High Exposure

That's an excuse and it is a weak one at best. I have carried a pistol on and off duty every day for the last 12 years. I am as aware of where my pistol is at all times as I have ever been. Yes, familiarity breeds contempt - but only if you let it. It has nothing to do with being neurotic and everything to do with being responsible and treating firearms as the serious objects they are. If you are going to commit to a lifestyle where you are going to carry a firearm you have a duty to do it right. If you can't or won't, then you shouldn't carry.

Incorrect. Mercer County Sherrif's Dept is the LEO agency responsible to patrol and enforce laws at that airport. TSA has no ability to arrest, house, arraign, or process bail for those arrested. This isn't a guy from another state that didn't know the law and got pinched in a traffic stop gone awry. He either forgot he had a gun in his bag (stupid) or knowingly tried to sneak a gun on a plane through security (criminal - regardless of his reason for doing so, he knowingly violated the law). "No guns on planes" is not a local law. It is not a new law. It doesn't change from state to state. Security checkpoints, X-ray machines, and metal detectors weren't installed at airports overnight. Nobody "sprung" this on this guy. Agreed. However, it doesn't change my opinion of their ability to responsibly own/carry firearms.

No it isn't. He didn't get stopped by NJSP or local cops on his way to his brother's house or an outlet mall. He was found to have a firearm while attempting to board a commercial aircraft as a passenger. That is a non-starter in every state, and at every airport in this nation. If he went to an airport in PA the exact same thing would have happened. Regardless of state CCW laws, regardless of the protection 2A affords you in the state you reside in, you can't take a gun on a plane Hear hear!!

I have little sympathy for folks that do this. Whether you agree with the TSA regulations or not is irrelevant - the law is what the law is and you have to abide by it or pay the consequences. Personally, I feel saying "I forgot there was a gun in there" as a reason for having a gun in your carry on or undeclared in your luggage is proof that you are too stupid to be responsible enough to safely handle firearms. If you are so pre-occupied, scatterbrained, or careless that can forget where your gun is, you need to seriously re-evaluate your mindset and make some significant changes to how and if you carry/own firearms.

:rofl:

Hokey? If you don't think this is fucking bad-ass your mother wears combat boots:

Kinda agree..... The brands Blksheep listed are quality, and quality has it's place - and it's price. Has nothing to do with tacticool (maybe a little to do with OCD ) From talking with industry folks and attending Colt Armorer's school, touring the S&W plant, and having a cousin-in-law in the business (engineer with S&W AR program) I know that not all lowers/uppers/parts are created equal. While yes, only a few companies out there make the lowers/uppers/parts that the big names are using, there are grades/levels of quality involved that are reflected in price. There is also a hierarchy or pecking order of who gets first pick of the different lots. I know for a fact that Colt gets their order filled before Stag and if necessary Stag will accept lowers that Colt rejected for QC/QA reasons to fill the numbers they need. Who knows who picks after Stag, and after the company after Stag, and on and on and on.... Different companies also buy the lowers in different states of completeness. I know that Defensive Edge gauges and measures each blank lower for spec before they finish them them in-house to their own exacting tolerances. Yes, any company can get a lemon or build a bad gun/part. For some companies, it is rare, for others the good rifles are the rarity. The smart consumer is educated and chooses wisely.

^^ agreed. Even more importantly however, trigger control, body position, and manipulations should be the priority before trigger group and barrel. That being said, you still need a quality lower to build a rifle. The lowers in my safe right now - I have 3 stripped lowers - are all Stag. Other than my issued Colt rifles, all of my built guns are on Stag or Defensive Edge/Sullivan Rifle SLR15 lowers. I do have one Bushmaster lower still being used (the FDE gun from earlier in this thread) but that is the only remaining BM part on the gun. I would like to get a BCM lower, just to satisfy my OCD and have a complete BCM rifle, but people are asking a premium for them that I don't feel like paying. I don't really like Spikes (have seen a few too many out of spec lowers from them) but their Warhawk lower does call to me as just being too cool.

Monmouth Arms (a forum sponsor/vendor) had Anderson defense stripped lowers for $60 or so recently.

That's a good place to safe a few hundred dollars on a build and you can always add one later..... Kinda - depending on barrel nuts, gas blocks and pinned/welded comps. I was able to install a Troy Alpha free float tube on my old Bushmaster (the FDE rifle above) because it uses a standard barrel nut to attach. All I had to do was use an angle grinder and dremel to grind down the front sight into a low profile gas block to fit under the rail and remove the delta ring. I have also used the free floating DD Omega 7 and Omega 9 (what Blksheep mentioned) in two other builds with great success. They are a no modification install that took less than 10 minutes each. A free float tube/rail that uses a different barrel nut will be more.... Shall we say challenging to install.

Honestly, KoQ at this point in your AR experience, I doubt you would be able to tell the difference between a rifle with a free-float and a standard handguard as far as accuracy.

It's Cheaper. If all you are doing is adding a light, vert grip, optic, and sling and you don't plan on shooting long distances while bracing your rifle against Cover/Concealment or shooting national match type competitions, then a free-float is nice but not necessary. Here is my HD gun with Magpul MOE (non-free float) Handguards: 16" BCM Midlength, Stag Lower with Colt LPK and Geissele SSA trigger. I will never need this gun to make a 100yard shot on a 2" target while braced against a barricade . This gun will do that anyway - if I do my part - but that is not its purpose so it was put together with its role and my wishes in mind. Altogether it is about a light as I would want it (too light is fatiguing and slow to shoot, too heavy is fatiguing to shoot and carry - you need to strike a balance) and it will do everything I need this rifle to do.

It depends..... You can do as little or as much as you want - from buying a complete rifle to installing every component yourself. I started with a compete rifle - a bushmaster XM15. It was a dog and never worked. I had to learn as I went about diagnosing and fixing all the issues it had. Once I got it reliable, I started to making personal changes in appearance and comfort to be what I wanted. It cost a bit more overall but that process taught me a lot about the rifle, my shooting, and how they interface and what I really wanted to do. Plus the $$ was spread out over years as I learned and tinkered. The rifle was a stock XM15: Now:

KoQ, Buying a complete Colt or S&W (not a sporter) is a fine way to start. You don't have to build your own, and prices on complete ARs are really good tight now (CDNN regularly has Colt 6920 for under $900). You can always upgrade the rifle you bought to fit your needs and wants after the fact, after you shoot it for a it and learn what you may or may not want.

I saw someone try to beat someone with a Hi-Point when the 9mm he tried to load into his .380 turned his gizmo into a club. The gun broke into many pieces. The "victim" then snatched the pieces up and, for lack of a better term, shoved them up the "shooters" ass. It was not a good day for Mr. Gangbanger. It was amusing though after the fact....

I don't think so. Mine is set with irons in front, but I think it would work fine with irons behind the RMR.

Yup - 870. Works great there too.

Work gun is a Colt R0933 Commando with BFG VCAS sling and IWC 2-1 tri-glide: 2-Point attachment: 1 point using Tri-Glide: I set it up this way because I thought I would want the ability to go to a single point sling - you know, just in case.... I have since found out that I have never been in a situation where a single point would have served me better and see no need for a single point except loaning the rifle to a wrong-hander (lefty). I can switch shoulders just as easily as a single point, and the two point does many things a single point just can not do - like adding stability to a shooting position, or keeping the rifle from smacking me in the dick when transitioning, or keeping the rifle from smacking me in my dick repeatedly when moving after said transitioning, or keeping the rifle snug to my body when I need both hands for something else - hands on, prisoner control, buddy/first aid, etc..., or keeping my barrel out of the dirt/mud/sand/snow when going to a kneeling, and adding tension to help with some manipulations of the rifle while in non-standard shooting positions. Here is one of my training rifles. The sling is a BFG VCAS with Paraclips. It attaches to a MOE sling point up front and an ASAP in the rear: 2-point attachment: 1-point attachment on ASAP: Close up of 1-point w/Paraclips on ASAP: The ASAP with VCAS and Paraclips is really my favorite setup. The ASAPs inherent ability to switch the side the sling is on the rifle makes switching shoulders - even in 2-point mode - a breeze. I like it so much that I would put an ASAP on the work gun if I could. However, I am prohibited from removing the receiver extension to install it - as it would then be considered a "permanent" alteration to the rifle which is understandably - and unfortunately - a no-go. The VTAC that Checko mentions is also a great sling. It is similar to the VCAS but with different slider (more of a latch than a slider) and a loose running end instead of the closed adjustment loop of the VCAS. This gives the VTAC a larger range of adjustment, however if your are vertically challenged like me (my buddy Pat calls it "warrior sized" ) the VTAC is just too long IMO.

Yeah, I think I can get some pics tonight for you. I like the ASAP as well. The nice thing is now, instead of buying an MS2/3 sling and cannibalizing it for the hardware, you can just buy Magpul Paraclips for under $10 and put them on any sling you want use it with the ASAP plate. ETA: Oh yeah, another benefit to the ASAP plate and Paraclips is you can make a 2-1 point conversion without the tri-glide or Magpul's MS3 adapter.

I have my VCAS slings set up to convert if I want to with the IWC 2 - 1 tri-glide. I have never used it. Ever. A Quick Adjust 2 point sling (VCAS, VTAC, MS1/2/3 in 2pt mode, etc...) is better in every way and for every task than a single point sling. All. Day. Long. Also, I should say that I have had MS3 slings in the past, and compared to the VCAS I hated them. I ended up cutting them up and using the hardware (Paraclips) on my VCAS slings.

Of the two BFG VCAS is my preference - I have 6 of them on various long guns. The sling is sturdier and the slider works smoother and faster. I did just get a Magpul MS1 sling. So far I like it. The sling is sturdy and wide without being stiff and the slider is smooth with no running end.

Your wife and my wife must hang out....

Here ya go: http://www.laruetactical.com/larue-tactical-stealth-sniper-system-lt011 Or a BCM 18" SPR Mk 18 or 20" SMR.

^^^ intriguing advice