View Full Version : recently "acquired" a new AR
I recent came into possession (legally of course..lol) at no charge of a DPMS AR. My questions is aside from going out a buying a different manufacturer AR, is there anything I could change in it "to make it better"? I am by no means a gun smith, nor do I have a ton of cash to spend. It would be mostly a go to the range and shoot type of thing.
Be thankful for your stroke of luck, buy ammo and go out and shoot it. Get some training. Your money is best spent on those things given your desired and stated uses.
Check this thread out. Should help you out a bit.
https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?7376-quot-Oh-No!-I-bought-a-BM-RRA-Stag-before-I-knew-better!-quot
yep, I would buy ammo and shoot.. Whatever you need to do next will make it's self known!
That thread is great. Properly staking the gas key and castle nut is free. A good quality bolt would also be a good idea, then the DPMS bolt becomes a spare. I don't see a need to get a entire BCG. Other than that, good sling, light and ammo.
Should be ok after doing those things, then shoot the piss out of it is all I say.
That thread is great. Properly staking the gas key and castle nut is free. A good quality bolt would also be a good idea, then the DPMS bolt becomes a spare. I don't see a need to get a entire BCG. Other than that, good sling, light and ammo.
If it's just a range gun why put any money into it right away? Get out and go shoot it. For all you know it could be 100% reliable and accurate enough, for its intended use, in its current configuration.
another quick upgrade you can do is buy an extractor upgrade kit from bravo company. I believe their 5 coil spring is Springco's chrome silicon spring.
Add a decent free float handguard then sell it for enough to buy a BCM
hopefully I can talk the wife into letting me buy a DD.....time will tell....not sure if DPMS changed but when I had it apart the carrier key looked staked. I will look closer when I get home from work.
Thanks for the replies......seems like it's not a total pile o crap.
While looking at the thread in the above link, I saw several things that I would like to do. Are most of these something I could do myself and not take it to a gunsmith?
I helped a buddy in a similar situation. We pulled the barrel and replaced it with a DD purchased locally. Replaced the Bolt (but not BCG) with a better quality one, and dropped a H buffer in it. He sold off the old barrel and bolt to recoup about half his money.
We also took the time to go through the small parts and make sure they were all ok.
The gun isn't perfect but it is much better than it started off as. I think he was out of pocket about 200 for the upgrades after he sold the old stuff.
doesn't sound too bad..........perhaps Ill try that.
SilverBullet432
11-14-13, 11:37
Agreed^ id get a new bolt, buffer, new barrel with free float tube and lo pro block and call it a day. :dance3:
would that be a low profile gas block? When I was in the AF, we flew with Gau-5s....so I am confident to tear it down to clean it but not much more.
SilverBullet432
11-14-13, 11:46
Yes, if you were to get a new bbl, it would make sense just to leave the fsp on the other one and pin a new gas block on the new bbl, or you could leave the dpms bbl, and just get a carbine rail.
It has a flip up front and rear and I had a cheap red dot lying around that I threw on there.
HackerF15E
11-14-13, 14:52
Unless you all ready have a bunch of trigger time behind an AR-pattern rifle and know what type of configuration you want, I say go buy a case (or two) of ammo and shoot the hell out of it as-is before you drop a cent changing anything.
Most consumer-grade ARs are "good enough" for plinking and sporting. As you break or wear out stuff, replace it with quality parts from known quality makers. There's no sense in changing out things that you don't even know if you like or dislike, or even know if they function well enough for what you want to use the rifle for ESPECIALLY if it is for non-professional duty -- just wasting your money IMHO.
Since you're open to the idea of re-barreling and upgrading your bolt, how about just selling the whole thing off and getting something like a 6920? You might come out even or be out of pocket for the same amount but with a completely new and reliable AR.
I'm the type that waits until I have the funds to buy exactly what I want, many times at the expense of not having one at all for years. My good buddy on the other hand is the opposite. A new Tracker or Ranger bass boat was the object of his affection right after high school but settled for $150 10' fiberglass dinghy, then a 12' aluminum john boat, a small used actual bass boat, and eventually the fully decked out Ranger. He started with a Hi Point 9mm before I could buy my first Glock and found a DPMS for $350 long before I had the cash to build my first nice AR. That damn DPMS has run and run and run- almost exclusively on steel case ammo. He'd been shooting it for a couple years before he had me show him how to properly strip, clean, and lube it. Never cleaned it, never lubed it and the thing ran without a single hiccup. So to the OP, considering this rifle is basically a range toy, take it out and shoot it. A lot. If you experience malfunctions, diagnose them and make changes accordingly. Once you're confident in the functionality then you might want to "upgrade" it. Or even better, buy that DD you really want and keep the DPMS as a spare or loaner. Or sell it and use the cash on an Aimpoint PRO, a sling, and a light for the new rifle. The important thing is that you get out and shoot the hell out of it first. Who knows? You might be lucky and have a free rifle that runs great. Good luck on your journey.
kantstudien
11-15-13, 01:07
Don't spend a single dime "upgrading" it other than buying ammo.
When you decide you want a serious rifle, get one.
would it be an ok gun to use in an emergency...if I had nothing else?
HackerF15E
11-18-13, 08:52
would it be an ok gun to use in an emergency...if I had nothing else?
Of course it would. Something is always going to be better than nothing. I'd rather have a Blackthorne/Vulcan/Hesse rifle than nothing in an emergency.
would it be an ok gun to use in an emergency...if I had nothing else?
As with any firearm, go to the range, woods, etc. and put a pile of ammo through it and judge for yourself! It is either going to eat up and spit out your ammo or you have a piece of shit that needs work or gotten rid of. It's as simple as that. Go shoot the gun and decide for yourself.
Good score! When ready you can always use it for a trade on a Colt or BMC, etc. Use the search feature here on M4.net to find some great info on upgrades and other rifle brands. You will eventually settle on a make you just have to have.
Don't spend $ upgrading. Shoot it, sell it for $$$ when the FSA elect a Dem house majority in 2014, buy a nice one when prices go down as Dems spend all their time trying to fix Obamacare/wreck the economy, use that one to fight your way out of their mess.
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Shoot it, read, and learn why it is not highly regarded. Since you got it for free, you'll learn that lesson a lot cheaper than most guys here did... :)
Remember, no gain polishing a turd...
But maybe it's just me...
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