Conflicted on M16 A2 Rifle Purchase - Who To Buy From?

[tpelle]

I intend to soon buy a "standard" M16A2 rifle kit. I would like a 20 inch government profile barrel, and would like to have it chrome lined, with a 1-7 twist. I don't want to spend a lot of money -I arbitrarily set a $500 to $600 budget. I already have a stripped lower to assemble it on.

DEL-TON can sell me a kit for $490, but they offer only a chrome moly barrel with a 1-9 twist. In addition, all of their barrels have extensions with M4 feed ramps. Probably work OK, but kind of jarring to the sensibilities.

Model 1 Sales has exactly what I am looking for, for $585, but I hear lots of buzz on the net about credit card fraud, and that there are quality issues with small parts and springs and with bolts breaking.

Can anyone suggest another vendor in my price range? Any advice?

[joem]

Years ago i bought a flat top upper from them. I've had NO trouble at all. You might reconsider the 1/7 twist unless your going to at least a 69 gr. bullet. Most of mine are 1/9 twist and shoot very well.

[Litt'le Lee]

Their barrels are very accurate-send them a Postal M/O

[tpelle]

Thanks, guys.

There's also something called a "virtual credit card", I gather, wherein you have a card issued by your regular credit card company that has a set dollar and time limit. That might be the way to go.

I'm really leaning towards the Model 1 Sales rifle, as the specs are closer to current issue.

Edit to add: You know? After thinking about this, you'd probably have to look high and low, and pay extra besides, to even obtain poor quality Ar15 parts. I bet you could count all of the manufacturers of AR parts on your fingers, with maybe a few toes thrown in. I, but believe that most AR parts are the same.

[tpelle]

Well, I gave the credit card a work-out finally!

I had a heck of a time with finding 20" barrels. It seems that the market is totally 16.5" barrels, and nobody keeps 20" barrels of any sort in stock!

I finally went to J&T Distributing in Winchester, KY. Because I live in Kentucky I have to pay Kentucky's 6% sales tax, so that ran the price up over my budget.

They tell me that they have all the parts necessary to put together my rifle. I decided to go with a 20" A3 (flat-top) configuration with an A2 front sight base. It will be an HBAR, 1-9 twist non-chrome-lined barrel, but that's OK - None of my other rifles are chrome-lined, and there may be just a little more accuracy in there. I also ordered a carry-handle rear sight to go with it, as that gives me the ability to go with a glass sight as demanded by my old eyes (hopefully a little later).

The only good thing about this is I have a spare DoubleStar lower to put this upper on, which is actually the same company as J&T. So I'll have an all-up DoubleStar rifle, for whatever that's worth (Pretty much nothing, actually.). But I've used several of their lowers, and they're as good as anyone else's.

[hotrod45acp]

i just spoke to del-ton and others mfg they wont any orders for quite a while=cant get any parts from there suppliers

[hotrod45acp]

should read wont accept any order for new kits

[tpelle]

Well, I actually phoned J&T before I placed my order, and the lady I spoke to checked her inventory and said that they had 20" barrels in both chrome-lined and plain chrome moly. I placed my order about an hour later.

My original intent was to buy a 1-7 twist chrome-lined government profile barrel on the rifle, but neither Del-Ton nor Model-1 seemed to have them in stock. I was trying, more for fun than for any practical reason, to get as close to a Marine Corps standard as I could afford. But since I was going to have to accept a 1-9 twist HBAR, I figured why bother with the chrome lining. I mean I'm not expecting to sit through all night ambushes or drag my rifle through a swamp. And at my age (let's just say that an ice cream cone comes with a lifetime guarantee) I'm not planning to ever bug out - I'm more of a bug in kinda guy.

[ParaM25]

I intend to soon buy a "standard" M16A2 rifle kit. I would like a 20 inch government profile barrel, and would like to have it chrome lined, with a 1-7 twist. I don't want to spend a lot of money -I arbitrarily set a $500 to $600 budget. I already have a stripped lower to assemble it on.

DEL-TON can sell me a kit for $490, but they offer only a chrome moly barrel with a 1-9 twist. In addition, all of their barrels have extensions with M4 feed ramps. Probably work OK, but kind of jarring to the sensibilities.

Model 1 Sales has exactly what I am looking for, for $585, but I hear lots of buzz on the net about credit card fraud, and that there are quality issues with small parts and springs and with bolts breaking.

Can anyone suggest another vendor in my price range? Any advice?

http://www.bravocompanyusa.com/AR-15...Group-s/26.htm
Government profile barrel, chrome-lined barrel and chamber, 1 in 7 twist, etc. closest to mil-spec you will find among the commercial manufacturers and you can order a BCM M16 Bolt Carrier Group which is perfectly legal.
The 20 inch upper as described above is $399 - you can't beat that anywhere! Even the type of barrel steel used is mil-spec.

[mdoerner]

I just got a complete A4 upper from Armalite. No waiting. Granted, I picked up my M15A2 NM at Camp Perry last summer, so it made sense to get a matching "boolit hose" from them as well.

Mike Doerner