How would you rate Aero Precision components?

[Charlie98]

Well… I guess the trick is that “limiting yourself to 300m” isn’t universally applicable for all shooters.

Indeed! But... think about it... how many AR shooters have taken their AR's out past 300M, let alone 200 or 100M? I'm sure there is a small core of them... but I wouldn't think it would be a large percentage. BUT! ...I've been wrong before.

 

[Varminterror]

Indeed! But... think about it... how many AR shooters have taken their AR's out past 300M, let alone 200 or 100M? I'm sure there is a small core of them... but I wouldn't think it would be a large percentage. BUT! ...I've been wrong before.

Most AR owners have a dusty rifle propping up the wall in their closet, and don’t shoot anything at all, at any distance.

But to add perspective here - a common rifle scope will be around 3-5moa from optical center when zeroed at 100yrds in a bottleneck centerfire rifle cartridge. Consider why almost every scope on the market has +/-20moa elevation adjustment from optical center, and MOST have +/-30moa or more. Whether irons or optics, nobody gets away with selling 0-300yrds…

 

[D.B. Cooper]

Indeed! But... think about it... how many AR shooters have taken their AR's out past 300M...

Anyone who shoots Service Rifle, but that's an ever shrinking pool.

Which, when you think about it, Service Rifle was really what the A2 was built for. And as that game has gone downhill in popularity, so has the demand for A2 builds.

 

[D.B. Cooper]

Most AR owners have a dusty rifle propping up the wall in their closet, and don’t shoot anything at all, at any distance.

But to add perspective here - a common rifle scope will be around 3-5moa from optical center when zeroed at 100yrds in a bottleneck centerfire rifle cartridge. Consider why almost every scope on the market has +/-20moa elevation adjustment from optical center, and MOST have +/-30moa or more. Whether irons or optics, nobody gets away with selling 0-300yrds…

Never thought of it that way, but my Redfield Revolution has 50 moa of adjustment top to bottom. Which, incidentally, isn't enough to shoot out to 1000 yards. I did the math using data from a ballistics calc. At 1k yrds, with the scope at max elevation, I would be hitting in the dirt. LOL.

 

[Varminterror]

Never thought of it that way, but my Redfield Revolution has 50 moa of adjustment top to bottom. Which, incidentally, isn't enough to shoot out to 1000 yards. I did the math using data from a ballistics calc. At 1k yrds, with the scope at max elevation, I would be hitting in the dirt. LOL.

It’ll get you to 700 pretty easy though, which is a pretty good poke. But point being - almost every sighting system and optic on the market has a lot of adjustment range, because they’re not designed for the lowest common denominator.

 

[mavracer]

I might take a pass on Aero/Ballistic Advantage barrels in favor of higher end tubes, but I also recognize I pay a lot extra for that choice too. And I recognize I can build rifles which are plenty accurate for most applications for which an AR is suitable using BA/Aero barrels.

I usually spend a bit more for barrels but bought a 12.5" BA for a 5.56 SBR thinking "budget accurate" was GTG and was really surprised at how well it shoots, close to MOA with Frontier 55gr HP.

 

[Charlie98]

Most AR owners have a dusty rifle propping up the wall in their closet, and don’t shoot anything at all, at any distance.

But point being - almost every sighting system and optic on the market has a lot of adjustment range, because they’re not designed for the lowest common denominator.

You sort of make my point. If I was to guess, 95% of the AR's have never seen 100M + distances. If someone is spending the money on optics, aside from the tacticool guys, they are using it for a purpose. Aside from Service Rifle, how many people these days actually use irons past 300M? That might be a good poll question, actually. And remember... building a retro (A1, etc...) rifle is like buying and restoring a '69 Camaro... no, it's not the same thing as a '23 Camaro... it doesn't have A/C or even 4-wheel disk brakes, probably, but it's a '69 Camaro. Same same with a retro A1 build... it's not a high speed, low drag modern AR incarnation... it's an A1.

I might take a pass on Aero/Ballistic Advantage barrels in favor of higher end tubes

Is Ballistic Advantage Aero's house brand or something? I've had pretty good luck with them (2 barrels) but I've found their QC a little wanting.

 

[lemaymiami]

For D.B. Cooper... I didn't get to Vietnam until 1971 so all I know is from that year when things were winding down. By then there were lots of "unusual weapons" around and a case of LRRP rations (or a few bottles of quality liquor) were the medium of exchange in my area (up north with the 101 Abn). That trooper with the beer is very likely just back from the bush and standing down - in the rear with the gear (where I spent most of my time since I wasn't a combat type...). My first issue weapon in country? a standard tapered barrel Smith & Wesson model ten 38.. I managed to acquire a beat up old pump shotgun -pretty sure it was a Stevens since I had to have my Dad send me a few small parts to make it serviceable... I'd have probably been better off with a standard M16...

By the way you could always spot the serious "operators" in country since they all wore different clothing - and had very interesting looking weapons that weren't GI issued at all... at least that's what I saw..

 

[mavracer]

Is Ballistic Advantage Aero's house brand or something? I've had pretty good luck with them (2 barrels) but I've found their QC a little wanting.

IIRC they used to make Aero's barrels and morr recently Aero bought them out.

 

[Varminterror]

You sort of make my point. If I was to guess, 95% of the AR's have never seen 100M + distances. If someone is spending the money on optics, aside from the tacticool guys, they are using it for a purpose. Aside from Service Rifle, how many people these days actually use irons past 300M?

I’m honestly not entirely certain what your point in any of this could be.

Your posts mostly read as such: “I don’t do it and I don’t think most other people do it, so nobody needs the gear to do it.”

Sounds pretty familiar from the anti-gun movement.

Is Ballistic Advantage Aero's house brand or something?

Aero Precision is majority owner of Ballistic Advantage. Welcome to the world of AR’s.

 

[Varminterror]

IIRC they used to make Aero's barrels and morr recently Aero bought them out.

“More recently” is almost a decade ago, which is notably longer than they operated prior to the acquisition.

The dude started the company in ‘08, sold majority share to Aero in ‘14, so 2/3 of the company’s lifetime has been spent under Aero ownership.

 

[Charlie98]

I’m honestly not entirely certain what your point in any of this could be.

Your posts mostly read as such: “I don’t do it and I don’t think most other people do it, so nobody needs the gear to do it.”

Not at all. I made the point that Retro AR Fever usually means an A1... including the new rage of non-FA receivers and such, you insist that the A2 is better. The A2 IS better, but if you want a retro A1, etc, for whatever reason, it's not going to be an A2. I also made the general point that most AR's likely never see ranges beyond 300M (that being the typical limit to the A1 sights without adjustment or Kentucky windage,) so an A1 is still a reasonable choice if you want to build retro, or even a modern AR. You have to know what you want, however. It's all about choices... welcome to the world of AR's.

 

[Varminterror]

I made the point that Retro AR Fever usually means an A1.

I started building AR’s in the 1998 or 1999, and paid for college building and selling AR’s on an FFL, building and rebuilding literally hundreds of AR’s.

What folks new to the religion don’t realize is that the “Retro Fever” favoring A1’s is new. As I described above, there was likely a decade where I could hardly sell A1 uppers, even for clones, and A2’s were the favored upper of the “retro” ilk, with flattops and what we called “EOP’s” being the hot new items. A2 uppers still had an ardent following, much larger than just the boutique cloners, as BUIS really weren’t yet a thing, hell, picatinny handguards weren’t even a thing. Through the sunset of the Federal AWB and up until Brownells launched their retro line a few years ago, I RARELY got calls for A1’s - almost all of my cloner customers wanted A2’s, and the guys who DID want A1’s really wanted them because the rest of the cloners they hang with had A2’s, and THEY also already had A2’s, and they recognized what it was going to mean to find take-off parts to get into A1’s - they and their pocketbooks had to REALLY want A1’s, so most folks calling me for clones over the last 22 years have been looking for A2’s, with a surge in A1’s only in the last handful of years.

Which made a lot of sense anyway - A2’s have been easier to source, less expensive, and superior in design. Why the market turned to back to A1’s a few years ago remains to escape me.

Since I’m the one actually getting calls to build AR’s for cloners, I’ll let the reality of shifting fads remain my problem, and not let your small minded “nobody should shoot their AR’s past 300m” float on down the river…

 

[Charlie98]

Why the market turned to back to A1’s a few years ago remains to escape me.

Nostalga.

And, again, you are twisting my words. I never said "nobody should shoot their AR's past 300m." You show me where I said that. I may have a small mind, but my comprehension level is obviously greater than yours.

 

[BushMaster-15]

Not at all. I made the point that Retro AR Fever usually means an A1... including the new rage of non-FA receivers and such, you insist that the A2 is better. The A2 IS better, but if you want a retro A1, etc, for whatever reason, it's not going to be an A2. I also made the general point that most AR's likely never see ranges beyond 300M (that being the typical limit to the A1 sights without adjustment or Kentucky windage,) so an A1 is still a reasonable choice if you want to build retro, or even a modern AR. You have to know what you want, however. It's all about choices... welcome to the world of AR's.

There are two types of M16A1 clone builders aka AR15 A1's , Guys who used them and survived and Nostalgic want a B's .
Many AR shooters bang steel fairly regularly 200-800 Yd or meters . Other AR shooters use them hunting , mostly 7.62X51mm 6.5 CM ,so AR 10 platform or more correctly DPMS /LR .
I've built a fair # of AR's in various calibers over a few decades ,I also shoot them on a fairly regular basis ,weather permitting .
I build bastard units ,meaning I've got Mloc uppers with A2 furniture ALL of MY AR'S wear A2 stocks . I despise those Franken skeleton hockey golf putter contraptions being peddled as Butt Stocks . Just MY particular Quirk , I want a Rifle with a BUTTSTOCK ,not some airy adjustable walking cane .

As each marked improvement presses on in the AR saga ,I believe more and more builders will produce M4 clone models .
I'm willing to bet Money ,there are # 8:1 carbines verses Rifles and Lord only knows how many AR pistols produced .

One thing is absolutely certain ; Manufacturers will produce WHATEVER SELLS . Then regardless of sense buyers will cobble franken models of whatever they want . Such has been the Firearms history since it's beginning and will remain so , as long as Owners STAND UP and make politicians SHUT UP . IMO

 

[D.B. Cooper]

There are two types of M16A1 clone builders aka AR15 A1's , Guys who used them and survived and Nostalgic want a B's .

I've never been there, and I'm no psychologist, but I would think the first group wouldn't want the memories hanging around. I think of the unfired pistol that Dick Winters received in the surrender of a German officer; he never fired it his whole life. He said all wars should end with surrender of unfired weapons.

ALL of MY AR'S wear A2 stocks . I despise those Franken skeleton hockey golf putter contraptions being peddled as Butt Stocks . Just MY particular Quirk , I want a Rifle with a BUTTSTOCK ,not some airy adjustable walking cane .

Agreed, but that almost totally precludes the use of a modern (i.e. not a loop or "garrison") 2-point sling. (There are some clunky adapters out there.) And I've noticed that one of the requirements for almost any carbine course I've seen has been a 2-point adjustable sling.

I'm willing to bet Money ,there are # 8:1 carbines verses Rifles and Lord only knows how many AR pistols produced .

Agreed, but I don't understand why, given the diminished performance of 5.56/.223 with reduced barrel lengths.

 

[mavracer]

Agreed, but I don't understand why, given the diminished performance of 5.56/.223 with reduced barrel lengths.

IMHO it stems back to the dusty AR in the closet that gets shot once or twice a year if that at some 50 to 100 yard range.

 

[BushMaster-15]

I've never been there, and I'm no psychologist, but I would think the first group wouldn't want the memories hanging around. I think of the unfired pistol that Dick Winters received in the surrender of a German officer; he never fired it his whole life. He said all wars should end with surrender of unfired weapons.

Can't honestly say for certain but I along with other Ex service members seem to relish OLD war horses . MY Srgt. was a prime example he was 4-6 Years My Senior and scored Me an M1 Garand . He loved em but his basic was with M14 ,so somebody figure that out for Me ?.


Agreed, but that almost totally precludes the use of a modern (i.e. not a loop or "garrison") 2-point sling. (There are some clunky adapters out there.) And I've noticed that one of the requirements for almost any carbine course I've seen has been a 2-point adjustable sling.

Again it's MY preference as to a full stock and wood looks so out of place on an AR



Agreed, but I don't understand why, given the diminished performance of 5.56/.223 with reduced barrel lengths.

Yet again it's a trend among Younger enthusiast is MY take on it , just like home defense ??. NOT MY 1 St. choice at 3:17 AM for prowler patrol but it's WHY there's so many calibers available . Everyone wants something different and did the AR market OPEN for business after Big Brother showed up on the scene .
Personally I'd have been just fine with an M16 7.62X51mm , however the Army didn't pay Me that whopping $237.56 per month including combat pay so I could make decisions . They made it perfectly clear in the very beginning that MY attitude needed adjusting ,by the # of times I assumed the dying cockroach position . So I pretty much did as ordered and made things go BOOM .

 

[Varminterror]

I’ll bet heavily that there are more rifle length AR’s than pistols, and that there are multiple orders of magnitude more 16” carbines than AR pistols.

Recall, we really didn’t see that many pistol braces, and commensurately didn’t see many AR pistols until after 2015 when the ATF interpretation of “use constituting redesign” and moving away from “shouldering a brace makes a rifle” was overturned. We’ve sold a lot of AR’s in market since then, but we’ve also sold a lot of AR’s in a lot of years before, and sold a lot of rifles and carbines even after.

What you watch on Instagram and in video games don’t necessarily represent what the American gun buyer is actually buying. Look at the leading firearms manufacturers in the AR market, and how their model lines shake out - rifle and carbine models outnumber pistols at extreme multipliers, because they outSELL pistols by extreme multipliers. EVERYBODY makes a 16” carbine, because they can most easily sell them.