222,
On the QC issue of buying a complete lower, and a complete upper and just putting them together...
LMT loses control of the fit standards between the upper and the lower, and the relationship the components have with each other at that point.
Granted that if both halves were within spec. things "Should" be ok.
But there is a situation known as "Tolerence stacking" that can happen and does quite frequently in any manufacturing process.
If final QC was not done by LMT and to thier standards for the overall assembly, the reputation for the quality of LMT's rifles isn't behind it.
The Contract rifles suffer final assembly scrutiny that the components don't.
Though the LMT components are scrutinized right up to the point of the end of the line and are amoung the best out there.
It would be a good bet, but not a guaranteed one.
Kinda like putting together your own Chevy from Factory parts.
Heck, I can't see where your idea could go wrong as long as the final assembly was eyeballed by a good 'Smith that was intimate with the AR.
One warning about RR lowers.
They tend to run a bit tight!
There might be some fitting involved with some combinations.
But then that can be a very good thing.
LMT does not sell stripped lowers because of a policy that was implimented to protect LMT from the chance of an LMT lower bieng completed with hodge podge parts, and then not bieng proper, to no fault of LMT.
I have a couple of LMT based hybrids that have been just wonderfull.
As trustworthy factory assemblys go, LMT is at the very top of my list.
It's the stuff they have been interfaced with that has been the source of a headache or two.
The finish issue can be a pain in the Tucas!
Have seen several times where Lowers from the same manufacturer don't quite match the upper in finish, and LMT isn't exempt. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />
Finish is most often done in batches, and quite often outsourced.
Get a lower and an upper from two different batches, and it's "Frankengun" looking, even though it came out of the box that way.
Have been issued M16A2's that didn't match very well, and currently have some Carbines in the armory that came from the factory that didn't match well at all.
Though I will say that the finish on the LMT components I have eyeballed , are always pretty close even when a slight difference is noted.
Better than another that often can vary between black, and several shades of dark Grey.
Best of luck on the project!!!
The LMT components is where I would start as well.
Anymore, CMT,LMT and RR is where I start and stop except for Bravo and thier soon coming uppers with complete MPI.
Paul has an upper headed my way, and a case of NASTY Wolf ammo hit the porch last week.
I'm gonna try and wear the thing out, and take notes on accuracy, malfunctions, and dimensional changes through several thousand rounds, and some real world abuse.
Will report back here and there, on the home page and here as things go on and time allows.
It's been a warmish and wet winter with lots of mud.
Should be fun. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />
E4E
