Just a rant....
Backstory: So a local metro PD ordered a bunch of AR15s from manufacturer....let's just say manufacturer DT. The patrol guys got excited. So my girl (who is an officer who works there) calls me all excited about getting a new rifle. She tells me what brand and I'm like "honey, why don't you just go ahead and keep using my spare Colt". She catches my drift. A couple of their guys do a little research and discover that company DT doesn't have an outstanding reputation. So local metro PD rangemaster calls me up and says that he is catching hell from the troops because they think he bought cheap rifles. I told him that was because he did. I mean, who wouldn't love a brand new AR for 300 clams...
Rifles come in and he calls me and asks if I will come and give them a once over. I agree. I go up to local metro PD and start pulling rifles apart. The first thing I notice is the gas key staking job was freaking horrendous. On all 20 rifles. I tell Rangemaster, "dude, I'd send these back. There is no way these bolts are gonna make it through a 1000 round rifle school". So he calls up manufactuer DT and they explain to him that they use a machine to press the staking at 50,000psi (as I'm breaking the screws loose with no effort by hand). Manufacturer tells Rangmaster "we think they are staked GOOD ENOUGH". WTF is "good enough" on a patrol rifle that someone's life depends on? Again I say, WTF?
I get a second opinion from some big-time 3-Gun guy named Kurt and he says, yeah send em back. So boxed up and off they went.
Today: I get an email from Rangemaster. He says he is confused and doesn't understand why I feel the need for the staking. He forwards me an email from a company that manufacturers ARs and bolts. They do not stake their gas keys, but rather use some type of gasket sealer on the bottom of the gas key. Included in the email is a line from the company's gunsmith that says "I prefer to not stake the BCG because it makes it TOO DIFFICULT to remove the gas key, in the event I need to work on the bolt". DUH, that is exactly what I want the staking to do. I don't want the gas key to come off. EVER. Instead they suggested that he use a dab of blue Loctite on the screws. When they wany to remove the gas key, they apply heat and remove screws. HOLY CRAP! Isn't that the part of the gun that gets really hot? WTF?
Rant over.
Backstory: So a local metro PD ordered a bunch of AR15s from manufacturer....let's just say manufacturer DT. The patrol guys got excited. So my girl (who is an officer who works there) calls me all excited about getting a new rifle. She tells me what brand and I'm like "honey, why don't you just go ahead and keep using my spare Colt". She catches my drift. A couple of their guys do a little research and discover that company DT doesn't have an outstanding reputation. So local metro PD rangemaster calls me up and says that he is catching hell from the troops because they think he bought cheap rifles. I told him that was because he did. I mean, who wouldn't love a brand new AR for 300 clams...
Rifles come in and he calls me and asks if I will come and give them a once over. I agree. I go up to local metro PD and start pulling rifles apart. The first thing I notice is the gas key staking job was freaking horrendous. On all 20 rifles. I tell Rangemaster, "dude, I'd send these back. There is no way these bolts are gonna make it through a 1000 round rifle school". So he calls up manufactuer DT and they explain to him that they use a machine to press the staking at 50,000psi (as I'm breaking the screws loose with no effort by hand). Manufacturer tells Rangmaster "we think they are staked GOOD ENOUGH". WTF is "good enough" on a patrol rifle that someone's life depends on? Again I say, WTF?
I get a second opinion from some big-time 3-Gun guy named Kurt and he says, yeah send em back. So boxed up and off they went.
Today: I get an email from Rangemaster. He says he is confused and doesn't understand why I feel the need for the staking. He forwards me an email from a company that manufacturers ARs and bolts. They do not stake their gas keys, but rather use some type of gasket sealer on the bottom of the gas key. Included in the email is a line from the company's gunsmith that says "I prefer to not stake the BCG because it makes it TOO DIFFICULT to remove the gas key, in the event I need to work on the bolt". DUH, that is exactly what I want the staking to do. I don't want the gas key to come off. EVER. Instead they suggested that he use a dab of blue Loctite on the screws. When they wany to remove the gas key, they apply heat and remove screws. HOLY CRAP! Isn't that the part of the gun that gets really hot? WTF?
Rant over.
