is there anywhere out there that actually doesnt have a waiting list? i've found several $500 everything but the stripped lower kits that i liked but all have a ungodly wait time of 6wks-6months. is there anywhere that actually has them NOW in that price range??

This may not help you, since you need it right away. But, I think del-ton is getting close to catching up with orders. Last I read, they have started or finishing up September orders. Maybe give them a call and see what the wait is like.

as soon as you go to their site the first thing that pops up is a page saying 12-16 weeks wait on the rifle kits. heres a quote


the only reason i want it now is the cash is burning a hole in my pocket and im tempted to buy a new savage .17 hmr with target stock and stainless varmint varrel.

Kit companies are all behind in their orders because they are the last people to get parts. You can get parts faster than they do because the kit companies only pay so much for their parts and the manufacturers have better paying customers right now. Only when the manufacturers start having overstock will the kit companies completely catch up.


There is one exception that should be a little faster: http://jtdistributing.net/store/kits_all.html

They are owned by the same company as Double Star and so they have in-house supply.

If you don't see what you like then give them a call. They can put together just about any kit combo.

I totally understand. This is what was posted on delton's ar15 forum

"We just started September's orders with builds. There are things that we are waiting on from other manufacturers that are holding up some of your builds; gas blocks, stocks, handguards, even grips. We still aren't being given ETAs on shipments. We are being told with most, that it shouldn't be long. We are working on barrels are hard as we can. If your order has been marked backordered and you are willing to change something, just call the sales department. They can give you your options.


Thanks for the patience everyone!!
Laura "

It took me 7 months and 10 days for my kit to ship. But I ordered right at the peak of demand and was willing to wait to save a few bucks.

I got my upper from from blackthorne in less than a week. http://www.blackthorneproducts.com/

that place is where i'd go with but it seems they dont have .223 which i'd really like. seems like ally they have anywhere that has them now is 5.56 i've never even heard of half the other calibers

is there any advantage to 5.56? is the ammo harder to find?

how was the quality? they have some damn fine prices.

is 5.56 the same as .223? seems like it but i thought they were different i think i may be buying a kit from there

this one
16" bull barrel varmint

i phoned the local gun shop today and they say they have a colt ar15 stripped lower for $149. that should go well togather right?

This post has been edited by .17hmr Outlaw: October 29th 2009 11:57 PM

5.56 is basically the same but is pressured higher so if you buy 5.56 you can shoot any 5.56/.223 ammo but if you got a .223 chamber you could only safely shoot .223 due to the higher pressures of 5.56. The colt lower should work, I'm not sure but I think all of the newers have the small pin holes. As for quality, everything was nice tight and straight. I'm very happy with my upper from them.

okay I've decided on this rifle kit:
16" stainless bull barrel flat top rifle kit

and i think i want to mount either a 3-9x40 scope or maybe this 3-12x40 scope:
3-12x40 bsa "sweet .223" scope


to do that do i really need this riser thing and is it going to cause accuracy issues? i prefer steel mounts
riser mount for a3 upper

also is there a cheap open sight that will mount on the flat top till i can afford the scope and mounts? just something to get me shooting for a couple of weeks.

In addition to the differences in pressure, the case dimensions are also a little different between 5.56 and .223.

It is very minute, but still significant.

So a 5.56 chamber is just slightly larger vs. a .223 or .223 Wylde, thus it is safe to shoot the .223 round in a 5.56 chamber, but not safe to shoot the 5.56 round in a .223 chamber.

also if it will halp with recomendations my main uses for this gun is to have a fun gun for the range. mainly. paper targets out to 100yds and steel rams n chickens and "gong"s out to 300.

also the occasional "hey man im bored lets go shoot some shi*t" dont worry im only talking eggs, cans of soda, things like that.

what are some things i may want to add to this kit in the future to make it more enjoyable?

just out of curiosity what kind of groups should i expect at 100yds with this setup? as for experience I've just started shooting at the range but have spent the past 2 PA small game hunting seasons blowing squirrels apart with a .17hmr with a 3-9x40 my longest kill shot was around 100-120yds in a sitting position resting on my knee. so pretty much total noob. i've been shooting for about since i was about 10 (23 now) but was more into watching things fall over than putting the dots close togather on paper. untill recently.

Let me make a comment about Blackthorne before you go buying from them.

Only two companies I know of in the industry have a rep so bad that it is legendary. Model 1 and Blackthorne. In the case of Blackthorne this is their 3rd or 4th company name (Vulcan, Hesse, etc) trying to escape from all the bad complaints online. Easier for them to change their name and fool people for a while rather than admit their mistakes, clean up their act, and earn some trust.

There is a reason their prices are the best. They don't put money and skill into their equipment. They have to sell low to entice buyers who don't know their past. They hope that price grabs you before reading the forums. Go to any of the big AR forums and ask their opinion of Blackthorne. All will point you elsewhere.


Whereas the J&T I posted above worked so hard on their rep for so long that when they created their sister company called Double Star it got rave reviews all across the internet. I'm still shocked they even still bother with the discount J&T company since they get full price on their complete Double Star AR's they build now. But I'm happy they still are around.

If you buy from Blackthorne or Model 1 you put your money at risk. Good luck with problems you may have as well. Better, imo, to spend the extra $50-100 and get something from Del-Ton, J&T, M&A, or AR15-Kits so you know you will get good gear and have someone who will take care of you if there is a problem with your order.

Caveat Emptor!


Or even just build your own! We could easily tell you everything you need to build one and how to do it. There's a reason this place is called the Armory.


Last, if you buy 5.56 you can shoot .223 in it, but not always the reverse. Also the .223 round is civilian. So you miss out on using inexpensive military surplus ammo for practice. When in doubt always go with 5.56 NATO.

any specific problems they have? i've seen both good and bad reviews on google.

i wish i could use the search feature

now i can search here

gotta get to 10 posts for search

yea i thought that was kind of weird. on every other forum on the net people b**** if you ask a question and tell you to use the search feature.

to the Armory Ask your questions...you will get answers in the Armory Check with Del Ton for a kit. They say 12 weeks out...but items usually ship sooner...or such has been the case on orders I have placed. http://www.del-ton.com/
IMHO...why not pick up a stripped lower and a LPK at a local fun shop...build it yourself and then order a Upper Assembly. Enjoy the BRD

I went the build a lower and buy an upper route. The upper I got from blackthorne is great, but it was only the a3 upper, barrel, and handguards assembled. I got an m16 bcg from spikes and a CH from RRA. I should also point out that I have a built in adjustable accuwedge in my lower so that makes it easier to make it good and tight. I would suggest one know matter what you go with. Not a built in one, but you can get them elsewhere drop-in.