Originally Posted by
BufordTJustice
I look at it in terms of parts that CANNOT be easily replaced after the gun is built.
Everything in the lower is relatively easy to swap out except the takedown pins spring detents (those are little sons of bitches).
In the upper, the barrel (which includes the barrel extension, gas port size, and includes the quality of the barrel steel) cannot be quickly or easily swapped out unless you know how to and have the right tools. Same goes for the upper receiver if it is out-of-spec (i.e. the threads are not cut properly, the raceway is not parallel, the cam pin track is machined improperly, the actual heat treat/hardness of the upper is too soft, the anodizing of the upper is too soft or cheap, etc.
The problem is, the most expensive part of any standard format upper (with an FSB and no fancy free float handguards) is the barrel. The first place that cheapy makers save money is......THE BARREL. This means the employment of various grades of 4140 steel, with various quality levels of heat treat and finishing...with or without chrome lining.
This also includes gas ports that run on the large side (and are often inconsistent in size from gun-to-gun as they don't change their drill bit for the gas ports at the factory very often). This is for a few reasons. They may need a larger gas port to overcome some tolerance stacks in their non-mil-spec upper assemblies. Example: the upper receiver's threads are SLIGHTLY out of perpendicular to the bore centerline (I've seen it). This means that some binding occurs of the BCG as it cycles in the upper. Additionally, there may be a small gas leak between the gas key and the bolt carrier as those surfaces haven't undergone the additional prep-steps of having the surfaces smoothed and ready to be mated or the gas key screws haven't been torqued properly. Couple these two issue with a cheap (read: rough) surface finish on the type-II anodizing (which is MUCH cheaper and softer than the type III used on mil spec guns) inside the upper and you have a set of circumstances that REQUIRE a larger gas port so that most guns coming off the line will run properly.
The problem is, when you buy a gun from a manufacturer who doesn't adhere to the tight tolerances, dimensions, materials, and assembly techniques of the TDP, it's impossible to KNOW what is out of spec and what is not. So, it's not always as easy as swapping out a few parts. If your barrel, barrel extension, upper, or gas port are out of spec....you can't fix that without replacement.....which means you might as well buy a quality unit to begin with.
Make sense?
A cheap gun can be made MORE reliable by the substitution of quality parts just as a Nissan 370z can be made to perform better than stock with aftermarket upgrades. However, that 370z will never be a GTR. To get a GTR, you need to buy one of those. Even if the 370z gets a supercharger, drag slicks, a LSD, short shift kit, etc.....and it is able to equal the GTR in acceleration numbers (unlikely). Even IF that were to take place, it is still NOT a GTR.
To get a quality gun that adheres to the TDP (Technical Data Package), you simply have to buy one from a manufacturer that follows the TDP tot he letter.
I dare submit that an AR15, not assembled according to the requirements of the TDP (i.e. ALL lower-tier guns) is not really an AR15 at all....but a cheap clone thereof. I realize that this will ruffle some feathers but think about it in terms of handguns. Glock licenses some countries to make versions of Glock handguns in those countries. If you buy a Glock that is NOT made by Glock, or made to Glock's exact specs in every way, like one of these other entities....then do you REALLY have a Glock? Or do you have, at that point, a less-than-perfect copy?
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