DPMS AR-15 from Panther Arms

There are more than a few AR-15 Rifle manufactures out there today.  Most consumers know a few off the top of their head.  Bushmaster, Colt and uh uh uh yeah that other one.

3- Gun Shooters are on the rise and that makes both bargain hunting and performance a top priority for AR-15s.  They are no longer just a good closet investment because of the Sunset of the Brady Bill.  The Pre-ban Colt's while popular in reloading room chatter the AR-15's of the past just don't even compare to today's AR-15's.  The Brady Bill stripped all the fluff away from a AR-15 and the guns were then required to sell on what was left - Performance.  I have to say way to go Bill thanks for the Engineering advances... Kudos.

I looked at at least 7 manufactures of AR's this year the shot show.  Only one company stepped up the plate to put their money where their mouths were and that was DPMS (Panther Arms).

AR's are AR's are AR's until you pull the trigger.  Most of the promotion goes around what you strap on the outside but little is understood about what advancements are being made on the actual Engineering side.

DPMS gifted us a wonderful set of rifles and when comparing them to to my Green label pre-ban Colt these were hands down better shooting rifles.  The New Compensator was outstanding both in how loud it was and the fact that it reduced muzzle rise and recoil down to unnoticable levels.  We got extremely tight groups from these rifles and dollar for dollar worth every penny.

So what did we find that we didn't like.

I had to take the spring out and stretch it after the first half of the first magazine to ensure the bolt had enough speed to be reliable on both rifles.  Not real sure how long these springs have been pre-loaded into these stocks before they put the rifles together this is usually a problem of age.

The triggers travel is adjustable but the pull is set by the springs themselves.  While the pull didn't both me it may bother some.

SouthPaw Panthers - not advertised on newer models.  While I am told that they will build up any of their models in a Left handed AR-15. I would like to see that next to each rifle they advertise.  1 in 7 shooters are left handed and the younger crowd is actually increasing to 1 in 5

The lower recievers are not interchangeable with standard Colt uppers-  The front pin on the DPMS is smaller and this makes changing DPMS lowers with Colt manufactured uppers or third party parts are not possible. - i.e different caliber uppers, Bolt action uppers, any number of addon's manufactured by 3rd party companies.

Not fond of the way DPMS interacts with the dealers themselves.  DPMS is taking an approach similiar to Dillon Precision in that really attempt to go consumer direct with their sales and the Federal laws stand in the way of that.  On the other hand it is by far the easiest Marketing department that I have ever worked with.  The professionalism and speed at which they moved was greatly appreciated and speaks well to what consumers can expect by dealing direct with the factory.

DPMS has a product worth stocking on the retail shelves but the price points don't make it feasable for most dealers.

The accuracy at any price was well above expected and with DPMS's aggressive promotion of 3-gun its to be expected that they will be setting the standards that other AR's will have to meet over the next few years.  Lets hope we don't slip into the years of the past where an extra Hi-Cap mag is more important than how the rifle functions. 

Barrel:
• 16” AP4 contour
• 4140 Chrome-moly steel
• Manganese phosphated
• 6 groove, right-handed 1x9 twist, button rifled
• Permanently attached Miculek Compensator

Chamber:
• 5.56 x 45mm (223 Remington)

Method of Operation:
• Gas operated rotating bolt

Bolt & Carrier:
• Chrome plated 8620 steel bolt carrier, heat treated and plated per Mil Spec.
• Phosphated steel bolt, heat treated and plated
per Mil Spec.

Sights:
• Rear sight adjustable for windage and elevation.
Elevation adjustable front sight post.

Weight:
•Empty - 7.25 lbs

Length:
• 34 11/16”

Upper Receiver:
• Forged 7075-T6 aircraft aluminum alloy
• Hard coat anodized per Mil Spec and Teflon coated black
• A3 Flattop w/detachable carry handle
• Dust cover
• Shell deflector
• Round forward assist
• Right hand ejection

Lower Receiver:
• Forged 7075-T6 aircraft aluminum alloy
• Hard coat anodized per Mil Spec and Teflon coated black
• Semi-auto trigger group
• Aluminum trigger guard
• Magazine release button

Stock:
• Fixed fiber reinforced polymer AP4

Handguards:
• GlacierGuards™
• Oval carbine length
• Aluminum delta ring

Options:
• CRYO Barrel Deep Freeze
• Chrome or Titanium Bolt Carrier Assembly
• JP Adjustable Trigger

Note:
Bipod not included.
Each rifle comes with 2- 30 rd. Magazines, 1- Nylon Web Sling and 1- Cleaning Kit