With Christmas only five days away, here’s your friendly holiday reminder to keep those knock-off, airsoft-quality parts away from your rifle.

 

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41 COMMENTS

  1. Just saw A Christmas Story with Mrs. Haz a couple of evenings ago. Always classic.

    Keep a high quality gat with high quality parts and accessories. But life is too short to be too serious…have a second gat decked out with all the pink bunny or camo wrap doodads you want, and shoot it with panache when at the range.

  2. I don’t really know what that meme is supposed to mean.
    I’m the kinda guy that believes in the saying: If it’s NOT broken, DON’t fix it…,
    Looks don’t make the weapon work better,
    Every thing else is personal choice.
    Scopes, stocks, triggers, basically all add one are a personal choice.
    I’ve got pieces (weapons) that other people have a problem with, but like I said, it’s what works for you.

    • @NORDNEG

      “I don’t really know what that meme is supposed to mean.”

      It means keep the ‘knock-off, airsoft-quality’ grade stuff and looks away from your rifle. ’cause instead of ending up looking like and having a real ‘bunny’ (rifle) you end up with a hollow pale imitation that not going to perform like the real thing.

      It means, if you dress up your rifle in (“a costume” of) ‘knock-off, airsoft-quality’ grade stuff you end up with (a “costume” of) ‘knock-off, airsoft-quality’ grade stuff and not the real thing for reliability when it comes time for performance as the real thing.

      It means pretending might be fun (“cool” looking) and cheaper, but (a “costume”) ‘knock-off, airsoft-quality’ grade stuff is still cheap pretending.

      It means there is a big difference between (a “bunny costume”) ‘knock-off, airsoft-quality’ grade stuff and the real thing (a “real bunny”).

  3. So who decides what’s “airsoft quality”? I have a few cheaper parts that work quite well. For year’s. FWIW I try to use the best ammo I can afford(tell that to the boyz running cheap Russian steel but bragging about their $3000 rifle). Hope you can buy a barrel after .gov ban’s interwebz sales…he he.

    • Airsoft parts are often knockoffs of real equipment, but often made of plastic or without quality control, other than aesthetics. You’ll find plastic or bent BUIS, EOTechs that are red dots, etc. They may work OK on the range, but don’t expect them to hold up to recoil or hold zero. There’s a reason you get it for 10% of retail.

    • Airsoft quality are the illegal, counterfeit, Chinese knockoffs of Eotechs, Aimpoints, Trijicon RMR, etc. that are sold everywhere on evilBay. They break on Day One after you buy them.

      I’ve tried reporting these counterfeits to evilBay, but evilBay refuses to do anything about them (evilBay is too busy banning sellers like me for “violating their assault weapon policy” just for selling riflescopes, bolt-action magazines, or stocks for single-shot break-action rifles, which evilBay falsely calls “assault weapons parts” because evilBay doesn’t know the freaking difference between a bolt-action rifle or single-shot TC Encore and a fully-automatic M16).

      I’ve also tried warning the sellers not to sell counterfeits, but the sellers have no shame and repliy with, “Why you complain me sell Chinese counterfeits of Trijicon RMR? I selling them cheap, only $19.95 with free ship from China, so you should be happy they so cheap!”

  5. What? No cheap Chinese parts for my cheap Chinese AK?
    Or does this mean no plastic recievers for my AR?
    Maybe no cheap optics or red dot sights? Dunno.
    I’ve always gotten the best parts, guns, optics, ammo etc. I could afford. With a couple exeptions. I did buy a Hi-Point pistol for a back up in the emergency bag. Same cal. as my usual CCW gun.

  6. Build your weapon to suit you. There are parts you can use to add quality and value. Some thing are done to make range guns or show pieces. Fill it with cheap thin weak parts and paint it with childish video game characters and you will not be takin seriously.

  7. Bone stock except for an EoTech.
    Had a crappy trigger over 30 years ago I got used to and it stuck.
    Hell, it was iron sights only back then, no Acog even.
    I’m good.

  10. What I wonder is; what rifle platform is everyone talking about? I mean what rifle has such a plethora of of cheap parts that it deserves a meme?

    • Its 03A3, 17 Enfield, 98 Mauser . Yah gotta be careful, cheap plastic parts are plethoric for those.
      I did duct tape an 8X34 Swarvoski scope to one of my AK’s, I probably need to get some of that East bloc steel core ammo with the Berdan primers, the point of impact keeps changing, its either that or I’m not looking out of the correct eyeball?

        • Both. Spit some down the bore to flush it out, then swallow the rest. After a few mouthfuls, it won’t matter any more–you’ll be good with how it shoots. Maybe not the neighbors, but you’ll be tickled pink.

          Oh, and possum, try the gorilla tape mentioned above. It’s tougher.

    • The “AR’ platform market seems to more commonly attract the most ‘knock-off, airsoft-quality’ grade “cheap” rifle parts and accessories.

  11. There are import parts that are acceptable and some that are not. Several later AR free float handgaurds with steel barrel nuts are good however most need tweaking. Some import carry handles using US windage screws are acceptable after they are properly reworked, same for import A2 style 45 degree backup sights. Import gas block mounted detachable front sights are also acceptable providing they are threaded for the US sight post.

    Parts to avoid are import buffer tubes and springs, Lower parts, Upper parts, gas blocks, gas tubes, flash hiders, etc. Avoid all imports parts if you are not willing to provide some sweat equity.

      • We get it – you hate AR’s. You’ve made that painfully obvious for the entire time you’ve been posting on this site… Must you pound on that personal preference every single time the most popular rifle platform in the United States is referenced here?

        It’s getting VERY old.

        • Shall not, I never said “AR” in either of my above comments. You made that inference. But hey, if the shoe fits, kick yourself in the ass with it. Besides, I have a brand new (as in never fired) AR and 10 new P mags. I’m told it’s a nice AR. Whatever that is. I haven’t shot it because being seen with it would be like being seen on a dinner date with Camel Toe. Too damned embarrassing. I do understand and sympathize with those who have to own them. (Oh, no bullshit on owning an AR. I really do.)

        • Oh, now I see… first you claim that you weren’t knocking the AR platform because it wasn’t specifically referenced by name, despite the fact that we all know which type of rifle was being discussed. (“buffer tubes and springs, Lower parts, Upper parts, gas blocks, gas tubes, flash hiders, etc.”)

          Then you proceed to mock and disparage those icky AR’s mercilessly (“like being seen on a dinner date with Camel Toe. Too damned embarrassing.”) Just double down on knocking them – immediately after claiming you’re NOT knocking them – and assume no one will notice… SOP for you.

          Like I said, your incessant backhanded criticism has gotten very old… yet I have no doubt that you will continue this behavior no matter what others think, because you simply can’t help yourself.

          Give it a rest, will ya?

        • “…AR’s…”

          I wasn’t offended by Gadsden’s inferred distaste for AR platform weapons, but I did notice Shallnot was merciless in his insistence on using an apostrophe to indicate a plural.

        • Shallnot, if you’ve been reading my AR posts as long as you say you should recall several where I said that I don’t hate the AR. I just think there are many other superior rifles out there. Unfortunately, they are almost cost prohibitive. Things I think Stoner are ergonomics and accuracy. Things he got wrong are everything else. They are fragile and unreliable. Unforgivable sins in a fighting rifle. Just my opinion based on 42 years of casual and professional use of the AR. As for being embarrassed, some people just don’t have a sense of humor. The real reason I haven’t been to the range with my new AR is that I will run 1000 rounds through it first time. Without cleaning. Mainly to test function and reliability. Each new P Mag will get a turn also. Nothing better break in only a thousand rounds or this rifle is history. Anyway, if it makes it through 1000 rounds without a malfunction it may become my truck rifle. None of that has happened because I don’t want to burn the ammo until the draught eases up just a more. I mean, it’s not like I don’t keep two or three reliable, durable, accurate, loaded and proven rifles ready to go at all times.

        • @Gadsden: Alright, if you say so…

          Granted, I don’t read every comment on every single thread here, but I’ve not seen even one instance where you wrote about ARs without disparaging them. From now on, I guess I’ll just ignore those posts…

        • @Nero: Now I’m the one who is embarrassed…

          You may not believe this, but I’m a lot like you. I normally insist upon perfect spelling and grammar in my own writings, because I despise seeing how our language has been distorted and bastardized by so many over the years. Unfortunately, this dilution has only accelerated since the advent of the Internet.

          In the case of the superfluous apostrophes, I do know better… However, since it seems to cause confusion in the majority of folks with a lesser grasp of written English, a few years ago I allowed myself to dumb things down, as it were, to cater to the lowest common denominator. You might say that I caved on that one particular aspect of writing; now I find myself wishing I hadn’t done so!

          Thank you for the gentle prod, I will resume striving for perfection in grammar, as well as diction. No more superfluous apostrophes for me!

        • Feel free to ignore all my posts. Regardless of subject. Save me a little bother. I was taught that if someone addresses you it is polite to reply. No comment, no reply.

  12. I avoid the fancy-schmancy. Use what works.

    Was at the range today. Worked CO Peace Officers Shooting Test with G17/Vulcan and a G27/NightSight. No problem.

    My church adds a few extra stages to deal with the local environment. If seated at the right spot, all targets are within 15 yards. The security guys know this. Again, no problem.

    Merry Christmas. And let the guy with the funny loopy-loop wire in his ear sit anywhere he wants.

  13. I can just see that kid tripping over his bunny slippers, crashing down the stairs, wiping out the Christmas tree, and setting the house on fire.

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