I just received my M-4 upper from Del-ton. Fantastic.
The upper is pretty nice. T-markings on the top, nice M4 ramps, really nice BCU and CH. Barrel is Chromy (not Chrome lined) but looks really sweet. Very nicely assembled.
Packaging was plush, not a mark on it.
Fast. 1 week out the door from order date. Cannot beat that.
Wish the M4 hand guards were an option, carbine hand guards not soo nice.
Paid $415 out the door, that is 14.5" 1/9 barrel, T-marked upper with M4 ramps, full BCU and CH.
You cannot beat that.
Koudous Del-Ton, I will be back for more AR goodies.
Bought mine from them eight months ago. My only complaints are they didn’t clean the brass marks off the case deflector when they cleaned it after test firing, and the H-bar barrel turned out to not be a good choice(the weight of added accessories adds up, and I don’t need the extra accuracy).
Wow I just noted the time stamp, and while it may be close to 4 years late, I just bought a Del-Ton 20" Government upper and, I thought I would answer Grant’s questions:
Barrel and Bolt: no markings as to what steel on the barrel, but the bolt is Carpenter 158.
Bolt: HPT and MPI marked.
Insert: Black.
FSB: “F” marked.
Gas Key: correctly staked.
To me, this is the real problem with the substandard brands.
Most time, there is not a significant savings for getting a crappy gun over a good one.
And the cost of bringing a gun up to spec ends up with you having a decent performing gun with a shitty reputation for only about $200 more than buying a quality piece to begin with.
I’ve had this discussion countless times on a local forum (in North Carolina, where Del-Ton is produced) and so many of those guys don’t seem to understand what Mil-spec is.
However, someone did post a pic recently of their DT bolt that has “HPT/MPI” markings on it. He couldn’t tell me if it was batch testing or per-unit testing. Also, he picture he posted of the staking was horrible. Someone else commented that they have weak extractors and they’re definitely not shot-peened. I wouldn’t spend that much money on a questionable gun, even if it is to support the local economy.
Exactly…Most people just don’t know what they don’t know. This is what infuriates me about the overpricing from companies such as Bushmaster and DPMS. They basically make their money off of people’s ignorance. My first rifle I bought for myself (during the ignorant stage) was a DPMS. For what I paid for it I could’ve bought so much more quality at the same price.
Yeah the website doesn’t mention it, but the bolt is marked, now like another guy said, whether that is each part or batch testing I don’t know. I plan to post some pics.
I was pleased that it came with an “F” marked sight base, even though I didn’t request it.
To calculate the price difference you need to factor in that Del-Ton ships with a BCG, so right there the difference is >$100. But don’t get me wrong I agree, BCM is the way to go. I love my BCM carbine, and will take it to classes. But for a 20" rifle that I assembled because I got the fever to build a plinker, it isn’t bad. I just have to shoot it and see how it performs.
I read a lot of mixed information on Del-Ton so I thought I would post my experience.
Well don’t forget the fluff pieces which abound in every gun magazine. I have yet to see an article in one of those where they honestly evaluate a manufacturers product. Unfortunately those publications are where many who are new to the AR platform start their search. I don’t remember where, but I know I saw some article in the last couple of years proclaiming what a quality product the Del-ton line was. I guess ethics and truth go out the window when your looking for advertising dollars and magazine sales.
Ok don’t misunderstand. I’m not standing behind Del-Ton 100%, but I have been impressed with my 20" plinker upper, so far. Here are some pics of the bolt and BCG.
HPT and MPI marked
And here is the M16 BCG
And here is the staking compared to a LMT BCG, care to guess which is which?
Anyone can put a stamp on a bolt
When a company that has traditionally cut lots of corners starts to claim they are doing things right, it is easy to doubt them. If DPMS started doing everything right tomorrow and made guns on the level of BCM or Colt, it would still take a while for people to trust them because of their past.
