CactusRos

Yes, used to that. Lake City m80 brass comes that way; RCBS makes the cure: a swaging set that smooths everything out.

Late to the party again -- the few FFL's around here that will handle a transfer generally want about $40. That pushes the price up to $120 (plus shipping?) A QD308 (DPMS compatible) 80% from Quentin Defense runs $99 (plus shipping), and the box comes with an abbreviated blueprint showing just the work that remains to be done. If one has adequate tooling (I have an MD30 "bench" mill) then no jig is required. There's also something to be said for the satisfaction of DIY and getting exactly what one wants.

Dunno about detergents, but nearly all ATFs have "friction improvers" to make the clutches and bands grab better. The notable exception is type "F", for old Ford (pre-1977) transmissions, which is the recommended ATF (combined with full-synthetic motor oil) for home-brew gun lubricants. I've even used Nissan Matic-S, which is green. Why use ATF? The ATFs - as with the power steering fluids - have a higher level of anti-oxidants, which could be helpful if one has to lug the weapon around in wet weather. Does it make any significant difference? Dunno, I've only been using them for about 30 years. One thing: they all have an obvious "ATF" odor. I don't use my "custom" gun oil in my hunting rifle. G-96 synthetic has no noticeable (to me) odor.

Dunno about "better", but U.S. made m80 ball is a good starting point - usually it's about 20-30% less than commercial. If that feeds well, then try some U.S. made soft points, such as Federal Power-point or Hornady Fusion. After that, you can move on to finding what groups best in your rifle. Remember to get small-base sizing dies if you're going to try handloading for an AR/SR. Beware of foreign-made "surplus" 7.62 NATO. Some can be very good, like the Taiwanese stuff I got in the '80s, but most is QA fallouts that won't meet NATO specs for velocity and pressure. Plus most will be Berdan primed, and once it's been fired, it's only good for melting down into belt buckles.

> (I read that if you order the barrel & BCG from them they will do the head space for you.) Is this something that is difficult to do if I have to get it done separately? If the bolt headspaces correctly, it is easy; it will just cost you the price of two gauges ("go" and "no go"). If not, it can be a pain, mailing back and forth until you get one that works. In that case, more than likely you'll end up sending the barrel in to get the bolt matched anyway. Might as well get it done up front. That notwithstanding, I have had minimal issues with mix and match of DPMS spec'd components, e.g. my Ares Armor bolt headspaced fine on my DPMS barrel. > -DPMS Buffer Tube, the standard ar15 size is the correct one right? For a "rifle" (A2 type) butt stock, DPMS does sell a 308 (LR308) specific kit. Could be that only the spring and buffer are different. I have both; I'll check tomorrow. Best regards.

Um, and just WHO has the attitude? It wasn't me that started with the vulgar language. And you resort to it often, it appears. Moreover, I'm still waiting to see an entry on this board where you actually offered any useful information to anyone. The more I read, the more surprised I expect to be, should I actually find one.

That's just the point, I have been trying to learn more about Mega. That's why I came to this thread, among other places. Net result? Precisious little useful information - just like in post (#10). They say their barrels are made "under the strict supervision ...", which translates as: someone else makes them. Who? Are their barrels - priced about 70% of known decent barrels (e.g. Rainier) - any good? If you have personal experience with them, fine - tell me. If not, you're engaging in so much hand-waving.

Better clean your shoes, because they prevaricated all over your foot. I have TAC-10 lower, marked "multi". Center-to-center spacing between the pivot pin hole and the takedown pin hole is 0.020" longer than a standard DPMS part (I used Ares Armor and Quentin Defense parts for comparison. To make someone else's upper fit, one could do the same thing they did on their PA10 upper - oblong the takedown pin hole in the upper (theirs is .280" hight x .304 wide), but then one would still have a .050" gap between the back of the upper and the buffer tube ring on the lower. I chose to buy their upper and their LPK. Why their internals? Because (1) their pivot pin boss is wider than DPMS - theirs needs a longer pin; (2) complaints (verified with parts from a CMMG LPK) that the width of their bolt catch slot is unique. Also, if you want to use a forward assist, plan on using their bolt carrier which has M16 style serrations all the way back, because their assist isn't built into the case deflector like most. I'm just going to pin a Delrin plug into it. Now I'm just waiting for the next anvil to drop, when my barrel comes in. Will I also need to get PSA's bolt carrier to fit their longer receiver? Will a bolt that headspaces with my DPMS barrel fit PSA's BC? Oh, and their trigger/sear parts are going to need some serious work to get a decent, non-creapy release. I would NOT recommend starting an x51 (as in 7.62x51, but including .243Win, 7-08, .308Win & .358Win) build from a PSA platform. If you like their stuff, buy the whole rifle [and plan on buying all your spares from them.]

Well, I guess that would also disqualify Bergara (Spain), too, wouldn't it? It still leaves the question who makes their barrels? Or, at least, who has some solid experience with their AR barrels? For the price - $210 - I don't mind 2 < 1 MOA, but I'd like to know if they can deliver that consistently, barrel to barrel.

I've wondered about that. Bergara is well known for match-grade barrels. On the other hand, Mega's site and that of the two sites I've found that carry Mega's barrels carry the following message: "Manufactured under the strict supervision of Mega Arms." Normally, a message like that sets a red flag for me: "manufactured WHERE? China? Philippines?" I can't imagine Bergara needing (or even allowing) outside "strict supervision" of their production. Then again, maybe the message is just marketing hype.

Seems more accurate to say that there are no blueprints in circulation for the M110. And only because no one has seen fit to reverse-engineer them and distribute. Dunno if KAC has any patents that prevents copying some small features, but those are only sidewise to my point: PSA advertises that they "can't guarantee" the their components will work with those from other manufacturers. What they should say is that they guarantee that theirs won't work with anyone else's. They are deliberately made to a different spec. Components that are truly "DPMS pattern" should actually be fully compatible with other DPMS components. Not that hard to do. For example, an Ares Armor upper will mate almost perfectly with a Quentin Defense lower - the pivot and take-down pins slide right in - both are truly "DPMS pattern".

I've seen this said before. Actually there is an "official" spec for a 7.62 NATO AR type rifle: it's the M110 Semi-automatic Sniper Rifle, which is essentially a Knight's Armament SR25 (which is most nearly approximated by the DPMS pattern.) The problem is that many mfgrs don't care to follow it. PSA seems to be a particulary egregious offender in this regard. Maybe some day one will be able to buy "Mil-spec" components for a .308 AR the way one can now for the 5.56/.223 version. In the meantime, "DPMS pattern" should be taken only to mean that it can use the same magazines.

One data point: I bought a second-hand PTAC lower. I wish I'd seen this thread before making the purchase. When my Ares Armor upper arrived, I discovered that there is a .050" gap between the end of the upper and its "mating" surface on the lower. The Ares upper fits perfectly with a Quentin Defense lower. I later bought a PA-10 upper on sale, plus a PSA lower parts kit, in hopes that I can end up with a working rifle (I can't, in good conscience, re-sell the lower to another sucker.) I'll post how the PSA upper works out with my Ares BCG. I suspect that the BCG will be .050" short.

Okay, this thread has gone a little stale, but an open-carry demonstration at Phoenix Sky Harbor just ticks me off! http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2014/09/03/sky-harbor-airport-gun-details-report-abrk/15053753/ This guy would have been fine except he violated my #1 rule: muzzle control - know where the muzzle is pointing and don't let it point at anything you're not willing to see destroyed. I see this kind of guy in the gun shops every time I visit one. He's handed a gun for inspection and is soon sweeping everyone else at the counter. If you are going to "open carry", for heaven's sake do it responsibly.

I am an ex-patriot Californian of 19 years. I live in Mesa, but if I'd had my ducks lined up I would have moved to the Verde Valley (Clarkdale, Cottonwood, Camp Verde.) Mesa is physically huge, much like the City of San Diego, so there are lots of neighborhoods. A few should be avoided, you can pretty much tell as you drive through. Lots of new neighborhoods going in around (3 mile radius) what was Williams AFB [now "Phoenix - Mesa Gateway Airport" (KIWA)]. Mesa is the only city in the area that does not tax groceries. From my house - more or less the middle of Mesa - it's 24 miles to downtown Phoenix; 17 miles to Phoenix Sky Harbor airport (KPHX); Intel's FAB plants in Chandler are 10 and 16 miles away; Micron's FAB is 11 miles; Mesa has a large number of industrial employers, including but certainly not limited to: ATK, Boeing (AH64 Apache), and Empire Cat (sales and service - including major machine work - of Caterpiller equipment). Gilbert is an upscale version of Mesa. If you liked Orange County in the 1950s and 60s, you'll feel right at home.