DocLarsen

Thanks! That is what I suspected, but could not verify it. So, if comes down to it, then I'll shim if necessary. Hopefully, when everything is torqued down properly, it won't be an issue or I'll have to go the other way and can lap parts as survivalshop described in Matt's thread on installing a VTAC here . DocLarsen

Parts 7, 101 and 32 above come together in the Delta pack (DPMS part no. 308-BL-09D): Delta Pack includes, delta ring (32), weld spring(101) and weld spring snap ring(7) for the 308.

I am almost embarrassed to ask these questions, but I have searched until I'm about to pull my hair out, so here goes: Weld Spring and C Clip are shown on AR-15 drawings, but I have seen them only in a DPMS parts kit on 308s. The DPMS schematics don't show them for the SASS, which is the barrel I'm using. Are these used only on standard, barrel supported handguards? On several FF installs, I have seen no mention of them. The reason I am asking is that my FFHG is turning about 120º past the rail lining up and thought that these might make the difference if needed. What is the barrel nut thread size for DPMS? for Armalite? I know that I read this somewhere on the forum, but for the life of me, I can't find it no matter how cleverly I try to word my searches. If I get shims for the above problem, I want to make sure I get the proper size. Hopefully this will help someone else who is new to ARs find this information. DocLarsen

VC, Welcome aboard. The more and more experienced brains the merrier !! DocLarsen

imschur, JSE has both listed, the one for the mini SASS and the .936 for the .308 SASS. Luckily, for me, they are out of stock on the .750; otherwise, sure as shootin', I'd a got the wrong one :o. I'd be happy to get dimensions when the stuff gets here. DocLarsen

I just pulled the trigger on a 18" SASS barrel and SASS Gas Block and the new SASS handguard. I am just shickled titless <lmao> and can't wait for it to arrive!! Should get here Friday or Saturday, Monday at the latest. I just couldn't see hasseling with something else; I had saved enough $$ in other places so that the $90 from JSE for the SASS gas block was doable and, with the new DPMS handguard, I'll have plenty of rail for my purposes. I'll be starting a build thread soon LOL ;D I went to the local gun shop/FFL yesterday and got to play with a couple of their ARs and have been bouncing around like a school girl ever since; couldn't wait to put my order in this morning. DocLarsen

Its not on the DPMS Store site yet, but if you google 308-FFSASS you'll find it at a couple of places: Midway, Parts 4 AR15.com, and maybe others. JSE Surplus also has it and told me about it. For those who don't want 4 full rails, this is the ticket. It appears to be about the same price as their 4 rail SASS handguard, but I haven't seen a low and high version, so I am guessing its for the new A3 type upper. DocLarsen

I am very interested in the outcome of this discussion; I am sitting on the fence trying to decide between a 18" SASS and a 24" fluted barrel. Has anyone come to actual bottom of this issue? If so, I'd really like to know! DocLarsen

I'm having a helluva time trying to decide on a free float hand guard. I really don't want a quad-rail and I don't know what I'd do with all of those rails if I had them. I would like something that I could mount one, maybe two, 2-4" rails on and that will not trap a bunch of heat inside a closed tube. Now hear is the kicker, the thought of spending $200 or more is just kicking my hind end all up and down the road! The Apex System (if it was about ½ the price) looks like exactly what I am looking for. I like that it has a sturdy, not ugly, eccentric clamp onto the barrel nut (as opposed to replacing it), but at $193 its making my tight Norwegian butt pucker. DocLarsen

How did those MagPul MOE handguards work out for you guys?? The wording on the MagPul site was a little ambiguous in that it made it sound like they were made for piston guns and not gas, but I think it was saying that it would work on either. What did surprise me was that it DID sound like they were not floating! I guess that isn't too big of a deal with a carbine length gun, but with rifle length, IMHO, a full floating foreguard is what I would want. DocLarsen

I called a buddy of mine who is a chemical engineer and somewhat of a metallurgist (he makes knifes) to ask him about barrels. When he found out it was for an AR, at the end of our conversation, he said, "By the way, if you ever think about getting one of those high dollar triggers, check out Bill Springfield first." He knows how I am always trying to figure out a way to get top quality AND save a buck. He said that this Springfield fellow can take a so-so trigger and make it feel a lot like the high dollar ones. I put a lot of stock in my buddy's opinion, so his recommendation is good enough for me. You, on the other hand, may want to file it under "for what it's worth." DocLarsen

TacBlade or anyone else who knows, It is my understanding that JP's bolt should work with any DPMS or DPMS compatible barrel extension. In case of a barrel bought from anyone other than DPMS, is checking with a NO-GO gauge the only sure fire way to know if the bolt/extension combination is OK? If so, I think I'll just go ahead and order one from Sinclair. I checked them out the other day and the Forster Go/No Go/Field headspace gauges cost something like $22 each; sounds like cheap insurance to me. DocLarsen

TacBlade, I can't wait to hear what you think about it and how long it takes to get it! DocLarsen

I really wanted a BCG that was made from something other than phosphated steel AND that supported the forward assist/dust cover. It also had to come in a semi-automatic format. So far the only thing that I have found that fits the bill is JP's JPBC-4BA From JP's website: "Complete bolt carrier assembly with JPBC-4 .308 Low Mass Carrier and JPEB-308 JP EnhancedBolt™ with cam pin, firing pin and firing pin retainer. This kit is only compatible as a complete unit when used in a DPMS LR-308 or equivalent. Not for use in Bushmaster, Rock River or Armalite .308-type rifles. For police tactical duty or any application where absolute reliability is the main criteria, we have our TOS™ or Tactical Operating System with 416 stainless steel special design carrier that includes forward assist serrations and a dust cover notch. The bore of the JP stainless carriers has a roller burnished finish for frictionless operation with no chance of peeling chrome as in standard mil-spec carriers. The exterior bearing surfaces are hand polished. When properly lubricated, both systems make your rifle feel like it was cycling on ball bearings. Both the [low mass] and the [high mass] carriers feature a 100% increase in bearing surface for smoother operation and improved alignment and lower wear in the upper receiver. Both are M15 semi auto configuration in the rear with the mil-spec longer cocking pad in the front for best reliability. This is hands-down the best designed and highest quality general purpose carrier on the market. Sold as carrier with installed key or as a compete assembly for .308 w/ the EnhancedBolt and EnhancedBolt Assembly Kit." Price: $440 (439.95) A savings of $100 over components bought individually! DocLarsen

I was just on FA's website and the only chromed BCG that I saw for .308 was with the side cock option. Will this BCG work with a charger handle/forward assist/dust cover DPMS upper??

Hope that you don't meet many like this! -DocLarsen

FYI: Printable Targets are no longer available on scribd. DocLarsen

Tac, PM or email me anytime. Also check out www.gt40s.com a buddy of mine runs it and its been around a long time. You can find just about anything that's worth knowing about GT40s there. DocLarsen

Google search on AR and .308 I too am glad I found this site. How'd we get by with out the internet?? DocLarsen

Hey .308 AR fans, My screen name, DocLarsen, comes from the fact that I was a hospital corpsman in the Navy. I was a surgical ICU tech from '72-'74 and an aviation physiology tech from '74-'76. (That should give you a rough clue of how old I am.) I don't really consider myself a gun-a-holic, but I did start shooting when I was around 8 in the boy scouts and took my first NRA gun safety class then. I've been around hunting and fishing all of my life and really love the outdoors. Other than one deer taken with a 30-30 lever action, I have always carried a .308 when I was deer hunting. I have a Savage Arms .308 bolt action that I use now, so when I decided that I wanted to get an AR style rifle for self defense, fun shooting and just the hell of it, a .308 was just a natural choice for me. It just makes sense to me to have my rifles in the same caliber and I view the .308 as the best all around caliber out there. In addition to the deer gun, I have a couple of 12 ga. pump shotguns: 30" full choke and 28" modified cyl., a Ruger 10/22 (which I am thinking about outfitting like an AR), and a Ruger Super Blackhawk 7½" in 44mag. But like I mentioned, I decided that I needed a couple of self defense type guns. In addition to the AR, I am also looking to get a concealable semiautomatic pistol in .40 S&W with a barrel >3" and <4". There are several that fit the bill, but I haven't decided which one yet. Like I said in the Revolver thread, I love my Blackhawk and how accurate that it is for me, but its just to much iron (stainless actually) to conveniently carry a lot of the time. I have always loved the look of the AR and the utility of the gun just can't be denied. At some point, I'd like to put a green laser on both the AR and .40 I have always been able to shoot well with iron sights and would like the AR to be configured so that I can use both open sights and a scope, but I am just no sure how usable that sort of set up would be. That is one of the many things I am hoping to learn by participating on this forum. Another big thing for me is picking the good products from the junk. My brother in law who is into guns (just sold his pawn shop a little over a year ago) didn't exactly fill me with confidence when he said, "They're not noted for great accuracy without modifications. The ones I've shot gave me about an 8" pattern at 100yds. You could see the barrel bounce after it heated. I'd rather spend more and get a Sako TRG 21 or 22." Now, I am not looking for a match gun, but if I see 3 people coming at 4-500 yds who mean me or mine no good, I want to be able to make sure its one-on-one by the time they're where I am. I think I've already got the answer to another question I had: I am an engineer and tinkerer and I've already built a car, so I am not afraid of building a rifle from components if that made economic sense. But, from a post to another nubee, it sounds like one is better off to buy a basic gun close to what you want and then modify it to exactly what you want. That sounds good to me, but which one to buy is now the question. Its seems like DPMS and Armalite seem to the favorites here. The one big difference I've noted between those to is that the DPMS upper is machined from extruded alum and the Armalite is a forged piece; is a forged upper important? The other thing I noted was the DPMS had chrome moly barrels and Armalite had chrome lined barrels; which is better? I know the chrome lining was the change they made so that the guns wouldn't jamb when dirty and hot. Are these differences enough to justify the difference in cost? I want to get a good gun, but sometimes you can spend stupid money for things that, while technically better, are just not that important to a regular guy who doesn't enter serious match shooting. I'd really like to learn where that point of diminishing returns is with the AR. Personally, I am good Lutheran like a lot of my fellow Norwegians. I've worked for GTE, Lockheed-Martin and IBM (retired 1½ yrs ago) as a computer engineer (USF/Tampa class of '90.) I grew up in northern California, yes I am an old hippie, and moved to Florida in '67 where, other than my stint in the Navy, I was in the citrus business until '87. I'm married and we have got 3 grown sons (36-32) and a daughter who just started college this year. I'll attach a picture of the GT40 that I built. (Ford 302, Porsche transaxle, Corvette brakes and hubs and a myriad of parts from other cars and the aftermarket.) I look forward to shootin' the bull with you all! DocLarsen

Hey guys, I haven't intro'ed yet, well I did, but timed out before I saved and lost it all. I will redo it soon. I only have one pistol at the moment: my beloved blackhawk 44mag. I love this gun it is powerful and accurate, but not very concealable. I am looking to get a concealable .40 S&W soon and the get my CCW. There are several smallish (3.5") automatics that I am considering. Seems like someone comes out with another one on a weekly basis. SeaDoc