Why do you say that DPMS is junk?

[mhanna91]

Hey everyone, my name is Mark, I'm a new member to this site. I was just wondering why everyone, or alot of people say that DPMS is a junk rifle? I have a pretty standard DPMS M4. It is my first and, (for now), only AR-15. It has never given me any trouble, it has gone bang every time. I have shot alongside a Bushmaster 20" upper with a DPMS lower, and I was doing just as well, if not better than that fella. I suppose I just can't understand how yall can say that these rifles, all of the same design, and with interchangable parts, differ to the extent that many people have said they do. And I know the pistol in the pic is an M&P9mm and not a Glock. The reason it says Glock is because I recently got a Glock and there were pictures of it in the batch I uploaded off my phone and thats just what i named the folder. haha

Anyways, I was just curious. Thanks guys!

[rob_s]

check out the stickied information threads.

[mhanna91]

What about em?

[TOrrock]

What about em?

If you take the time to read through them, you will find the answers to your question.

[d90king]

Looks like a M&P in your pic not a Glock...

[Pistola]

It really depends on what you will use your carbine for. If it is just for casual shooting, it's a good gun for the price. But if you are into serious shooting like going to a tactical class using in excess of 1000rds, or a duty gun for L.E., there are better options other than a DPMS. If it works good for you, great as long as you're happy with it.

[decodeddiesel]

• No HP/MPI testing of the barrel
• May or may not be labeled 5.56...in actuality it is a .223 chamber
• the bore may or may not be chrome lined
• 1/9" twist...not 1/7" twist
• sub-standard steel used in barrel
• No HP/MPI testing of bolt
• Bolt carrier not properly staked
• Castle nut not properly staked
• May or may not have a mil-spec buffer tube
• Wrong extractor insert

This is a partial list. Basically DPMS makes no effort to adhere to the TDP standards set forth by the DOD and widely accepted as "the standard" in building weapons intended for real world use.

Some things you can do:

Ask yourself, what is the intended purpose of this weapon?

If it is to go to the range a couple times a year and fire a couple hundred rounds of ammo in that time span then you should be fine.

If you are serious about taking formal instruction and participating in a high stress high round count class then you will need to make some changes so as to avoid potential problems and failures with your weapon. My advise? Sell your upper and purchase a complete upper from BCM or LMT with a new bolt/bolt carrier from the same.

[C4IGrant]

Hey everyone, my name is Mark, I'm a new member to this site. I was just wondering why everyone, or alot of people say that DPMS is a junk rifle? I have a pretty standard DPMS M4. It is my first and, (for now), only AR-15. It has never given me any trouble, it has gone bang every time. I have shot alongside a Bushmaster 20" upper with a DPMS lower, and I was doing just as well, if not better than that fella. I suppose I just can't understand how yall can say that these rifles, all of the same design, and with interchangable parts, differ to the extent that many people have said they do. And I know the pistol in the pic is an M&P9mm and not a Glock. The reason it says Glock is because I recently got a Glock and there were pictures of it in the batch I uploaded off my phone and thats just what i named the folder. haha

Anyways, I was just curious. Thanks guys!

Couple things. First, you do not know what you do not know. Meaning that you have zero experience with any other AR platform (so you have nothing to compare your DPMS to). The other AR you mention is also considered "ok" at best. So you really have not compared your AR to a better one.

When you say that it goes "bang" everytime for you, how many times is that? How many carbine schools have you taken it through? How old is your AR and how many rounds have you got through it?


Have you reviewed Rob's chart yet to see why and how your AR stacks up again the other ones?? Just a quick hint, "parts is not parts!" Just because you can take parts out of your DPMS and install them in a Colt, does NOT mean that they are of the same quality (FYI).



C4

P.S. Welcome to the forum. Spend A LOT OF TIME READING.

[SWATcop556]

As was suggested before, read the stickies at the top of both the AR general discussion and technical discussion pages. There is a wealth of information there and will answer most if not all of your questions. Depending on how you've run your DPMS so far, it may have functioned flawlessly for you. The vast majority of the issues you will hear about with DPMS may never manifest with you if you only shoot from a bench or use it to kill paper and beer cans. (There is nothing wrong with this either)

Just to list a few issues with DPMS:
1) Quality control has been uniformly poor across the board
2) Marked as a 5.56 chamber when it is acutually .223 (big difference in the two)
3) BCG are not properly staked
4) Improper extractor insert and spring
5) 1/9 barrel (an issue if you shoot rounds heavier than 62 grn)
6) Barrel steel is lower quality than TDP requires
7) Castle nut not properly staked
8) Incorrect FSB (on some I have recently seen) for a flat top receiver
9) Should run a H buffer

Those are just a few I can remember off the top of my head. This does not mean that your DPMS will not serve your needs. I would have my doubts about it making it through a high round count training class without some issues.

[Puffy93]

They just are not built like more high quality guns.
For example: I have a DPMS lower (LPK will be swaped out if I ever get around to it) and after only 300+/- rounds the hammer pin is already rotating and walking out.