Life ... The Whore of Babylon.  That harlot.  I can still hear the song of the siren echoing in my mind.  Three weeks ago, I placed an order with Bushmaster for a 14.5" M4 upper with a permanently attached Phantom flash suppressor.  TexRdnec informed me in chat a few days later that there was about a 2 week backorder on the 14.5" M4 barrels.  No big deal.  So I waited.  The days crept by slowly.  Time seemed to pass in the manner it does when a child is waiting for the long drive to a vacation spot to end.  The hands of the clock were going backwards at times, taunting me with their inconspicuous movements.

Day in and day out I checked my CC account to see if it had been charged, for when that time finally came it would mean only one thing ... the order was ready to ship.  Friday the 24th came like any other day.  Work was drawn out and boring, the night was long, the drive home uneventful.  As I settled in for a few hours of ARFCOM surfing in the wee hours before I had to sleep, I decided to humor myself.  Off to the bank's website.  A few clicks and a password revealed to me what I had been waiting for.  My CC had been charged.  

Excitement followed, then a bit of confusion.  The totals didn't match up.  Ok, I thought.  Something must be backordered still.  So I tried adding up totals of different tools and accessories that were also part of the order in an attempt to match up the difference and figure out what wouldn't be coming with this shipment.  Hrm.  No combination of things were matching up.  It obviously wasn't the upper, the charge was well over that amount, and surely it couldn't be the Phantom suppressor, because I had taken care when I placed the order and noted "Please permanently install the Bushmaster Phantom Suppressor onto the M4 upper as I do not have a lower registered as an SBR or a machine gun.  Thanks".  No, that couldn't be it.  I'd have to wait for the package to arrive and figure it out then.

It was now like a mini version of Christmas Eve at my apartment.  Windham, Maine is only about 2 hours from here.  My order would take 2 days at most to get through the UPS system and to my door.  Monday came, and I was relaxing as usual, as my work week is a 4x10 Tuesday through Friday.  At about quarter to 5, I hear somebody whistling as they make their way up the stairwell of the apartment building.  That ... sounds like the UPS guy!  I hold my breath and wait.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

"Yeeesssss!"  I think to myself.  As I opened the door, I caught a glimpse of the narrow long box that could only be one thing.  I signed for it with a grin on my face and hastily closed the door and brought my prize into the bedroom.  The moment of truth was at hand.  Out came the trusty pocket knife and I sliced through the packaging tape like warm butter.  Sifting through the peanuts, I pulled out a few plastic bags.  Ah good, my handguard tool.  After a wrist-wrenching bout with the aluminum 1913 quad rail guards on my AR-10, I decided beyond the shadow of a doubt that I NEEDED one of these.  Let's see.  Pivot pin tool ... check.  Yellow mag blocks with safety flags for range use ... check.  Hmm ... one of the NM front sight posts was on backorder.  No biggie.

No other tool or accessory is missing.  I stared into the box at the bubble wrap that contained the crown jewel.  Hesitation.  I gave the receipt a once over and horror struck when I reached the second page.  "Items not yet shipped"  AR Front Sight Post .062" ...  Phantom Comp/Flash Hider  I suddenly felt like the kid in "A Christmas Story" when he's at the mall asking for his Official Red Ryder carbine action 200 shot range model air rifle with a compass in the stock and this thing that tells time.  Santa had betrayed him then.

I pulled the upper out of the box and unrolled it from the bubble wrap.  I must have just sat there with it in my hands for five minutes ... looking at it.  It's a thing of beauty.  The finish was a nice deep black, and no purple.  The oil glistened in the light cast from my lamp.  The M4 handguards filled my hand as I moved up to fondle the bayonet lug.  I ran my fingers along the 14.5" M4 profile barrel ... and stopped ...



At the A2 flash hider

I had known almost all along, hadn't I ... that the Phantom is what was missing from the order when I noticed the totals didn't match up.  Denial had taken it's course until the receipt confirmed my fears.  Now with the proof at my finger tips, there was no denying it.  I had come so close to finally finishing my first noban configured AR.  The RRA lower with it's collapsing stock sits waiting in a locked case.  In my hands I had what I had lusted after ... and yet, I couldn't keep it.  To do so would have made me a felon.  I don't have a registered SBR, and the A2 flash hider isn't enough to make the barrel an overall length of 16".

With my heart in my stomach, I called Bushmaster.  I explained the situation, and a search of my order revealed that for some reason it hadn't registered that the Phantom suppressor was to be  permanently installed on the upper.  I was told there is a 3 week backorder on the Phantom.  Three weeks.  God.  I took an RMA number and was told they would fix it when the Phantom suppressors come in.

Reluctantly, I wrapped the upper back into the bubble wrap and re-sealed the box.  After having placed the RMA number next to the address label with a Sharpie, I walked a few blocks and dropped the package off at the UPS Store.

I was so close.  I had a taste of freedom in my mouth, only to have it slapped right out.

This sucks

___________________________________________________________________

UPDATE 10/7/2004

Ok, well I finally have the upper in it's correct configuration with a pinned and welded Phantom suppressor on it.  Only problem is, it won't mate to my RRA lowers

The front part of the receivers mate perfectly, and the pivot pin goes in without a hitch.  The receivers won't even close on the rear.  The lowers are apparently too tight in the area around the takedown pin to  even allow the upper receiver to seat itself.  Pushing them closed has proven to be impossible.  I even went so far as to have the pivot pin closed on the upper and then attempted to close the receivers by swiftly and forcefully swiveling the upper down.  This *almost* worked.  It came within about an 8th of an inch of closing completely.  It wasn't pretty, though.  There was a small puff of smoke and that familiar smell of intense metal on metal friction.  This in itself presented a new problem.  They wouldn't come apart after that.  I disengaged the pivot pin, and with the 1/8th" gap between the receivers I was able to wiggle it back and forth for about 10 minutes after which it finally came free.  Is this a known issue with RRA lowers and uppers from other vendors?  I'm tempted to hammer the damned thing closed, but I don't want to damage the firearm.

Any advice on the matter would be appreciated.

That is a very well written story, dude. Sorry to hear it though.

But it sounds like shit that happens to me all the time.

My motto is: If everything is going well, something is wrong.

if it's any comfort to you, when your prize finally does arrive, it will be all the sweeter!

Harlequin Romance Novels meets Arfcom.

NOOOOOOOO!!!!

I feel for you... my Phantom hasn't arrived yet either, but I went with a 16" bbl so it didn't matter.

nice writing too

Do you have to ship it back on your dime or can you simply put RTS (Return to sender) on the box?

It sounds like Murphy is having a good laugh at your expense... as he does with all of us. If it isn't that it's always something else. I feel your pain.

Quoted: Do you have to ship it back on your dime or can you simply put RTS (Return to sender) on the box? It sounds like Murphy is having a good laugh at your expense... as he does with all of us. If it isn't that it's always something else. I feel your pain.

Well, the woman in the store asked me when I came in if it was just a drop off, and I said Yes, it has to go back to the vendor.  She told me to just leave it on the counter, so I did.  Didn't give her a dime.  It was picked up not too long afterwards, and the tracking info shows it was scanned about 3 and a half hours later at the local UPS hub.

Quoted: Quoted: Do you have to ship it back on your dime or can you simply put RTS (Return to sender) on the box? It sounds like Murphy is having a good laugh at your expense... as he does with all of us. If it isn't that it's always something else. I feel your pain. Well, the woman in the store asked me when I came in if it was just a drop off, and I said Yes, it has to go back to the vendor.  She told me to just leave it on the counter, so I did.  Didn't give her a dime.  It was picked up not too long afterwards, and the tracking info shows it was scanned about 3 and a half hours later at the local UPS hub.

Cool, although it sounds risky... If you signed for it from UPS and then took it back and left it... they could easily just keep it for themselves and say they never recieved, in which case your hosed. Guess it's one of those cases where you depend on someone elses integrity.

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Do you have to ship it back on your dime or can you simply put RTS (Return to sender) on the box? It sounds like Murphy is having a good laugh at your expense... as he does with all of us. If it isn't that it's always something else. I feel your pain. Well, the woman in the store asked me when I came in if it was just a drop off, and I said Yes, it has to go back to the vendor.  She told me to just leave it on the counter, so I did.  Didn't give her a dime.  It was picked up not too long afterwards, and the tracking info shows it was scanned about 3 and a half hours later at the local UPS hub. Cool, although it sounds risky... If you signed for it from UPS and then took it back and left it... they could easily just keep it for themselves and say they never recieved, in which case your hosed. Guess it's one of those cases where you depend on someone elses integrity.

No they can't say they never receieved it because it was SCANNED 3.5 hours AFTER it was delivered ... which clearly shows UPS was again in possession of the package.

but they didn't scan it between the time you dropped it on the counter and walked out the door, right?

I bought one of the last Phantoms that Olympic Arms had. I don't think they have any back in yet either.

[FatWomanInFastFoodCommercial]"You shoulda checked the order![/FatWomanInFastFoodCommercial]

Man that was a great narrative!

BigDozer66

Should have ordered by phone ... places always seem to ignore the special instructions comment boxes on web orders.

My condolences.  Good writing skills.

Quoted: Harlequin Romance Novels meets Arfcom.

Nah....piccolo lite.

Someone else here had that happen to them, but BM found out right after they shipped it, so they recalled the package from UPS to correct the mistake. I just got my M4 upper recently, with the closed bottom phantom. I ordered mine by phone and made the guy repeat the order to make sure it was all correct.

*bump* for update (see first post)

RRA lowers are known for being tight.  You just gotta keep working at it.

Two choices,
1 File/dremmel a little bit off of the rear pin lug on the upper till it fits.
Do not take metal from the lower, it will weaken it, and ruin the surface hardness of the metal.

2 Use another lower.
Sending the upper back won't make a difference, since from what you say, it's the tolerances in the lower that are the problem.

Maybe send the lower back if it is the problem.

rubber mallet, it'll go in and will loosen up over time.

I won't purchase RRA components for this very reason. Screw 'em.

Do not force the upper on it, take a quick pass on the lug with a file (back corners is all it should need and it should close.) if you force it on you may damage the reciever.

Use a caliper to find out if the reciever's too small or the lug's too big.
Adjust the part that is out of spec, you dont want a non-spec part messing up any future upper swapping.

Kharn