ripper51

I'm in El Paso, Far West Texas. Not in New Mexico or the PDRM. I shoot usually at Ft Bliss Rod and Gun Club. Sometimes I make the trip up to Capitan for their High Power matches. My High Power Matches occur on the second Sunday of each month at 830am or 9am starting time, Range 9 FBR&G. 200 and 300 walk and paste. Practice session there can go out to 600yds or switch to Range 5 and ring the gong at 1000yds.

Had some help cleaning up the stock trigger parts. Once I cleaned it completely of everything I then lubed it sparingly. Smoothed out tremendously. Rifle went back and forth because it was under warranty and I'm cheap-rather have them fix the problem. Out of warranty now so I work it and learn as I go. DPMS still is very responsive via email and was probably more than patient with me originally. I talked to a number of gunsmiths at WOA, Colts, and others. While I am sure they could fix all the problems they would find, upselling me to their particular models/brands just isn't in my financial future. Nice folks all though. Trying now to find a compatible A2 NM rear sight for the LR308 carry handle. One that sits lower than the one in place but still attaches to the carry handle. Also browsing the 'net looking for a vented full size free float tube that won't break the bank. Can't believe how much folks want for a free float tube with longitudinal slots for cooling. Have had this for over a year and it has less than 200rds thru it. Oh well, now for a break in the weather so I can see where to go next.

Here it is November. Most of the problems were me. Never mix magazines. Front sight blade will stick up beyond ears when installed correctly as detachable carry handle with A2 rear sight sits higher. Can't get rear sight down any further so front sight post has to go up. Free float tube has to be tightened to nth-inch/ft lbs or it will spin free causing loose barrel as well. Trigger always will be rough with cosmoline/packing grease still on parts, gathering sand and grit. Cleaning it all off smoothed things out considerably. Extractor will break if steel case ammo used- sheesh. Sighting in using 168 grain practice loads guarantees a splatter pattern. The list was endless. Lucky I didn't have anywhere to go this summer or fall. Now I have to wait for a decent day to bench and sled the beast at 25,50,100 and 200yds to make sure I got it all together right. Receiver upper and lower are still cherry and seem patient with me. I'll sacrifice chickens, goats, cattle you name it just to appease the laughing gods of DPMS. Can't find virgins around here anymore. Good solid rifle though. Think I'll keep it just to annoy the feds.

It is now Aug 2013. I have free floated the barrel with a DPMS part. DPMS has had the rifle back twice to fix the front sight. They did make a valiant effort. I have replaced front sight post with an extended post- it was bent- came that way from the supplier; have replaced it with a NM sight which I really liked: couldn't get it up far enough to stop shooting the pigeons overhead- seriously it was way over at 100, slightly over at the target at 200 and 5 ring 12 o'clock at 300, x ring 12 o'clock at 600. No wind, all FGGM 175's, shot from prone with a sling. I am trying to get another "extended" post front sight since that is required with this model LR 308 Classic. It has the A3 receiver but has the detachable A2 handle and rear sight. I disassembled the rear sight and handle, cleaned it up, put an NM hood and aperture on, greased, re-assemble and voila the centering issue went away. When I get the extended front sight post, I will carefully mill it down to .050 NM specs(I think).

I normally don't wade in, but this time....... I had some Hornady 155 Steel that I tried in my LR308 Classic. Broke the extractor, twice. Have since consigned the ammo to a bolt gun and treat the LR308 to FGMM 168's. I am NOT saying don't use it. Just warning of what I went thru.

Tried an 800pt XTC NRA High Power Match this past weekend with this. First relay had no wind, good scores. I was second relay.. What I originally thought was a dust devil turned into a steady 25knot wind that swirled, shifted, stopped, started and switched. Try off hand with a LR308 that you really haven't shot before. It makes you wish you had practiced more. By the time I got to 300 rapid, I was laughing so hard, I couldn't see thru the tears. Had ammo problems, mag problems, FTF, FTE and the trigger was erractic in let off. I stopped at 300, packed up as the DPMS gods were telling me something I just couldn't decipher. Finally sunk in. Want to be good at a match? Practice with the rifle you plan to use. Had no problems the day before with my M1A and shot really well. Guess I need to spend some time with this beast and tame it. Trigger Problems anyone?

For later, the responses indicted just go for it. I found a little judiciously applied heat from a benzene torch helped. Then the pins popped. Warning- I just watched a friend mangle his front gas block and sights by not using a plastic block and a vise to prevent the force of tapping out the pins from twisting the A2 front sight and gas block. Use the proper tools, unless like me you belong to the Wiley Coyote School of Gunsmithing.

It now has been a bit since repairs were done. DPMS mailed me a new extractor. I also took the liberty of laying in a spare parts kit. Then I free floated the upper with a DPMS free float sleeve. Simple. It really is like working on an oversize AR15. I had things tight and drilled out the hole for the swivel stud. Red loctited. At two hundred yards, prone, slinged(sp?) up, the rifle and I punched out the X ring with 20 rounds slow fire. Now, I had reworked the bent front sight- turned out they use a much longer front sight so standard front sight adjustment tools don't work. They sell one though and so does Brownells. I put a standard NM AR15 front site in and mec zero'd again before trying anything. Then found what looked like a crack in the receiver. NDT'd it with dye. Yup looks like a crack. Started to ship it off via original dealer. Took it to a foundry instead and they repeated a non-destructive dye penetration test. I felt foolish when it came back as passed. We checked the line the other NDT dye left and discovered it was a fluke. Bottom line: I have a shooter. DPSM re-taught me a little patience and humility. I now push DPMS, and warn folks about a 3 week wait minimum until their warranty folks can get to it.

I have broken two extractors. The first by using Hornady 155gr all steel cases, the second using Wolf. I now only consume domestic

Ok, free float tube installed and torqued-check Sling stud installed and loctited- check green OD canvas GI sling installed- check 175g FGMM ammo loaded- check 1 SRC target installed at 200 yards. Check zero- 2rds into the X- check 20 rounds into the x, prone with sling at 200 yds- check. We have a shooter. Iron sights, this puppy just shot 600yds, 22 rds 199-15x, and 200 yds offhand 199-13x. Going back out this weekend with the electronic targets at 200,300 and 600 to see if I can psyche myself out some more.

Has to go around this http://www.brownells.com/rifle-parts/stock-forend-parts/forends-handguards/308-ar-free-float-tubes-prod45306.aspx Or drill into bottom

Heavy barrel. Not standard. I ended up with it but DPMS confirms it shipped this way. Supposedly so I could convert gas blocks<?????> Just put a Free float tube on it. Now need to find the sling set up that looks kinda like a hose clamp with a 1 1/2 sling swivel under. Goes around the free float tube.

Have those already. Thanks.

It was pinned. Calling White Oak in morning. And thanks to all. I am determined to make this as close to an M-110 as is possible.

Worked fine with the rear pin. Front pin is taking some persuading. Thanks.

It may already have the set screws. Hard to tell under the gobs of rifle finish.

A2 front sight and gas block, A3 rails with handguard and A2 sights rear. Am putting a free float tube on it. Most AR15's you just pop the pins forward of the handguards. Pics attached. It looks like this one has a bead or two on top of the screws or pins. How do you get these off and out, Thanks in advance

with A2 front sight and gas block, A3 rails with handguard and A2 sights rear. Am putting a free float tube on it. Most AR15's you just pop the pins forward of the handguards. Pics attached. It looks like this one has a bead or two on top of the screws or pins. How do you get these off and out, Thanks in advance

This has become one of the funniest and unfun episodes I have had with a rifle since I first started repairing them some 40 years ago. The rifle went back twice. Each time it waited 7-10 business days before they started a one day process of inspect, fix, return. The first time, they claimed to have sent me a brand new replacement upper. Might have been believable except I had stamped an "ms" in the bolt raceway of the receiver. I had also changed out the original sights for a Bob Jones set and back to original, so it left a couple of tool marks. Unless they retained the original detachable handpiece. And I had left a piece of onionskin paper in the handguards from when I was inspecting tolerance. The second time for a bent over front sight post resulted in them straightening the post and vice gripping the top of the gas block. Now the extractor broke. I went outside to see if any of those dark clouds were hanging over- nope.

One of the reasons why I went with DPMS was I liked the 556 models and was impressed by one of you all that had the Lr308 when I was at Capitan this past year. New Mexico, yes. I had tried an AR10 by Armalite and wasn't fond of being nose-pounded. Also tried a couple of others and settled on this one. When it shoots, it is magnificent, but I am beginning to believe this was a hang-over Monday or a just before a holiday Friday produced rifle. DPMS has promised me a replacement extractor, but given their past performances, I hedged my bets and ordered spares from Midway. Hoping this turns out better. May give white Oak a call.

The saga continues. Set targets at 200 yds- SRC Hi power type. Put LR308 in LeadSLed and commenced to shoot 5 rd groups, then 10 round groups. No wind, groups were all over. It appeared barrel was dancing. Took off handguards, checked barrel- it was HOT!!!! naturally. Barrel was loose. Tightened everything I could think of.Checked alignment for gas flow- OK. Tried 10 shot groups. Cloverleaf holes in X . Got excited. If 147/150 gr M80 Military would do that, what would 168 SMK in federal Gold Medal do? Loaded Mag with 20 rd with intent of 2 10 round groups. First round an X, and a jam, first round did not extract. Cleared, tried again, again a jam after round fired. Not extracting. Took bolt apart, well lubed with BreakFree, as was rest of rifle, bolt cycling just no extraction taking place due to broken extractor- lip sheared off clean. Called DPMS- they will send extractor. Ordered free float tube, extractor and spring from Midway- it'll be here tomorrow.Midway says they have a lot of orders for LR308 extractors and replacement bolts. Checked Brownells who confirms the same. Asked DPMS if they were having a problem, and the answer was...... not much. Someone is fibbing. The indications I have are the following: 1. "we replaced your entire upper as the barrel was twisted." If so, the marks I made when disassembling the rear sights and front sights must have been copied over to the new upper. Also the underside of the bolt carriageway had a dimpled letters "MS" they copied over as well. 2. "We straightened and fixed everything." And then shipped me an upper with a front sight post bent over and front sight ears pinched together by vice grips. 3. " we spent x-hours gunsmithing to fix the front sight and ears". And then shipped me back an upper with a loose barrel. My trust, respect and etc have dimmed considerably. I'll fix this rifle and correct it's issues before I sell it but I will sell it, and will suggest folks look elsewhere for quality AR's in 308.

Range results. wind zero to 5 from 9 o'clock. Temp 67, humidity 23%. Time 0900 local, shadow on target - 100% Sun at 1 O'clock in my face. 5 rounds Magtech 150gr FMJ 11 o'clock 7 ring, group .74inch. 25 yrds. Looked like a five leaf clover. Using my trusty 1/8 punch to hold down the pin, I changed the front sight rotating opposite UP. About 5 complete revolutions which should have moved it 2.5 inches down after shooting 5 shot groups each time and moving the front sight, I finally got it at 9 o'clock 9 ring. Moved rear windage over the equivalent of two inches. 8 clicks. Punched the center out. Repeated with 168 Sierra Match Kings from Hornady and Federal. Low of course by about 1 inch but still in 10 ring. Moved target to 100 yds. 150gr Magtech opened a little but now about 1.5 inch high. 168 punched out center of target. Tried 175 GMM. 2.5 inch low groups between 7 and 5 o'clock. Probably was my shifting my elbow. Moved over to 200 yds range. Using Sr Target prone with sling groups were slightly opened to about 3". X's and 10's with all. Still have an issue being about 6 clicks right of center for mechanical zero, but it won't get addressed by DPMS I feel in my lifetime. Next step is to free float tube, handguards and barrel then try again. I was using the sling with moderate but not heavy tension and do not believe it wil affect twist or barrel. Free floating removes that. Still debating sending it back to DPMS again but probably not worth my expense of shipping. Think I'll clean it up and sell it.

OK found copy of target DPMS enclosed as proof they had test fired. Ragged grouping spread over about 4 inches at 11 o'clock outside their rings, If this is at 100 yards or even 25 yards, the original problem still exists- the rear windage will be all the way over to the right against the rail on the right and will leave no windage adjustments. Hope someone from DPMS reads all this. This isn't looking good for them. Going to the range now and will post my results.

Shipped it back again. Received it back again. Repair order said they replaced the front assembly and front sight. Talked with them- Mike- and it appears the barrel was twisted when screwed in - not timed correctly in my armorer's language. While they said they provided a new upper, an examination shows a couple of my marks from my first time disassembling it. I installed a Bob Jones rear hooded sight with aperture and lens, then trued up the installation to zero the rear. Took it to Capitan and at 200 yards it was at 11 o'clock outside the 5 ring, 5 shots in a 2 inch group. Tried using the front sight first to lower elevation. Could not get it to move. Used all 4 of the A2 sight tool I have but it appeared the legs were too short to reach the plunger stop pin and the notches in the base. It appears I have a long or extended front A2 sight. I will be replacing it with a NM front sight post. In emails back and forth, we pretty much agree the sight in there is extended and I need one of the tools that have a hole all the way thru. Frustrating to wait on the back and forth shipping that goes ground UPS. I Fedexed it the last time overnight to them. I am NOt being super critical as I do understand it is hunting season, and just about everyone is trading for DPMS . Keeps them employed and happy but cuts down on the service ability. I also understand that they have some torrential downpours this time of year which keeps them from test firing until the frogs stop drowning. Overall I am back to where I was when I started this thread. Looks like I'll do the repairs and replace the front post. I am trying to keep it in the A2 config so as to be consided a service rifle when I am competing.

I can fix the problem with a replacement sight post or if need be, replace the entire front sight assembly. Just sad that they didn't do it right. Of course some would say I brought it on by my early criticism. <dontknow>