Quoted: Thanks for the heads up on Del-ton kits. I've been looking for a 16" middy kit with chrome lined barrel. Just need to decide on flat top or A2 upper.
Essential arms looks good, on the receiver cost, but once I add $20.00 to my FFL for transfer (and time and gas to drive out there) it levels out to about what I can pick them up for at the gun shows OTD. I've been purchasing Stag Arms receivers from an upstate dealer, at the gun shows, (I don't know what the rules are regarding mentioning in state dealers names, so I won't.) and each time I see them they charge me a little bit less.
Did you fellows that pieced your kits together add the cost of shipping into the total cost?
Thanks again,
Speedfish |
Del-Ton midlengths have HBAR barrels if that makes a difference. I measured mine once and it was a full inch in diameter under the handguards. Considering it has a midlength handguard, you get 9 inches of that one inch diameter. I'm still happy with mine, even though I give you the warning. It's just nice to know that it adds a bit of weight.
One of the few lightweight middies can be bought from CMMG, just check out the twist rate. One of them had a 1 in 12 twist. They have a Gov't profile middy that is light under the handguards.
I picked up some extras for my AR15s, and yes, the shipping can add up. My Troy rails had a $8 dollar shipping. If you get several parts from different dealers, you could add $20-$30 for shipping. Some dealers, like Talon Arms (I think), give you a nice flat rate of $5 for all orders; I just checked, they raised it to $7 per order.
The nice thing about getting a kit from someone like Del-Ton is they check the headspace and testfire all of their uppers. Plus you don't have to put the upper together. You still get to put together the lower receiver, so there is some fun involved, but you don't have to have all the tools for the upper (Action block, multi-wrench, vice, etc).
I have two Del-Ton uppers and have been pleased. One is the HBAR middy and the other is a lightweight carbine. That bad boy is light, too. The barrel after the flash hider is .625" in diameter. I think it is .750" under the handguards. It looks pretty cool even with the thinner barrel. I may one day add a low pro gas block and a lightweight rifle length free float handguard to make it tacti-kool.