It doesn't bother me on the cheaper guns cause you almost expect it. Saves me an end plate when I Cerakote it. It is however a sign that the assembly process wasn't taken seriously.
Exactly!
A company that builds AR’s should be expected to, at a minimum, build to spec. If the castle nut isn’t staked, I’ll usually find that the gas key has the wrong bolts and either they aren’t staked, or are improperly staked. Using the wrong bolts makes them more difficult to stake. Then it usually goes downhill from there with a bunch or other cut corners.
PSA is a prime culprit of this nowadays.