OB, that's the story over here too. They promised not to mess with our Second Amendment "hunting rights", so there was plenty of "acceptable" firearms in the "nice" section of the local gun shop. But I noticed a distinct lack of self esteem coming from the "dark side" of the store, where the EBRs hang out. I was determined to rescue at least one from a life of "unsuitable for sporting purposes", and laid out the plastic.
That's a roundabout way of introducing tonight's Saturday Night Gun Pron [tm]. I've adopted a DPMS LRT-SASS. So far, all I have is a baby picture that I carry in my wallet.
Not much to say, I haven't even torn it down yet. I do know, however, that it has 53 linear inches of "cheese grater" that needs covering, and the DPMS "bikini" covers won't work like I want, so I have a bunch of Magpul solid rail covers, like those on the Mossberg, on order. Other minor items will be a better sling, and a Dewey coated cleaning rod and rod guide.
The Storm hard case (mismarked by the dealer, he sold it to me below cost) is a new brand for me. I have Pelicans for my precision instruments, and swear by them. The Pelican is glass-reinforced resin, while the Storm is solid plastic. Both are pricey, but I haven't priced the Pelican brand lately.
My best buys on Pelicans came at the closing minutes of a gun show, when a dealer starts to contemplate lugging that big ol' case back to the truck, only to haul it in to the next show he goes to. It's a good time to do him a favor and take it off his hands at a decent price.
About the only other things I can say about the DPMS come right off the spec sheet. 19" stainless steel fluted bull barrel, free-float handguard, target trigger, and a Magpul adjustable stock.
It's one thing to "adopt" a rifle like this, but now the anxiety starts. What if it doesn't like ball ammo? Will I have to feed it gourmet match .308 all the time? And what kind of scope should I get? It has potential far beyond the traditional 4x scope for a designated rifleman's weapon. 6x12? Mil-dot? Leupold? Some fancy foreign brand?
It's almost like picking out a college for a kid you just brought home from the hospital. Decisions, decisions....