After many hours of “researching” the internet for the best AR I finally pulled the trigger, now the wait begins.
At first glance I was going to go with RR, then I found the “Chart” then I read more on this site and all the others. Night before last I found a great deal on a DDM4 on GB, so I tried to find recent info on it to no avail, a year ago it seemed to be the “darling” of carbines…so I let the deal go.
In the morning I talked to a large online dealer on the east coast, he told me I had wasted all my time researching and that RR was the best deal going, he offered me a Tactical entry with Operator stock for $1095 delivered to my FFL’s door. As well as a LMT STD16 Sopmod for just a few bucks more. I could have gotten the LMT locally this afternoon and been at the range today or tomorrow, but for $200 more and I’ve been reading threads about LMT QC being less then expected recently.
I’ve been so frustrated at times, that I almost went with the $669 dollar out the door Double Star at Bud’s, just to learn the platform, as much as I’d love too I’ll never have the coin or time for a carbine class, I’ll have to make up my own play at home version and even then it’s unlikely I’ll blow through 1000 rounds in 2-3 days. In the end it boiled down to the LMT, DD, BCM or BLT, an LMT lower on a BCM upper. Then of course mid length versus carbine.
I even considered a Noveske upper and try and build my own lower on one of their blems….cost wise it would have been almost the same and I’d have the trigger and stock that I want to begin with, but this would take time.
BCM just got the standard M4 carbine upper’s back in stock and if I was going to go the carbine route then let’s just do that…the price and reviews are right.
So here is what I did.
16” BCM S.S. mid length upper on a BCM standard lower, the hand guard turned into an ordeal at the last moment so I ordered a Midwest Industry non free float rail. Originally I was going to order the standard BCM M4 hand guard until I read the reviews which led me to the CA C8 but I choked on the $10 shipping, as it turned out I had to order the Magpul folding RBUIS from Brownell’s and I think I could have picked it up there. It sounds like the MI rail comes off easy enough so I may wind up with the CA C8 anyways, especially after considering my shooting style, I’ve been shooting bolt guns off shooting sticks in the field for many years and I don’t know if that square bottomed rail is going to work on sticks…bi-pods are ok, but sticks rule at least for practical hunting situations.
If I hadn’t already blown the budget “big time” I would have sprung for the 9” DD omega. Bill Springfield is down the street, so in time, I may drop in to have him sweeten the trigger. All in all this is the setup I originally wanted, I’m an accuracy freak so if I can squeeze an extra .25-.50 MOA it makes my day, I’m easily amused, to me it’s worth the extra $100 on the upper. I know about practical accuracy versus mechanical and understand and agree with the principle, but it’s why I carry 1911’s rather the Glock’s.
Today I need to order up a few hundred rounds to get started, I need brass cased because I’m going to need to reload for this thing in order to afford to shoot it and then tomorrow start selling the 2-3 other guns to fund this project.
I can hardly wait until I start shopping for good glass…in the interim I’m going with irons and a PA Gen 2 red dot. Soon I hope to mount a Leopold on it for load development, so there is another $150-$200 or so for a good QD mount, I’ll believe it when I see it, if it’s possible to quickly remove and re-install optics to zero, but I’ll be optimistic and give it a shot.
When I get the cash I’ll probably want to put a good quality red dot with magnifier or a 1x4 on it. I haven’t shot irons for 45 years or so, but I grew up on them, so this should be fun with aging eyes.
I can hardly wait! This has taken me quite a while to get here, I’ve been wanting an AR for over 15 years, but family, business (and the lack of it) put a wait in my dreams and desires, I’m already thinking I need another, say a 6.8 upper and possibly a .308 on the AR platform and I have two buddies who are interested in building from the ground up, so we’re setting up the basement and getting some tools.
I appreciate all the information and your patience with my dumb newbie questions!
Tick tock…
