I’m not sure he can. Tri-Citians still look at Newhouse as some sort of savior of the Snake River Dams and their cushy engineering jobs at the Hanford site. Throw in the National lab, fuel processing plant, and Columbia generating station and there’s a huge number of people who need the status quo for a paycheck.
This is quite the can of worms, compounded by the current state of the market. What is your primary use for your AR? What caliber are you hoping to buy?
In 5.56, shoot for a 1:7 or 1:8 twist barrel - 18” is sort of the “sweet spot” in terms of ballistic performance for most NATO loads. Wylde chambers are nice but not really necessary.
Good medium to long range 5.56 alternatives include 6.5 Grendel and 224 Valkyrie, but you’re pretty much shit out of luck getting ammo for them at the moment
Short range thumpers are out there, too, but again, good luck finding ammo.
Make sure your bolt is headspaced to your barrel. Even though companies have nearly perfected tight tolerance machining of the AR, there can still be issues that could affect reliability and safety. Yes, a good company should confirm headspace, but it never hurts to double check. If you buy a custom BCG or bolt head for your rifle, headspace checks are a MUST.
Lighter is usually better. Check out the What Would Stoner Do series at Forgotten Weapons for insights as to why.
Avoid lesser known shops promising fast turnarounds in this climate and be prepared to be on a waiting list at the higher end outfits.
Ha! If anything, he’s probably the polar opposite. The kinds of people who keep their faith after attending a Jesuit school tend to be grateful for the education but utterly despise most of their faculty. I should know, I went to one and survived with my faith intact.
Your mileage may vary, but the more modern minis I’ve come across have been fantastic little shooters compared to Ruger’s early runs. Not really my favorite platform for a variety of reasons, but if anything, Ruger has upped the QC on the mini lines.
Eh, I made the account as a placeholder and mainly just lurk. I’m an average and largely uninteresting pede, but I’m sick of our voices being silenced, canceled, and suppressed. I will not get on the train. I will not report for duty at the Gulag. I will not stay silent any longer.
This, and I worry that we’ve missed our window already. Every state that supported the traitors at SCOTUS should have had its infrastructure cut off or controlled by anti communist forces within minutes of the justices shredding the Constitution.
Um, have you been living under a rock for the last 24 hours?