One thing I've learned is that there really is no real price difference between the top tier of the commercial grade rifles like Stag/RRA and the top tier of the Milspec grade rifles like Colt/Noveske/LMT/DD/BCM.
I originally started out thinking I'd spend about $850 or so on a Stag, but then I learned the differences between the types of barrel steels and HP testing and MP inspection. It's very important stuff that would make or break a rifle when you put it to the test.
Obviously it all depends on what you need out of a rifle, so a lot of people could get by with no issues putting 500-1000 rounds a year through something like a DoubleStar or a Del-ton, but if you want something to rely on for defense I wouldn't be so sure. And if you wanted to do some high-round count intensive shooting or carbine courses, you'd probably find out you'd need to swap your BCG out for a better one and hope you don't burn your barrel up.
That's why I decided to spend the extra bit of cash (which really isn't that much at all) and do a full BCM build. I know it will be up to the task whether that be plinking at the range, defense, or some future carbine classes.
