I would even keep a .22 magnum around because they are relatively cheap, very accurate, and when placed in red zones on a target, do their job. There are lots of "bad" ARs out there using inferior alloys, machining practices, and cutting corners on quality control. DPMS, Armalite come to mind. It took several. revisions to even get a prototype to be consistent and stay together after a thousand rounds when s&w was first getting into the market. Coatings and clearances play a huge role in how the weapon acts when fired consistently in a firefight. How the bolt face meshes with the star chamber during a cyclic rate of fire changes with temperature and will jam the weapon if the proper alloy and clearances arent used.....jeez i can ramble on and on about differences in how some ARs are made and why they suck, but it is important to remember that the rounds play a huge role in it too. Be careful if you are depending on old stored away ammo thats been left in a little moisture or maybe you're firing mags that have been loaded and left....the follower springs have been compressed for a long time and are probably weak.
