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Posted: 1/28/2014 7:40:06 PM EDT
[#1]
i wasn't into guns back when they were around but i am familiar with all those companies. essential arms is still the same company. they sold their setup to dpms (early DPMS had cast receivers which looked like the Essential Arms ones). they then decided to get back into the business and started doing forged lowers.
you can add lone star ordnance to that list. they did popular aftermarket accessories like round handguards and stowaway grips. |
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Posted: 1/28/2014 8:23:51 PM EDT
[#2]
Yep, I forgot about Lone Star. Also Sendra Lowers from Nesard. I never built on one (all of mine being PWA, Essential Arms with its nice XM grey finish, and an occasional SGW) I would pay Jerry about $65 each for M16A1 barrels, NIW. At Pamona in about 1991, I was selling at the big LA county show and bought a case of 10 or 12 NIW M16A2 "CMP Chrome Bore 1/7" with straw and wrapped in VCI from a very Marine looking guy for $75 each. Oh, those were the days.
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Posted: 1/28/2014 8:32:53 PM EDT
[#3]
Quality Parts turned into Bushmaster I think
I still have my first AR, a parts gun on a PWA lower. |
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Posted: 1/28/2014 8:51:34 PM EDT
[#4]
Lonestar Grips are available from Numrich. Saw this posted a few days ago by someone here and ordered a couple for my parts box.
https://www.gunpartscorp.com/Products/1448250.htm |
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Posted: 1/29/2014 3:19:30 AM EDT
[#5]
I keep my first SGN from the FFL who sold my mom (ie strawmom) my SGW stop sign lower in 1984 and it has most of those companies listed IIRC. The gun is now my 653 clone (at my parents) and I plan on "fixing" the A2 port door, safety, slip ring, flas hider, forward assist, grip and M4 handguards once I stop PCSing around.
The FFL was a retired USAF O-6 who flew P47 Thunderbolts and H1 helos in WW2. He was the commander of the DEW LINE radar site and stayed on in our little town when it closed...Great Guy! My favorite gun I bought from him is my Smith and Wesson M18 .22 revolver or maybe the AP74 my little bro still has? I keep the SGN to remember him and hanging out in his little gun shop.
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Posted: 1/29/2014 3:46:45 AM EDT
[#6]
Qaulity Parts did become Bushmaster
Bushmaster's name was sold and now made in Illion New york. Windham Weaponry is still the original Bushmaster factory in Saco, Maine. |
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Posted: 1/29/2014 4:41:22 AM EDT
[#7]
Remember Paragon? And also those Armscorps of America FAL rebuilds. Good times. 7.62x39 ammo was $70 per 1,100 rounds when I was shooting the most.
I still have the first AR15 I ever put together. It is a PWA lower and a Nesard parts kit. "XM177" style that would not feed a mag without jamming. Years later, i fixed it with a heavy buffer. Ha! John Thomas |
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Posted: 1/29/2014 6:30:34 AM EDT
[#8]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Remember Paragon? And also those Armscorps of America FAL rebuilds. Good times. 7.62x39 ammo was $70 per 1,100 rounds when I was shooting the most. I still have the first AR15 I ever put together. It is a PWA lower and a Nesard parts kit. "XM177" style that would not feed a mag without jamming. Years later, i fixed it with a heavy buffer. Ha! John Thomas There was a GS in my town called Paragon Technologies. I think it was a franchise ?? I bought my first SGW lower from him in 1983-84. Those old SGW LPK's would have FA parts in them. He also had lots of HK's and Gerber knives. You guys I think left out Frankford Arsenal and RIA from the list. |
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Posted: 1/29/2014 9:46:15 AM EDT
[#9]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I keep my first SGN from the FFL who sold my mom (ie strawmom) my SGW stop sign lower in 1984 and it has most of those companies listed IIRC. The gun is now my 653 clone (at my parents) and I plan on "fixing" the A2 port door, safety, slip ring, flas hider, forward assist, grip and M4 handguards once I stop PCSing around. The FFL was a retired USAF O-6 who flew P47 Thunderbolts and H1 helos in WW2. He was the commander of the DEW LINE radar site and stayed on in our little town when it closed...Great Guy! My favorite gun I bought from him is my Smith and Wesson M18 .22 revolver or maybe the AP74 my little bro still has? I keep the SGN to remember him and hanging out in his little gun shop. Nice memories. I have a great FFL - super nice guy, cheap transfers and a Class II mfg / Class III guy. Very knowledgeable. I always enjoy running into him or hanging out int he shop. Trouble is, I want to buy 75% of the guns he has in there! Right now he has a Remington Model 8 I am lusting over. |
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Posted: 2/8/2014 8:01:39 AM EDT
[#10]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quality Parts turned into Bushmaster I think I still have my first AR, a parts gun on a PWA lower. 1 (800) 998 SWAT 
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Posted: 2/8/2014 11:02:45 AM EDT
[#11]
Yes, kits from nesard $275 (your choice of barrel), EA lower $60, PWA (commando) lower $90, Ah the good old days,
spare parts were ordered from LSO, still have an original 606 barrel I got from nesard $90. |
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Posted: 2/8/2014 11:09:47 AM EDT
[#12]
Quoted:
Bushmaster - Now Windham Weaponry Bushmaster was originally known as "Quality Parts Corporation". |
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Posted: 2/8/2014 11:16:19 AM EDT
[#13]
In 1988 my guns came from Mattel.
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Posted: 2/8/2014 11:23:14 AM EDT
[#14]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
In 1988 my guns came from Mattel. In 2012 and 2013 some of my guns also came from Mattel
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Posted: 2/8/2014 12:59:26 PM EDT
[#15]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
In 1988 my guns came from Mattel. In 1988 I was 4.... Don't remember back that far. |
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Posted: 2/8/2014 1:10:06 PM EDT
[#16]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
In 1988 I was 4.... Don't remember back that far. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
In 1988 my guns came from Mattel. In 1988 I was 4.... Don't remember back that far. In 1988 I was drunk and stoned and I can't remember. 
I was into WWII and KW stuff as I have been most of my existence. I remember having to DIAL the phone and talking to someone and then mailing a check or money order and then weeks if not months later you would get your stuff. Sight unseen usually. Had to take the seller's word on condition and originality. I learned that SARCO sometimes advertised things as USGI and sent after market crap. Many fun times on the phone to customer service before I quit ordering from them. You could buy from private individuals in the back of the Shotgun News. Again it was sight unseen and there was NO guarantee you would get what was advertised and your only recourse then was to open a mail fraud case. Still I bought tons of crap from guys that would mail you a mimeographed copy of a hand written list with item and descriptions and never had any problems. I don't remember any of the names though. I wish I could remember who I bought my first Carbine from. Shotgun News advertiser and I think I paid $250 for a Rock-Ola with little finish but I was SOOOOO happy to have it! Ordered my first Garand from the same people and I think it was $300. Good time. What I remember of them. 
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Posted: 2/8/2014 10:51:58 PM EDT
[#17]
Quoted:
I would get cases of NOS M16A1 barrels (Colt, SAK, FN) with straws in them wrapped in VCI paper from Jerry Drasen at Nesard. . I occasionally got XM177 and XM177E2 original barrels from Jerry. 
Sad face because, you WOULD get. Not, you CAN get. |
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Posted: 2/9/2014 1:33:30 AM EDT
[#18]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
In 1988 I was drunk and stoned and I can't remember.
I was into WWII and KW stuff as I have been most of my existence. I remember having to DIAL the phone and talking to someone and then mailing a check or money order and then weeks if not months later you would get your stuff. Sight unseen usually. Had to take the seller's word on condition and originality. I learned that SARCO sometimes advertised things as USGI and sent after market crap. Many fun times on the phone to customer service before I quit ordering from them. You could buy from private individuals in the back of the Shotgun News. Again it was sight unseen and there was NO guarantee you would get what was advertised and your only recourse then was to open a mail fraud case. Still I bought tons of crap from guys that would mail you a mimeographed copy of a hand written list with item and descriptions and never had any problems. I don't remember any of the names though. I wish I could remember who I bought my first Carbine from. Shotgun News advertiser and I think I paid $250 for a Rock-Ola with little finish but I was SOOOOO happy to have it! Ordered my first Garand from the same people and I think it was $300. Good time. What I remember of them. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
In 1988 my guns came from Mattel. In 1988 I was 4.... Don't remember back that far. In 1988 I was drunk and stoned and I can't remember.
I was into WWII and KW stuff as I have been most of my existence. I remember having to DIAL the phone and talking to someone and then mailing a check or money order and then weeks if not months later you would get your stuff. Sight unseen usually. Had to take the seller's word on condition and originality. I learned that SARCO sometimes advertised things as USGI and sent after market crap. Many fun times on the phone to customer service before I quit ordering from them. You could buy from private individuals in the back of the Shotgun News. Again it was sight unseen and there was NO guarantee you would get what was advertised and your only recourse then was to open a mail fraud case. Still I bought tons of crap from guys that would mail you a mimeographed copy of a hand written list with item and descriptions and never had any problems. I don't remember any of the names though. I wish I could remember who I bought my first Carbine from. Shotgun News advertiser and I think I paid $250 for a Rock-Ola with little finish but I was SOOOOO happy to have it! Ordered my first Garand from the same people and I think it was $300. Good time. What I remember of them. Sounds like we had parallel lives. Back then the SGN was the internet. I remember how happy I was whenever I could get the local gunshop to give me his last weeks SGN. It was always stained with grease and smelled like Hoppes. |
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Posted: 2/9/2014 3:38:25 AM EDT
[#19]
Deleted post. I am evidently incompetent to manipulate my own technology.
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Posted: 2/9/2014 3:38:25 AM EDT
[#20]
Throwing this *&^%$#@! compooter in the trash any minute now.
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Posted: 2/9/2014 3:40:46 AM EDT
[#21]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Nice memories. I have a great FFL - super nice guy, cheap transfers and a Class II mfg / Class III guy. Very knowledgeable. I always enjoy running into him or hanging out int he shop. Trouble is, I want to buy 75% of the guns he has in there! Right now he has a Remington Model 8 I am lusting over. Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
I keep my first SGN from the FFL who sold my mom (ie strawmom) my SGW stop sign lower in 1984 and it has most of those companies listed IIRC. The gun is now my 653 clone (at my parents) and I plan on "fixing" the A2 port door, safety, slip ring, flas hider, forward assist, grip and M4 handguards once I stop PCSing around. The FFL was a retired USAF O-6 who flew P47 Thunderbolts and H1 helos in WW2. He was the commander of the DEW LINE radar site and stayed on in our little town when it closed...Great Guy! My favorite gun I bought from him is my Smith and Wesson M18 .22 revolver or maybe the AP74 my little bro still has? I keep the SGN to remember him and hanging out in his little gun shop. Nice memories. I have a great FFL - super nice guy, cheap transfers and a Class II mfg / Class III guy. Very knowledgeable. I always enjoy running into him or hanging out int he shop. Trouble is, I want to buy 75% of the guns he has in there! Right now he has a Remington Model 8 I am lusting over. An old runnin' buddy, who had an affinity for those contraptions, said that the 35's were the ones to get, if you wanted a shooter. The brass was much more available, and you could use 38/357 bullets for plinking purposes. He's gone now, and I've been thinking I need one in his honor...... |
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Posted: 2/9/2014 12:14:15 PM EDT
[#22]
I never bought Jerry's parts kits. Some stuff was out of spec, or factory seconds (or plastic trigger guards). I bought most of my barrels from him or Quality Parts (I had forgot about them!). I also got upper receivers from NESARD. I could assemble an AR15 for about $300 to $325 (including lower), and sell them with my FFL at a gunshow for $450 and up. (we used to hide those nasty, ugly Edgewater buffers not one wanted in the cheap builds. UGH!) My wife traded one to another vendor for a 6'x3'x2' Visalia Safe. I still have it today. I would get about $500 for an A2 build with a heavy barrel from quality parts. A2 profile goverment barrels were nonexistent in the late 80s to early 90s.
I had a monthly ad in the SGN under my business name "US Armory" (not the current company). I sold parts and magazines for UZI, MAC, AR15, M15, and M1 Carbine. Ah, those were the days.... |
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Posted: 2/9/2014 1:10:09 PM EDT
[#23]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
An old runnin' buddy, who had an affinity for those contraptions, said that the 35's were the ones to get, if you wanted a shooter. The brass was much more available, and you could use 38/357 bullets for plinking purposes. He's gone now, and I've been thinking I need one in his honor...... Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
I keep my first SGN from the FFL who sold my mom (ie strawmom) my SGW stop sign lower in 1984 and it has most of those companies listed IIRC. The gun is now my 653 clone (at my parents) and I plan on "fixing" the A2 port door, safety, slip ring, flas hider, forward assist, grip and M4 handguards once I stop PCSing around. The FFL was a retired USAF O-6 who flew P47 Thunderbolts and H1 helos in WW2. He was the commander of the DEW LINE radar site and stayed on in our little town when it closed...Great Guy! My favorite gun I bought from him is my Smith and Wesson M18 .22 revolver or maybe the AP74 my little bro still has? I keep the SGN to remember him and hanging out in his little gun shop. Nice memories. I have a great FFL - super nice guy, cheap transfers and a Class II mfg / Class III guy. Very knowledgeable. I always enjoy running into him or hanging out int he shop. Trouble is, I want to buy 75% of the guns he has in there! Right now he has a Remington Model 8 I am lusting over. An old runnin' buddy, who had an affinity for those contraptions, said that the 35's were the ones to get, if you wanted a shooter. The brass was much more available, and you could use 38/357 bullets for plinking purposes. He's gone now, and I've been thinking I need one in his honor...... My protagonist uses one in .35 Remington in the book to hunt down a German Commando. Coincidentally, the one in the local shop is chambered for .35 Rem. One of the few chamberings they still produce. I really want that thing. Might have to use part of my tax check -it's a write-off right? I mean I had to experience it to put it in the book?  Maybe not.
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Posted: 2/9/2014 2:38:29 PM EDT
[#24]
It is a very cool cartridge to say the least. A friend still has the Remmy 7600 that he hunted with as a teenager and since it uses the same magazines as other 7600s (which are pretty long compared to the 35 Rem) I'm developing a load using:
225 grain Ballistic Tip 36 grains Varget 2.750" Overall Length It makes for a serious modern looking round but I don't think it would work in anything other than the 7600. The model 8 is a VERY COOL rifle. I wish they had looked to make the M1 Carbine in the .30 Rem instead of the pipsqueak round they did (we would have been much closer to a 6.8 SPC from the get-go if they had....maybe the 601 would have been designed for a slightly larger round and a slightly wider magazine if the starting point was a .30 Rem....one can only wonder, |
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Posted: 2/10/2014 2:20:20 AM EDT
[#25]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
My protagonist uses one in .35 Remington in the book to hunt down a German Commando. Coincidentally, the one in the local shop is chambered for .35 Rem. One of the few chamberings they still produce. I really want that thing. Might have to use part of my tax check -it's a write-off right? I mean I had to experience it to put it in the book? Maybe not.
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
I keep my first SGN from the FFL who sold my mom (ie strawmom) my SGW stop sign lower in 1984 and it has most of those companies listed IIRC. The gun is now my 653 clone (at my parents) and I plan on "fixing" the A2 port door, safety, slip ring, flas hider, forward assist, grip and M4 handguards once I stop PCSing around. The FFL was a retired USAF O-6 who flew P47 Thunderbolts and H1 helos in WW2. He was the commander of the DEW LINE radar site and stayed on in our little town when it closed...Great Guy! My favorite gun I bought from him is my Smith and Wesson M18 .22 revolver or maybe the AP74 my little bro still has? I keep the SGN to remember him and hanging out in his little gun shop. Nice memories. I have a great FFL - super nice guy, cheap transfers and a Class II mfg / Class III guy. Very knowledgeable. I always enjoy running into him or hanging out int he shop. Trouble is, I want to buy 75% of the guns he has in there! Right now he has a Remington Model 8 I am lusting over. An old runnin' buddy, who had an affinity for those contraptions, said that the 35's were the ones to get, if you wanted a shooter. The brass was much more available, and you could use 38/357 bullets for plinking purposes. He's gone now, and I've been thinking I need one in his honor...... My protagonist uses one in .35 Remington in the book to hunt down a German Commando. Coincidentally, the one in the local shop is chambered for .35 Rem. One of the few chamberings they still produce. I really want that thing. Might have to use part of my tax check -it's a write-off right? I mean I had to experience it to put it in the book? Maybe not.
The answer to the question "should I buy this gun?" is amost always "oh HAIL yes!" Get it before it's gone or you'll spend years kicking yourself. Your call, and, that's all! |
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Posted: 2/10/2014 2:36:33 AM EDT
[#26]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
It is a very cool cartridge to say the least. A friend still has the Remmy 7600 that he hunted with as a teenager and since it uses the same magazines as other 7600s (which are pretty long compared to the 35 Rem) I'm developing a load using: 225 grain Ballistic Tip 36 grains Varget 2.750" Overall Length It makes for a serious modern looking round but I don't think it would work in anything other than the 7600. The model 8 is a VERY COOL rifle. I wish they had looked to make the M1 Carbine in the .30 Rem instead of the pipsqueak round they did (we would have been much closer to a 6.8 SPC from the get-go if they had....maybe the 601 would have been designed for a slightly larger round and a slightly wider magazine if the starting point was a .30 Rem....one can only wonder, Interesting load, I;m writting that one down. As long as we're speculating, the 6mm/223 had a brief fling in the high power rifle community years ago, but lacked the steam to be any better than the 223 once heavy bullets and fast twist barrels came out, and of course was not legal for Service Rifle. But the 6 BR and various wildcats based on it, like the 6mm Dasher, have been quite useful for Mid Range and Long Range competition [600 to 1,000 yards]. They're very efficient cartridges capable of handling heavy bullets, but are based on a 308 case head, so a bit large in diameter for a smaller rifle. Something like your idea, a 6mm in a cartridge case about half way between 223 and 243 in case volume, diameter and length, that's what we should have had all these years. Or the 6.8, or the 6.5 Grendel or 6mm Grendel. Most any of that. |
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Posted: 2/10/2014 2:52:11 AM EDT
[#27]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
1 (800) 998 SWAT
Quote HistoryQuoted:
Quoted:
Quality Parts turned into Bushmaster I think... 1 (800) 998 SWAT
Way back in even earlier times, Quality Parts Co.'s phone number was 1-800-556-SWAT. |
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Posted: 2/10/2014 2:59:54 AM EDT
[#28]
Quoted:
I started building ARs in about 1988/89. I had an FFL and did business at West coast gunshows under my big orange "US ARMORY" banner, and sold parts in Shotgun News. I dealt in ARs and AR stuff, Uzi stuff, M1 carbines and accessories, and surplus Military rifles and parts. These are the guys I used. How many of you guys remember these guys: NESARD (Jerry Drasen) PWA Pac West Arms Olympia, WA Parts and "Commando" AR15 lowers SGW aka: Olympic Am=rms (Olympia Washington - not current one) Essential Arms -cast J-15 lowers (not current company) Palmetto Armory - Milled billet AR15 receivers with a greenish anodizing DPMS - still in business Bushmaster - Now Windham Weaponry Smith Enterprises BCGs, Vortex, M14 receivers Most of my parts and lowers I got from PWA, though sometimes from SGW. I would get cases of NOS M16A1 barrels (Colt, SAK, FN) with straws in them wrapped in VCI paper from Jerry Drasen at Nesard. He was a good source of surplused USGI M16 parts. I occasionally got XM177 and XM177E2 original barrels from Jerry. Yep, remember Drasen, and M&A Arms, Model 1 Sales, Lonestar Ordinance. SGW, EE, old palmeto billets. OLD BM's. Don't forget Eagle Arms. That's where my first 3 lowers came from, back in the early 90's. |
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Posted: 2/10/2014 3:01:51 AM EDT
[#29]
Quote HistoryQuoted:
I never bought Jerry's parts kits. Some stuff was out of spec, or factory seconds (or plastic trigger guards). I bought most of my barrels from him or Quality Parts (I had forgot about them!). I also got upper receivers from NESARD. I could assemble an AR15 for about $300 to $325 (including lower), and sell them with my FFL at a gunshow for $450 and up. (we used to hide those nasty, ugly Edgewater buffers not one wanted in the cheap builds. UGH!) My wife traded one to another vendor for a 6'x3'x2' Visalia Safe. I still have it today. I would get about $500 for an A2 build with a heavy barrel from quality parts. A2 profile goverment barrels were nonexistent in the late 80s to early 90s. I had a monthly ad in the SGN under my business name "US Armory" (not the current company). I sold parts and magazines for UZI, MAC, AR15, M15, and M1 Carbine. Ah, those were the days.... Guess you wouldn't still have a garage full of grease gun mags somewhere would you? |
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Posted: 2/10/2014 7:03:11 AM EDT
[#30]
Haha! At one time I had M3 Grease-gun mags, Thompson 20s & 30s, Uzi 25s & 32s, Sten mags, Lee Enfield mags, 20 and 30 round AR mags, and 15 and 30 round Carbine mags by the case!
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Posted: 2/13/2014 8:59:01 AM EDT
[#31]
That's how I got most of my machine guns and 601/AR10 parts back in the 1980's/1990's. Seller's description over the phone. Photocopies of handwritten lists. I still have some and look at them when I want to get depressed.
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Posted: 2/13/2014 3:03:23 PM EDT
[#32]
What is the name of the company that advertised in SGN back in the 1980's all the USGI parts for:
* M1 Garand * M1 carbine * 1903 Springfield * M14 * AR15/M16 Was it Fulton Armory? I used to sit in class at school thinking about what parts I could order and build AR15's with. First AR experience was with a Colt Sporter II my dad's friend let us borrow. Next was an A-15 DPMS cast lower + Bushmaster 11.5" Commando upper with a C7 upper receiver. Lower looked like this: Still wish I had that one for a retro...or not. 
Next was a complete Bushmaster 11.5" pre-ban commando bought from Rainier Arms when they were brick and mortar only, when I was stationed at Fort Lewis. Haven't bought a complete AR15 since then. |
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