I'm not much of a rollmark snob. Lewis Machine and Tool makes Olympic's uppers and lowers and they match up tighter than the Rock Rivers that I've seen. May look into a .308 DPMS lower. The one thing I will say for the AR platform is that you can pick up a piece at a time. May be able to build an SASS fairly cheaply by avoiding the excise tax on a complete rifle. May be in the market for an ugly gun before the 2012 election. Haven't regretted buying any, to date.
Oh agree....one of my best 1911A1’s is a stock Norinco I think I paid 180$ for ! I am always in the parts bins at gunshows and gunshops . I like fixing them and building them and always have something else to learn. never afraid to ask or admit I don’t know etc ...
Agree on the parts buy, good foundation and parts fit and function and rigs will last a lifetime of personal peacetime use IMO. .....LMT got the brits or canooks military contract didn’t it ? very good reviews on that company.
Taking old enfields and converting to 7.62 x 54R is another favorite thing to do. Almost a kitchen table conversion if ya don’t mind the brass being fire formed a few thousandths . If such is a problem you can set the barrel back same measure. Doing that and re-crowning the barrel turns those old surplus rifles and sino soviet ammo into perfect hunting rifles for those on a budget. The 54R and .303 ammo are almost identical in pressures etc ..
Stay safe !