Sooooooo tempting. Great deal on a great gun.
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As stated above, you can get a Colt or other known quality ARs for about the same money. And if money is the main concern, I would at least get a PSA CHF before I got those.
Competitive shooters will run whatever they company that is writing the check says. So pay zero attention to that. Look at folks with HIGH integrity (Vickers, Hackathorn, Pannone, etc) and see what they shoot. That will tell you what companies they think make good guns/gear.
Most bloggers either get free guns or access to factories. They rarely EVER find a gun or piece of gear they don't like.
C4
The problem with as good as is some are, some aren't, and you always wonder when your as good as will suddenly crap out. Working in QA for a manufacturer has taught me a lot. There is no such thing as "as good as" when you get down to it.
You talked about a shooter who is more skilled than yourself outshooting you with an inferior rifle and that is supposed to somehow vouch for Windham as a quality product? Definitely helps to bolster the shooter's talent but as far as the rifle itself it means nothing. It doesn't change the fact that a Windham rifle has subpar QC procedures and testing requirements compared to other rifles from more reputable manufacturers. Will it put rounds down range? Sure. Will it perform reliably as long as its competitors? No way of knowing. But that's the thing about buying from reputable manufacturers. You're paying for those extensive QC requirements and testing procedures that provide a level of consistency from one rifle to the next so the buyer knows exactly what they are getting and what they can expect from their rifle.
I've got a knockoff Scout that has made it through a couple thousand rounds tucked up right close to the muzzle blast but would I rely on it in a critical situation? Not a chance. That's because Surefire covers every base of quality control and gives a level of guarantee that comes from tangible differences between their products and others.
It doesn't make the Windham or the knockoff scout unworthy of owning. But the fact is there are inherently better options that are available because certain manufacturers are willing to go the extra mile to provide documented quality and attention to detail.
I remember when windham came out a lot of people were praising them and saying that they weren't the same as Bushmaster since they started their own company, but they are the same people that built them are building windham rifles. If people looked at some of the reviews of Windham rifles from some bloggers, you will see that they aren't that great.
Really how about this. About 2 years ago a coworker was getting into ARs and asked me to help him set up a carbine he bought because of his brother's advice. His brother recommended a DPMS because that what some instructor said was a good AR, and I told him otherwise but he would not believe me. Literally after the first range outing I was showing him how to take it apart and the BCG would not come out of the upper. Upon closer inspection I could see through one of the gas vents that one of the gas rings got mangled inside the carrier preventing it from moving, something Ive never seen before, you can probably still search the thread I made here asking for help. Thankfully the dealer took back the defective upper and now my coworker, by my advice, sports a BCM 16" lightweight and has had zero problems. I dont parrot back that as good as brands suck because I want to seem cool on M4C but its from EXPERIENCE.
Found the thread: https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread...ing-stuck-bolt