DECISION: DD OR BCM MIDDY

[JDW67]

All of that said, if you want one with a rail system, "smartgunner.com" has DD uppers with hammer forged barrels and Lite rails (your choice of rail and barrel length) for $525. Midlengths are $25 more. That's without the BCG, but it's still a screaming deal. The OP could avoid paying FET this way as well. He could still get a DD lower and have a complete DD rifle if he wanted, and I bet he could do it for under a grand - with a Lite rail - that's a great deal.

Thanks for the heads up. I was all set to get the BCM lightweight middy with rail, but this website has it for $150 less.

Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[justin_247]

Wow, this smartgunner.com thing is the deal of the century!

[sixfootbrit]

I vote BCM FWIW

[THCDDM4]

Wow, this smartgunner.com thing is the deal of the century!

They come sans BCG; but still , that is one hell of a deal! I saw a 9.5 rail on 14.5" barrelled upper for $509.00! Just get a BCM blem lower and DD BCG and it is good to go at under $1,000.00 ($509 DD Upper+ $149.00 DD BCG+ $250.00 BCM BLEM lower= $908.00!+Shipping & FFL & Taxes). Out the door right at $1,000.00, not bad.

[Singlestack Wonder]

Wow, this smartgunner.com thing is the deal of the century!

This pricing almost seems too good to be true......

[87GN]

Wow, this smartgunner.com thing is the deal of the century!

I think it's just the opening salvo in an upcoming price war...


Lots of inventory to move, employees that need to be paid or laid off...


...could be wrong though.

[Doc Safari]

I can't speak to middy's, but since I just purchased one each DD and BCM rifles in the last month, I do think I can offer a side-by-side comparison for the rifles in general.

I haven't shot the BCM yet because it didn't come with a rear sight on the receiver rail and I have just added the removable carry handle. I haven't had a chance to shoot it yet.

The DD shot great. It came with a backup rear sight on the receiver rail. I took it to the range for a function test expecting to sight it in at a later date. I was surprised to find that the sights were dead nuts-on at the plinker range even at the 25-30 or 40 yards I was shooting. I suspect I'll have to adjust the elevation a tad for a real zero, but I can't remember ever having a rifle that close to being sighted in right out of the box.

If you consult the M4 chart they are both GTG. My only observation in addition to the chart is that the DD seems to be tighter, of better fit and finish, and just overall better looking if that is important to you.

The BCM looks entirely of high quality as well, but was a little rough around the edges. The are areas inside the receiver where the finish is a little thin, and I saw a scratch or two inside the receiver that happened before finishing since the scratches were finished over. No big deal unless that's important to you, but the inside of the DD receiver looked like it was polished before finishing. It was very smooth looking. It also seems to have a tighter fit for the bolt carrier than the BCM. It may be that the BCM would be more reliable when dirty because it's a tad looser. The front hinge is a really tight fit on the DD. You have to line up the holes just right to get the pin to go in. The BCM is looser and a lot easier to put back together. Again, no biggie just an observation.

The BCM came with the VLTOR charging handle that I believe they call the gunfighter charging handle. The DD's was the military one from what I can see.

The markings on the DD receiver rail are sharper and brighter. The DD came with more extras, like the mount behind the castle nut for a single-point sling, and a backup rear sight on the receiver rail. It may be just me, but the DD just has a "crafted" quality to it. The BCM is slightly looser and looks more "mass-produced." The BCM barrel is marked with "HP", "MP" and the twist rate where you can see it. The DD barrel is not so marked, unless the markings are under the handguards.

I'm not saying either is better than the other. I expect either rifle to perform well. But if I had to pick one of the two, I'd say the DD seems just slightly nicer, allowing for what someone posted earlier about DD's occasionally having more problems than BCM. It may be that they got their act together and the newer rifles really are better than previous ones.

[Doc Safari]

Okay, this is just my 2 cents...

- BCM has been building rifles/uppers longer than DD
- BCM has done a lot of the development work on gas port diameters/locations for the midlength and its various gas port diameters.
- With volume, stuff slips through the cracks - but how many threads have we seen about a BCM upper or rifle that wouldn't run, or a BCM barrel or part that was out of spec? And how many threads of that kind have we seen about DD? I'll answer that - more of the latter than the former.

I'm not defending DD to the hilt, since I own both and am new to both, but one reason there are more threads on DD is maybe that BCM rifles are harder to get for some people. I got the DD first because my dealer originally swore he couldn't even get the BCM rifles, and then later changed his mind. I had written off BCM as a rifle I couldn't get until a week ago.

- The DD has a notched hammer with (as I understand it) dimensions that are unique to DD and the BCM has a rounded hammer.

This is true and I can't understand it either.

It may be that some variations don't matter that much as long as the parts are properly hardened and of the correct geometry.

My DD shot fine and seems to be a quality rifle as long as they still stick to the specs in the M4 chart. I've even heard that Colt has been criticized for having quality control problems lately. So much so that it's the only reason I ever considered another brand. It may be that you just pays your money and you takes your chances.

Again, I'm not defending DD to the hilt, but the last page of my manual says that they carry a 100% satisfaction guarantee against defects in original materials and workmanship. That sounds like a response to some early problems, and may indicate some rough spots that they have addressed. I don't think they would offer that guarantee if they were having that many returns, unless some copywriter is stuck on stupid.

Then again, you get the most satisfied and least satisfied reports on the internet and it makes problems look exaggerated because you read about five problems for a product with thousands of units produced. If you read the problem threads on any gun forum it's enough to make you reconsider just about any firearm out there.

[Rln_21]

This pricing almost seems too good to be true......

I've been pricing builds out recently, the Smartgunner.com pricing is nearly unbelievable.

[87GN]

This is true and I can't understand it either.

It may be that some variations don't matter that much as long as the parts are properly hardened and of the correct geometry.

My DD shot fine and seems to be a quality rifle as long as they still stick to the specs in the M4 chart. I've even heard that Colt has been criticized for having quality control problems lately. So much so that it's the only reason I ever considered another brand. It may be that you just pays your money and you takes your chances.

Again, I'm not defending DD to the hilt, but the last page of my manual says that they carry a 100% satisfaction guarantee against defects in original materials and workmanship. That sounds like a response to some early problems, and may indicate some rough spots that they have addressed. I don't think they would offer that guarantee if they were having that many returns, unless some copywriter is stuck on stupid.

Then again, you get the most satisfied and least satisfied reports on the internet and it makes problems look exaggerated because you read about five problems for a product with thousands of units produced. If you read the problem threads on any gun forum it's enough to make you reconsider just about any firearm out there.

The Chart is a great resource and, I think, has caused many manufacturers to improve the quality of their components and assembly practices.

I understand it's being revamped, and I have no idea what will be on the new Chart, but it is by no means an exhaustive list of everything that has critical importance to the operation of the weapon.

Just going from my own personal experience, I have had two otherwise identical DD barrels with significant differences in gas port diameter.

I get that fit and finish and receiver tightness gives you the impression that the DD is a higher quality weapon, but there are other things that are more important - things you can't always see.