My build.....AR build anyways.
Not trying to argue, but for the sake of discussion..
No argument taken ;)
That is during very extreme temps. I have ran several EOTechs in some pretty extreme temps and conditions, and the only issues I ever had was shut-off once while full-auto with a MK46. That was easily fixed with the addition of the little foam donuts to restrict battery movement. That being said, for pig hunting in heavy brush with my 300BlkOut, I run one of the cheap Primary Arms MicroDot clones. It has been 100% reliable, and its def not babied. On my Mini-G, I run a Burris FF3. Both cheap but good options for a red-dot if you want to go that route.
Plenty of folks have run EOTechs without issue, plenty have seen issues. It was a big enough issue that it was discovered and the company found at fault for advertising something the optic was not capable of. Hence their settlement. I wouldn't buy one new, but if I had one already I wouldn't hesitate to run it.
The current M4 carbine the military runs costs $550 for the gubment, and in civilian trim hovers around $600 for the private citizen, so I would consider it one of those "$500 guns". What this rifle does right is; make ownership affordable to the average person, care and feeding is simple and cheap, and shooting it is even easier. It's not going to outperform a MK16 Jager Karabiner from SWORD International, but it will probably outperform it's new owner in every way.
The suppliers for the goobermint are building in intense volumes with lots of checks in place. I've run such build lines for such contracts. DCMA doesn't let you skate by. There are plenty of $5-600 guns that ARE good, but the vast majority are built from parts the GOV would scrap in a heartbeat. I see them daily.
You often see this with the cheap "tacticool" boutique stuff with zombie slayer BS engraved into them etc. No different than buying an Autozone hood scoop and plastic chrome stick on flames. Stick with basic milspec parts from an established manufacturer and you won't have an issue even at the lowest price point.
Yup, agree. A lot of the boutique crap is just that. Crap. Same with gimmicks. But the lowest price point parts are often built poorly and have issues. I see reject rates over 65% on BCG's that are built by shops who make a few hundred thousand a year. "no one else complains" they say, yet I see things like ring run bores that are .002" over spec limit, chrome that looks more pimpled than the guy that brings me pizza, and the bore for the bolt tail is often over sized or off concentric by way too much. All are fatal flaws that "no one else complains about".
research the manufacturer, buy from a vetted source, no luck involved. problem solved.
Yup. But when you buy from a bargain vendor (someone not established, someone that doesn't have an actual store front or internet vendors that haven't earned their reputations) it IS a lot of luck to get good parts.
do you honestly feel this is a concern for the average AR owner? take the expected life of a 4140 barrel, multiply that by current ammo prices, now compare that to the budgetary restraints on the guy shopping for a $500 rifle in the first place.... you get the idea.
The problem isn't the material, it's that many places charge a price that would get you the better part. Would you pay Dana60 prices for a 8.25? "it will work just fine for a street cruiser".
But I agree, if you can get the 4140 barrel for cheap then do it. But don't do it if the price difference isn't enough. I know what the material price difference for 41v50 MIL-B-11595 to 4140 - it ain't much and the reduction in problems (especially material imperfections) is astounding. CHF barrels are built from even better material and far more trustworthy. Let alone the longevity benefits for the high volume user.
this is completely false. 1:9 can run heavier rounds just fine, and depending on the round, and the intended purpose of the rifle, can have preferred performance.
Arguable. Much depends on the barrel length and velocity achieved. I've seen tracer keyhole out of a 1/9. I've also seen "1/9" barrels actually measure to closer to 1/10.5, 1/12 depending on the mfg. It's not easy to measure and plenty of smaller shops do it wrong - back to the "buy reputable" line. The problem for a beginner is how to determine who you can trust.
Sometimes 1/9 is better for an intended application, but 1/7 is less likely to ever have an issue and will just be easier for the beginner.
You get what you pay for, and if you are wanting a basic rifle to plink with and teach your kids to shoot, for home defense if necessay, and capable of cost effective modular upgrades in the future, the $500 AR15 is where it's at..
Agreed 100%. No reason to spend $3k to teach the kids to shoot. But I've seen enough garbage at the lower price points that it's frightening. Stick with good brands, or spend just a little more and have a lot more fun shooting and less time trying to figure out why it doesn't do the job.