Bravo Company is absolutely top quality with excellent customer service. I have BCM barrels on two of my SBRs and always use their bolt carrier groups. The biggest problem with them is that they simply don't have the manufacturing capacity to keep up with the demand for their excellent rifles and occasionally suspend rifle sales while they try to catch up. Currently, you can't buy a rifle from Bravo Company -- they anticipate resuming taking orders sometime "summer 2011". In the meantime, another excellent rifle is Daniel Defense...they might be more available a little sooner. And, be aware that you can buy a Colt 6920 for $1095.99. Colt is still at the top of the heap relative to overall quality in the AR platform.

Two good places to shop rifles are Rainier Arms and G&R Tactical. If you call or email G&R, ask Grant about availability. He can give you great advice and put together a great package. He's utterly reliable and prices as good as anywhere G&R Tactical . He might have some Bravo Company units around. He's the kind of guy that if you describe basically what you want to do with the gun, he'll suggest appropriate rifles and accessories. He is objective and honest, and won't give you self-serving advice.

I wouldn't go with a piston gun for my first AR...I'd get one that works the way the platform was designed - direct impingement.

I agree with everything except for this. There are several Colts in my Dad's rifle safe, and I prefer the Sabre Defense rifles to them. They have better fit-finish, normal size FCG pins, and the full-auto carriers. My Dad has a CAR and a HBAR6601 from Colt. While the 6920 will have normal small-pins in the FCG, it is still far from the fit/finish of the Sabre's I have handled and own.

This is not to say it isn't a GREAT! rifle and a steal at that price and it WILL be reliable. I am just saying that to call it the best is an over-statement. It may come the closest to following the TDP, but the TDP is a rigid set of specifications. I think a mid-length gas setup is a vast improvement for the 14.5" rifle, among other things offered by other manufacturers.

Both G&R and Rainier are top notch as you say, but both are in the camp with ADM, and I dare anyone to prove that ADM makes a mount half as good as LaRue's offerings (It seems there is a LaRue camp, and an ADM and co. camp). They offer great rifles and advise on them, but I'll take the LaRue mount over ADM any time. G&R is priced more reasonably than Rainier, but Rainier seems to ship faster and they have a professional photographer that photographs their inventory for them. Insanely nice photo's of their product on their page.

I don't entirely disagree with your points. Let's say that Colt is toward the top of the heap, then. It's true that the TDP is one thing, but fit and finish does tend to be better on some of the other first-tier brands. I'm a big Noveske fan, but I also own a Stag 2T and the finish on that is better than on my buddy's 6920. Not that the 6920 finish is bad, but its more consistent with that of a working tool.

I feel less strongly about ADM vs Larue mounts, but I've never used anything but Larue and have no have absolutely complaints. I have more Eotechs than Aimpoints, though - I'm certainly no expert on mounts.

As to gas systems, I entirely agree that a mid-length gas system represents a noticeable improvement in recoil impulse on rifles with 14.5 and 16 inch barrels. I'm not particularly recoil-sensitive, but my mid-length Noveske Light Recce with a BattleComp muzzle brake makes for a very controllable rifle.

I have a course coming up in October with Jeff Gonzales (CC2) - three days/2100 rounds. I'm going to use the SBR I built from a matched Noveske upper/lower, BCM BFH barrel (11.5), and BCM BCG, but I'm certainly going to take the Light Recce along with me.

went to the range today with the XDm 45acp!
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Softcat looks very disturbed by what it's seeing in first picture.

Anyone know where I can find a Kel-Tec Sub 2000 for the Glock 9mm mags? Online it looks like only the Glock .40 versions are readily available, as well as some Beretta 9mm.

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In VA I just carry the damn thing out in the open. :icon17:

I was thinking the same thing about AZ :icon17:

I always try to carry concealed. I'd rather those who mean to do harm not know about my hardware until I'm ready for them to know. The bit about running is spot on however. Any time I have to jog or run while carrying, my hand instinctively presses down on the gun to keep it secure.

I OC'd to the store today in the rain. Didn't run. :tup:

But yes, I much prefer to CC.

And a lot of times I keep my jacket open in the winter regardless of whether I have a gun on me or not. The only time I will zip it up is if it's really windy.

Most people here don't get to wear jackets, even in the winter. So it definitely gets attention when someone wears a coat or something.

In the few times I have OC'd I haven't had much of a reaction yet. People that do notice probably just think I'm a cop. Contemplating carrying a box of donuts around wherever I go for full effect.

Personally, I never open carry...too much potential for misunderstanding when the inevitable MWAG call goes in.

From what I have been reading on the open carry forums, most of the time when a MWAG call comes in the police just go to the scene to educate the caller on Virginia's laws.

But yeah, I do prefer to CC.

So the gf wants to start carrying, and thankfully she decided that she would like to carry on her person instead of in a purse... so we are looking at the little .380s. Kel-Tec P3AT, Ruger LCP, and Kahr p380... all small enough to carry mostly unnoticed IWB for a female.

I am pushing for the Kahr, even if I have to pay for it.

The Kahr CM9 is also an option... just have to get our hands on one first.