Just because many departments are authorizing and issuing entry level guns, does not mean they are right for everyone. The amount of use a carbine sees in the hands of an LEO is usually fairly small. With the exception of specialized teams, the majority of LEOs will rarely touch their patrol carbines except for the minimal training and qualifications needed. In fact, many officers rarely put in extra time with their primary weapon, their duty pistol, unless they are avid recreational shooters.LJ126 wrote:Many police departments issue and authorize entry-level AR-15 carbines and rifles, and these serve the role just fine. There are a lot of Bushmasters, Stags and DPMS rifles in the hands of the thin blue line, and while they're nothing special, they work just fine.
What I've found is that in most cases, when you buy a lower cost AR-15, you're only skipping out on all of the nicer features associated with higher-priced rifles. The difference in reliability and dependability between low-cost and high-cost AR-15 rifles is greater on the internet than it is on the firing range, and these falsities are often perpetuated by people with neither the judgement or experience to speak on the matter.
My DPMS 5.56 Oracle has a lot of rounds through it (more than most of you would believe if I posted the count) and many more left before she's done ticking. Regular maintenance and swapped gas rings is all I've done (other than the handguards) and it's never given me any issues, despite fairly rough treatment. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend one to another person interested in getting an entry-level rifle.
I'm glad your DPMS is shooting well. The problem is, any company can put out a "lemon". Some companies just put out a much higher percentage, and do not back up their products as well as others.