Hi All,
In the midst of the rush, I decided that I wanted to build a 308 AR. I had been wanting to build one for awhile, but the events then lit a fire under my butt. Many of the typical sources for AR parts were completely out of anything I needed (as anticipated), so I ended up looking elsewhere. DPMS, Fulton Armory, Tactical Machining, etc. were all out and could not be backordered.
I found a listing on another site for SI Defense stuff, and noticed that they offered 308 billet matched upper/lower receiver sets. The price was not out of line ($525), so I took a chance and decided to order a set. I was quoted a 2-4 week wait time for shipping. However, I got a call 1 week later saying it shipped... cool! Also included was a refund check - apparently as I had overpaid as the website listed a CC price, but I paid with USPS MO. I was pleasantly suprised, no matter what. I immediately ordered another set to put away for a rainy day, and have already received them as well.
The quality of the receiver set is very good, IMO. The parts list for the build is a 20" heavy profile SS Criterion barrel, DPMS micro gas block, TRX-308 13.8" rail (low profile), JP enhanced bolt, DPMS carrier, CMMG 308 LPK, mil-spec carbine buffer tube, DPMS 308 buffer + spring, Magpul CTR stock, BCM 7.62 gunfighter CH, and A2 flash hider.
Here is a piece by piece breakdown:
Upper/lower fit: Excellent, no slop with the finished rifle. Takedown pins are snug but not too tight.
Magwell: 308 Pmags drop free with ease. Loaded mags can be inserted on a closed bolt with no issues. Mag catch functions positively. Grip section on front of magwell - a (+) or (-) depending on the buyer. I'm neutral.
Rail section: Accepts my ADM recon mount - no issues.
Upper/barrel extension fitment: Snug
Forward assist: retained by stainless allen screw - very nice touch
Bolt catch: Also retained by stainless allen screw, also included.
Ejection port: Utilizes standard 308 DPMS part. No issues.
Grip boss (not sure of proper term): Matches up properly with A2 and Ergo grips.
Machining quality - no burrs, unfinished areas, or machining marks anywhere.
Logo: Tasteful, subdued logo, no goofy spiders or skulls.
Assembling it was uneventful, went together just like a standard AR but bigger. The barrel nut was a pain to get lined up as I just could not get it a 1/4 notch over to line up until I tightened/loosened the nut 15-20 times - the billet Al must be some tough stuff as those threads did not want to seat/burnish easily.
Most importantly - the rifle runs like a champ, very soft-shooting. Only ~25 rounds down the pipe, but 100% reliability from the get go. Initial accuracy with some scrounged components (1970's Herter's 308 brass, 1980's IMR 4064 powder/primers, topped with a 168 A-max @ 2.800 OAL) have produced open sight 5-shot groups of 1.5-2.0 MOA with an old set of BUIS I had lying around. I know that this is as much a function of the rest of the rifle components but a decent upper/lower is the foundation.
My one big gripe - the rail on the TRX-308 did not line up with the rail on the upper. As DPMS uppers come in a "high" and "low" iteration, I waited until I had the receiver set and ordered the "low" TRX because it seemed match most closely. The upper rail is .060" too high to match the TRX. More cosmetic than anything, but probably a byproduct of the relative lack of standardization of the 308 AR platform. I do believe that SI Defense does make a rail that matches exactly, but I did not want a full rail.
Either way - I am happy with my purchase and wanted to offer this mini-review as a resource for others looking to build their own 308 AR. Also, I managed to do it, and with decent quality parts, for $1500. Not everyone has the scratch for an MWS or SR-25 and I believe this is likely better than the equivalent DPMS for the same $$$.
Pics are pending...
Cheers ~
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