I have been reading a lot of other gun forums as of late and I am constantly seeing people mis-understand what mil-spec or mil-standard means and why it is good and or bad.

To some manufacturers the term "mil-spec" means crappy parts that are poorly assembled. This is not accurate.

To break it down as simply as possible, think of the Military Standard as the BASE LINE for how a FIGHTING WEAPON is to be built. What does "base line" mean? Well it means that it is the LOWEST quality that is ACCEPTABLE (per the US Govt) to how a weapon can be made. If you go above the "base line" you are doing well, but to go below that mark is a HUGE no no.

The next question we see is "why do I care about mil-spec on my varmint gun?" The answer is that we do not. A varmint gun really has a different agenda from a fighting gun and you really do not need to be all the concerned if it doesn't stack up well against the Technical Data Package (TDP).

What is most amusing to me is when manufacturers charge you a lot of money, claim that their weapons are for "serious use", but yet don't meet the MINIMUM .Gov standards that the TDP lays out.

So let us assume for a moment that you want to buy a fighting weapon (that you will depend your life on). What are some of the things you should look for that will help to ensure reliability and quality? Here is the short list:

Barrel Steel: 4150ORD, 4150SUL or CMV
Bolt Steel: 154 Carpenter
High pressure testing: Both bolt and barrel
Magnetic Particle Inspection: Both bolt and barrel
Barrel Extension: M4
Upper Receiver: M4
Gas key: Properly Staked
Castle Nut: Properly Staked
Receiver Extension: Mil-Spec 7071 impact extrusion
Buffer: H, H2 or H3 (depending on barrel length and type of gas system)
Gas port size for a Carbine: .063
FSB: Rated for flat top (F stamped)
Chrome Lining: Yes
Twist rate: 1/7 (handles everything from 55gr to 80gr well)
Chamber: 556 NATO




C4