98Z5V

For that upper, I would build a good lower. First choice would be using a stripped LaRue lower for it ($250). You can complete the rest of it cheaply, and upgrade later as necessary. MagPul MOE stock kit from DSG Arms, toss in a LPK and MOE Pistol grip, and you should be well under $200 there. Something under $450 total, and you're a hell of alot better off for the rifle, and over the Del-Ton lower. <dontknow>

Run that in your rifle stocks, but maintain the same carbine springs for all your stuff, as spares. Maintain as many of one item as you feel you need, instead of maintaining two different one. Run the heavier carbine buffers (available now) in your rifle, as long as they're heavier than the rifle buffer. Same effect as running a CWS, but without the 0.080" extra length of the CWS. You could also run standard carbine buffers, if you needed something lighter than a rifle buffer. Couple different benefits.

Too tough to try to load to mag-length...

If I had to pick one or two of my guns for a hog hunt, I'd take two different calibers: 5.56 and .308. For the 5.56, I'd load some Barnes 70gr TSX rounds, and the .308 would get some Barnes 168gr TSX rounds. Those things are flesh-shredders, and they'll drop anything that needs dropped. I'd keep using the 5.56 70 TSX until it didn't work on something huge, and use that size (that didn't go down) as the size-break for the .308 168 TSX. All "as big or bigger" would be treated to the .308 168 TSX.

Might be a situation where NSS kinda imposed it upon themselves, once they hit the bigtime in shooting sports. They decided, themselves, that they wouldn't sell to neighboring states - so they don't have to fend off the "collective" smaller shops, should those shops go under because of them. I don't know brother, but I can't think of any other reasons than I've already come up with. <dontknow> Getting the word straight from NSS would be the best way to put this to bed. Also - your sample was one. You talked to one local dealer about it. With a true Non-Compete in place, not every single business needs to be involved - just the bigger independent businesses in the immediate vicinity. Just because one dealer doesn't know about it doesn't mean it's not in place - it means that single local business wasn't included in the decision making process prior to implementing it. Don't know what to tell you, brother - something like that is definitely in place, though.

^^^ Like Robo pointed out... Those guys he listed make gas blocks that will line up with the rail height. No special-height front sights necessary (but do not use a MagPul polymer sight on any gas block attachment...). The initial, early gas blocks with Pic rails were lower, and do require a special-height front sight. Definitely something that you have to pay attention to when you're shopping for front sights. "Standard" would be a good product description for a sight to mount on a free float rail, or one of the gas blocks that Robo mentioned. Front sights for a lower-than-rail-height gas blocks will definitely have that in their product description. Here's an example, from Midwest Industries: http://www.midwestindustriesinc.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=category.display&category_id=79

What you're seeing is a "Non-Compete Agreement." Common in many different retail vs. online business ventures, but the first one I've seen in the firearms realm. If that wasn't in place, NSS would end up shutting down many of the smaller independent businesses nearby. Sucks for ya, I hear it, but another way to look at it is this: if that wasn't in place, you wouldn't have many small places nearby, when you need them. <dontknow>

Several Manufacturers do this, and there are specific front sights that are of the proper height to attach to a pic-rail gas block. The Armalite pic-rail gas blocks are some of the finest I've handled - they're good. <thumbsup>

Info on that here: http://308ar.com/forum/dpms-lr-308-general-technical-discussion/dpms-receiver-heights/

I'm a little bit jealous, fred... I've been eye-humping that piece of gear for a long time now. <thumbsup>

I knew that was coming, sooner or later... <lmao>

Did you use a Rock River bolt assembly in this build, by chance? Not the whole BCG, just the bolt...

Good point - in this situation, I think the OP is going to have to take whatever he can get. Find a company that is either international, or skirts around the ITAR in whatever manner they try to do (or both) - that would have to be number one. The follow-on is: what to they carry for inventory? I have a hunch that's why this topic exists - this Thor rifle is the inventory available, under these circumstances.

I'm thinking it's more like we're comparing apples to hammers, here. :o

Here's a list of what you'll be able to shoot through the big-bore AR. This may or may not be all-inclusive - I have no idea how many new calibers, and wildcats, come out everyday... .243 Win .260 Rem 7mm-08 .270 WSM 284Win, 35Rem .257Roberts 7mmWSM .300WSM .325WSM .338WSM .300 Savage .300 Remington Short Magnum .338 Federal .358 Win .450 Marlin .470 Rhino .500 Phantom

Be careful with the .338 caliber option - the only .338 you'll be able to shoot from a .308 AR-based rifle will be .338 Federal. No way in hell will you be able to get a .338 Lapua Magnum in it, let alone shoot it.

Kristian, where are you from?

Here's the best I can make if this. Knesek Guns is an international importer/exporter of firearms. Thor Global Defense Group is a training company. Knesek Guns (the gun brokers) partnered with Thor GDG for their training. Hmmm. As a training company, Thor is definitely not a weapons manufacturer, nor a gunsmith. I might be wrong, but... The Thor guns would obviously be a reciprocal of that gun import/export ~ training partnership, and the Thor guns are built from parts (or are actual guns) that Knesek Guns sells. Somebody tell me if that wouldn't make sense. Knesek Guns: http://www.gun-export.com/ Thor GDG: http://www.thorgdg.com/ Either way, I don't see that particular firearm as something to get excited about. Or any of the Thor firearms, for that matter.

Roger, IMHO, it's better that they're not flush, in the least. I've had a few standard selectors "drag" on the receiver during a build, and they get clearanced. It's a pain, but necessary. I love the fact that yours have a little stand-off, which is even more important if you coat your receivers with anything (Cerakote, Aluma-Hyde II, Duracoat, Krylon, etc.). You've done extremely well in the design, and I truly hope there aren't people out there that have an issue with the lever not being flush. If that's the case, and they are out there, then they're just not understanding the intended design. Excellent piece of equipment. <thumbsup>

I've already got 20 x LR20 Pmags for a DPMS-based .308 AR, and just don't want to start over on a new mag collection. If I've got two rifles that share the same mag, then I'm already ahead or the curve. I'd only have to load one type of magazine, and not worry about which one to grab for each specific rifle. Just a convenience thing for me, really - not so much a platform preference.

No worries, I'll give them a call tomorrow about it, and come back in here with the results. <thumbsup>

Aaaaah, didn't know you had the piston system already - midlength, sub 16" 300BLK barrel... From what I've read, I don't think that'll work so well.

Is mag compatability strictly Armalite? If it has the DPMS mag compatability in the design, I'll take it. I searched the JD website, and they only say that this platform is coming (not posted that it's available yet - so they just don't have the details up yet, on there).

Just an assumption here... :o If that barrel is properly constructed, and it'll cycle a DI system, then it's gonna cycle the piston system that Mega uses. Like SS said - gas port size.

Nice build, man, and good job. <thumbsup> You'll notice the Magpul grip leaves a little lip right at the trigger guard - that will bother you down the road, especially on a heavy round-count day. That's easy to get rid of, and it's one of the first things I did to mine. There are details in this thread, here: http://308ar.com/forum/dpms-lr-308-general-technical-discussion/lr308-self-build/