Those folks required to stick with a “good-as” gun might consider buying a GTG gun, then swapping lower receivers. If your armorer/FTU staff is ignorant enough to make such a recommendation, they may also ignorant and/or blind enough to not notice the the difference.
The downside is that having the good-as run fine will only reinforce that the good-as works. At least the gun is likely to bring you home, though.
As much as I agree that being required to carry a shit rifle by policy blows, I think changing uppers is a bad idea. Any good defense attorney can make something out of nothing. In an OIS your weapon will be collected and examined. I would not want IA to get wind that I modified my weapon outside policy. If you violate policy then you have a good chance of your department not backing you even in a good shoot.
It’s always best to get permission rather than ask for forgiveness when it comes to policy. Policy can save you or hang you. Try to change policy with sound reasoning and research rather than saying, fuck it I’ll do what I want.
+1
Many agencies require that a duty weapon be purchased as a complete rifle, and that it not be altered beyond its factory configuration. Agency armorers can modify them a bit, but it must get into the armorer’s hands as a unaltered weapon. Personally I’d just purchase a complete rifle at this time just to be on the safe side. You can always build another one later on if you want something different.
Regarding compliance with policy… You might find that by reading applicable policy in great detail, then engaging in only the most minimal and technical compliance with the most precise wording of it, may give some relief.
True but we had IA busting on an officer in an OIS fir changing out his mag release and using different night sights than what was issued to him. Yes it can get that bad. An officer has to do what he is comfortable with. I’m just recommending to adhere as close to policy as possible or have written and signed permission that’s aproves deviating from that policy. Unfortunately LE work has become so CYA that good officers have been screwed over for simple mistakes. Just my opinion.
That has to be the longest run on, almost non-intelligible, bad advise giving sentence, in the history of this forum.
I would think it’s going to be hard to beat a Colt 6920 if you have to choose from “factory” rifles.
I started with a DPMS AP4 and after I could afford it I bought a BCM midlegth upper from the reviews online. Whatever you get make sure you save some money for a decent light. In my opinion weaponlights are needed on any patrol rifle.