AR15/M4 update Windham Weapons

[xenophobe]

BTW, I wasn't questioning your knowledge or experience with black rifles, I was just sharing some of mine...

I have a nice but really really outdated FAQ that's still stickied at arfcom just on lower receivers that has over 300k views:
http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_3_12/31...mpared___.html

[DonP]

Thanks for the info guys. I think I'm getting smarter about guns.

[LouSiffer]

BTW, I wasn't questioning your knowledge or experience with black rifles, I was just sharing some of mine...

I have a nice but really really outdated FAQ that's still stickied at arfcom just on lower receivers that has over 300k views:
http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_3_12/31...mpared___.html

I am actually picking up another one of these Windhams. I have some ideas for the one I got and want to go a different direction with another one. I can get you pics of the lower and the componants for comparison if you want. All stock of course.-Lou

[xenophobe]

I am actually picking up another one of these Windhams. I have some ideas for the one I got and want to go a different direction with another one. I can get you pics of the lower and the componants for comparison if you want. All stock of course.-Lou

Well, that's a really personal decision... what kind of stuff do you figure you might be doing in the future? Any tactical shooting... or squirreling, or do you want to put all the bullets in one tiny little hole?

I've seen a few really nice super lightweight setups, but getting another one might be a bit redundant since you already have an M4 unless you want one specifically for home defense, hunting or competitive tactical shooting. You have a bipod, so perhaps a match barrel tack driver setup would be a little more diverse.

But before you buy another one (I know, that's really hard to do sometimes), shoot the hell out of yours and maybe check out a few other setups from guys at the range or from arfcom or something. There's so many things you can do with the AR it's mind boggling.

Oh, and range report when you're done shooting!

[LouSiffer]

I thought maybe you would want the pics to compare all the lowers and mechanisms like the other units you had. If not, no biggie.

This is my coyote gun. You are going to laugh, but, I want one bone stock. Iron sights and all. There is just something giggly fun to me shooting and hitting a far away target with iron sights. I dont want to keep swapping componants or compromising them. I just was to grab it and go. I hate tuning a single guitar up and down and like having several with its own tuning. Guns are the same way. I like to have one hot rodded and then one set up stock. I am wierd like that. I would love to have a factory stock/fresh 57 Chevy, 68 Charger and 69 Chevelle. Beside them, I would like to have their hot rodded fire breathing version. -Lou

[xenophobe]

Oh, you could send them to me, but I kinda gave up on that thread on arfcom. About 3 months after I posted that is when every machine shop and their mother started milling their own lower receivers. So that thread kind of became pointless, other than to compare the 4 biggest non-Colt manufacturers of AR receivers, LMT, CMT, Mega and LAR...

And there's nothing wrong with a gun with only iron sights. That's how I would have my home defense rifle set up if I didn't live in an apartment.

Yeah, sounds like you'll probably build a flat top heavy barrel for precision shooting. M4's are nice, but when you have trouble fitting all the shots into a coke can past 100 yards, sometimes a more-accurate rifle can be more fun to shoot.


Oh, and the gripe I have with some of those off-brand optics? You get much less value for your money. They put most of the effort into making them prettier to sell for more money whereas a branded rifle scope offering usually puts more effort into making a nice scope. So you may think you're saving $50-$100, but if you look at it the other way a $200 off-brand compared to something a bit more expensive, you're really getting 2-3x the value out of something nicer. Example: An off brand scope can usually be bought in bulk for 1/3-1/4 the normal retail price. Most of the better name-brand scopes aren't designed with such high markup intended, so you're getting much better glass, better coatings, better internal light baffling, better overall design for really a small premium. Most of the off-brand scopes that sell in the $100-$200 range can be purchased in bulk for as little as $40-$50, whereas the cost markup for a Bushnell, Tasco, Nikon, Leuopold, etc... are much smaller. That's just something you should really take into consideration when buying optics. Of course, there are a few exceptions, but they're few and far between in a sea of low-cost imports.

So I really don't say that to bash, I'm saying that as a person who likes to get the best value for their money, including resale. I'd rather spend $250 on a product that costs $175 to make than a product that sells for $175 and only costs $50 to make, if you get my drift. That's one of the reasons why so many dealers are stocking off-brand optics now, the profit margins can be 2-3x what a slightly more expensive scope sells for.

There are a few exceptions... I've seen a few AimPoint and holo-sight clones, as well as a few scopes that are indeed really high quality, but the cost differential would easily be made back if you ever resold it.

[LouSiffer]

I understand what you mean about the optics. I believe you generally get what you pay for. If this unit loses its luster in the future, I will just retire it a a 10/22 I have and buy a new one. I am looking at heavy barrels for the AR I have currently. I have a few pistols in mind I want to buy first. Maybe something I look into around summer or so. -Lou

[xenophobe]

Yeah, I don't have a real problem with unbranded scopes, I just have a friend who always has a couple tables at the local gun shows filled with them, so I've pretty much heard his inside scoop... If someone buys a scope from him and it's defective, he just gives the customer a new one and throws the old one away. Only a few of those off-brand companies actually offer any kind of service or support.

I've actually been looking around for something new to buy, but there's so much stuff out there I can't really make up my mind. lol