AR mag question

[DG23]

Pretty much exactly this.

Depends on WHEN. Back in the beginning when Randy Luth ran things they did excellent work and you generally got what you paid for. Once they sold out things changed in a big way. (and not for the better)

Keep in mind the fact that they did not do everything 'in-house' and contracted a lot of stuff out. When they sold out and the bean counters came in a lot of those contracted parts and services went to the lower bidder and not necessarily the 'better' producer of quality. The contractor they used for their chrome lining is a good example. They did not do that stuff 'in-house'. Those barrels got sent out in batches. The older (Rand Luth days) chrome lined barrels were noticeably different from their later (freedom group) stuff. (you can see the difference with a borescope) Remember how that chrome lining was always 'optional' for them? That is because they were sending those parts out to be done.

Same with their 'optional' Cryo Treating. They never had any sort of capability or knowledge to do that sort of stuff 'in-house'. Those barrels got sent off once they had a big enough batch to justify sending. (They used Diversified Cryo for that back when they even offered it - A company that you can still deal with directly without going through DMPS or any other middleman.)

The 7.62 x 39 upper assembly I bought from them back in the day was a complete Colt assembly (in the factory Colt box even). Why? Because they didn't 'make' those things - they were reselling selling stuff they sourced elsewhere...

[markm]

I get that retarded influences can mess up a good thing... believe me. It's what I call the "American Mediocrity" culture, and it's a cancer in every American industry. Half ass garbage for a quick buck.

That being said, with ARs, we could always step up to a Colt back then, or a COLT or BCM now. I think the optional chrome lining was what turned me off from EVER buying DPMS products decades ago.

[DG23]

I get that retarded influences can mess up a good thing... believe me. It's what I call the "American Mediocrity" culture, and it's a cancer in every American industry. Half ass garbage for a quick buck.

That being said, with ARs, we could always step up to a Colt back then, or a COLT or BCM now. I think the optional chrome lining was what turned me off from EVER buying DPMS products decades ago.

Once you added in all the options to get it closer to being in the same ballpark as the Colt it ended up costing MORE than just buying a Colt.

And then the company gets sold and the bean counters come along and say 'hey - lets keep charging them the same $$ extra for chrome but find a different company that will do it a LOT cheaper for us so we can make more profit!'.