Well some may know of XS Products or now called "X Products", and may also own several of their drums for either a .556 or .308. These were also the drums that people were paying near $1500.00 per drum during the panic. Well personally I've owned their original "XS" marked drums, and sometime ago (few times actually) have purchased more product of theirs as of recent. Now I must start off by saying that I'm a pretty anal person when it comes to aesthetics so the level and quality of something must be very high to meet my standards, both in overall fit, and finish, as well as fuction. Well maybe its just me that is feeling this way but I personally feel their product has gone from something of a very high standard, and very high quality, to something that is now just sub-par to where I would prefer a Pmag over their drums. Since the panic buying they've gone into producing all their newer and current drums using a high pressurized cast method --simply put, cheap cast-- Since they've switched over to this new manufacturing process (both to save time and money) their products will just never be the same. Now as if their product isn't bad enough as it is currently, their service is also poor poor poor!!!. When I had purchased some 50rd drums some months ago and found them to be so lousy and poor in quality I had tried all means in coming to contact with James, and or his staff so that they could make things right in me being issued a refund. Well setting up an RMA with them took nearly 3 weeks all its own. Then came the time in which my package was returned to them which was maybe 3 or 4 days since the nearly 3 weeks I waited for them to setup a return. They got my package within the 3 or 4 days and it took them another 3 weeks to issue me a refund (looking at a full 2 month ordeal). Things took such a timely matter in which I was forced to get my bank involved, in which I was able to successfully dispute the original charge which worked out.

Now lemme just go on and express a little more about the quality and what their product and service has become. They (both James, and Nathan Acres) seem to be so money hungry that they've shafted much of their smaller re-sellers by paying more attention and supplying stock to newer distributors and re-sellers all because of the larger amount of stock the bigger guys pay up front for. Now when addressed about the new manufacturing processes behind their product they continously speak of supply and demand being the biggest reason. Now overall fit and finish. Well the drums that I've purchased recently in the pass 3 months all were a very loose fit, and the castings were so poor you could see air bubbles in them, and there were also large chunks of the cast that they either didn't bother deburring or grinding off of the pieces making for one really poor unit. Now onto the cerakote finish, the finish was applied so poorly that there were areas in which the cerakote would rub off very easily, and other areas in which the cerakote was so thin you could see the bare metal.

This post is in question if anyone here has taken notice of what their product has become, and also a heads up about possible future purchases from them. I know not too many folks would dish out that kind of money to begin with in the first place for a drum that only holds 50rds, but fact of the matter is there is some folks who do, and those folks that do, do expect a quality product. I have been a real big fan and purchaser of their products since they came into the scene and market, and after those years, and also having seen the kind of prices in which these drums were selling for during the panic I looked at the units also being a solid investment on down the road. This being said, that is now all out the window since having delt with their poor service, and newly produced poor product.

My post may seem like a rant but I just felt people should hear my thoughts on what I've personally found of them to become.

Holy wall of text batman

Thanks, I thought about buying in future.

Topic Moved

Thanks for letting me know.

I totally agree with the original poster. I owned one of the first batch of the .223 drums when it first came out. And also owned the .308 drum. Sold both during panic for 2x profit.
Bought two newer ones and quality is crap. Air pockets in metal, loose fit and missing finish. Sold them for cost. Will stick with the pmags for now on.

What gets me is Jame's age old line of "Supply and Demand" I believe I'm not the only one who is noticing how poor of quality their product has become but from the looks of it I am seeing more and more places with high stock levels of the drums available so most definitely people is taking notice of the quality issues. Too bad as I had hoped when the market got back to normal as it is now that I'd be able to pickup the same awesome product they once had. This will never be the case and having said this I am glad I sold off what I had of theirs during the panic because if I knew things would be this poor it wouldn't make any sense in owning what "was" good of theres to what is now just so sub-par and unmatched to what things used to be. Thank God for Magpul and their proven quality stuff and also the release of their 40 rounders because its definitely cheaper and I'm sure a lot more proven in overall quality and all other aspects over Jame's newly "X" drums. Sad that they had to have come to this as they are still what I would call "new" in the industry. Now it will only be a matter of time to see how long they last in this industry.

When I got hold of their newer stuff I felt that because of how poor the quality was that I wouldn't even have a chance in re-selling them so thats also one of the biggest reasons I resulted all means in a direct return of their goods from both them, and whatever other re-seller I had purchased the newer drums from. I felt that people who knew of their quality prior would maybe think that I would be jerking their chain selling some used and abused stuff because how sad the quality is now. Thank God all went well with things because personally I'd be weary of being a re-seller of their stuff as it sits currently. I wonder how many returns from unhappy people have Brownell's come across.

This sucks.   I was looking to pick one up.   I don't care for the length of the 40's or the Surefires.

That's a shame.  I had a 308 drum and sold it in the panic for 2x cost.  Thought I might pick up another just because of how well it was made - a real work of art.  Guess I'll pass until I hear different.

well thats a shame I was going to pick up an AR drum and a G3 drum because of the high quality/decent price,this sucks

Anyone after their "prior" high quality drums, the best bet is to hunt down the original "XS" marked drums on GunBroker or maybe even here in the EE. Personally I never looked at bothering doing this because trying to obtain more than one true "XS" drum would prove a big a chellenge all its own but I guess if you were only in the market for maybe one or two then hunting down an original might be worth the while. I just came across an original XS marked X91 drum on G.B. also something to note is to make sure you confirm with the seller that what they have posted is a true "XS" marked drum. I have found a lot of sellers still using the original XS marked drums pictures but they in fact are actually selling the newer poor quality units. Some resellers are also gonna say the common line of its the samething or they look identical, etc etc. But do NOT be fooled, this stuff is some really bad quality and poor poor fit and finish. And the overall support of the company is also very poor and sad.

Just to be clear, the good ones are marked "XS" and the bad ones are marked "X products"?

yeah the original high quality gen ones is marked "XS" the newer ones is just marked "X" no s.