality...its not the same. Specifically, your field of view narrows with magnification. Now, that huge red dot covers a much larger area of view. Secondly, the 6x mag is trying to extend the range of the red dot optic. Thing is, red dots are intended for closer/fast target engagements. There are better optics for longer engagements that require 6x magnification rather than pushing the boundaries of the red dot.

NJ can only pass what the voters allow. Be vocal with your opinion, Sam. Eric

Cool find, Iggy. The channel is available in our area (Comcast) but you have to have the 2x upgraded, upgrade package. F Comcast, maybe I'll be able to buy it on demand, per episode. On a side note, will I run into you in any competitions, this year?

Tier 1 is good to go. They did a great job on my precision rifle (6.5 Creedmoor bolt gun).

Good catch, lol. I guess my point is that it'll be a big fugging dot.

Just thinking aloud but a 6x magnifier for a red dot optic sounds to me like its going past the practical limits of the optic. For one, if you have a 3 moa dot...its now a 1.8 moa dot...

That varmint barrel looks close to an MTU profile. Its gonna be heavy. I got an M24 profile cut to 25" and the McRee chassis. Lets just say if glad im not running across the course with it, lol.

Oops. I thought he said "Haney" (but I was wearing hearing protectors). http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_3_118/677135_High_round_count_AR_M4_s__over_100_000_rounds__and_how_they_have_handled_on_our_range.html

There's a great thread on another forum, started by Ron Haney, who owns Battlefield Vegas (a tourist gun range). They have various battle weapons, in various configurations, that get rented out. Most are full auto and get a lot of use. The thread is basically a field test of AR (amongst other weapons) durability in a controlled environment with documented round counts, maintenance schedules and inspections. To me, it's a treasure trove of info on what works and lasts. One of my take aways is the DI vs piston debate, specifically, what is "better". Apparently, all piston systems cannot last like a DI system, with the exception of the HK416 and the Titan system. Those two have decent life, but at the end of the the day, common sense says that more moving parts equals more chances of failure. While theory is debatable, Ron Haney just provided the actual testing. Here is a summary of the info gleaned from that thread: HK MR223 has a very short barrel life. Titan Defense (clone to the HK 416) is GTG, and just as good as the real 416 (but cost less). AR15 (well manufactured) bolts will fail at around 30,000 rounds (around the bolt cam) at around which time the cam pins will fail. PSA is very well made..................... Colt 9mm carbine can be problematic. SCAR-16 is very well made and a good alternative to the AR15. The return springs on the operating rods of piston AR's need to be replaced around 5000 rounds. The POF bolt cam pin is a NO-GO (I think I remember reading somewhere here, that the roller bearing comes off). MP5 rock! Magpul mags after hard use eventually crack on the back but they have excellent customer service.

The DI vs piston debate has been argued forever but in terms of long term reliability, DI seems to have the clear advantage. It makes sense when you consider that it has less moving parts. There is an epic thread on ar15.com ny Ron Haley, who co-owns a tourist gun range in Vegas. He has provided what might be one the most documented, controlled studies on high round count/long term durability of various combat rifles, including the AR. Long story, short; other than the HK416 or Titan piston set up, none of the other pistons lasted nearly as long as a DI.

Are PSA lowers considered mil spec?

Even better, there is something called the Accurizing Wedge, which is a rubber piece that sits behind the rear post lockup area rhat takes up the slack very well. Lasts forever too. Thats why i like Aero gen II lowers; they have a screw with nylon tip that can be adjusted to take up the slack.

Probably weighs as much as a typical RECCE; ~10lbs or so. Ive always felt if the extra 2-3 lbs was an issue then the fix is a lil bit of gym time, lol. Sounds like a nice build list. Got a pic?

Thing is, I'm not sure if Im doing more work for little or no accuracy gains (in a semi auto). If I am gaining accuracy, it might be too little of a gain vs my shooting abilities. Thanks for the feedback.

Old school, if you get a minute, I'm open to feedback. I know popular forum wisdom is that you cannot neck size semi auto's due to potential feeding/extraction issues. Im aware of this when I necksize. I dont use a progressive loader and basically batch load my "pet loads". I'm careful with my case prep. I check cases for dents, then check final dimensions with an RCBS case micrometer to measure the shoulder angle/position. If all is well, then im good to go. I haven't had a single feeding/stuck case issue yet. Also, i do not rapid fire or have very long strings of fire. I use carb & choke cleaner to clean the carbon from the chamber and freebore area (not a full bore cleaning) after each outing. I started experimenting with neck sizing a couple of years ago to see if it made an accuracy difference, since it works well with bolt guns. The jury is still out. Im not sure if im doing more work for lesser returns, so I would love to hear other ppl's experiences and facts, good or bad.

I've used BCM "blems" and Aero Precision "blems". It's basically the same thing, with cosmetic scratches(very minor scratches) for almost half price.