I don’t and the least expensive AR I own is a BCM upper with R-1, BattleComp, SSA, CTR, Surefire, etc. About $1500.00 worth. Buying cheap is at best a false economy, regardless of your income level.
Shoot the hell out of it and learn about the system, then sale it. Decide what you require, and make a purchase that meets those requirements. Educate yourself and do better next time. Buy a rifle more compatible with your wealth.
I think he’s a troll…
I did get a good laugh, however.
Same here, did I mention that I have 3 hot Las Vegas strippers that loads my mags. when I’m at the range…just saying:rolleyes:
I’m not a troll. However, I’ve been lurking here for a couple weeks and have observed you guys are a hard bunch, especially for any poor slacker who happens to buy a Del Ton. I’d get ripped apart regardless of my tact, so why not play the provocateur to break the ice? Mea culpa …
Here’s the straight scoop.
Those are excellent questions and I’m happy to answer. Maybe you will gain insight into why someone would buy a Del Ton. The truth of the matter is that I was excited to buy an AR after wanting one for many years. 15 years ago, I couldn’t afford one. I looked longingly upon the Colts at the local gun shows. Someday …
So, I had not been to a gun show for some years and decided to take my two boys. Walked in and BAM, AR’s all over the place, with flash suppressors, 30-round mags and all that pre-ban stuff! I had it in the back of my mind to get an AR and there they were, all laid out in their glory before mine eyes. And now, yes, I can afford them.
I made an assumption - the tragic mistake: they all look the same, they are all AR-15s, ergo, they must all be the same. The gun shop owner made the pitch. The former LEO swat team guy and “tactical rifle” instructor. He was very believable. “MIL SPEC” and other stuff came rolling off his tongue so convincingly. I was impulsive and the gun looked like an AR. And it seemed reasonably priced. No, I had done no research. I felt somewhat intimidated by my lack of knowledge, so I made an assumption, and we all know the old axiom about “assume.” I wrote out the check.
Unfortunately, when I walked out the door was the point at which my research began. When I googled “Del Ton,” I experienced the pangs of doubt: “Did I screw up? Damn. Should have done some research first.” I found a mix of information, at both ends of the spectrum and all points in between. “Del Ton sucks,” “I love my Del Ton.” Who was authoritative?
I went to pick the gun up after the prescribed 48 hours Illinois waiting period. I brought my doubts up with the shop owner and asked about the gas key staking issue, which was about all I knew at that point. He showed me the bolts and they were staked properly. He assured me that the gun was fine and to believe half of what I read on the internet. Sensible enough, since opinions abound in the www ether.
I shot the gun and it shot well enough for the 100+ rounds I put through it using iron sights. Hell, it was downright fun! I put my Del Ton Doubts aside temporarily and started researching optics. After doing considerable research and looking at my probable uses of the gun, I moved away from the cool “tactical” holographic and red dot sights and settled on some magnification. After more research, I settled on variable low power scopes, and after looking at as many pictures of reticles as possible, I decided on the TR24. At that point, I figured the Del Ton Damage was done, so let’s move on and get the optics right. Rectify the rifle when the time comes. Same with the Battlecomp.
So how does money come to bear? I am fortunate, in that I am able to easily absorb the cost of my mistake. Regardless of my “resources” I am disappointed. Furthermore, I am disturbed at the deceptiveness of the “trade,” and I’d be really ticked off if I had a limited budget and had bought was I thought was a good deal only to realize I had gotten ripped off. Perhaps having greater means made it easier for me to jump without giving greater consideration to my purchase. Either way, getting sold a bill of goods sucks.
In any case, it does bring into focus the need for meaningful information for buyers. Something like a CHART, perhaps? I think many buyers are like me, assuming that because they all look the same and they all feel pretty similar, there really can’t be THAT much difference. For many, it’s probably not going to be an issue, in that they will happily plink away. At the other extreme are those who’s lives truly depend on the reliability of their weapon. Between the two are others like me who want a quality firearm that will work reliably.
That’s my story, which brings me back to my plan. At this point, I figure I’ll get to know the gun, start practicing technique, educate myself and enjoy what I have. I can determine what I really desire in my next AR and plan accordingly. No need to simply go out and make a second impulsive buy and compound my error. I intend to enjoy my Del Ton to the highest degree achievable within the framework of the gun’s limitations, until those limits become too constraining for my needs.
I love the TR24.
Tough crowd.
I like good, quality AR15s (and other firearms and things) but I still subscribe to the notion that any AR is better than no AR. So you didn’t do your research. You know now. Shoot the crap out of your Del Ton while putting a plan together for a quality build. You can’t have just one AR anyways; it’s unAmerican.
I say don’t worry about what others say for now and just shoot the hell out of that Del Ton. You can have your own evaluations independent of others. Then when you want to get another AR, get a BCM, Colt, or Daniel Defense.
I honestly didn’t find what the OP said about money offensive…I think he was just saying that he can afford another rifle if it turns out that the Del Ton went to crap. Maybe he should have used a different choice of words, but not all of us are always good at conversation all the time. I don’t think he was trolling at all.
It would be an interesting experiment to see how that Del Ton holds up. I suspect that it’ll still shoot a few thousand rounds without too much trouble. If you get the gas key properly staked, the castlenut staked, and make sure the chamber dimensions are ok, the rifle might work fine. Even though RRA, Bushy, DPMS are not ideal rifles, they can be tuned and worked on to be adequate weapons…at least according to some.
If you bought a Delton and actually get out and shoot it in practice, training, competition, etc. you will be well past many of the snots who bust your balls about owning a Delton simply because their safe queen is of a “better” brand.
I’ll take a SHOOTER with a Delton over a COLLECTOR/POSEUR/INTERNET-PICTURE-POSTER with a “top tier” gun any day.
There is…err…well was one and may possibly be one again. See these threads
http://m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=6642
https://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=75504
But as rob_s said the practicing/training is the more important part.
OP: If you’re willing to do such a destructive test I’m willing to read your write-up on it.
Bump Fire? Lol I watch the kids at the range do that. Shooting dirt and wasting dad’s ammo. A friend of mine had a Del-Ton. It had problems. Good luck with yours. The money thing was inappropriate, My clients don mention that they have “lots of money”. The WALK-IN clients do, after telling me how much money they have, they dont come back, I see them later, with something that was cheaper in fact. Good luck wit your Del-Ton.
I am not sure I have seen anyone use the sentence “good for my plan”, but not actually list a plan. Strange. :alcoholic:
Less typing and more reading would be good for you I think.
C4
Perhaps my plan was too subtly stated:
“I will pound the hell out of this rifle and see what happens. I will run it till it breaks (or doesn’t) and report back.”
Glad you posted again, lifebreath, because at first you definitely came across like a troll. Now we know that’s not the case.
Without research it’s hard to jump in cold and buy quality in almost any arena. Electronics, autos, and certainly ARs. Fortunately the guy you bought from sold you a working rifle, many new people end up with a gun show piece of crap cobbled together from the worst of the worst.
So go ahead and give it a good shakeout and write down the things you like and don’t like. Research barrel profiles, brands and accessories. BTW, this site is excellent for research. And when you have it clear in your mind what’s right for you, then you’ll be confident next time you reach for the wallet. Good luck!
That’s not really a plan.
Here is what a REAL plan would look like:
Send Del-Ton to an experienced AR builder to look over and fix any minor issues (gas key staking, castle nut staking, check chamber to make sure it is 5.56 NATO, upgrade extractor insert and spring (if needed) and install H-H3 buffer.
Buy a back up BCG (BCM, Colt, etc) and spare parts that can fail (springs, charging handle, etc).
Run gun through a 3 day carbine school and see how it does.
If it survives the class, keep training with it until you break something. If it does not make it, send it back to the manufacturer for repair and then sell it off and buy something better.
C4
No, that would simply be YOUR plan, not mine.
BTW - it does have an H buffer and a black extractor insert. The gas key is well staked.
Right. Maybe you should think about changing your plan to mine (if you are at all serious). If not, then drive on with your plan (which really isn’t a plan at all).
C4
I understood his plan. I went through this too. When the TAC Team took my 6920 away (we went to mostly UMP40’s and my role changed back in the meth lab era), I elected to replace it with a personally-owned rifle and knowing little about the platform (just a tool), I bought a Stag. When I ultimately realized that its reliability was suspect in some circles, I decided go ahead and shoot it until it broke, but after several thousand rounds in training, courses, and some local mini 3-guns (DPMS Omega Outbreak-:D) it never did. I finally gave it to my son and it’s still going strong with just a replaced extractor spring on the original BCG.
He impulse-bought a budget rifle without any previous research. Now he’s stuck with it, but it’s a hobby, not mission-critical so a failure is no big deal. I’m not sure of his motivation for posting, but I suspect he knew it would draw fire. Goal achieved.
Awhile back I think Rob_S wrote a thread about “Twitterifcation” of gun forums. This thread has no technical value of any kind (as far as I can tell) and really just tells us that he made a mistake, likes to bump fire and has no real plan for addressing the issues with the gun.
I wonder if people realize that we really don’t need to know what you bought, why you bought it or that you like to do stupid things with your gun?
C4
“If you would just think like me, you’d be OK …”
A plan is a series of steps designed to achieve a specific objective. My plan is designed to achieve my objective. Your objective is different than mine. This is indicated by your step (1). Your step (1) is antithetical to my objective. Specifically, part of my objective at this point is to see how this gun will run “as is” from the manufacturer.
If I were to implement your plan, I would fail to meet one of my objectives. Therefore, I will stick with my plan.
The rest of my plan and my objectives were elaborated later.
Anyway, my post was “inspired” by you guys raking the “Del Ton GTG” guy over the coals. The whole thing was meant as a little “tongue in cheek” hyperbole.
Any online discussion forum has become a component of the social media phenomenon. “General Discussion” on this site has more posts and more threads than any other by a factor of 2x - despite posting restrictions and a number thread deletions and locks. This thread is an extension of that concept.