Retired JM

Perhaps they had to sign an NDA or some sort of statement forbidding them to speak in public about the issue(s) that forced them out.

Moose logo? Stag, maybe?

Sig's QA/QC of late has been spotty at best. Not with just pistols but across the board. When the 556 first came out there were many folks that reported canted receiver rails and mis-drilled gas ports. This from a $1600 rifle that was pitched as an American version of the Swiss uber-rifle. Sig has worked continually to get the 556 right, to the point of releasing a 551 clone. But I fear the PR damage has been done. The only bright spot in Sig's rifle line is their ARs. The 516, by all accounts (I haven't shot one myself), is a well-made, accurate piston gun. The Sig piston system is very close to the LWRCi system. So close that LWRCi is suing Sig. I haven't heard of the outcome of this suit, so I assume that it's still on-going. The M400 DI gun has also met with a positive response. So I've got kind of a wait and see attitude to the 716. Sig has been pushing this rifle without releasing it for what? 2 years, I think? I would hope that Sig has taken this time to work all the kinks out. I just don't have the confidence in Sig anymore to become an early adopter.

"Nevuh bin dun befo'" "This here's a game-changuh. It'll git us some gub'mint contracts." When I see clips of their "shop," It looks like a bunch of monkeys friggin' a football.

Flame me if you will, but I am not a fan of this show. I actually sat through an episode and afterwards realized that it was an hour of my life that I'll never get back. Those jackwagons give gun-owners in particular and Southerners in general a bad name. A bro of mine over at Snipershide feels the same way and came up with this little gem. Free time, photoshop and a fertile imagination are a dangerous combination.

...Not to mention buttstock, forend, pistol grip, gas block and tube, muzzle device and LPK. That's another $400+, easy. Then there's sights and optics/mounts. While I appreciate the OP's desire and DIY attitude, a budget of less than $1000 isn't going result in a top-notch, reliable .308 AR that he/she will be able to enjoy in the coming years. So I guess the answer to the question "How wicked can $1000 be?" is, "Not very."

Welcome to the site. And I don't live in a cardboard shack...it's a refrigerator box.

Looks like you've got everything handled. Look forward to seeing the results. Oh, and welcome to the site.

Welcome to the site! I'm to the NW of you in OK. May your rifle give you years of reliable service.

I've owned a POF 5.56 rig for about 5 years now. I've had no issues with it at all in that time. It's got about 5000+ rounds through it. My experience with POF has been very positive. Frank and Chris have always been helpful and responsive. POF uses Mike Rock barrels, which are some of the best in the biz. As for POF being top of the line, I can't say. But they use top notch components in their guns and stand behind what they sell. If I were in the market for another piston carbine, they'd be on my short list of manufacturers.

As important as a good, true barrel, a good trigger will go a LONG way to giving you small groups at distance. Geissele is an excellent choice. Hydraulic buffer? Not so much. They tend to wear out quickly and they don't give consistant performance throughout the full spectrum of weather - the buffer tends to make the rifle sluggish in cold weather due to the hydraulic fluid.

If I didn't already have another gun on layaway, I probably would have.

It depends. If you're looking to wring every iota of accuracy out of the rifle and you're looking to shoot targets at 1000+ yards, then an SS barrel would be a good choice. If you're looking to build a good general purpose rifle then you might be better served by a CMV barrel with a chrome lining or nitride treatment. It'll certainly be less expensive than an SS barrel.

IIRC, the only two positions on the Armalite SASS gas block are normal and supressed. If you have no plans to add a supressor to your build, then it's really unnecessary. Generally, Armalite makes a quality gun for the money. However if you're looking at the SASS upper, you might also want to look at Noveske Rifle Works uppers as well. They're in the same price range as the SASS upper, have an adjustable gas block, and are built using the Armalite AR10 spec.

I'm thinking that you're referring to me. Pointing out flaws in your statements and asking questions is not an attack - it's an attempt to get you to re-evaluate your plan. If you consider that an attack, then so be it. If it's any consolation, the thought that I may have hurt your feelings will have me tossing and turning restlessly all night tonight. As for the admin (and others) calling you out for grammar, spelling, and syntax errors consider this: Without being face to face or voice to voice, poorly written communication makes it harder to understand the sender's message than correctly written English. Taking the time to properly write out your thoughts and questions also shows consideration and respect for your intended audience. Your response to 98Z5V certainly gives the impression that you expect courtesy but feel no need to return it.

No. 6 lands and grooves, 1:7 RH.

First, congrats for identifing a weakness in your "game" and wanting to do something about it. IMO, the trainer you should check out is Larry Vickers. In addition to being a world-class instructor, Larry is also left handed and could probably give better insight on weak-hand and cross-dominant shooting than anybody else I know of. Prior to forming his own training company, Larry was a member of SFOD-Delta. I've attended a couple of his carbine classes and have never failed to learn something new. Here's a link to his website listing his 2012 class schedule: http://vickerstactical.com/training-by-larry-vickers/2012-training-class-schedule/ Mind, Larry's not cheap nor is he easy. He's probably the least "politically correct" person I've ever met. There's not a lot of down time during his classes, so be prepared to sweat a little (and learn a lot).

Since it's from Germany, wouldn't that make it a Gnome? The thing that puzzles me about the MR556 is HK's decision to not line or treat the bore. From H-K's website:

Can't speak for everybody, but my guys usually took 11-14 mags. My minimum was 11, but most of my guys took more than that.

Perhaps it's because I haven't had my morning coffee yet, but... Ja'Carr, you're wearing clown shoes. While I appreciate the fact that you're concerned with your personal safety and the safety of your loved ones in the event of a crisis, you really need to pull your head out of your fourth point of contact. Based on your earlier statement that you had no familiarity with the AR or the caliber, how did you arrive at the conclusion that a .308 AR is the best answer for your personal situation? Define "train extensively." Dumping round after round into a hillside is not training. Punching paper on a 100 yd square range is not training - it's familiarity at best and wasting ammo at worst. You live on the east coast, there are several professional trainers in your region that give top-notch instruction. Companies like EAG, Grey Group and Larry Vickers have folks with CVs that would make Jack Bauer envious. Look at their class schedules, they've probably got a class scheduled near you that you could attend. Taking a class (or two or three) would go a long way to letting you know what you need to train on and - most importantly - HOW to train. You other option is to enlist in the Army/Marines as an Infantryman for 2-3 years. Then take some classes. I spent 23 years near the sharp end of the spear and I still attend a class or two a year. You're not worried about over-penetration? Then you're an Involuntary Manslaughter charge waiting to happen. Rule 4: ALWAYS be sure of your target and what's beyond it. Over-penetration is always a concern when FISHing. Why do you think most police tactical units have gone to 5.56? At CQB distances, 5.56 has the necessary lethality with less of an over-penetration risk than 9mm (Or .308, for that matter.) You can deal with recoil? Really? There's more to dealing with recoil than simply taking a thump in the pocket of your shoulder. Recoil affects how quickly you can get back on target and execute follow-up shots. Or do you think one round of big 'ol .308 will stop a bad actor in his tracks? For the amount of money the OP would spend on a .308 AR, he/she could buy a Colt, Sig M400 or an S&W MP15. He'd then have a good, solid rifle and have money for ammo and (hopefully) professional instruction.

Welcome to the forum. I'm originally from Martinsville. Whereabouts are you in the Old Dominion?

I like the look of the AR160. I generally don't let aesthetics drive what I want when it comes to firearms, but that thing is dead sexy. If Beretta can bring a 5.56 version to market at ~$1500 or so, it'll be an FN MK 16/17 on a budget.

I'm not so snobbish that I'll dismiss DPMS rifles as sub-par. I will say that -IME - DPMS/Bushmaster products tend to have a higher "lemon rate" than other (usually) more expensive brands. I attribute this to poor QA/QC before the rifle ships. Things I have seen: - Canted FSBs and gas blocks - Mis-timed flash hiders/flash supressors - Pinched gas tubes - Poor or no staking of carrier key screws - Out of spec roll pins - Out of spec/rough chambers - Loose receiver extensions/castle nuts - Poor quality LPKs - I've seen everything from chipped and sheared hammers, broken triggers, to hammer springs breaking prematurely. If your DPMS rifles run reliably and fit your needs and intents - good on ya. Keep driving on and don't let an internet commando tell you what's good or bad - Only you can determine that. And with the amount of aftermarket parts available, you can change out specific items without breaking the bank. It might say "DPMS" on the receiver, but everything else can be completely different.

Be VERY careful when doing this. Remember that when you're polishing, you are actually removing material and once removed, it can't be put back. If you've never done it before, I'd take the upper to the 'smith and let him do it while giving you a block of instruction on chamber gauging so you know when to say, "when." An out of spec chamber, either too small, too big, or out of round is a bad thing.

I don't think it's a matter of headspace so much as an out of spec chamber diameter. The chamber might not've been reamed properly or hasn't been polished enough.