just got three new lowers, thinking about doing one with the Ferret50 upper...

any experience, tips, pros/cons?

thanks!

How's it going, Hank? Talk about a coincidence. I have been thinking about the Ferret 50 all day myself. I believe that it will be my next purchase (if I can raise the cash). The problem is that I have only two firearms I can live without temporarily (a NIB Berreta 96 Brigadier Inox and a Remington 1100 synthetic 12-guage), and I would still have to come up with some serious cash on top of the revenues generated by the sale of those two. I feel that .50 BMG's are soon to be banned, so I want to jump on the bandwagon while I still can. Maybe someone can give us a favorable view of the Ferret 50.

I'm not an owner yet either, but here's some info you might want to check out.
ferret50 specials at:
www.1919a4.com
&
www.37mm.com
I believe these are essentially the same people.
I am planning on going to the factory to see one of these for my self...
50bmg.hypermart.net/

I am very interested in hearing about anyone, anywhere, who has actually shot a Ferret upper.  I am one of those waiting for several months for delivery of the unit, and despite polite and cheery replies from the inventor / fabricator Dave, there is an odd silence on the part of those who presumably have received the upper.  I am beginning to be afraid (and yes, my deposit money is in with Dave) that the Ferret 50 is produced in such small numbers that it will be months and months before I see one, if at all.

Anybody who has anything reassuring to say on this subject – and this includes you, Dave, if you’re out there – would be much appreciated.

OK I have a Ferret. I really don't like slapping a guy trying to start  a new business but my philosophy is health critisim can be health. RU staring to get my lean on this post.
IMHO Dave rushed a little too much to get them to market. My Ferret will not fit in a Colt AR 15 which has a pre-ban reciever but was retrofitted to meet post ban regs. i.e. sear block. And can you guess who has this type receiver? Yup yours truly.
My first impression when I opened the crate was the upper reminded me of a grease gun. But in all fairness the product is on the entry level.
Before I received the animal Dave was very quick to respond to my inquires, however since my purchase the responses have slowed, last 2 inquires have gone unanswered. In order to pull the bolt out you have to remove 3 tiny allen head screws. You can operate the weapon without this 3 screws but losing those screws is a good possiblity. Again with a minor design change and this could have been avoided. Other minor annoyances are no operating manual, and the heavy hammer hasn't been delivered yet.
When I ordered mine the ALS http://50bmg.hypermart.net/ was not available if it had been I would have given it real consideration. Cosmetically, viewing just pictures, it appeals to me more then the Ferret. I also find the receiver design to be more appealing to me.
Of course the bottom line is the accuracy of the weapon and that I cannot report on as I haven't fired mine.
In all fairness it is a entry level receiver. Additionally, the only other weapons in this catergory I have experience with are the Boyes .55 cal and the 20 mm Lahti.

I've looked at those strap-on .50 top ends and decided to pass.

The advantage is that they're cheap and you don't need to go through a dealer.  The bad part is that they're just cheap.  I mean built cheap.  The Ferret has some sexy cuts but it's still cheap.  The idea of using a bolt (sort of literally) to lock the rifle is sort of scary.  It's slow too.

The cheapness is a problem with .50s.  Many of the .50s are sort of big ugly zip guns.  They're made that way because the people who make them are usually small shops and don't have the money or machinery to make a sophisticated rifle.  There are very few REAL neat rifle actions.  Windrunner, McMillan, and Armalite are exceptions.  

I've decided to save the extra dollars and buy a professionally built rifle.  

.the idea looks very promising of an un registered upper especially if they are banned.
has any one seen the hesse .50 cal rifle available from FACwholesale the price is right but its a hesse.  hesse model comes completed or in kit form

Thanks TripleD for the review.  Good luck with it when you get it running.

jdp

TripleD - thanks for the review and the link to ALS.  Guess I'm not the only one who has also been waiting on the side lines for a review on the Ferret.  Like other members, I've heard/read about people buying a Ferret50 but yet have to see a review of one from an actual customer till TripleD's post.  Already have a DPMS single shot lower ordered for one of these .50 uppers.  Want to take my time to evaluate what's out there - $1500 is lots of money for an upper...

I think that I like the ALS a little better. I had seen it before, but really didn't give it much of a glance until now. I also like the term "barn yard" on the ALS site.

hmmm...

i think i may agree with you, M4, and that unfavorable review from DDD (wow, thats something... my fiance has DDs...), i may pass on the ferret50. really wish i could experience one of these first hand.

the BRC should prove to help the choice out, supposedly a few 50s out there. maybe we will get the chance to peruse the barretts and armalites...

that AR50 looks sweet, as does the barrett 99 an the 95, but again, i have yet to shoot any of them, so we shall see...

I forgot one thing on why I chose the Ferret. The barrel is suppose to be rather easy to change.
Too all of you who want to buy an all together 50 remember this. The paper trail. The fud's will eventually put the clamps on the 50. If it has a paper trail you won't be able to hide it.

now, if only one could find one in a private sale in state...

Regarding the heavy hammer issue with the Ferret 50 - is it the case that this hammer has to be installed in order for the upper to function (provided I ever get mine, of course) or is it simply a issue of making sure of ignition of hard primers?

I guess what I am trying to determine is if I can use this thing as soon as I get it, or will I be sitting around looking at it waiting for the mythic "heavy hammer" to be delivered?

TripleD, I apologize for not getting back to you. I saw the one email that was rather long. I lost it before I had a chance to read it over and respond. Half of the problem in slow responces has been the tons of spam I am getting. The other half is that I didnt realize the ammount of non-manufacturing work that is needed to run this operation. That was my mistake. The solution is that my wife will be starting here on the 18th to help out with paperwork and ordering. Also she can crack the whip on my suppliers that are slow.

I now know about the fit problem with older Colts with the pressed in block. I tested the Ferret50 on as many lowers as I could get my hands on. A retrofitted Colt wasnt one of them. I have solved that problem. Let me know if you would like a replacement upper.

The high mass hammers are done, Im just waiting for them to come back from the heat treaters. I had been working on making them hit as hard as possible as well as having a decent trigger pull.

At this time I am not going to change the back cap. I understand that the screws may be a pain in the butt. But proper alignment is necessary for the safety function to work properly. If you need more screws, let me know.

T2. Yes this is a small shop. I do my best. The Ferret50 is an inexpensive way to get into 50. It is also how I am entering myself into the gun industry. The 50 community is small. I like to think that by offering an entry level weapon, those who have until now only dreamed about owning a 50, can. By adding numbers to our communtiy, we have better chances of survival. I understand that I am not the savior of the 2nd amendment, but I can make a difference. As far as the bolt, I hope you know that it is three lug, and operates like any other bolt action.

The Ferret50 has sold a lot better than I thought it would. Yes I am behind. I am putting another CNC machine in the shop his month as well as someone to help with production. The fact that people are waiting on me to deliver is on my mind every day. I am in the shop every day at 6:30. I dont leave till 9:00, and sometimes I stay as late as 12:00. I do this because I want to. I want owners of Ferret50's to be happy with their choice. For those who have had a problem with their Ferret50, I ask them what they would like done. I give them the option to alter the upper, or send it back for replacement. I listen to what is said to me and make changes to design or process to correct.

I hope what I have stated helps. For those who feel I have ignored them, I truely apologize. This thread will be heavy on my mind throughout the day.

Dave

That's good news about the 3 lugs.  Good luck in the industry.

hey dave- thanks for chiming in on this! you werent planning on attending the Black Rifle Convention, are you? i would love to get a chance to see your upper and maybe test it first hand...

thanks again!