I just recieved a complete upper from a very reputible distributor. Planning to change out the free float hand guard in the near future, I checked to see what size allen wrench would be needed to remove it from the barrel nut.

Turns out that I need a metric wrench. Does this mean that the part could have come from China like so many I see on e-bay?

Wrenches just ain't wrenches.

Who is the distributor?

We're not talking about cheating wives here.




Dave

I bought a complete upper from Primary Arms made by Bear Creek Arsenal.

Sixteen inch barrel with a fifteen inch key mod hand guard.

Like I said, I see the same guard on e-bay for like forty bucks but they come from China

Who would care if it came from China or not? If you bought it cheap, then it probably did.

Use the metric wrench.

If they don't advertise the brand name of major parts like barrel, handguard, etc, you can safely assume they are inexpensive parts, very likely imports.

Why? Just.....Why?

We're living in the golden age of AR buying and building...And people are buying off brand uppers. It just makes my head hurt.

Bear Creek Arsenal is an off brand?

What would be an on brand?

The average guy who buys or puts together a cheap AR either wants something to blast away a bucket full of cheap ammo, or intends to stash it out of sight for a rainy day. They outnumber the guys who compete with them, practice deliberate aimed fire at long(ish) ranges and experiment relentlessly with handloads, or who marvel at and demand the very best quality for aesthetic reasons.

Not everybody is well heeled enough to afford what they want. For them a cheap gun of unknown pedigree gets them into the game. Lessons will be learned, income will improve, and upgrades may follow. It's all good.

Panda Bear Creek Arsenal?

Compared to BCA, I'd call Palmetto "on brand".

You're pretty sure they sold you a gun with a Chinese rail, for the same price as an actual top of the line upper, and you're asking me if they're off brand?

It seems like a good idea that when ever you buy tools which are made in metric and SAE to buy both. It appears the USA is not going to retain or adopt either standard and even if they did remain SAE, imported items probably will be metric. And all of the old USA stuff is SAE.

Daytona Tactical?






dave

A lot of stuff has metric threads now.

'Parts is parts' may be true but buying some off brand or unknown source brand can get you some parts that are out of spec and don't work properly or don't fit.

Daytona Tactical




MM