First Semi auto

[haugen]

Hey guys,
New to the Hide here. Looking at buying a semi auto but would like your input.

The gun I looking at is dpms panther 5.56 nato sportical. I can get it for 525 plus shipping brand new.

Is this something i can use to build up later? I know its an entry level gun at best, just something to plink with and take out coyote hunting.

Or am I better off spending a little more money on a different gun?

Thanks in advance

 

[KillShot]

Re: First Semi auto

As you will hear time and again on the Hide; buy once, cry once. Don't purchase the rifle you can <span style="font-style: italic"><span style="text-decoration: underline">afford</span></span>, save your money and purchase the rifle you <span style="font-style: italic"><span style="text-decoration: underline">want</span></span>. Trust me on this as you will save money in the long run, rather than purchase the rifle you can <span style="font-style: italic"><span style="text-decoration: underline">afford</span></span> and then wind up selling it for a loss to purchase the rifle you <span style="font-style: italic"><span style="text-decoration: underline">wanted</span></span> in the first place.

 

[haugen]

Re: First Semi auto

That has always been my opinion when it comes to things I buy. Someday I will own a POF but untill then id like to have something to play around with, being that ive never owned a semi auto before. With the adjustable stock I thought it would be a decent gun the wife could shoot when we go out coyote hunting and then I could play around with it as well.

I thought the price was decent for what your getting, even tho I now its not much, I cant find hardly any reviews on it so I am kinda skeptical to buy it

 

[Conrad101st]

Re: First Semi auto

For a plinker and ranch gun I would get an AK. I know it's blasphemy on this site but it's a great tool and you can beat the snot out of it and not worry about it. Ammo is reasonable too.

 

[RuLins05]

Re: First Semi auto

It seems that DPMS is more blasphemy than an AK on this sight but for your intended purpose the sportical is perfect. Its something you can learn mechanics with, upgrade as you see fit and when you know the rifle like your others then the transition to the POF will be minimal. My wife and I go shooting together often, something very few of us get to experience, take advantage of it and letting her inherit one an AR is a great idea. I say go for it, at $525 it really isn't anything to sneeze at. Pick up your dream rifle when you can. Shoot your entry rifle now! Have fun and don't let the DPMS haters get you down, for the price they make a great rifle.

 

[3O8Junkie]

Re: First Semi auto

I tend to side with KIllshot's thinking.

 

[BasraBoy]

Re: First Semi auto

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ShooterMcGavin33</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I tend to side with KIllshot's thinking. </div></div>

+1 Buy once, cry once.

It'll cost you less in the long run....

 

[Inogame]

Re: First Semi auto

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: BasraBoy</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: ShooterMcGavin33</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I tend to side with KIllshot's thinking. </div></div>

+1 Buy once, cry once.

It'll cost you less in the long run.... </div></div>

While I tend to agree with this in most cases, if your intention will be to pass this gun to your wife when you get the funds for an upgrade then its not really buy once cry once, since you will eventually need two rifles.
Now will your wife get on you for a better rifle? That sir is out of my hands. You are in a much better position to answer that.

I say pull the trigger, for $525 I haven't seen used entry level rifles going for under $400 anywhere, unless they have the hell beat out of them. So think of it as paying $100 to shoot something immediately.

Just my .02

 

[BasraBoy]

Re: First Semi auto

Inogame....thanks, mate!

I missed the bit about handing the rifle on......that's a game changer - especially if it is for the missus!!

 

[longguntoter]

Re: First Semi auto

I know its the hard thing to do, but do your best to just save up a few more hundred and buy the AR that you can trick out. There is this guy at work who bought one of the Sporticals, and is happy with it, but there is not too much you can add to that rifle. It will do the job without anything extra, but if that is what you want, then go for it.

 

[BX1129]

Re: First Semi auto

For around 500 bucks, it's not bad. I advice people not going overboard for their first rifle because a lot of times they don't spend enough time with a system to figure out what they really want/need. Dumping 2k plus on a weapon and realizing that it's not what you wanted, would be quite a loss. You are unlikely to lose a lot of money when you spend a base cost of around 500 on an AR when you resale.

For my first 7.62 Semi, I got a M1A and upgraded with bells and whistles, JAE sotck, Kreiger Barrel, etc... Turns out I am not really a big fan of M1A like I thought I was. By the time I realize that, it's 3k+ dumped into this system. I sold it at a loss to buy a 2500 LMT MWS that I enjoy a lot more. If I had went with a base M1A and spend time to recognize the limitations of the system, I might have saved some cash.

Learn the system, figure out what you need, and go from there.

 

[haugen]

Re: First Semi auto

So if I purchase this gun, I am not going to be able to purchase a different upper for it down the road?

I am trying to learn more about these guns, but I was under the imppresion that you could swap out uppers.

 

[NoName2010]

Re: First Semi auto

You can swap upper receiver assemblies, or barrels or stripped upper receivers if you go ahead and buy a DPMS Sportical. BUT swapping the upper receiver can cost you more than you'll pay for the Sportical, just to get to an upper assembly that's closer to an M4 than the Sportical comes. Which is one reason why people end up buying another weapon, instead of changing parts.

You can get a PSA (Palmetto State Armory) 16" M4 carbine complete upper assembly for $399. If you were to try to bring your Sportical closer to the military version, that's the minimum you'd need.

Then you'd have a weapon ready to add bling to, instead of having to change parts before you're ready to bling.

There is/was a Group Buy on the PSA stripped lower receiver for $65 (plus shipping), and you can get PSA standard M4 buttstock assemblies for $49, and the LPK for $42.99 (on sale), or you can get a Group Buy on a PSA MOE Lower Build Kit (Magpul buttstock, pistolgrip, trigger guard and PDA LPK) for $124.99).

So you could buy all the parts to assembly a better weapon for about $30 more than what you were going to spend, or for another $30, get the Magpul furniture set.

 

[Powder_Burns]

Re: First Semi auto

The nice thing about the AR is its modularity and the fact that it can be customized by the end user without too much mechanical experience, $525 for a base gun is hard to beat. What will happen, more likely than not though, is that you will end up with a parts drawer that will slowly accumulate to the point of building a 2nd AR with your left over components.

 

[Manzgear]

Re: First Semi auto

Headhunter300 do you have any friends who have AR's? If so I would ask to shoot them. and think long and hard before you get into the $500 rifle thats not everything you want it to be. I know this was established above, but you must think of purpose, cost and how that effects what you want to do with it. you say coyote hunting..
I am not an expert on DPMS barrels but it may or may not measure up in accuracy for what you would demand as an ethical hunter and now you have a rifle that you can just go to the range and pour money down the barrel - it will be fun but accurate? this is what I did..I read all about the different makes and models and then I built my first three AR's two in 223 and one in 308- and while I dont own a REPR from LWRC or a LMT, I have for the most part exactly what I wanted.. my first 223 was made with an Adams arms piston kit and I made it with the barrel I wanted, quad rail and etc... for a little over $800.. Best of luck with your purchase

 

[wfjames22]

Re: First Semi auto

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MPB</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I know its the hard thing to do, but do your best to just save up a few more hundred and buy the AR that you can trick out. There is this guy at work who bought one of the Sporticals, and is happy with it, <span style="font-size: 14pt">but there is not too much you can add to that rifle</span>. It will do the job without anything extra, but if that is what you want, then go for it. </div></div>

So what you are saying is that you cannot change the stock, barrel, handguard, gas block, sights, trigger, etc on a DPMS sportical??? New one on me, no doubt. Learn me sumpthin' boss.

 

[haugen]

Re: First Semi auto

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: wfjames22</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MPB</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I know its the hard thing to do, but do your best to just save up a few more hundred and buy the AR that you can trick out. There is this guy at work who bought one of the Sporticals, and is happy with it, <span style="font-size: 14pt">but there is not too much you can add to that rifle</span>. It will do the job without anything extra, but if that is what you want, then go for it. </div></div>

So what you are saying is that you cannot change the stock, barrel, handguard, gas block, sights, trigger, etc on a DPMS sportical??? New one on me, no doubt. Learn me sumpthin' boss. </div></div>

I think what he is saying is that it would be most cost effective to just spend a little more on getting something better, atleast thats what i got out of it.

 

[Inogame]

Re: First Semi auto

My personal experience,

I bought a reg Bushy carbine and shot the shit out of it. Figured out what I liked and what I wanted to upgrade. Got ideas from this site and others AFTER plenty of trigger time then I sold it complete and built the one exactly how I wanted. I also made a point to chat up other AR shooters at the range and try out their setups using my plain jane carbine as the baseline.

I'm doing the same thing with my 1911. Its a POS and I know I want to upgrade it, but it only cost me $400 and I'll unload it for close to that when I upgrade - but I'm shooting others and seeing what I 'need" and what I want and what I don't think is important.

Don't read this as my second hit on the buy once cry once philosophy, because as I said before I totally agree with it but sometimes a person doesn't know what once is for them.

Would you rather sell a rifle you bought for $1K for $800 or a rifle you bought for $500 for $350?