I have no reason to put together a boring rifle with an A frame and stock handguards.
Some people actually have taste.
You and holdem are brutal. So I like Colt, and I couldn't build a square with Legos. Cut me some slack.
Work smarter, not harder. Colt is a solid rifle out of the box. Okay, so the trigger sucks...the carry handle is leftover from the 60's...you can store a six-pack of beer inside the hand guards...the sights are leftover from the 70's...it's clunkier than Aunt Maude's Buick...1/9 twist limits your ammo choices...and only one of the four-position stock options is really an option.
Did I mention it's a Colt?
It is a solid gun. The barrel will last longer than I will. The HBAR, once you dial it in, is a tack driver. So after I decided to move into the 21st Century...added an SSA...an Aimpoint PRO...Magpul BUS...Hogue grip...Magpul mags...Surefire Scout light...and a couple of really nice gadgets that GV sent me...I had a 5-star patrol rifle, which is all I need. And once I settled in on the Federal 62gr SBCT JSP round, and sighted it in, I became officially lethal at any range I might have to engage at. Home / Patrol / Zombie Apocalypse. Bring it, I'm ready.
Liked it so much, I bought another one. But this one's in layup, just in case the original develops a fatal fault. This lets me just move everything from "Rifle A" to "Rifle B", and I'm right back where I started from. No?
Could I have done it cheaper? Probably. Better? Probably. Easier? Maybe. But thanks in large part to GV, and some suggestions I got here, I ended up with a solid fighting rifle, and a solid backup plan.
Did I mention they're Colts?
I have certain skills. Navigating a boat, or a submarine. Anywhere. With or without GPS. Dogfighting in a SAFE boat; my specialty. I have left many a Coastie Cox'n in tears after I beat him with his own boat. Traffic stops; pretty good at those. I used to be good at high-risk entries, but age and old knees have reduced me to the guy at the other end of the tac radio. Sometimes, life sucks.
Building an accurate rifle is not my strong suit. So I bought a Colt(s), and then added the things I needed.
I am, however, wise enough to seek my counsel here when I need to know how to turn my clunky old Colt into a good rifle. So I got that goin' for me...
Now...go pick on someone else.