I did not get to pick up the v9 until today. I decided to trade my much loved Armalite SPR Mod 1 midlength for it, and I had to get it ready. Deal was made (I might have been able to do better, but I just did not want to haggle too much), and I walked out with my v9.
Before I say anything about the rifle itself, let me give my experience with buying a premium AR. In 2011, I decided to get back into shooting high power competition. Back in the day, when I was a little younger, I was a decent shooter with a M-16 and 1911s, and so I always did well in the Governors Twenty matches we had. I figured that I worked hard and deserved a good rifle to compete with, so, after much study and reading what people had to say about the various brands, I put together enough scratch to buy not a premium rifle, but the premium rifle. I had nothing but trouble with it, so I sold it at something of a loss. After that I bought "lesser" brands and found them very satisfactory in quality and more accurate than the primo brand. If there was something less about these rifles in comparison to the expensive one I had, I really didn't care. They were crazy accurate and reliable. Then I saw my first DD rifle at a gun show. The quality was excellent, even if the trigger left a lot to be desired. The fit was exceptional, but the most striking thing about it was how light it felt. The primo rifle felt like a ton of bricks in comparison. I wanted one. I am from Georgia, and even though I live in NC now, I will still try to buy things from GA companies. But I had been burned with one expensive rifle and I could not afford to buy a DD straight out. At the time I loved my Armalite SPR Mod 1, because it was definitely an excellent weapon. Today was different, and I was good with parting from my rifle.
The v9 is everything the primo AR should have been in quality of construction, fit, and finish. I mean excellent. It is a beautiful rifle, and in a way makes me feel stupid for having bought the primo AR in 2011. One of the most surprising things about the rifle is the trigger. It is good, with no creep or grit to it. I'm guessing mine breaks at 6 pounds, and I like it. The reason for me buying this rifle and not the v1 was the barrel. I wanted a heavier profile barrel than what came on the v1 without having to go to a 20 inch HBAR. My intended purpose is shooting at targets in excess of 200 yards.
I won't be able to post pics for a day or so, and a range trip is a week off.
Hope everyone has a happy Easter. Luke 24:1-8