SmallCaliberCentral

i have been thinking about an ar-15 but don't know alot about them yet and was wondering what you guys think about them i have been looking at dpms anyone had any luck with them open to any ar right now just want to learn before i buy

I've got a Rock River and it's got one of the best triggers of any AR. The only trigger that I think is better is on the new Sig 556 (Not a standard AR platform). When you check out AR's, look at fit and finish as there are some striking differences between brands. If you are wrong handed there is even one brand (Stag, I think) that is set up for lefties.
Have fun shopping. Gary

serpent71

My Son and I build two identical AR 15's in 204 Ruger. We have a DPMS 204 barrel, Lewis Machine and Tool bolt and carrier, DPMS Highrider upper, and a DPMS vented handguard. The lower is a Superior Arms with Rock River Arms National Match trigger. An Ergo grip and RRA winter trigger guard.

Both rifles shoot really well. I shot 800 rounds through mine on a PD shoot in South Dakota in September. They are accurate and fun to shoot. As Captqc stated, The Rock River Arms trigger is the way to go.

DPMS and Rock River Arms make some fine AR's.

Go to page two and I have a post of our PD shoot in Sept..

Grayfox

serpent71,
Are you thinking of buying one already built or building one yourself? I knew nothing about them but built one using a Krieger 10 twist 24” barrel and a Jewel trigger and it shoots .3” groups all day long if I do my part. The barrel was chambered by Compass Lake Engineering, most of the parts are DPMS. If your are going to build then parts don't really make a difference, but if you buy one already build that Rock River would be what I would do.

I had my .204 AR upper built by a custom gunsmith a few months before DPMS came out with theirs and for the cost difference (minor), the custom is the way to go.

It has the EOP receiver with a free floated Douglass XX stainless 22" match barrel and a custom cut chamber that is a little tighter, lengthwise, than the normal factory specs.


and it produces some really good groups (.219" in 5 @ 100yds) as long as I can do my part.

I'm curious what the approximate cost of building a high quality custom AR in .204 is. I'm considering a Les Baer and would be looking for similar accuracy.

Mine came in at around $1600 but I put in a Jewell trigger (~$175), a Krieger 10 twist chambered by Compass Lake Engineering including the bolt ($475 worth every penny), a Compass Lake Space Gun Float Tube ($100), and the walnut burl stock which I did myself so the only cost was the wood ($100). If you were looking for a rifle that would shoot 1” groups instead of .3” groups then you can put one together in 204 for probably just under $1000 if you really shopped around not including the scope.

Just as an idea of the savings you can find a kit with all the part you need for the lower receiver including the trigger for $90. I paid $175 for the trigger alone then probably another $50-75 for the other lower parts. You can also get a float tube for $40-50 vs the $100 I spent.

I'm sure, like everything else, the prices may have gone up in two years, but my custom upper cost me $725 and the lower was $235, with a RRA trigger.

Cost me $800 for the complete rifle and $160 for the Timney trigger. Shoots in the threes. It's a DPMS.

serpent71,
I sent you a PM

I also have been VERY interested in many questions here and think my tax return will be donated to a Black Rifle. I live in central Iowa and went to the big gun show in Des Moines this weekend. I soon was talking to the 2 gentlemen that make Superior Arms AR's. They worked for an AR company building guns for them in the early 90's and decided to go out on their own. They told me that THEY put every rifle together by hand, and if something isn't quite right they throw it out to make it right. Both upper/lower are forged and they seemed to use only the best. They fire each rifle to make sure it is up to their standards and they were very sincere about that! They also said that warranty issues were not of issue and they stood behind every part of their product. They said they make several parts for different manufactures. They made sure that I knew that they felt some AR manufacturers threw AR's together on an assembly line and that is not how they make theirs!

I was very impressed by the fit and finish of the Superior Arms AR, as I have been looking at black rifles for about 5 years now but just haven't picked one up yet. I was looking at a RRA's and then a Bushy, then a DPMS........ However, now I think that i have found my brand(think it is cool they are made in IA also!) Superior AR's are very competitively priced and a nearby Gun dealer stocks them in the $750-825 range just like other makers.

My problem is that I buy something, then have to buy all the accessories to go/put on it. I can never just leave anything stock! This may be a VERY BAD DECISION to buy an AR b/c of all the millions of cool things to put on them. However, I think I am just going to buy a stock AR and then build my own upper later.

One question I am interested in has been asked, and this is how much would it be to build your own upper/lower these days? Including all the tools needed? I am 96% sure I will buy the 20" H-Bar they offer and worry about the building custom stuff later after I have enjoyed for awhile.

One more thing, aren't the 5.56 and the .223 chambered just a little bit different? I was thinking about maybe buying 500 rounds of mil sur. ammo to start and then reload from there? Do I need to look into what they offer for barrel for certain before I buy??????? THanks alot guys!!! -Sorry for all the rambling, noticed it got kinda long!

bad dad thanks for the offer but i think i will be building one

Danny: I think you could probably build a complete one yourself for about 700 give or take, if you don't put any extras on it. I am pretty sure that .223 ammo will work in a 5.56 gun, but not visa versa, maybe someone else can back me up on this.

That seems to be what others are saying on different forums over the net that you can use the .223 in a 5.56 but MOST say NOT to flip it around. Thanks guys.

DPMS LR-204 costs $1000 already built. Will shoot under an inch with reloads.