I just bought my Adam’s Arms piston kit for the DDM4 and was interested in having a gunsmih install so I don’t screw up my barrel removing the standard front sight. What have others paid to have it installed?
Thanks,
In my personal opinion I wouldn’t install an AA kit on ANY DD rifle. It’s hard to enhance something as awesome as perfection.
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I would think you couldn’t pay a good AR gunsmith enough to do that job.
Mainly, because a “good 'smith” would refuse to blaspheme a DD in such a way.
But maybe it’s just me…
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I’ll try to be a little more helpful. I would guess roughly an hour of labor if it’s as easy as AA says, and the gunsmith is familiar with the AR15. I don’t know what typical gunsmith hourly rates are but I’m going to make a WAG of $60-100.
If you are moderately mechanically inclined it really should be a DIY job, which AA claims up, down and sideways that it is.
I personally wouldn’t consider a piston kit an upgrade to a quality DI gun, but you’ve obviously already made that decision for yourself.
Also, I’ve recently removed FSBs on two DD guns and it was not unreasonably difficult. Use the proper punch and support the gas block (not just the barrel) with a block of wood or something, and it should go quite easily. If you’re really worried apply some Kroil to both ends of the pins several hours to a day beforehand.
Don’t install the AA kit.
I wouldn’t do that to a Daniel Defense either. In fact I’ve never heard of anyone doing that to one. Really a bad idea. Usually you hear of them slapped on Bushmasters, DPMS, etc. which doesn’t make you wince as much.
I’d go with the $60-100 range. It shouldn’t take any gunsmith more than an hour. Seeing how it is YOUR rifle, I see no problem with anything YOU do with it. Besides, it is entirely reversible in the same amount of time. 
I think the consensus on this site will be to sell the piston kit to someone on TOS and run your DD as-is. Why do you feel the need to ‘upgrade’ this amazing rifle?
Staying out of the quality of parts debate, my charge would be $50/hr half hour minimum. If you wanted it range tested/tuned, clock keeps ticking and you’re buying or supplying the ammo.
[b]Be very very careful here, they may try and charge you as much as $1,000 for the piston install.
As I’m betting that if they think that you are foolish enough to buy the piston kit for a DD M4, you might be foolish enough to pay the fee.[/b]
Cameron
Agreed it should be somewhere around the $60-$100 range.
Also agreed that it’s a poor idea to put ANY piston kit on a DDM4, let alone an Adams arms kit.
It’s like putting an APC short ram intake on a ferrari…
i would look at ‘‘osprey defense’’ its a 12 min job and NO permanent mods to the weapon before the AA set up ! i have seen one aa piston roll off a table on stone floor and break into two !!over harden plus 1000 some rounds to the mix !! now spare parts of a odd set up to get = TOY ! sorry but the osprey defense can be demoded from in mins easy…
I’ve done one of these. Too bad you aren’t local. I’d do it for free
The hardest part was installing the bushing in the upper. It was a tight fit. The osprey looks pretty weak if I’m looking at it correctly. I wouldn’t want to rely on a roll pin to hold anything other than the gas tube. (looks like it has an actual steel pin is used in place of the original roll pin. Still doesn’t appear as robust as the Adams Arms kit)
It shouldn’t be hard at all. My guess is 1 hours time or less.
You’re going to like the piston setup.
I just have to ask, why would you do that to the DD???
C4
I know I would turn it down.
C4
You are a blasphemer, Willie, a blasphemer. In the good old days, 1692 or 1693 you would have been burned at the stake. In other times, 1870 or so, you would have been tarred and feathered. Humanity was not blessed with DI until 1956 when Lord Stoner bestowed it upon us. Lucky for you, we no longer burn blasphemers at the stake or tar and feather them. Now we just brow beat them. And such is your fate.
Half an hour to an hour. Fifty to a hundred bucks. Do it yourself. It’s no big deal.
Why would you take a perfectly good rifle and put a crappy piston kit on it?
What’s up with all the thread crapping?