Those have to be ungodly expensive.

Here is the rifle as it sits today. I'm still waiting on the glass to get here. The flip ups are just there so I can test fire it this week.

Wow. Just found a handful of XD 45s for $299-329. If I had the extra cash, I'd be sitting pretty with another Springfield right now

I keep looking at the PTAC 308 lowers from Palmetto State. Complete lower for $179...are the lowers really THAT bad? Not looking for match grade, just minute of deer out to 300 yards--assume that has more to do with the upper than the lower....

They have a better rep than Bushmaster.

It runs like a top. Not too bad for plastic sights. 5 round groups.

It seemed on closer inspection to be a pretty good deal. There are aluminum inserts in key points for strength, and plenty of lightening cuts as you can easily see, but the thing that stood out to me is the buffer tube interface is an aluminum insert, so it's metal on metal contact instead of metal on plastic. I've heard (and seen in person on another poly receiver) that trigger pins have a tendency to try and walk out on polymer receivers, since the plastic doesn't offer the same press fit as an aluminum receiver. I imagine you probably couldn't beat on most of the poly lowers too hard, but for a shooting gun, can't beat the economy.

Here is the Bushy after the paint job. It not cool guy camo but it turned out pretty well. It just kind of blurs into everything.

The way the pics post here its really hard to see the pattern but there is one.