AR-15 Kit - Page 2

bcarver · January 2, 2014, 11:55 AM

have bought , shot and sold many. No complaints yet.
They meet military specifications. As do PSA.

CTS · January 2, 2014, 12:08 PM

Again, I said if you want a decent low price AR then Del Ton is fine. They are not however Mil-Spec. I just looked through the specs on all their rifles and not a single one mentioned a chrome lined bore. I have read that they are melonite treated as are the S&W barrels which is fine, maybe even better than chrome lined. I have also read reviews by professionals that say they use commercial diameter receiver extensions that are made from extruded aluminum and not forged as per Mil-spec. I also know for a fact that they use Tapco furniture on some of their models. Again, I am not putting down Del Ton and never have through this entire thread. I simply gave the OP an opinion that I personally would go with PSA over Del Ton. I even stated that it was my opinion. I never asked anyone to take it as gospel.

Inspector3711 · January 2, 2014, 12:46 PM

Calm down already haha.

I like the Del-ton upper I bought. It was cheap.

BillyJack3 · January 2, 2014, 05:39 PM

Everyone I know that has a Del-Ton enjoys their AR. No issues reported. Still a small group but all are happy customers.

OP, you have several options. You can get a M&P Sport (No FA or Dust Cover) for around $600. Solid rifle with thousands and thousands of happy campers. It has a 1/9 twist barrel and semi auto BCG that is HP/MP batch tested. Solid AR. I have the OR model which is essentially the same AR and it's been accurate and stupid reliable.

For around $750 - $800, you can get a Spike's Tactical AR. Mil-Spec parts and great reputation for reliability and ability to take abuse. 1/7 twist and Mil-Spec individually tested HP/MP bolts. I have a mid-length with their ST-T2 buffer and Dynacomp brake and it's the softest shooting AR I own. Almost NO muzzle rise.

As far as building your own, PSA has great options. I tend to lean toward their "Premium" uppers as they are made by FN to PSA's specs. Just got an M4 complete upper for $279. Prices vary week to week. Add in a Spike's bolt for $150 (yes, I over paid at the time), CH for $10, LPK for $100 and a $60 lower and you have yourself a SOLID rifle for $599. Take off Colt carry handle for $45 and you're up to $644. You can do better with some of today's prices. That builds you a sweet M4 clone.

Bottom line is that there is no right answer, just lots of good ones. Good luck and enjoy!

(My New Year's PSA Upper on Spike's Lower build)

Justice06RR · January 3, 2014, 03:12 AM

Quote:

So is building generally better / cheaper?

Its usually cheaper, but not always better.

It really depends. If you know the correct parts to buy and how to install them properly, then building an AR is better. If not, it can be a disaster.

With your budget you can buy a Spikes Tactical Complete AR15 for $849 at Primary Arms website; even cheaper if you buy a complete upper/lower from Palmetto for around $700.

If you want to build one to learn and get experience with an AR15, then PSA is one of the best places to buy parts. Just make sure to get the PSA branded parts with the correct Milspec description. There are some AR parts in PSA's website that are not milspec.

So think about if you want a complete rifle from the start, or if you would like the experience of building one. Good luck!

Brotherbadger · January 3, 2014, 10:39 PM

Quote:

The only pitfall to that idea is: everytime you buy something on sale you pay shipping for it. That adds up pretty quick if you are buying one part at a time.

If you are smart, you group items together and get enough to qualify for free shipping(or wait to buy when places offer free shipping. I only bought one item at a time when shipping was free, otherwise it's a waste.

1911rocks · January 6, 2014, 08:08 AM

I see a lot of home builds in my GS business. Without exception the "builders" didn't buy the correct tools to assemble the gun. ESPECIALLY the appropriate Go/No Go gauges. These aren't critical if you buy a complete Upper, but, there goes the cost. A bigger question is; who owns the warranty? Even if you buy a complete Upper and then a complete Lower it becomes a ******* contest when trying to get warranty service. Some say "well I can just repair it myself". I can accept that if the RCA reveals a manufacturing defect. The real cost savings comes if you have a FFL and all the tools. But, remember a 01 FFL holder Cannot assemble and sell a gun assembled from parts. He can build one for himself, but, not for sale. There are a great many $700-800 ARs available with full, in some cases, lifetime warranties. Oh another reason to build your own is if you want say a Seekins Lower (Billet) and a Noveske Upper. This is not a Low Dough approach this is a feature driven Custom approach.

tirod · January 6, 2014, 12:07 PM

Since the parts are purchased at retail, there's rarely any savings building your own. What you get is a choice of what parts you want, not what a maker chooses.

Buy the barrel assembled with the extension headspaced and pinned on, other than that, and I do mean to be emphatic, NO ARMORER'S OR SPECIAL TOOLS ARE NEEDED. Read the stickies on arfcom how to do it.

Case in point, installing the barrel nut. The point is to tighten it so that the gas tube will get past the locking teeth, and not strip the threads. It's NOT to torque it to a special value, which a torque wrench attached to a barrel nut adapter won't accurately indicate anyway. It can be done with a large pair of channel lock pliers if you don't care about marks on the nut, which are hidden under the handguard and delta ring anyway.

I wear a pair of bib overalls and a lumberyard hat doing it.

I paid $49 for a blem upper, $79 for a lower, the cost was still over $1000 even with an A1 stock and A2 handguard. The more parts you buy in a package the better, and the less shipping.

If you choose to change something later, you know how, and don't have to pay for more labor, either. Build the gun with a specific range and target in mind, and that will quickly pare down the huge number of items on the market to those that actually contribute to the goal. Be mindful, tho, that some things are sold because they can be, not because they return very much for the dollar other than cool factor and brag rights in owning the Brand of the Month.

In fact, you can generally rank how little they actually contribute by how aggressively vocal the fanboys are. The really good parts don't need a bunch of posers online to defend them. Just keep in mind that those who are sponsored in competition are not using go-to-war guns, they are exhibiting race gun parts for sale in exchange for gas money and ammo. Again, some parts are simply made because they can sell them . . .

cal10 · January 7, 2014, 11:57 AM

I built a Del Ton last year, and it took quite a bit of waiting for the parts to arrive, this was of course due to the madness that followed the Sandy Hook incident. This year. I bought a PSA lower and a complete upper separately and must say I do prefer the PSA quality over the Del Ton. The barrel is chrome lined and made by FN manufacturing for PSA, the shipping was 1 day later than advertised but light speed ahead of last years del ton parts. Del Ton is good, but PSA has the quality and mil spec parts.

January 2, 2014, 11:55 AM	#26
bcarver Senior Member Join Date: February 22, 2007 Location: Jackson,Mississippi Posts: 838	delton have bought , shot and sold many. No complaints yet. They meet military specifications. As do PSA.

January 2, 2014, 12:08 PM	#27
CTS Senior Member Join Date: November 6, 2011 Location: NE Georgia Posts: 1,070	Again, I said if you want a decent low price AR then Del Ton is fine. They are not however Mil-Spec. I just looked through the specs on all their rifles and not a single one mentioned a chrome lined bore. I have read that they are melonite treated as are the S&W barrels which is fine, maybe even better than chrome lined. I have also read reviews by professionals that say they use commercial diameter receiver extensions that are made from extruded aluminum and not forged as per Mil-spec. I also know for a fact that they use Tapco furniture on some of their models. Again, I am not putting down Del Ton and never have through this entire thread. I simply gave the OP an opinion that I personally would go with PSA over Del Ton. I even stated that it was my opinion. I never asked anyone to take it as gospel. __________________ 01 FFL, NRA, NAGR, GOA.

January 2, 2014, 12:46 PM	#28
Inspector3711 Senior Member Join Date: February 9, 2008 Location: Puget Sound Washington Posts: 1,553	Calm down already haha. I like the Del-ton upper I bought. It was cheap. __________________ "If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you, it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun." The Dalai Llama (5/15/01, The Seattle Times) "That rifle on the wall of the labourer's cottage or working class flat is the symbol of democracy. It is our job to see that it stays there." George Orwell

January 6, 2014, 08:08 AM	#32
1911rocks Senior Member Join Date: September 9, 2006 Posts: 424	Think about this I see a lot of home builds in my GS business. Without exception the "builders" didn't buy the correct tools to assemble the gun. ESPECIALLY the appropriate Go/No Go gauges. These aren't critical if you buy a complete Upper, but, there goes the cost. A bigger question is; who owns the warranty? Even if you buy a complete Upper and then a complete Lower it becomes a ***** contest when trying to get warranty service. Some say "well I can just repair it myself". I can accept that if the RCA reveals a manufacturing defect. The real cost savings comes if you have a FFL and all the tools. But, remember a 01 FFL holder Cannot** assemble and sell a gun assembled from parts. He can build one for himself, but, not for sale. There are a great many $700-800 ARs available with full, in some cases, lifetime warranties. Oh another reason to build your own is if you want say a Seekins Lower (Billet) and a Noveske Upper. This is not a Low Dough approach this is a feature driven Custom approach.

January 2, 2014, 05:39 PM	#29
BillyJack3 Senior Member Join Date: May 2, 2012 Posts: 423	Everyone I know that has a Del-Ton enjoys their AR. No issues reported. Still a small group but all are happy customers. OP, you have several options. You can get a M&P Sport (No FA or Dust Cover) for around $600. Solid rifle with thousands and thousands of happy campers. It has a 1/9 twist barrel and semi auto BCG that is HP/MP batch tested. Solid AR. I have the OR model which is essentially the same AR and it's been accurate and stupid reliable. For around $750 - $800, you can get a Spike's Tactical AR. Mil-Spec parts and great reputation for reliability and ability to take abuse. 1/7 twist and Mil-Spec individually tested HP/MP bolts. I have a mid-length with their ST-T2 buffer and Dynacomp brake and it's the softest shooting AR I own. Almost NO muzzle rise. As far as building your own, PSA has great options. I tend to lean toward their "Premium" uppers as they are made by FN to PSA's specs. Just got an M4 complete upper for $279. Prices vary week to week. Add in a Spike's bolt for $150 (yes, I over paid at the time), CH for $10, LPK for $100 and a $60 lower and you have yourself a SOLID rifle for $599. Take off Colt carry handle for $45 and you're up to $644. You can do better with some of today's prices. That builds you a sweet M4 clone. Bottom line is that there is no right answer, just lots of good ones. Good luck and enjoy! (My New Year's PSA Upper on Spike's Lower build)

January 6, 2014, 12:07 PM	#33
tirod Junior member Join Date: January 21, 2009 Posts: 1,672	Since the parts are purchased at retail, there's rarely any savings building your own. What you get is a choice of what parts you want, not what a maker chooses. Buy the barrel assembled with the extension headspaced and pinned on, other than that, and I do mean to be emphatic, NO ARMORER'S OR SPECIAL TOOLS ARE NEEDED. Read the stickies on arfcom how to do it. Case in point, installing the barrel nut. The point is to tighten it so that the gas tube will get past the locking teeth, and not strip the threads. It's NOT to torque it to a special value, which a torque wrench attached to a barrel nut adapter won't accurately indicate anyway. It can be done with a large pair of channel lock pliers if you don't care about marks on the nut, which are hidden under the handguard and delta ring anyway. I wear a pair of bib overalls and a lumberyard hat doing it. I paid $49 for a blem upper, $79 for a lower, the cost was still over $1000 even with an A1 stock and A2 handguard. The more parts you buy in a package the better, and the less shipping. If you choose to change something later, you know how, and don't have to pay for more labor, either. Build the gun with a specific range and target in mind, and that will quickly pare down the huge number of items on the market to those that actually contribute to the goal. Be mindful, tho, that some things are sold because they can be, not because they return very much for the dollar other than cool factor and brag rights in owning the Brand of the Month. In fact, you can generally rank how little they actually contribute by how aggressively vocal the fanboys are. The really good parts don't need a bunch of posers online to defend them. Just keep in mind that those who are sponsored in competition are not using go-to-war guns, they are exhibiting race gun parts for sale in exchange for gas money and ammo. Again, some parts are simply made because they can sell them . . .

January 7, 2014, 11:57 AM	#34
cal10 Member Join Date: January 27, 2013 Posts: 39	I built a Del Ton last year, and it took quite a bit of waiting for the parts to arrive, this was of course due to the madness that followed the Sandy Hook incident. This year. I bought a PSA lower and a complete upper separately and must say I do prefer the PSA quality over the Del Ton. The barrel is chrome lined and made by FN manufacturing for PSA, the shipping was 1 day later than advertised but light speed ahead of last years del ton parts. Del Ton is good, but PSA has the quality and mil spec parts.