Hey all,

First time poster, long time reader. I finally ordered my first AR. I bought a DPMS Lite 16 A3. I put it on layway at Bud's and should have it in a few weeks after i drop my final payment.

While i've been waiting I have been scouring the internetz looking for pics, video, reviews, etc. of this gun. I have found a few clips here and there, but no good gun prons that will hold me over until I go pick it up.

I was really hoping some of you DPMS junkies will own one and have some up close pics of the rifle in its default configuration. I would also love to hear any comments you have on the gun. What things do you dislike about the gun? What things would you replace? After buying a rear sight I am just going to get some ammo, but as funds permit I definitely want to change the furniture and maybe get a heavier barrel that won't heat up as fast.

I spent months going back and forth between ARs, placing uppers in my online shopping carts, emailing local dealers for pricing info, etc. With the way ARs are flying off of the shelves right now I finally just decided to jump in with both feet and get started. the Lite 16 A3 was cheap, had a flatop for BUIS and Optics, and offered me something that would let me get my feet wet without paying 1k for a gun that I may not get to shoot as often as id like.

Anyway, i'm happy to join the forum and I hope my experience with DPMS is a positive one.

Thanks,

Aaron

Thanks for the reply mnhornet. After posting the thread I did a little more looking through the DPMS industry sub-forum and found the pics section. There were a few A3 Lite 16's in near-factory configuration so I was able to see a little more of what i'll be getting.

There aren't a lot of gun stores carrying DPMS in my area. Because of this I did something I don't normally do: purchase something without seeing it in person. I did lots of research and shopped around for the best price I could find. I try to be a good consumer, but this purchase is larger than I normally make (fresh out of college) and although I have read lots of good things about DPMS there are also so many haters that can kind of cloud buyer confidence. I'm glad to see DPMS dispelling some of the nutty myths that the snooty AR folks pass around the forums. Some forumites are as bad as a group of old church ladies playing telephone.

Don't get me wrong, I would love to always buy the best of everything, but since I don't have infinite funds, I shop based on my use-case and the value provided by the manufacturer. In this case, DPMS provides good value for someone looking to send a few rounds down range at some paper. I don't sit at home in night-vision goggles and do pretend room sweeps like some of these guys. This gun will provide a great foundation for me to build on over the years, and when funds permit, I will buy a 1k+ rifle and a custom 1911. Until then i'm a value shopper.

Anyway, if anyone else wants to chime in with their experiences with the DPMS A3 Lite 16 or DPMS' lite pencil barrels feel free. That is the one thing I was unsure of when looking at the specs for this rifle.

Well thanks for the response. I was hoping to pick up my rifle from my FFL last night, but he never called me back. I have already had this thing on layaway for a few weeks so the added day has been a killer. I checked the tracking and my FFL signed for the rifle, but hasn't gotten back to me about picking it up. WI had a huge election yesterday and my FFL works days and runs his FFL in the evenings. I'm thinking that may be the reason I didn't hear back. Voting is a good reason for me to not get my rifle I suppose.

Anyway, shouldn't be much longer. My Magpul Rear BUIS showed up today and staring at a sight with no gun attached to it is killing me. I'm almost excited to go into work for a bit to distract me from the wait.

I ordered a PMag, and MOE grip from Botach since they have 15% off and free shipping on all magpul, but knowing them I won't get those for 2 months.

Pics are coming!

Friction lock keeps it from rattling that s it. not a big deal to me.

Standard carbine handgaurd. There's no variation in the carbine handgaurd lengths.