Hi guys. A buddy of mine is building an ar. Knowing I’ve been doing a lot of reading on here he asked me about lpk’s and what I might suggest. I took the couple he mentioned, added a couple of others and came up the ranking below. Do you guys agree with this or am I way off base and should call him back? Oh, and I’m pretty sure we’re talking single stage trigger here. From best to worst:
LMT/G&R
Stag
DMPS
Rock River
Armalite
Thanks
EDIT: Oh and I apologize if this is a repost. What’s with the search?? Always just turns up a blank page for me.
It’s really impossible to make this ranking. LPKs vary too much. An LPK from STAG today, for example, isn’t the same STAG kit that you bought a year ago.
My sample size for RRA LPKs is only 3. Two had triggers that were crisp, with very little creep and not too heavy. One had a gritty trigger with a relatively large amount of creep. Other than that, I found the kits to be nice to install with nicely parkerized roll pins that you didn’t have to beat the bejeezus out of to drive them home (like the 2 DPMS kits I’ve used).
I now hold out for Colt, LMT or G&R kits. Stag kits are starting to look pretty interesting too given that LPKs are just about unobtanium these days.
You’re right you should. Since I said Rock River sucks, this IS THE official ranking and you should carve it in your forearm with a sharp knife:rolleyes: I’m a noob man and asked for peoples opinions. Obviously you think RRA shoud be above DPMS in the list above. Is there something you like better about it or were the RRA kits simply more available for you at the time or in your location.?
I do understand what you and Grant are saying as a manufacturer’s quality is not always constant. That being said, if you had to buy a new lpk for a build today (and didn’t already have one laying around), in you’re buying process I’m guessing based on you’re previous experience, etc. you would rank them somehow in your head (even if you did it quickly or subconsciously). I guess i was going for that and your reasoning. I’m also assuming we’re not talking about new old stock (with all the panic buying, there probably aren’t many lpk’s from several years ago just sitting on the shelves). Thanks guys.
Colt? Does colt make an LPK than you can use on the average lower or does it come with the goofy large diameter FCG pins(though now apparently defunct) and the silly screw set up instead of a normal take down pin for the front?
You can get Colt LPK’s with the standard sized FCG pins from the usual Colt suppliers (when available) and they haven’t used the oversize takedown pins for well over a decade.
The problem Ive had mostly with LPK’s from the various “lower tier” folks has been the springs and pins.Those parts must be imported…IMHO its just not worth the effort anymore.
I ordered a DPMS LPK a couple months ago and did not like the looks of it at all,so I sent it back.Ive had excellent luck with the older Armalite LPK’s that used the standard trigger but thier springs and pins are extremely questionable as of late.
I also have absolutely no use for any of the tactical two stage crap alot of the manufacturers are ad copying on.
My sister gave me one of the G&R Tactical LPK’s for christmas last year and it is quality.I wish Grant would do some more.
Otherwise if I need another LPK I will just have to hunt the parts down from LMT or Colt.Hopefully Paul at BCM will come out with a LPK that he is willing to put his name on.
Other parts Ive had disgusting experience with from the corner cutting ham fisted blind monkeys recently are:
Buffer springs that take a huge set almost immediately.Falls below the -23 recommended minimum length.
Extractor springs that go flat and inserts made of plastic that turns to dust in short order,or are so hard they cause the extractor to bind until they turn to dust.
Gas rings that wear out in less than 500 rounds.
Undersized gas tubes(gas key end).
Soft gas keys with exceptionally rough bores.
YFS gas key screws that are brittle and undersized.
MIM extractors.
Cheap,thin charging handles.
FPRP that are oversized and will not fit in the BC.Have no idea what they fit but they dont belong in an AR.
Firing pins that are out of spec in diameter and in protrusion.
Cheap ars thin plastic handguards that defrom,creak,pop that if handled roughly the heat shields pop loose in.
I spent more money on return shipping of parts Ive ordered than what the parts were worth in the end.Needless to say I “aint buyin no more crap” from these folks.
I could go on but I see no use as Im preaching to the choir.
But it has got to the point with my upgrades for instance,that I call my remaining Armalite rifles/ upper assemblies LarMaliTes.
I guess Ive slowly become part of the “snobbery” here,because if its not BCM,LMT or Colt I aint buyin it anymore.
Well, I have in the last couple of months built lowers using DPMS LPKs. They all went in and seem to function fine thus far. DPMS is not my first choice, but it was the only kits I could actually get my hands on at the time. I have had a Stag LPK on order for about 3 months now (still waiting) and a White Oak Armament LPK on order for about a month (maybe a month and a half).
I was a little concerned about using DPMS LPKs, but have not seen the out of spec or missing parts that have been claimed.
Thanks everyone. My ultimate advice to him was wait for a lmt or g&r but we’ll see what he does. I just wanted to make sure the information I was passing along was legit.
