are these kits for stripped lowers any good?

Quoted: Honestly its the only parts kit I had some problems with.  The Bolt stop had an undersized pin hole so it wouldn't move once it was installed.  All other parts fit and worked o.k.  CMT/Stag lower parts kits are pretty good for the money.  No problems with them so far.

what about their uper assenblies? any good?

Well it seems the major problems with M1S is involving their customer service, but mixed reviews about their product.  I am sure there are many people that are happy with their 6.8 uppers as well as their 5.56 uppers.

I have one of their uppers as well.  No complaints about the upper.  It's very accurate and has been totally reliable so far.

I used one of their kits to assemble a rifle, no problems.

Quoted: They're tier 5.8! I've seen two model one uppers that would not run, both seemed to be related to the barrel. I don't think there's much of a price difference btw them and J&T/del ton or even RRA kits anymore so why bother?

+1

Call Laura at Del-Ton. She will set you up nicely.

CPO SWCC US Navy (Retired)

From all I've read CMMG and Del-Ton are the better option for buying AR "kits"

+1 on Del-Ton.

Why take a risk when you could just as easily go with a company that won't leave you hoping and guessing.

I have built one kit for a friend. The only probelm I had was it was missing (1) detent and I couldn't get the flash sup. to time right. but other than that it was fine.

M1S: hit or miss, but lately a lot more hits that misses (improved over the yrs i hear)

Quoted: From all I've read CMMG and Del-Ton are the better option for buying AR "kits"

CMMG doesn't sell kits, but their stuff is g2g.

I'd stick with Del-Ton & J&T for kits.

M1S makes their bolts out of hardened clay... or at least it seems that way with the numbers of them that get reported broken...

Quoted: They're tier 5.8! I've seen two model one uppers that would not run, both seemed to be related to the barrel. I don't think there's much of a price difference btw them and J&T/del ton or even RRA kits anymore so why bother?

I agree.  There are better options out there for the money.

Quoted: Quoted: They're tier 5.8! I've seen two model one uppers that would not run, both seemed to be related to the barrel. I don't think there's much of a price difference btw them and J&T/del ton or even RRA kits anymore so why bother? I agree.  There are better options out there for the money.

try telling that to the 10 post wonders that come on here singing the praises of blackthorne kits... when all is said and done they save you about $30... common sense and logic doesn't apply to bubba that wants the "dang cheapest AR u can git"...

i'd rather pay $50-100 more for a firearm that works 100% of the time and is made from quality parts than spend twice that amount fixing/replacing broken/work/out of spec/poorly made parts...

Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: They're tier 5.8! I've seen two model one uppers that would not run, both seemed to be related to the barrel. I don't think there's much of a price difference btw them and J&T/del ton or even RRA kits anymore so why bother? I agree.  There are better options out there for the money. try telling that to the 10 post wonders that come on here singing the praises of blackthorne kits... when all is said and done they save you about $30... common sense and logic doesn't apply to bubba that wants the "dang cheapest AR u can git"... i'd rather pay $50-100 more for a firearm that works 100% of the time and is made from quality parts than spend twice that amount fixing/replacing broken/work/out of spec/poorly made parts...

I don't think the # of posts a person has is significant...u better leave that one out.

Major

Quoted: I don't think the # of posts a person has is significant...u better leave that one out.

i am referring to the troll factor not experience... when you get a thread of all brand new users with a couple posts all in the same thread talking up a fly by night company... you have to err on the side of caution... especially when established members show you home depot roll pins being used as the barrel index pin...

TRUE DAT!

Well, I guess I'm a low count poster.  I had an Olympic heavy barrel AR before I was married and had to sell it for tools.  Now, 10 years later I am finally getting back into the game.  The only reason I point that out is that I am not a total newbie (but still consider myself a pretty new compared to some of the folks here).  I watched the posts on this site and liked how Del-Ton does seem to stand behind what they sell.

I saved my pennies, ordered and received a built DPMS lower from Del-Ton with a RRA 2 stage trigger, Panther grip and MagPul PRS stock.  Their customer service was very good (they took the time to go over things with me), shipping was fast (like the next day it shipped), packing was good and the unit arrived in great shape.

So, my point is just that I had very good luck with Del-Ton and would recommend them to you.

No the kit offered by Model 1 or M&A Parts are not a good value. Find a more reliable vendor to deal with. PK Firearms will sell you good quality parts, not Chinese junk.

From the M&A home page:
"All of our parts are made in the USA... AND PROUD OF IT!"

From thier FAQ:
"Most of our uppers are from Lewis Machine and Tool (LMT) unless specified otherwise as being Rock River (VAR & Pistol). Our barrels are Wilson Match Grade 4140 Chrome Moly unless otherwise noted. LMT cuts, finishes and chambers the barrels. LMT assembles, times, headspaces, chambers and function test fires each barreled upper (not every third or fifth one as some suppliers might)..."

Doesn't strike me as "Chinese junk". hinking.gif

I've had very good luck with J&T and Del-Ton.  I'd recommend both of them.  I've built a few ARs for friends from Del-Ton kits, and they are very happy with them.

Semper Fi

Several years back I did a sort of comparo of M1S/M&A/any other kit manufacturer vs. buying a pile of individual parts and building the same thing but from name brand parts. Believe it or not the "Pile 'O' Parts" gun was a bit cheaper.
I posted a whole thread on it and it was quoted a lot and shown as an example a lot.

The list of parts was something like this.

CMT Upper 89.95
Bushy Barrel Assembly 220.00
CMT or Bushmaster or CMMG bolt and carrier assembly 110.00
RRA stock 59.99
CMMG lower parts kit 69.00
DPMS Lower on that one I think
DPMS rear handle sight 89.99

I think the total savings was about the offset of the shipping. i.e. the total with shipping was exactly the same difference as without. Buying Quality Name branded parts with shipping was the same cost as NoName branded parts without shipping.

Everyone wanted to Argue with it but the figures were there and the math doesn't lie.
I still have the Rifle that I built. On the other hand one of my very early guns is an M1S
Early on it had a problem with the Disconnector breaking, Replaced with a quality part, the Charging handle latch broke, replaced it with a quality part... the bolt and carrier have more than 12k on them at this point and have not had an issue yet. For the record I do not believe that there is a single Chinese part in any of those kits. Some are of Poor Quality, I have seen selectors that are not quite up to snuff they didn't fit well. But why bother with them when you can get better for less? One bonus that I see is that people buy them good or bad or even indifferent they do buy them so more people can enjoy the AR rifles. If it makes them happy don't piss on it. Just My Opinion but you got it for free so stop bitching! To be honest I have or have owned ARs from every manufacturer, All of them ran and continue to run. I have owned many from most of the big names and saw no difference aside from an RRA problem a lower that no upper would fit, and an Oly that takedown and pivot pins would not fit in. Those were the two Flaws. Aside from those nothing has ever not gone bang including all my MUTT guns and even the M1S two broken parts (albeit parts that should never "BREAK") in 12k rounds is not a deal breaker.

The M1S kit came with a Black Plastic Shot Filled Buffer... absolute CRAP!
I called them and they sent me the correct one. On the other hand I had a factory COLT gun with the same plastic buffer. Unimpressed by that one too!
As I understand it M1S no longer uses the Black Plastic ones.

Looking at the M1S webpage I see that their comparable kit is only $18 cheaper.
I don't recall what it was years back but I still would lean toward the Name brand parts.

i've biult 9 with J&T, all have worked 100%, for the money J&T or del-ton would be a better investment these guys aren't much more and will stand behind there products. a $30 dollar savings isn't worth 2 or 3 frustrating range trips. i have to agree with what was posted above about corner cutting to get the cheapest ar, buy quality and buy it once

I'll tell you the truth right now.

Model1 is not Colt, it's not LMT, it's not Sabre Defense.

But they can be built into 'good' rifles.

SHTF rifles?  I'm not saying that.

I've killed many praire dogs with mine.  If those little bastards were shooting back, yeah, I'd rather have a Colt, because their bolts are indestructible, and when the SHTF you want a MPI bolt and 4150 steel and especially parked under FSB, but those poor little critters didn't have a chance.  They waited for my gun to jam, and waited, and waited, and waited...

R.I.P. "Buster"

"I thought that p.o.s. rifle would blow up in that redneck's face because I read arfcom"



SRSLY, they're rifles to play with, and they're fun.  But no I'm not going to claim that they're for SHTF.

Quoted: From the M&A home page: "All of our parts are made in the USA... AND PROUD OF IT!" From thier FAQ: "Most of our uppers are from Lewis Machine and Tool (LMT) unless specified otherwise as being Rock River (VAR & Pistol). Our barrels are Wilson Match Grade 4140 Chrome Moly unless otherwise noted. LMT cuts, finishes and chambers the barrels. LMT assembles, times, headspaces, chambers and function test fires each barreled upper (not every third or fifth one as some suppliers might)..." Doesn't strike me as "Chinese junk".

You can stake your life on Model 1 or M&A parts if you like, but I will not. I've been around AR's since the 70's when Gerry Drasen and family were selling this junk at the gun shows and through Shotgun News. You get what you pay for with these guys. They sell factory seconds, blems and other less than qualilty parts.

So saying that LMT barrels and test fires their uppers does not give me much faith as these guys. The used to claim all of there parts came from FN.

Buyer Beware.