I read a lot on this forum and other places about how great certain ar/m4gery/x*x are and this company or that uses mil-spec and if it’s not mil-spec it’s not worth buying, etc, etc.
First, before I get too far into this, I want to say I’ve done my time with this rifle platform, albeit a few decades back, and I’ve spent a total of over four decades in service to my country and I don’t believe that mil-spec, particularly 1959 mil spec, is superior to modern day metallurgy.
Now that aside why do I never read that anyone likes LaRue Tactical rifles?
What is wrong with LT rifles?
I’m new here and haven’t followed the discussions for very long but I just don’t see LaRue mentioned. What gives?
Price for what you get.
A $1800 Larue wont do anything better than a $800 colt 6920
LaRue’s barrels are awesome.
Everything else they make is great, but is in the boutique category and appeals to less people than more traditional arrangements.
The mil-spec thing is mostly in regards to dimensions of receivers and BCGs. Everything else is up in the air. Buy BCM uppers and Colt lowers and you’ll have a good time.
Do I have rifles that cost way more than LaRue’s OBR or PredatAR? Yes. Would I like to own one of those LaRue offerings? Of course but do not have the money up front to purchase it with the rifle complete. My go to rifle has about $3800 in it all together yet slowly over time this thing was built. I suspect most guys on here are of the same mindset and financial capacity. I would kill to have an SR25 but like the LaRue mentioned earlier my .308 will be a build because of financial restrictions. The point that I make is that most guys on here build their rifles to keep cost down or buy a great, more simple, but much cheaper gun such as Colt’s 6920. Also to add, the last time I checked on LaRue’s lead times for delivery of their rifles was insane.
-Jax
You’re throwing out a lot of questions at once, man. Larue’s quality is good, absolutely, but it may not be the most bang for your buck (if that type of thing matters to you.) And yes, mil-spec is about numbers, not metals. For me, BCM has been my first and last stop lately for barrels, BCG’s, grips and so on. I’ve dealt with the bargain parts in the past, and it simply is not worth it. Headaches during assembly, headaches at the range, headaches trying to diagnose problems…
It’s not that we don’t believe some things are better than milspec, it’s more that some companies can’t even meet the milspec standard. There is not midlength milspec yet they are encouraged here. Same with the 16 inch SS barrels.
Mark Larue has a “reputation” personally and it hurts his business IMO, although I guarantee you he will tell you he doesnt care, which is the truth. He also has a reputation with a few big name suppliers in the industry that at one time supplied him, but Larue being Larue said “I can do this better”, so he launched off on his own, and in a lot of ways to his companies detriment. The cluster **** of him going from a well known barrel supplier to making his own(and the endless delays that caused due to a few issues), then refusing to give people their money back even though what they paid for was NOT what he was in the end selling them is one such instance. At least at SHOT 2014 they had guns there(I think, I just kinda walked past their booth). SHOT 2013 they DIDNT BRING ANY GUNS, to a GUN SHOW.
When I lived in Austin, TX a few years ago I wanted to buy a part for a new AR from them(I cant even remember what it was, might have been an optic mount) so I called them up(they are local to Austin, TX) and they basically said “piss off, find a local dealer” and at the time, there were no local dealers. At that time, I didnt realize the reputation they had, but now it makes sense why nobody locally would deal with them.
Head over to their forum on TOS. Its a shit show.
Be warned. These guys with Colt Koolaid on their breath will never admit anything rivals Colt. They are wrong but you will never get them to admit it. There is nothing wrong with LaRue guns but the are bordering on being boutique rifles. You probably need to decide what you want this rifle to do and then look at what BCM has to offer. They offer uppers in almost any configuration. Their stuff is milspec or better and cosmetically superior to Colt. Buy the upper from BCM and BCM lower from Grant. Through Grant you can select the trigger and furniture you want. By doing it this way you get what you want in a rifle that is equal to or better than most others including Colt. If bragging rights are important to you buy LaRue, Noveski or KAC. If you want a rifle that works buy BCM.
That is just false. If you had ever spent any time behind a LaRue rifle (and had the skill to wring it out), you would understand.
Their barrels are some of the best and a 6920 will NOT shoot anything like a LaRue will. They’re not even comparable. The LaRue is a precision gun. And the LaRue will be as reliable.
I don’t own a LaRue, but I’ve spent some behind a couple of their Stealth uppers and I can tell you they are top notch in every way.
Mark LaRue will say what he thinks on the forums, he is a little cocky. But his stuff has been in pretty widespread use throughout the GWOT. The USMC, contractors and grunts would not be buying his stuff if it didn’t hold up… FWIW, if you call the shop, the people who answer the phone know their stuff, are polite and will help you get whatever you need going.
I have seen this phrase come up recently on these forums and I’m confused as to why this would be a factor when purchasing a weapon, or accessory. Is saving a couple hundred bucks here or there for inferior gear really a deal breaker?
Agreed 100%…and I would add Noveske, Rainier Arms to the discussion as well. In regards to barrels, you do get what you pay for and how it translates to accuracy and consistency. To make a blanket statement such as my Colt or BCM can do anything a $2,500 rig can do (although noble), is simply false and a flawed assertion.
We’ll see. I have a pile of MK262 to run through an 18" BCM upper. It’s gonna have to fill some pretty big shoes to hang with the 20" Stealth I was using earlier this year…
Larue is fine if you want exactly their setup, and don’t mind paying a premium for it. I prefer to build mine just the way I want, and spend about 1/2 to 1/3 as much.
When it comes to accurate rifles, LaRue is near/at the top of the heap (whether one likes Mark or not).
I just want one of their 18" stealth barrels…they can keep all the other shit.
Some may argue that the Larue gas port selection size doesn’t fit within certain requirements. I may not buy one now, but may so in the future as they learn the product.
I wanted an 18" barrel with rifle gas so I went with BCM. LaRue does a mid-length port on their 18" barrels. That and BCM SPR Mod4 was exactly what I was going to build anyway, so I went that way.
I’ve heard their 12" SBRs are gassed pretty hot. Their 16" mids and 20" rifles are NOT. Very soft shooters.
If you price a Noveske, BCM, and LaRue stainless barrel, you’ll see that the LaRues are not out of line on price.
In Re the god of Mil Spec:
if all 1911A1s were mil spec, 1911A1 technology would have ceased to advance in 1926.
I may not buy them now, that is no assurance that I would not buy them at some time. Indications are that they may learn. Let us see how they do.
Ok. I think I see the source of some of my confusion if one takes a look at a LT PredatAR and a Colt 6920 it’s obvious to most of us they are it similar. Also a Colt is shelf priced at over $1200 about everywhere. But the differences abound at least in appearance. The colt is a carbine gas system I’d rather stay with a middy. I don’t care for the a frame fixed front. (No more than I would for an A2 carry handle). Quad rails, step barrels, ad nauseum.
Asto quality, durability, accuracy (relative term) I’m sure the colt is fine and many sell to folks wanting to own the authentic M4. Or at least authentic maker. But I don’t think the the Colt will competed with even the light weight LT in the accuracy department. I’ve seen the LT OBR’s in use and they are very sub MOA rifles. Granted they are significantly more money the almost every other makers guns but may well be worth the bucks. Plus they are handsome. Nothing wrong with a nice looking rifle. I’ve never own one but think I’m about ready to. A Daniel Defense is about $1400. I think they exude quality and are definitely accurate. I have a couple. The LT at $1800 with their fine MBT trigger and artful billet receiver, I think it’s worth a try. I’m saving my pennies. If I sell one more Randall I’m ordering one. BTW I’m told they ship in about one week now.
A perfect example! COLT 1911 pistols are no better today than they were decades ago and I have had dozens of them including a couple of gold cups. Fortunes were made making them better.