Patrol Carbine Options

Oak City Tactics

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
That’s a weird list. Armalite is restructuring under the new ownership. I was only recently able to even get someone to answer the phone there. BCM is the obvious choice here. Some of the suggestions to add were good. Another to add is FN. They are gaining ground in the LE Department Fleet gun area. We just bought some to replace the Sig junk we had. So far so good.
 

WindyCity

Amateur
That’s a weird list. Armalite is restructuring under the new ownership. I was only recently able to even get someone to answer the phone there. BCM is the obvious choice here. Some of the suggestions to add were good. Another to add is FN. They are gaining ground in the LE Department Fleet gun area. We just bought some to replace the Sig junk we had. So far so good.

Just curious what Sigs did you have and why were they junk?
 

Kain

Member
To echo a lot of the rest here BCM is the easy choice. Have run their uppers for years, have always been pleased with them. Consistent and accurate and reliable. Running one next to a stock bushmaster I had was literal night and day. Recently picked up one of their complete lowers that was laying on the shelf at a gun store and I had to have. Again, impressed, not just because it had BCM on it but the small details comparing it to some of the other lowers I have it is really kinda of ruined me. I am scared what the next level up from there will do to my wallet. But with the complete BCM it is a very nice rifle. Even the stock trigger was good, though I have replaced it with a G$ SSA. My rifles with BCM uppers are running standard barrels, but I have seen very good results with the ELW barrels from guy's who ability and creds I trust. So they may also have that going for them too depending on what you are restricted to. At any rate I'd trust a complete BCM pretty completely after getting it set up and run a bit.(I would not carry anything from anyone without vetting it.)

After BCM DD is on par from all those I talk to who run them. Not heard any major complaints as it were, I mean, if you read around you can find people bitching about just about everyone, let's be honest, DD, BCM, whoever. I think factory furniture is fugly as hell, but that preference and from all accounts it works just fine. I know years back they used to have a individual officer program that would sell you a rifle at discount, including an Aimpoint Pro I think and a light. It been literally years. Not sure if they still do. But might be an option as well. Worth looking into since DD rifles do seem to run a little more than BCMs that I have seen.

After that, Colt has always been the go to for a lot of people. Though you might be limited in being able to find one. Or not, it isn't like just after SH when everything was flying off the shelf. LMT has a good rep in some circles as well.

After that, I'd avoid Bushy and DPMS like the literal plague. Not been overly impressed with S&W, if nothing else their accuracy seems to just not be as good as the BCMs I have with the examples from friends. RRA has never really impressed me at all, and their perchance for heavy barrels turn me off. I think Stag had some legal trouble the other year or two back as well, so not sure what been going on with them, seemed to have dropped out of the market. Spikes I won't do business with because of the owner, but then there are those who consider their rifles decent. Larue rifles are either loved or hated. I have seen some issues with Sig rifles, though at the same time the newer stuff seems to be getting traction and being respected.

Anyway, my general observations. Best advice I can give, check out the DD officer patrol rifle program. After that my choice would be BCM and DD followed by a Colt though not to say some of the other options wouldn't work either.
 

Oak City Tactics

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Just curious what Sigs did you have and why were they junk?
M400’s. Under two years of use. Barrel shot loose in one. You could pull it back and forth in the receiver, heaviest trigger I’ve ever felt, extra hole drilled into the barrel extension, in the barrel extension the extractor support nub (which is not only useless but causes them to drill the extra hole relying on the receiver not the barrel to hold the pressure there) fell out, cracked gas key bolts (gas key broke off threads remained bolt was trashed), no grade 8 bolts in the carrier key ( factory rep even said it looked like they ran out of hex bolts and ran to Lowe’s), no staking on carrier keys, barely staked castle nuts loosening, mediocre accuracy, carbine buffers in 11.5 guns, shall I go on?
 

Oak City Tactics

Moderator
Staff member
Moderator
50% failure rate inside a 6 month period. All the guns suffered from the poor materials maladies listed above. PSA had better staking when I compared it as a joke.
 
Top