I paid $2200 (full retail) for my LWRC M6A2 and I don't regret it one bit. I love it just as much as my XCR. The HBar XCR (with MI sites) only ran me $1350, but that was back in 2007 and I had a hook up back then. My LWRC I bought in January (well past the election), once SGC had it in stock I jumped at the chance.
I don't think the LWRC is $850 better but it does come with some trick stuff, and trick stuff always cost extra, whether you need it or not. LWRC has:
- 1/7 Twist Cold Hammer Forged 4150CrMV45 barrel with NiCorr finish inside and out
- NiCorr finished short stroke gas piston operating system
- EXO(Nickel Boron) finish bolt carrier with OTB flutes on the boss end
- Vltor EMOD stock
- LWRCI logoed Troy flip-ups bow and stern
- Tango Down Rail Covers
You have to figure the Barrel alone is worth about $200 over the XCR Barrel, the Troy Sites another $100 (over MI sites), TD Rail covers about $30, Vltor Emod about $100. The NiCorr coating is probably all marketing hype (for now) and who knows if it helps. But it still cost money to coat, you have to figure about $200 to coat since that's how much a good paint job costs. So that's about $600 worth of extra's.
For my next rifle I was leaning towards a .308 LWRC or XCR. But looks like it will now be the LWRC SABR because the the XCR-M is looking like it may not come out anytime soon.