hey now, don't sell those mil armorers short

The fact that every thread about manufacturer "x" verus manufacturer "y" inevitably morphs in to a Colt thread speaks volumes in and of itself about "the standard against which all others are judged."  

That being said, it's baffling how this thread once again turned to Colt's standards - the question was about BCM and PSA...

Just to make sure we're all on the same page - it's clear to everyone the purpose of cold hammer forging barrels, correct?  It's to make a cheaper barrel.  It's not a magical fairy process that makes consecrated barrels - it's a way for larger companies with the captial to invest in the machinery to kick out barrels at a lower per-unit cost.  

A good barrel is a good barrel, button rifled or hammer forged.  A mediocre barrel is still mediocre if it's hammer forged.  Without knowing about what specs the barrels are manufactured to, saying "it's CHF" is not a measure of quality independant of other specs.

How quickly some forget, or perhaps never knew... as has been pointed out - Bravo Company began marketing rifle parts initially when Colt uppers were harder to find and more expensive - during the height of GWOT, and the whole point was to produce uppers of Colt quality to offer another option for a Colt-equivelant upper.  

From 2006 to about 2009, you couldn't get a Bravo Company upper, they listed a 16" M4 upper and a 14.5" M4 upper on their website for years before they were realistically available to the commercial market through online sales.  They simply weren't able to procure a Colt-like product of sufficient quality in sufficient quantity for it to really be a product that anyone could objectively claim even existed.  When asked when the next batch of uppers would be ready?  They were trying to find suppliers that could build to Colt's "minimum" specs for a price point that it would be worthwhile to actually market.  

BCM has their barrel steel "independantly certified" while Colt doesn't...

Because BCM doesn't have government inspectors that hang out at their facility certifying that the materials used comply with MIL-SPECs and MIL-STDs - they need to get it independantly certified, because otherwise you could call bullshit.  

Turns out, "the minimum spec" at a reasonable price is not so simple after all.

Now - BCM is able to market not only a wide variety of uppers, but complete rifles and other components - however, as it turns out - dealer and re-seller markups notwithstanding - their pricing is not significantly better than Colt's.  As a mentioned in another recent Colt vs. [whoever] thread recently - compare the prices of comparable products, the BCM M4 Mod 0 and the LE6920:  The former is $1,025 from the dealer who shall not be named, while the latter is $1,097 from Walmart.  

Interestingly enough - one is still available in large numbers at national chain retailers, one is practically non-existent for immediate purchase filling backorders stacked in to the next year.  

Something that is consistently forgotten when discussing "QC this and QC that" is the simple matter of volume.  While I don't have specific numbers on it, I would be willing to bet that Colt probably ships more rifles per month than BCM or PSA ship in a year.  Applying a consistent QC standard over that kind of volume of product with as low a failure rate as Colt rifles have is something that any small manufacturer should be desperate to have, at least if they want to grow and expand.  

Now, many of you will say "well it doesn't matter how many other people's rifles they make, I'm only concerned about the product in my hand."  Which is AWESOME.  Good for you - if you want to wait an extra six months to save $50 and have a prettier finish ("higher QC standards" ) then you deserve it, you earned it.  As long as you're happy with the product you got, that's all that matters.  

Now - all this talk of "better than milspec," interestingly enough - they all cost significantly more than a basic Colt.

DD's basic model is a railed carbine at about $1,700.  

Noveske's basic model doesn't even have a rail and is around $1,600.  

KAC and LaRue - you're looking at around $2,000 and change.  

At the "equal" level, you're looking at higher priced:

LMT at $1,350 or so MSRP

Or low-volume, long wait:

Spike's at $950

BCM at $1,025

...or, you can save a little bit more money to wait even longer for a product with a spotty record for reliable delivery, PSA, though based on what they've been selling for on the EE lately - you'd save money buying an LE6920 from WalMart.  It's hilarious when you go to search for the MSRP on a PSA carbine to illustrate a point about there not being that much of a price difference any more, and you find an ad where the very same person complaining about Colts not being worth the "premium" sold a PSA 16" M4 for $1,160.    

"Well, so and so has midlengths and..." once again - AWESOME.  If you don't want an M4 - probably Colt's not for you anyways.  Buy the product that's offered or don't, don't whine that they don't make the pet configuration you've been having wet dreams about - vote with your wallet and buy something else.  That is the benefit of having such a robust market with so many companies yearning for your business - if one company doesn't make what you want - nine times out of ten, someone else does.      

Finally - for all of the guys patting each other on the backs about how Colt "got what they deserved" now that an M4/M4A1 contract has been awarded to FNMI, think about the second-order effects at work there:

While the other "comparable" companies are rightfully reluctant to reveal who their sources are - FNMI is a very signficant name bandied about in the rumor mill about all of them.  

What do you think happens to the re-sellers that FNMI supplies as OEM when they kick in to full rate production until 2016-18 building M4A1s for the government?  You think there's a supply bottleneck now?  Is FNMI really going to say - "you know, we've got millions riding on this government contract - not to mention the future contracts we could get if we do a good job, but these little re-sellers were such loyal customers, we'll keep making their parts for them in exactly the same volume at exactly the same cost as we used to."  

So then what happens?  Small manufactures either fade away for lack of product to sell, or their prices get higher to the point where they're just as, if not more expensive than Colt's.  Brilliant job, guys, now you're back to square one - you want the quality, you're stuck with Colt, and whatever Colt happens to offer.  

My honest assessment - if you want an M4 pattern rifle - you're foolish to buy anything other than a 6920.  

You want a midlength or something else?  Get over yourself and don't worry about bashing Colt for not making one and tarring them as the worst name in ARs - buy from one of the many quality companies that manufacture what you want.  

Hey, but why listen to me - I'm a Colt fanboy.  I'd rabidly defend anything Colt does and hold them on a pedastal higher than anything else in the face of all evidence to the contrary.

That's why I carried a BCM BCG as a spare over the water in case my Colt went down, and that's why one of my favorite rifles is 10.3" CQBR with a Colt upper, a DD barrel and rail, and BCM BCG (KAC gas block and flash suppressor, too, by the way ).  

Fanboy, amirite?  

~Augee

I'd expect such a long winded response from a Colt fanboy.  

If you notice - I usually manage to stay out of these threads until right about page 3, when the gets so overwhelming I can't keep quiet any more.  



~Augee

How the hell did Colt get into this conversation?

In regards to PSA vs BCM.....I like both companies and I have complete uppers from both companies. I think I paid $160 less for the PSA upper. I would have purchased another BCM upper but I was going for a cheaper build. I don't have a problem with PSA but I'll be going with BCM from here on out. They are battle tested, reliable and as a company, they have very good customer service. Their rifles and parts also bring a high resale value than PSA.

Here's a question for anyone who wants to answer. If cost wasn't an issue. Would you rather run a BCG and Charging handle from BCM or a BCG and Charging handle from PSA?

I just learned quite a lot from your post. Thank you for taking the time to share it

What battle was fought with BCMs? Just curious.

 

What you are missing from your BCG equation is QC.  You can take two similar BCGs, and put them next to each other, and no one can tell the difference.  If you put one through a thorough QC process after production, I'd feel safer using it when it matters most versus the unchecked BCG.

I get your point an its a valid one. But my experience making a living with machining, welding etc. (aerospace, pharma,food grade high end items) is that C158 isnt run of the mill. Not many places can access it.  Any shop handling those items is going to know what they are doing. They arent going to make excellent parts for BCM and garbage for PSA. They either have good tools, programs, and operators employed, testing equip or they dont. And I cant see them writing a new program for every new BCG customer when they already have the files from everyone else. As in BCM is only .XXX tolerance and PSA is .XX It doesnt work that way in manufcturing.


























 

The material used to make the carrier isn't the only issue at hand. There are gas rings and the proper installation of. Firing pin, extractor and bolt assembly. All of these parts can either be of good quality, okay quality or total shit quality. Lastly, who's to say BCM and PSA get their carriers from the same source? A thread was just made today regarding a BCG purchased from PSA and the details seem pretty sketchy.

At the end of the day, BCM didn't earn it's reputation over night and there's a reason why their name is held in high regard throughout the industry. I'm in no means saying PSA is not a good company but I wouldn't put them on the same level with BCM, DD, LaRue and Noveske. There's a reason why these rifles hold their value. I'm actually purchasing my next upper from PSA for a build I'm trying to hold around $1,000.

Fair enough. I would put PSA and BCM on the same level.















 

PSA isn't ANYWHERE EVEN CLOSE to BCM in quality.

BCM > PSA

+1,000

BCM...it's not close.

)
Yea, I don't think so either but I was just including them in the conversation. I think PSA is in the process of getting up there in overall quality, reputation and value but I don't think they have made it to BCM or DD level and rightly so. They just don't have the track record or time in the industry that BCM and DD have. They are a relatively new company and they had a good amount of QC issues in the past (all of which have been fixed to my knowledge). If PSA keeps improving upon and offering good products at a great value for the next couple years then I will most likely put them on the same level as BCM and DD.

BCM and DD rifles have been used for years by SWAT teams, private firms and special forces. They have a pretty long track record of pumping out nothing but quality rifles and parts. I'm not saying PSA rifles aren't being used by Police Departments or Private Firms but I am saying PSA doesn't have the track record that BCM and DD have.

I also like giving my money to companies who put ethics before dollars. A couple months ago, the Milwaukee police chief testified in favor of Feinstein's gun control bill. His department then tried ordering 50 BCM Rifles. BCM told the department to go shove it up their ass and get the rifles somewhere else. Okay, maybe they didn't say shove it up your ass but they did refuse to sell them a single rifle.

At the end of the day, PSA makes a damn fine product and I'll have no problem ordering my next upper from them in a couple months. Even after the upper proves itself worthy (I'm sure it will), I would still pick the BCM to go to war with every time and this decision would be largely based on a long standing track record.

 At least one intelligent person replying to this post.
I do not work in a machine shop but I do spend a lot of time in one due to a friend owning one and
you  hit on the points I was going to make especially on tooling,materials and programming. Thank you


Btw the guys saying it isn't even close are clueless
PSA biggest mistake is customer service BCM is worlds better but see above post as far as the rifles and the sum of there parts

"Btw the guys saying it isn't even close are clueless "

BCM, it isn't even close.   Duuuuhhh!

I don't run AR's all the time, but when I do...I prefer Noveske.

Lol good one.   Funny that they also use the same FN CHF barrel though

All in all this is why I prefer to build my own mutts
Mega billet lower which is IMO equal to or better than anything on the market
I use both PSA (branded) and BCM BCGs, Geissele triggers and a mix of barrels but its hard to beat Raniers select SS right now they are a great value.

To answer the OPs orginal question
It's just a roll mark with the BCM roll mark holding a better resale value due to it being less common.
There are only a hand full of company's who actually make uppers and lowers and BCM and PSA are not one of them

Even better there are even less company's who forge the blanks.

This

People fell in love with PSA due to low priced specials.  Just because things are nicely anodized does not mean they are of good quality overall.  I have bought from them.  But the lack of info means you do not know the true quality.

I have only owned 3 AR15's The First was a Colt 6920 and a Complete LMT 16". I Moly resoned the LMT and shot the snot out of it. It was 100%  The Colt I ran a few mags through and set in the safe. I have sence bought a PSA M4. So far its fit and function has been on par with the Colt and LMT 100%.

The only measurable difference on the PSA is its cosmedics/ finnish was better than both the Colt and the LMT.

I have herd a lot of good about BCM. Never owned or fired one. So I sure aint going to knock them.

The PSA M4 is as fine as a standard M4 can get. They set their price below everyone who offered true M4gery specs. I had to give them a try. All I can say is Im glad I did. I will continue to suport them as they continue "Striving to supply the working man with Tier 1 Quality"

That should be thier slogan......."Striving to supply the working man with Tier 1 Quality"

PSA hands down has a far better barrel. BCM is better for the rest.

BUAHAHAAAAH.....This is the most outlandish comment in this entire thread. Care to back it up with facts?

RESALE VALUE RESALE VALUE RESALE VALUE RESALE VALUE RESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUE RESALE VALUE RESALE VALUE RESALE VALUE RESALE VALUE RESALE VALUE RESALE VALUE RESALE VALUE RESALE VALUE RESALE VALUE RESALE VALUE RESALE VALUE RESALE VALUE RESALE VALUE RESALE VALUE RESALE VALUE RESALE VALUE RESALE VALUE RESALE VALUE RESALE VALUE RESALE VALUE RESALE VALUE RESALE VALUE RESALE VALUE RESALE VALUE RESALE VALUE RESALE VALUE RESALE VALUE RESALE VALUE RESALE VALUE RESALE VALUE RESALE VALUE RESALE VALUE RESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUERESALE VALUE RESALE VALUE
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QFT

With BCM you can pretty much buy anything they sell and not have to worry about quality.



With PSA you have to be a little more careful. Look at a few of the recent threads about BCGs coming out of PSA and you get the impression that even they don't know exactly what they are selling:



http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_3_118/610107_Received_the_PSA_BCG_Pictures_included.html&page=5



Scroll part way down the page and see their reply. They are now selling BCG's that are not "theirs", but just the "ones that they are selling".



They insist that they are not selling any BCGs which use MIM carrier keys when multiple folks are posting pictures of their BCG with MIM keys, and they are suggesting that to say otherwise is slander and they will go after the posters. I don't think they have any idea what they are selling.



Does it matter that the carrier keys are MIM? Probably not, but the fact that they are selling something when they don't even know what it is is a pretty big deal in my book. The also look very foolish when they come across with mix of condescending/threatening tone about one of their own products which they are obviously wrong about.



The thing I like about BCM is if they can't get what they believe are the right parts, then they don't sell anything. This is part of maintaining your "brand". BCM has always been very good at this. Right now PSA is ruining theirs with posts like the one linked above. You can't be obviously wrong while accusing others of being wrong about your own products and expect to maintain your credibility.



I waited years to get my first BCM upper because they couldn't get the barrel steel they wanted. It was worth it.



Can you get good quality from PSA? Yep, but you can also get whatever they were able to get their hands on this week.



There are many places to cheap out on an AR where you likely won't ever notice the difference, but the bolt is not one of them. Just look at one of the at least 4 threads going on the "Stoner" bolts which are failing left and right for evidence of this.





ETA: It looks like the thread I linked was locked, it is an intersting read. Just for posterity's sake, here is PSA's post I was referencing:

BCM is the rifle beside me right now. Wouldn't mind Colt if they had the configuration I like. Had a PSA but wont own another.

It's easier work  when you have good tools, no doubt.  But too many are hung up on the "Hammer" when it's the Carpentry skills that matter.

If I'm a fan boy, I'm a Noveske fan boy.  Rock solid perfection that doesn't take 6-12 months to deliver.  I have had them build me several custom rifles over the years, and will continue to do so in the future.

That said, I recently (last 6 months) picked up two of the PSA 16" hammer forged stainless barreled uppers...same "lighter profile" as Noveske's N4 chrome lined. The barrel is made by FN and I knew it would be a good barrel....that's the ONLY reason I bought those uppers.   Guess what...I was right...they are sub-MOA shooters, right on par with the Noveske stainless barrels I've had, and they run with everything I feed 'em.  And for the record...they will shoot about twice as accurate as a chrome lined Noveske barrel (also made by FN).

As for the quality of the upper receivers themselves, let's just say I wouldn't build a family heirloom with 'em...they're loose in every lower I've tried them in, and I've noticed the finish seems less durable.  That's OK, though....I just wanted an extremely accurate "duty/hunting/beater grade" weapon and these uppers have filled that role perfectly.

As far as lower go.? To me they are ALL about the same.

Now there will be some that have less machine marks or have better anodizing.

But as performance goes they are  the same.

Mega seems to make a really nice LOOKING lower and I've seen a few DPMS that looked better than my  Colt/bushy/LMT

As far as a rock solid fit. Get a RRA lower the machine them out to fit tight.

My Bushmaster 20inch hbar I had to use a punch just to open it up.  So I happen to like a little slop or play so I can take them apart easy.



BCM VS PSA

I dont own a BCM or a PSA
But Ive been a member here even before 2001
And have watch Pauls rep grow .
Because of this reason alone I would  go to BCM before I would PSA

True.
Back in the day the closet mil spec M4 upper you could get was a LMT 14.5 upper
I bought my first LMT upper from Paul before he made his own.

This my experience with PSA as well.  I no longer own anything from PSA except for a few parts kits in my lowers.

It's a pretty rare day when I quibble with one of your posts, Augee. But I have to say you're not being completely fair on this - you're comparing MSRP on the DD and Noveske versus a true price on the Colt.

I'm admittedly a pretty rabid Colt fan (as my 13 Colts, and counting, will attest to), but in the pre-panic days I bought each of my three DD M4V1s ($1150-1200 each new from dealer) and two M4V4s ($900-950 each, lightly used) for well less than the equivalent 6920. Given that the rails (two OmegaX 12.0FSPs, a DDM4 12.0FSP, and two Omega X 9.0s) were $200-350 market value items, my cost on the DDs came in well below what I paid for my Colts. I shopped them hard, but you didn't have to do a lot of work to get a DD M4V1 for $1300.

Likewise, I got my Noveske M4A1-style for $1730, with an LMT Sopmod ($200), RIS II FDE rail ($350-400), AAC 51T ($100) perm'd by Adco ($40), and a Gunfighter CH($45). Most other Noveskes clearly ran more expensive, but this one was a very nice deal.

Overall, I agree with Augee's premise - you can't go wrong with a Colt 6920, which is consistently one of the best (and usually the absolute best) choice for the money. But honesty compels me to say that if you like a particular setup (like the DD omega X rail), some of the better brands are more price competitive than it looks just by scoping out the MSRP.

As for the original question, I loved PSA when you could buy the upper (less BCG and CH) for $250-300. You don't want to know how many I've bought. But at $400-410, I'd pay the extra $50-60 especially when the BCM will ship in a day, tops, versus a month for PSA. Honestly, I don't know how to justify buying a PSA right now other than their PRO package.

I also think there's very little reason to buy a BCM (yes, I have six) unless you've convinced yourself you want a midlength carbine. Add it up. It's $720 for a basic midlength or carbine upper plus BCG and CH. Add $30 for a handguard, MOE or standard round ones. Then wait for Rainier to get a lower in at $400. Even without the complete rifle tax. There are Colt 6920s in stock right now for $1060, and you get the most proven AR pattern rifle on the planet from the owner of the IP. I point that out in complete seriousness because for all the noise that you hear on (ahem) other forums about the TDP, it's pretty clear that some people have gotten their hands on illicit copies of the TDP, which is how they spec their own products to the claim of being "as mil-spec as a Colt". To each his own, obviously, but I will admit that that bugs me a little bit.

I have a PSA mid-length and i'm happy with it. It's my first Ar and I plan on keeping it mostly stock. When I was looking at ARs I wanted a BCM, Daniel Defense, and my number one choice was a Colt because I am familar with Colt and know they work. The panic set in and BCM, DD, Colt, were all of course out of stock online like every other AR company. PSA was also out of stock online. But there are two PSA main stores near my house that were still building and selling ARs in the stores. I will never 'settle' when investing in a firearm so I did a little research.  PSAs had good reviews online and I really liked the fact they are made in my hometown. Stamped 'Columbia, SC' and not stamped from made in the liberal land of Ct like some popular ARs...

I do have a PSA stripped lower I am building as my second AR. Not sure where I am going with it right now, but It will either get a Daniel Defense or Bravo Co. complete upper. Probably DD since they show LEOs a little love and give a discount.

This pretty much nails my feelings on BCM.

I see your point, and to an extent, I agree with what you're saying - but the point I'm making it to talk about the situation as it stands today.  Back in the day, DD V1s ran around $1,175 retail at the same time LE6920s were sitting on the shelf at $1,300.  In that case, it was a no brainer.

In this case - for the most part, retailers don't really have Noveske's or DDs, and it's tough to say when someone who decides, today, with cash in hand, that they want a factory new DD or Noveske will get their product in hand.  The LE6920 gets the advantage of "real price" because you can go to stores and pick one up relatively quickly.  

This of course discounts the used market as well, which I was doing for illustration purposes - fact of the matter - I've only ever bought one complete, new in box AR in my life, and even that was second hand, not from a dealer.  

The comparison was based on a quick search of pricing on "basic" products, most of the better "discount" sites don't even list prices for OOS items, and sites like Rainier reflect MSRP.  The idea is not what it was eighteen months ago, or what it might be eighteen months from now, currently - these are the prices you're looking at, and even they are only hypothetical because most products are still OOS.  

Unfortunately, in a conversation about now, the "pre panic days" are gone.  We can only hope they normalize and return to those levels, but for now, they are not germane.  So far from what I've seen (being OCONUS and only having the internet and others' reports and internet surveys of GB and online retailers to go on), only Colt appears to have returned to both pre-panic pricing and availability.  Other companies like DPMS, Bushmaster, and Windham appear to have returned to availability, but their pricing remains higher than it used to be - a $750 Windham which was the norm before the panic is no longer the case.  A quick GB survey shows the only Windhams approaching that range to be their Carbon 15 versions, and even those are reserve price auctions.  Other brands have held the line on price, but not returned to availability.  

~Augee

I agree 100%. Product support is also something you can't see, but its paramount if you have an issue. That's my beef with PSA. I've had a canted FSB & worse, a canted barrel extension from a PSA 14.7 CHF barrel very recently. I called them 3 weeks after returning it and NOT hearing from them. Their rep proceeded to tell me to go pound sand because I tried to install the barrel onto an upper, and by trying to install this barrel, I just voided PSA's warranty. I told the tard that there really isn't a way for me to tell the FSB & barrel extension was so canted, until I installed it onto a BCM upper. He reiterated his last response. I asked the rep if they expected anyone to actually use their products for anything other than a paper weight; to which all I got was silence. Fast forward, after talking to PSA several more times and requesting to have a manager call me, I had to post a thread here in their industry forum, with ugly pics, before management got involved and said they would replace the canted barrel. My point, it never should have gotten to that point before they manned up and replaced that abomination of a barrel. Product support is definitely something that is sold along with a particular product. It's either good support or not so good. PSA is working to make theirs better but; it has a ways to go before it's anywhere near BCM's or other reputable manufacturers...