I don't make it on here nearly as much as I used to several years ago. But it appears there are a couple more custom AR builders on this site now than back when I ordered mine. I can't speak for any of the newer companies. At the time there were only two, Dtech and another (I'm not mentioning names, but their name has already be brought up in this thread). I have an upper from both of them. Both are very good quality uppers. My Dtech is insanely accurate, the other is accurate. I'm not trying to bash anyone, only speaking from my personal experience, but if it was between the two of them again today, my money would go to Dtech, no questions asked! I can't speak for the newer companies that have come along since then, they may be just as good or better than Dtech. But I have experience with Dtech. I know if Mike tells me it's a 9 month lead time, I'll have my product in 9 months. I know if I change my mind again in the middle of the process and want a different caliber, and Mike tells me it's going to add another 2 weeks to it. Then its going to add another 14 days to my wait. I know if I have my build already planned out and built in my mind, and I tell Mike what I want and what I plan to achieve with it, if it's not going to do what I want it to do, Mike is going to tell me upfront, and he's also going to tell me what I need, to achieve what I want. It may be different now, but at the time there were several time slots on several days of the week that Mike took calls. I know if I called in then he'd either answer, or return my call shortly there after within in hour or so. I've never had the first issue with my build, but my close friend who ordered one the same day I did, did have a few small issues with his. Mike was very prompt to respond, and extremely helpful to make things right. He gave the option to either send it back and have the part replaced on his dime, or he'd send the part to us and we could replace it, still free of charge.
My experience with the other company that was here at the time was a night and day difference. Countless phone calls and emails never answered. Promised finish dates missed multiple times. And on the rare occasion I would get through and actually talk to someone, I got excuses after excuses. Only after I drug the admin here into it, did things start to turn around. I was told I would be notified when it shipped. The only thing I was notified about was when the local gun shop called to tell me they had received it.
If I were in the market for a new build right now, I would not hesitate to call Mike.