*POLL* The Poverty Pony vs. The Colt Cult: Is it REALLY worth the extra cash?

[greg vess]

All kidding aside I use a clandestine way of possibly getting the best receivers I can get from a manufacturer. I will look for a lesser known parts supplier that markets their own upper and lowers. Not blindly mind you but after reading some reviews. I usually start by starting phone correspondence with a rep from the vendor. Once I have got into a spot where I can talk to management, then I start the speil. I will tell them I am building a competition long range gun and I will be featuring the build on one of the local forums. I then explain I am a member of a very large outdoor range and guns there get a lot of exposure. Then once I have gone through that and explained the importance of getting grade A parts and their name will be mentioned a numerous amount of times, I make a order. Yes a little fudging involved but not to much. I do show my builds on here and I do go to the range where people like to look and handle what you have. By the time I order I have one of higher ups hand picking parts for me. I get sets that never disappoint that way.
Now there is still a bit of chance here but what I am doing is trying to get the best possible parts I can from that manufacturer. I won't work on large outfits like BCM, LWRC or the like. The higher up in management just don't have time for it. So far I have managed to get set that fit like they were forged by Zeus. Just fit and finish that's just hard to beat.
My last three build have been done this way and I have ended up with some very nice rifles. I have never said I was a master craftsman. However I do use every trick in the book to get parts that aren't just picked out of a bin blindley and sent off. A little more attention to detail is used if I spend a little time getting to know someone with some clout with the supplier.
Does it work? Well so far I have been very happy and almost amazed at the fit and finish of the parts I gotten to this point. It takes a little time but I believe it's time well spent. Hope this help some of you. It works for me.
No matter what you guys say about me I alway extend an open invitation to any member wanting to go to River Bend Gun Club with me. You get a great day of shooting and you can shoot my guns as well. I am still learning and I take everything I read on hear and put it to use. No matter how much of an ass you are.

 

[BangBang]

Don't be haters! These second grade post are killing me. Either add something useful or go shopping for handbags.

Don’t let them get you down Greg. Keep sharing your knowledge with those of us that are smart enough to listen.

Deep down inside the haters KNOW the truth and that’s why they always pick on me and you...

GREGS AR BUILDING SKILLS

THE HATERS AR BUILDING SKILLS

 

[coach482]

Don’t let them get you down Greg. Keep sharing your knowledge with those of us that are smart enough to listen.

Deep down inside the haters KNOW the truth and that’s why they always pick on me and you...

GREGS AR BUILDING SKILLS
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THE HATERS AR BUILDING SKILLS
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I concede I will come over to you're side.

 

[fast306stang]

I concede I will come over to you're side.

Hell's Bells, I wanna handle a V8 chainsaw too! Once anyway...

 

[ShooterG]

Yo greg vess - know anything about Hodge Defense? I want their upper just for the shamrock - the fact they are expensive and I can't find anywhere to buy them just makes me want it MORE!

 

[fast306stang]

I've always wanted a Northtech Defense billet set and now they're discontinuing them to make barrels!!!

 

[BangBang]

Well you would think metal is metal is metal but it can vary from supplier to supplier. Contamination, density, accurate alloy ratio's for mil spec products can vary and be hugely different. It all starts with the bar stock and it's purity as it's rolled into a long bar. Then cut into the desired length to be forged. Some forgers will roll their own stock while others rely on smelters and their machines. Just because it's says 7075 aircraft aluminum doesn't mean they are both equal. Initial cost of bar stock will eventually effect the end product and that's where high volume low cost rifle parts suppliers get their cost down. It starts with the initial bar stock quality. Contamination can cause a premature crack in the end product.

There is a lot more to parts that just being marketed and advertised as OEM quality. Especially with the volume of import trash. I have seen this over many years as a mechanic. My last gig was building late model LS engines and using a tuning suite to change all the computers parameters so the engine would even start and then on the the HP and Torque gains. Even in that arena parts can make or break a 900 HP engine. It doesn't stop their in my back ground. I am proficient in, diesels domestic and import, pneumatics, hydraulics, injection molding machinery and I excelled at electrical systems. In repair and upkeep you see a trend of bad companies pawning off bad parts. Believe me when a large scale production machine goes down it's dollars just pouring out the door. So you have to weed out the crap and build a list of quality parts vendors. A high amount of stress is involved there. I have given all that up to a non stressful hobby building AR's. To me that's like scrambling eggs. These guns are just that easy. There still is culling out the cream from the crap. Every parts supplier out there is bound to let a bad part of two get out the door. Does that mean they are bad? No it's just the law of numbers.

I hear the haters, the skeptics and the antagonist wasting finger epithelials bashing me but it doesn't mean a thing. They know how to do one thing and they are a professional. The moral of the story is even with a high degree of mechanical capabilities there is still the chance the parts you are paying for aren't any better than the lesser cost parts and vise versa. Nothing tells the story like a set of calipers and the actual building process. The old feud of Chevy vs. Ford applies to gun parts as well. It would be unwise not to take that into consideration.

I am sure you could get a set of decent receivers from Anderson but the probability of getting a better set from Mega is a lot higher. It's all in how much of a chance do you want to take in your build. At least it's not like building a 25,000 dollar engine upgrade and it blow on the first dyno pull. Thank god if something doesn't live up to it's duty it can easily be replaced with a better part relatively inexpensively. That to me is the beauty and fun in building these guns is you are not betting the farm taking a chance on a well researched lesser expensive part. However if there is that much stress in making a choice then I Suggest go with the better bet like Mega or other manufacturer with a long line of high line guns and parts. That concludes my thesis on THE PURCHASE OF AR15 RECEIVERS.

It’s funny you mentioned 7075 because that’s something else I’ve been wanting to get your opinion on...

7075 vs 6061

Does it really matter that much when you’re talking about an AR lower? I know 7075 is stronger but Plum Crazy and New Frontier have proven that even polymer will work for an AR lower. Granted polymer isn’t my first choice, but isn’t 7075 really overkill for an AR lower?

I’m not sure about the composition of 7075 vs 6061 so I don’t know if there would be any weight savings in going with 6061, but I feel like it would be plenty strong enough.

Am I on the right track?

 

[cmshoot]

It’s funny you mentioned 7075 because that’s something else I’ve been wanting to get your opinion on...

7075 vs 6061

Does it really matter that much when you’re talking about an AR lower? I know 7075 is stronger but Plum Crazy and New Frontier have proven that even polymer will work for an AR lower. Granted polymer isn’t my first choice, but isn’t 7075 really overkill for an AR lower?

I’m not sure about the composition of 7075 vs 6061 so I don’t know if there would be any weight savings in going with 6061, but I feel like it would be plenty strong enough.

Am I on the right track?

Define “polymer will work for an AR lower”. As a low round count range toy they seem to work, but that’s about it.

Again, 6061 will work for a low round count range toy. 7075 has a 70% increase in tensile strength over 6061. 6061 is softer and machines easier, so you’ll oftentimes see it used in billet receivers, although many billet receivers use 7075.

 

[Fatal_Bert]

Define “polymer will work for an AR lower”. As a low round count range toy they seem to work, but that’s about it.

Again, 6061 will work for a low round count range toy. 7075 has a 70% increase in tensile strength over 6061. 6061 is softer and machines easier, so you’ll oftentimes see it used in billet receivers, although many billet receivers use 7075.

Stay in your lane man. He was asking the Vess of knowledge. We don't need non experts here muddying the waters.

 

[BangBang]