Ive been trying to search but cant seem to find the info I am looking for. I am one of those misguided souls that got caught up in the hype and ended up buy a DPMS Oracle 5.56 at Cabelas for 600 bucks on sale. After doing some reading on here I see that for a few hundred more I could have got something I could bet my life on. My question is aside from making sure the gas key is staked are there upgrades I can do to this rifle to improve it to the point that if I needed it to save my life I can rely on it to? Or would it be money better spent to keep it as a plinker and get something like a Colt? Thanks to anyone with the info in advance!
Here is a good thread to read through…
https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=7376
Also read through these threads…
http://m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=56063
http://m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=6642
If I were in your shoes, I would just get a Colt LE/SP6920 rather than trying to “fix” your DPMS.
Either keep it for a plinker or sell it for $500, save $500 and get a Colt 6920.
How does it shoot? How much do you shoot it?
Ive only had a couple weeks now and have ran 300 rounds through it. It shot fine on just those 300 rounds but after reading a lot of the info on here Im just a little worried about the reliability after a lot more has been put into it.
The rifle probably doesn’t stand up with the big boys and in reality would not make a good combat rifle but if it goes “bang” when you want it to, it would do against an intruder. If you plan to shoot a lot, then get something that closely adheres to the specs of “the chart” on here. And while the Colt 6920 may be the “gold standard” and a good starting off point, you may be able to assemble something of equal value a little cheaper. I don’t know your level of mechanical ability or desire to do such things. Just saying, you could get a quality stripped lower for say $80, a quality lpk for $60-$75, a BCM non hammer forged upper for $399 and a bcg for $140, magpul moe handgaurds and rear sight and your in business.
Also some individuals on this forum would prefer that you know that misguided is one word!
I don’t think that anyone new to ARs should even try to assemble their own primary rifle. The first rifle that a shooter should buy is a Colt.
Don’t even start with the “build it cheaper” bit. You cannot build it “cheaper” and “better.”
https://www.m4carbine.net/showpost.php?p=44647&postcount=4
The simplest answer for the OP is this: Sell the DPMS at your local gun shop, before you put another round through it, and buy a Colt 6920 from Grant @ G&R Tactical.
First off thanks everyone for the info, and the spell checking :p. The only problem is if I did sell this one now it would probably be a while before I could get the extra cash scratched together to get a Colt for a starting platform. So an add on question, are the lowers of DPMS units any good at all? Because as money would allow I could install a better trigger and whatever else may help in the lower and then work at saving for a better complete upper.
Don’t bother to try to fix the DPMS by slowly replacing all the parts that need to be upgraded (basically everything but the stripped lower receiver.) By the time you have put in a good bolt, good fire control group, barrel, etc, you will have more into it than you would have by simply selling the DPMS and buying the Colt.
If you won’t be able to buy the Colt ($945 from Grant) right away, that is fine, but don’t keep throwing good money after bad into a rifle that is junk.
NewbAR,
What is the rush? Don’t get me wrong, I understand you want an AR, but attempting to fix your DPMS is going to cost more money, time and aggravation.
Sell the DPMS and then wait until you have enough money to get the Colt or whatever.
Just shoot it. Learn to manipulate it well and practice your marksmanship. Start putting away $100 a month for the 6920 and you’ll have it in less than a year. At that point, sell the DPMS for whatever the market will handle and buy a good optic and light for your Colt.
Explain your reasons, and please don’t forget to explain why you are qualified to make these statements, that are contrary to what many highly experienced people on this forum have to say…
Sell it save up for the real deal.
You will lose hundreds of dollars and further delay your ability to afford a firearm worthy of any “defensive duties” should you try to polish the proverbial turd. No offense, I started out with a Buhmaster as well.
It was bait & switch, I tell ya! Clicked on the thread thinking Miss Guided was the spokes-model for The Chart. Very disappointed to find out the cheesecake was a lie!
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What, you think the DPMS won’t shoot at all? Now that he has it and understands it’s got shortcomings, there’s nothing wrong with shooting it while saving up money to buy a Colt. Shooting something is better than having nothing to shoot at all. As I recall, rob_s himself gave this same advice to another
This makes my head hurt. Why on earth would someone need to give their resume in order for their opinion to be valid and or worthwhile? Certainly seems like a reasonable thing to say to me, regardless of who said it.
Building a complete rifle from scratch and slapping an upper on a lower(which I was referring to)are two different things. I’m sure anyone with common sense, mechanical inclination and good information could relatively easily assemble an AR from parts though. In any event purchasing a comlplete upper from a known quality manufacturer and keeping his lower receiver(which is likely just fine) stripping it out and installing a quality LPK would be the op’s best bet(I’m sure he could sell the upper to “somebody” and put that towards his new one), especially since cash is a concern and he wants to shoot quality now.
! well I could care less as I am not Merriam Webster, however I’ve noticed a few members’ emphasis on proper spelling, grammar and word usage as imperative as it relates to firearms discussion.
Thank you Jet. With this forum, Youtube and the many other resources on the web I believe someone could easily put together one of these rifles given some basic background knowledge in firearms. The route, that I will probably be taking then is to install a better lpk and later down the road get a complete upper, mainly for ease and not the fact I couldnt do it, when funding allows.