Does the right dust cover matter? - Strike Industries Ultimate Dust Cover for .223 AR-15 Standard

In my opinion, it didn't until Strike introduced this UDC. It's aluminum, so it's sturdy and lightweight, but again - does that matter for your dust cover?

For me, I have been all about Strike products for the last year or so. They are aesthetically pleasing (which means their stuff looks rad), but beyond that they apply a spritz of innovation to everything they do. On this item, the sizzle on the steak are the included adhesive pads (visible in the picture) that almost entirely eliminate sound and impact scuffs from the cover flying open. That's not to say that this UDC will make you charging activities totally silent as there is a lot going on in that process, but if performed correctly you can really cut down on the sounds of charging the rifle (if that's something you need).

So, that's probably way too many words for a dust cover, but personally I like it because A) it looks cool, and B) it does something that other dust covers don't do. I have this on every one of my rifles. You should at least get one and try it and make your own judgments about it. You probably want or need a dust cover if you;re reading this, so why not?