I have a Bushmaster M4 and am looking for a second AR to have fun with at the range. I can pick up a Plinker Plus for $610 before shipping and FFL fee or order the standard 20" rifle kit from Del Ton for $615. What do you all consider the better value? The Plinker is a complete rifle and I would have to assemble the lower on the Del Ton. Again, I already have the Bushmaster for serious work and just want a second AR for fun. Thanks.
Plinker Plus or Del Ton Rifle Kit?
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Wow...must be the only one without a hangover this a.m. 
Just kidding.
Plinker Plus? Is that an Olympic Arms model? Nothing against Olympic Arms or any of the other so-called 'non-top-shelf makers out there'. Not really familiar with it, other than their first attempt at an inexpensive "plinker" model that had a few bad traits. The original was made from a CAST receiver versus Forged. That in itself isn't necessarily a bad thing, unless of course you are going to be seriously using your firearm, putting alot of rounds through it (like during manuevers, operations, or a firearms training class), or that particular 'casting' wasn't done correctly. Most of the negatives I have seen or heard of involved the latter, where the casting was flawed by improper pouring, temperatures, foreign material, etc. and the casting ends up in pieces - usually while in use All kidding aside, that kind of failure could result in serious injury to the user or innocent bystanders, even death.
By now, I would think (and hope) that those kinds of incidents and failures have been addressed and corrected, so it may not be an issue at all. Maybe...
The Del-ton kit you mentioned would be a very good way to go, even if only for the fact that you would be putting it together YOURSELF. This is something I highly recommend to folks, in that it teaches you alot more about your AR than buying one across the counter. The process is simple, well documented, there are several folks on here that have done it - some multiple times, and lots of advice and assistance is available - the biggest PLUS being, if it ever breaks, YOU yourself can fix it.
Now the downside....Del-ton, last I heard, is backed up with orders, some up to 6 months out. So if it is something you were thinking of picking up soon, you may be disappointed and have to wait like so many thousands of others.
Price wise, I think both options would be very close in price. Value wise, if you ever decided to sell it, I think the Del-ton kit, even if you put it together yourself, would be the easier sell, based on the quality of the parts. But then again, that's only my .02. Your mileage may vary depending on whose opinions you end up going with.
Good luck on your choice and keep us informed.
Slo
and HAPPY NEW YEAR, too
Just kidding.Plinker Plus? Is that an Olympic Arms model? Nothing against Olympic Arms or any of the other so-called 'non-top-shelf makers out there'. Not really familiar with it, other than their first attempt at an inexpensive "plinker" model that had a few bad traits. The original was made from a CAST receiver versus Forged. That in itself isn't necessarily a bad thing, unless of course you are going to be seriously using your firearm, putting alot of rounds through it (like during manuevers, operations, or a firearms training class), or that particular 'casting' wasn't done correctly. Most of the negatives I have seen or heard of involved the latter, where the casting was flawed by improper pouring, temperatures, foreign material, etc. and the casting ends up in pieces - usually while in use
All kidding aside, that kind of failure could result in serious injury to the user or innocent bystanders, even death.By now, I would think (and hope) that those kinds of incidents and failures have been addressed and corrected, so it may not be an issue at all. Maybe...
The Del-ton kit you mentioned would be a very good way to go, even if only for the fact that you would be putting it together YOURSELF. This is something I highly recommend to folks, in that it teaches you alot more about your AR than buying one across the counter. The process is simple, well documented, there are several folks on here that have done it - some multiple times, and lots of advice and assistance is available - the biggest PLUS being, if it ever breaks, YOU yourself can fix it.
Now the downside....Del-ton, last I heard, is backed up with orders, some up to 6 months out. So if it is something you were thinking of picking up soon, you may be disappointed and have to wait like so many thousands of others.
Price wise, I think both options would be very close in price. Value wise, if you ever decided to sell it, I think the Del-ton kit, even if you put it together yourself, would be the easier sell, based on the quality of the parts. But then again, that's only my .02. Your mileage may vary depending on whose opinions you end up going with.
Good luck on your choice and keep us informed.
Slo
and HAPPY NEW YEAR, too
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60 Posts
I have the plinker plus and have had no troubles with it yet. But I was reading a thread here compairing the internals of several rifle manufacturers. While reading up on what was being said about the Olympic arms and looking at the pictures of the parts I got all paranoid and immediately commenced to tearing my rifle apart to verify some of these claims. I actually found my rifle to be the exact opposite. The receiver IS a forged 7075 T6 aluminum rather then cast, or at least that is what the owners manual is stating The screws for the bolt carrier key are indeed well staked in, and the feed ramps are well matched. I'm guessing that Olympic Arms have made some improvements to there earlyer model or something because my AR did not have any of the faults that were stated in that post ??
I'm no gunsmith or metalurgist so I don't know whether the 7075 T6 aluminum is a good thing or a bad thing but I know that forged is better then cast. Somebody please tell me I didn't buy a piece of junk??
I'm no gunsmith or metalurgist so I don't know whether the 7075 T6 aluminum is a good thing or a bad thing but I know that forged is better then cast. Somebody please tell me I didn't buy a piece of junk??
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