Is my AR-15 rifle better then your's ?

[Outlaw Man]

Yes, as long as I always get to determine the parameters of the comparison.

I think there are some parts where a "better" item is fairly easily quantifiable. "Necessary" is a whole 'nother ball game.

 

[Armybrat]

I don't really care if your DD or LaRue is better than my S&W Sport or my Colt LE6920 MP-B. I'll dance with the ones I brought.

 

[ugaarguy]

the question I read is "If two rifles are 'mil spec' but differ in manufacturer, is one better than the other?" To that I say yes, there are good and bad manufacturers out there. If mil spec guaranteed everything the failure rate would be zero.

No spec can guarantee a zero failure rate. The mil specs guarantee mean average rates between stoppages and between failures. They ensure that when parts break (not if, but when) they're the most easily replaced parts. For example, the bolt is intentionally weaker than the barrel extension. AR-15 and M16 bolts are no tool drop in items that take seconds to replace. Bbl extensions take significant time to replace using specialized tools.

The key is to understand the specs, and figure out which specs matter for you as an end user.

Mil spec barrels have been 1:12, 1:9 and 1:7 twist, depends on the era of the build and carbine/rifle.

The US military went straight from 1:12 to 1:7 with the switch from M193 ball and M196 tracer to the much longer M855 ball and M856 tracer. 1:9 twist is purely a commercial AR-15 thing.

 

[Dr.Rob]

I thought the DMR was a 1:9? Or maybe I am mis-remembering a 'not generally issued special forces type rifle."

 

[ugaarguy]

I thought the DMR was a 1:9? Or maybe I am mis-remembering a 'not generally issued special forces type rifle."

1:8 twist fluted stainless steel bbl from Douglas. Which goes to show that even the US Military will deviate from their own specs in narrow circumstances for specialized applications.