Originally Posted by
mlberry
So the term mil spec can mean real mil spec or sort of mil spec or we are calling it mil spec because it sounds cool? Sounds to me that There is a lot of fraud and false advertising. I go back to my earlier statement. Either a part is mil spec or it is not. Sort of mil spec means it is not mil spec. And a buffer tube that is mil spec as to one thing but not others is not mil spec.
When I said “mil spec is mil spec” in a very facetious manner I mean that also from quality perspective and material/machining perspective. Take the bolt carrier group. You can technically buy a mil spec BCG for $49 bucks, and it does meet the military specs in terms of what the carrier is made of, what the bolt is made of and machined to the tolerances specified. However if you look at that BCG carefully, you can see the gas key staking is completely sub standard, the firing pin may be in “spec” but could be inferior materials. That’s why that $49 BCG is inferior to an LMT or a DD, or a BCM BCG.
Materials is another potential area where a company may be adhering to the spec, but the spec may not detail certain metals or alloy. So a manufacturer will take advantage of that and use inferior metals but if it’s measured it will be within spec, but is definitely sub standard.
And sometimes it’s not about the spec. You have Manufacturer A who makes a part for company 1, company 2 and company 3.
They may sell the same part to all three companies, but only company 1 has specifications that could dictate more exacting tolerances or even specify that 8/10 BCG’s must undergo a 10 point inspection whereas companies 2 and 3 specify gay every 3/10 get additional QA time. Company 2 and 3 can sell the part for cheaper but there is also a good risk of inferior parts being on the market and consumed by guys like you and me.
This is why I believe “spare parts are spare parts” is total horse crap. You should also understand also the guys who have weighed in on this discussion have done so ad nauseam and are probably tired of repeating themselves. They are our SME’s, our industry experts, mods and seniors who have been working/ building AR’s for 20 years. Me personally? I respect em and I listen to em.
If you ever visit TOS, and someone asks about building a new AR and do thy really need to go with the more expensive parts, you will see the brand haters come out of the woodwork. The same guys who run Bushmaster and Olympic Arms and consider them equal to Colt, Noveske, LMT, KAC etc. Why do they think that?
Because they believe “mil spec is mil spec”.
And it just isn’t.
That’s why if you want to do it right, do your homework. Go with reputable companies. Read reviews from guys who know what they are talking about and when you ask a question about quality and someone just gives you a brand name, it doesn’t hurt to ask “why?” Why is that brand better. You can contact the manufacturer or ask on forums like this. You can ask why an ACOG is such a great sight and get that answered and you may also hear, it’s a great sight but it may not be for you. It can go beyond that with what I call perceived value vs realized value, but that’s out of scope for what you asked.
Do your due diligence because anything with doing, is worth doing right.
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Last edited by RobertTheTexan; 11-22-17 at 12:42.
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