This is something I have wanted to post for a long time but never really had the time to really think about how to word it correctly to make the most sense and get the best views and opinions.
As we all know, not all AR's/M4's are created equal. We know there are three basic "tiers" of AR manufacturers. You have Tier 2 and 3, such as Olympic Arms, Del Ton, DPMS, CMMG, RRA, Bushmaster, Stag, ect. Then you have the Tier 1, "quality" manufacturers, such as Colt, DD, BCM, Noveske, and LMT.
The general consensus is that none of the Tier 2 or 3 AR's are worth buying, for serious uses. They are not as well made than Tier 1 AR's (generally) and are not suited for any real uses such as self/home defense, law enforcement use, or PMC/Military use.
With that being said, there are many people out there who, in a very stereotypical sense, are "dirt clod" shooters that wouldn't care a bit whether or not their bolts are MPI and HPT'd, or if their barrels are chrome lined. To them, they just want a AR to show off to their buddies and scare some family members at the next reunion, and maybe, just maybe, they put about 100 or so rounds a year through it. For them, they don't need much more than a Olympic or DPMS. They only need a rifle that can have less than probably 500 or 600 rounds through it in the 10+ years they may own it. They don't run it hard, besides the occasional bump fire or "mag dump" into the nearest pond. These people, in my opinion, are who the Tier 2 and 3 companies really make the most of their money from.
The 8 or so most commonly known low-quality manufacturers employ probably hundreds of employees and therefore support the economy. They are fairly healthy American businesses in a capitalist free market. Sure they don't produce the best AR components, but they do sell, and they do have a customer base. This base differs greatly from the customer base of Tier 1 AR's, who are marketing towards those that want serious use out of their carbines. Those that need to make sure that they get their moneys worth of the products they purchase, and that it will serve them well and be reliable. To them, quality and adherence to mil-specs are nonnegotiable. They pay the (slightly/sometimes) more expensive prices for the quality they require.
Alright, back to the point. The point is, what do those here at M4Carbine.net, the home of spreading the word that not all AR's are created equal and that there IS a difference between manufacturers, think about Tier 2 and 3 manufacturers. Do you think that they should continue to manufacture sub-par components and AR's for those who don't really need the best stuff? Would you rather them all start producing product to the same specs as Colt and the other top tier bunch? Or do you think its to late, and that they should just disappear from the AR world and leave it to the already existing good manufacturers? Or something different?
Think about it - the economy of AR manufacturing is a HUGE business and creates a large amount of jobs. We can't force them to produce better stuff, and as long as people buy it they probably won't change anything. However, if you could become economy dictator for a day, what would you do if you could?


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and few of my friends who have contracted in the sandbox had to carry Bushmasters. 
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