Autopsy of a Rifle: DPMS Oracle

[UnaStamus]

This is the first of a series of posts that Michael Mihalski is doing where he breaks down different AR15 rifles to show the build quality and assembly. This series should give a good perspective to people about what separates a cheap or "hobby grade" rifle from a top tier rifle.

https://primaryandsecondary.com/2015/10/autopsy-of-a-rifle-dpms-oracle-5-56-mm/

[Hmac]

This will be an interesting series. I suspect it will generate a lot of comments when it starts getting referenced on the various gun forums, not dissimilar to the silly "Chart" that Rob whats-his-name published a few years ago. I sense a ton of butt-hurt coming down the pipe.....

[Ghost]

Interesting read. I did note:

Barrel nut broke loose at 90ft/lbs.
The acceptable range is between 30-80ft/lbs for a USGI barrel nut.
I can’t tell if it was over torqued at the factory, or if the 60 rounds I fired before tearing it down caused some carbon issues since the threads were not treated with anti seize.

I searched high and low for what I should apply to the barrel nut threads when I first started assembling AR's and settled on moly grease being the most recommended and not anti seize.

[Hmac]

Interesting read. I did note:

Barrel nut broke loose at 90ft/lbs.
The acceptable range is between 30-80ft/lbs for a USGI barrel nut.
I can’t tell if it was over torqued at the factory, or if the 60 rounds I fired before tearing it down caused some carbon issues since the threads were not treated with anti seize.

I searched high and low for what I should apply to the barrel nut threads when I first started assembling AR's and settled on moly grease being the most recommended and not anti seize.

Many of the anti-seize compounds contain copper which is corrosive to aluminum, so I understand. Not sure if this is a big deal from a practical standpoint. I have a couple of rifles from years ago that I assembled with NevRSeeze and subsequent disassembly or barrel or handguard changes was no big deal and showed no corrosion. Nevertheless, nothing wrong with plain ol' molybdenum grease.

[Ghost]

Hmac, it's kind of a Pepsi/Coke or Ford/Chevy thing but just thought it was interesting.

[yuppiejr]

So they pulled a bottom of the line rifle engineered to be as cheap as possible without blowing up in the buyer's hands and sold to the unwary public at mass market sporting goods stores to prove what exactly? Yes, if you cut as many corners as possible to produce an "AR Shaped Object" the end result will be predictably crap. It was clearly picked to be the worst possible example of a "hobby" AR at a cheap price.

A more interesting breakdown would be of something that an educated "bang for the buck" buyer might actually want to purchase, like this combo from PSA's premium line:

http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.ph ... andle.html

+

http://palmettostatearmory.com/index.ph ... gory/4282/

There's a $570 rifle which, including an FFL transfer fee, is the same price as the DPMS Oracle but addresses every deficiency pointed out in this "article." We'll see what the next installment brings, or if the obvious turd reviewed in this bit will be held up as an example of all "hobby" AR's by the typical wallet warrior crowd who can't comprehend that it's possible to spend a lot less than a grand to get a properly built AR if you know where to look.

[yuppiejr]

Interesting read. I did note:

Barrel nut broke loose at 90ft/lbs.
The acceptable range is between 30-80ft/lbs for a USGI barrel nut.
I can’t tell if it was over torqued at the factory, or if the 60 rounds I fired before tearing it down caused some carbon issues since the threads were not treated with anti seize.

I searched high and low for what I should apply to the barrel nut threads when I first started assembling AR's and settled on moly grease being the most recommended and not anti seize.

That's what I've used, haven't encountered a problem to date. I did install a free-float forend on a BCM upper a few years ago that had a barrel nut that was torqued WAY beyond 80 ft/lbs, taking both careful application of torch heat and a breaker bar on a 24" pipe wrench to finally remove (no anti-seize was present). I've also seen uppers from Olympic and Bushmaster that were torqued below 30 ft/lbs from the factory, also without any anti-seize.

[yuppiejr]

Hmac, it's kind of a Pepsi/Coke or Ford/Chevy thing but just thought it was interesting.

It's more than that, Ford, Chevy, Ram, Toyota, etc.. are not simply building trucks from a single set of plans and specs like a milspec AR15 rifle. There are general performance expectations within, say, the half ton pickup category and each takes a different approach to engineering their vehicles to meet performance and comfort standards at various price points.

If, for example, PSA assembles a vanilla AR15 carbine using (mostly FN manufactured) parts following "milspec" standards for both component construction and assembly and sells it for $600 it is technically no different than a BCM rifle built to the same spec for $1000 unless you compare the roll mark on the lower receiver.

[Hmac]

If, for example, PSA assembles a vanilla AR15 carbine using (mostly FN manufactured) parts following "milspec" standards for both component construction and assembly and sells it for $600 it is technically no different than a BCM rifle built to the same spec for $1000 unless you compare the roll mark on the lower receiver.

Aaaaand, here we go...

Anyway, such an "autopsy" doesn't take into account what is probably the most important part of the rifle assembly process and that's the quality assurance process that takes place before the parts are assembled and before the rifle gets boxed up. Some companies use crap parts. They often blithely label them as "milspec", so often that that is basically a meaningless term. Some companies use OK parts, like FN, but they don't ever do anything to make sure that those parts are in-spec and functional. An you will have to be the one to find out whether or not it functions well, is over-gassed, etc. Those steps cost money. The companies that do it have to charge more for their rifles. Yeah, you can buy a PSA rifle but they are asking you to be the final QA arbiter. IF you happen to get a good one, then it's probably a good rifle. But it will be up to you to find out.

[clemmac]

In the last three months I've come across two AR uppers with finger tight barrel nuts, both factory assembled units, one was from DPMS and the other was a Bushmaster. The DPMS upper was brought to my attention because the barrel was obviously wiggling around in the upper receiver. The Bushmaster was a used gun that passed through.

Finger tight.

[yuppiejr]

So if the "autopsy" process doesn't take into account the most important consideration (in your mind) in buying a rifle why are it's findings even relevant? Evaluating the DPMS Oracle and comparing it to a milspec rifle wasn't revealing anything new, anyone who's taken a few minutes to look at their spec sheet would have noted most of the variations. A useful comparison would have been to take a "milspec" rifle that DOES hit all of the marks and compare it side by side with a higher priced 'milspec" rifle from a boutique maker and see how they both survive in the real world.

Otherwise I agree completely with your post.

Since Colt, BCM and Novenske have warranty departments that do actual work to correct manufacturing defects I'll assume that they also have a few slip through QA before they hit a customer's hands, paying more isn't a guarantee your new rifle won't have problems. PSA is a somewhat unique entity in the market in that they partner with a current provider of milspec parts (the ones that actually go into rifles that the US Government buys in fact) and resells them under their own brand name, or as components in assembled rifles. They may or may not have the same level of QA or warranty support as rifles from makers that land higher on "the chart", but they pass that savings on to the customer and do provide warranty support if there is a failure or problem.

The PSA uppers and rifles I've seen have always been test fired from the manufacturer and they do a good job telling you exactly what you get in the spec sheet. I break down and inspect, then test fire any new rifle I buy so if I'm comparing otherwise identical rifles from BCM, Colt, PSA or even DPMS (who makes other AR15 rifles than just the Oracle) and they all function perfectly but there's a 40% or greater delta in price, truth quickly separates hype from value.

For the record, I'm a huge BCM fan and grew up about 10 minutes from their facility, I just find the whole "operator level" AR versus "hobby grade" debate old and tired when it boils down to manufacturing a product within the same set of specifications but placing (as I see it) an irrationally large amount of emphasis on long term warranty support. If a rifle breaks in the field when I need it, who built it or who warranties it doesn't matter. Parts break, having a BCM vs a Colt roll mark doesn't make them less likely to fail than an FN manufactured part in a PSA or Windham Weaponry rifle.... hell, under the roll marks most of the top tier manufacturers are buying components from the same OEM's as the smaller players and it really does just boil down to roll marks.

Example - is a D&H OEMed magazine built in the same factory on the same machinery to the same specs with a Bravo Company floorplate that sells for $10 more reliable than the same magazine with a D&H floorplate that I can pick up for $7 at 44Mag.com?

If, for example, PSA assembles a vanilla AR15 carbine using (mostly FN manufactured) parts following "milspec" standards for both component construction and assembly and sells it for $600 it is technically no different than a BCM rifle built to the same spec for $1000 unless you compare the roll mark on the lower receiver.

Aaaaand, here we go...

Anyway, such an "autopsy" doesn't take into account what is probably the most important part of the rifle assembly process and that's the quality assurance process that takes place before the parts are assembled and before the rifle gets boxed up. Some companies use crap parts. They often blithely label them as "milspec", so often that that is basically a meaningless term. Some companies use OK parts, like FN, but they don't ever do anything to make sure that those parts are in-spec and functional. An you will have to be the one to find out whether or not it functions well, is over-gassed, etc. Those steps cost money. The companies that do it have to charge more for their rifles. Yeah, you can buy a PSA rifle but they are asking you to be the final QA arbiter. IF you happen to get a good one, then it's probably a good rifle. But it will be up to you to find out.

[Ron Burgundy]

TL;DR. I'd like to buy an AR. I'm not a face shooter or 3 gunner. I'm cost sensitive but buy quality tools when I do buy. What brand or AR (aside from the very expensive brands I've read about like LaRue, Noveske, etc) do I buy?

[Hmac]

So if the "autopsy" process doesn't take into account the most important consideration (in your mind) in buying a rifle why are it's findings even relevant? Evaluating the DPMS Oracle and comparing it to a milspec rifle wasn't revealing anything new, anyone who's taken a few minutes to look at their spec sheet would have noted most of the variations. A useful comparison would have been to take a "milspec" rifle that DOES hit all of the marks and compare it side by side with a higher priced 'milspec" rifle from a boutique maker and see how they both survive in the real world.

Well, sustandard materials in the build might be in-spec, but they're still sub-standard materials. It might shoot perfectly well for awhile before the bolt shears, or the mag catch wears, or you lose a SS detent, or the RE breaks while you're mortaring a stuck Wolf shell casing, or you get throat erosion at 5000 rounds.

I don't want to get into the mil-spec BS. That is such a misused and bastardized term that it's meaningless. Let's just say, "equivalent of Colt's TDP". LPKs with the majority of parts imported from China might very likely be labeled as "mil-spec", but have nothing at all to do with the TDP.

[yuppiejr]

Well, sustandard materials in the build might be in-spec, but they're still sub-standard materials. It might shoot perfectly well for awhile before the bolt shears, or the mag catch wears, or you lose a SS detent, or the RE breaks while you're mortaring a stuck Wolf shell casing, or you get throat erosion at 5000 rounds.

I don't want to get into the mil-spec BS. That is such a misused and bastardized term that it's meaningless. Let's just say, "equivalent of Colt's TDP". LPKs with the majority of parts imported from China might very likely be labeled as "mil-spec", but have nothing at all to do with the TDP.

Thing is, FN, from whom PSA sources parts for their non freedom/PTAC stuff, is THE CURRENT CONTRACTOR PROVIDING M4 RIFLES TO THE US MILITARY from the same facility in Columbia, South Carolina that supplies parts to PSA (shocking, also in Columbia, South Carolina). The barrels are made by FN along with the bolts and carriers along with the same contractors making the other small upper and lower parts. News flash, the US military was over-paying for Colt rifles... both Remington and FN were awarded contracts to produce M4A1 rifles for $673 and $642 per unit that were, in all ways, equal to the units Colt charged $1,200 a pop for according to the military's own strict specifications and validation.

It's like a religion with Colt guys, as though a giant glowing horse god ejaculates awesome over each of the rifles bearing it's logo as they leave the production line, imbuing a magical spirit of operator awesomeness within the very soul of the rifle to shame lesser objects and cause un-Americans to explode simply by looking at it... Marketing and brand loyalty are a big deal and people are willing to pay big money to "feel" a certain way about certain products, even firearms. As long as people are willing to spend $400 for a logo and some marketing fairy dust with their rifle that's their business, operate on, capitalism at work.

[yuppiejr]

TL;DR. I'd like to buy an AR. I'm not a face shooter or 3 gunner. I'm cost sensitive but buy quality tools when I do buy. What brand or AR (aside from the very expensive brands I've read about like LaRue, Noveske, etc) do I buy?

I hear Colts are nice.

For the price, the PSA premium line is the best bang for the buck in "pin upper to lower, add mag+ammo and start shooting" AR gear, in my opinion, see my links above for a solid upper/lower combo and read the specs closely to compare with some of the bigger names. Spikes, Rock River Armory, Windham Weaponry and Stag arms are also high value manufacturers that put out good products at "below operator" prices. Right now is a good time to AR stuff since there is a glut of supply in the market after the last scare, though I expect it will tighten up in the next year as we move closer to the election and manufacturers get the surplus stock out of inventory.