gw-1207-46-54-delton.qxp 5/14/12 4:43 am page 46the trijicon reflex sight is very fast for quickly...

46 GUN WORLD • JULY 2012 WWW.GUNWORLD.COM

The author firesthe Del-TonExtreme Duty athanging plates.The TrijiconReflex sight isvery fast forquickly engagingmultiple targetsat close range.

GW-1207-46-54-DELTON.qxp 5/14/12 4:43 AM Page 46

WWW.GUNWORLD.COM JULY 2012 • GUN WORLD 47

I have to admit that lately, I’ve avoided testingAR15s. Not because I don’t like the AR15—I like ita lot. And not because there aren’t a lot of good

ones to test, because there are. In fact, that’s theproblem. There are so many manufacturers makinggood-to-excellent AR15s that it is difficult to findanything new to say about them, other than that they

work and shoot straight. My objective when reviewing guns is toprovide readers with new information thatwill help them make informed buyingchoices, and that’s sometimes difficult

when writing about the AR15/M4.Since many of the AR15s available use the

same receivers and same parts, people often select agun based on price. In fact, a lot of shooters I knowthese days cut out the middleman and buy a receiverand parts. They then put the AR15 together them-selves, although they sometimes need a competentgunsmith for a couple of operations.

What generally differentiates the producers ofAR15s are the various features they include and thecare with which parts are selected, finished andassembled. For some of the higher-end models, theincorporation of better triggers and other featuresenhances the carbine or rifle.

We test a pair of Del-Ton M4s withTrijicon optics designed for CQC

and for ‘all-condition’ combatSTORY AND PHOTOS BY LEROY THOMPSON

TALEOF TWO SYSTEMS



PISTON VS. DIRECTIMPINGEMENTAnd there’s the piston versus direct-impingement consideration. I ownpiston and direct-impingement M4s,because I need examples of both

types for writing, but the ones Icarry and use the most are direct-impingement models.

As many of you reading this realize,the advantages of the piston systemare most noteworthy in select-fire

weapons, which are fired a lot, andtheoretically, piston guns runcleaner. Nevertheless, I know ownersof piston ARs who don’t necessarilyagree with that assessment. They runcooler and cleaner toward the rearof the receiver but heat up towardthe front of the system. This cancause the knob on the gas block tofreeze up after only a couple ofhundred rounds.

The advantages of direct-impinge-ment systems are that they arelighter and generally allow betteraccuracy. The piston system may bean advantage when used on sup-pressed carbines or SBR (short-bar-reled rifles). Yet, for most shooters,the traditional direct-impingementAR is, I believe, a better choice. Both

The Del-Ton’s controls are standard AR-15. Shown here are the safety and boltrelease, along with the pistol grip and flip-up rear sight.

The direct-impingement Del-Ton quad rail AR equipped with a Trijicon RCO at 4x magnification allows for accurate engagement outto 500 yards.

The Extreme Duty’s muzzle has an A-2flash hider and employs a 1 in 7 twist tomaximize heavier bullets.



M4 carbines I will discuss in thisarticle use the DI system, and bothare from Del-Ton: the no-fril lsExtreme Duty 316 and a higher-end,semi-custom version.

EXTREME WEAPONSSo, what convinced me to test twoM4 carbines from Del-Ton? First, afriend of mine who builds customARs told me he often recommendsthe Del-Ton rifle kits to those whoask his opinion—and I value that

Action Semi-auto, locked breech, direct impingementCaliber 5.56x45mm NATO

Overall Length 35.6 inches with stock fully extended; 32.25 inches stock fully collapsed

Barrel/Length 16-inch, M4 profile, hammer forged, 1-in-7twist, with A2 flash hider

Weight 6.4 pounds emptyMag Capacity 30 rounds

Sights Troy DOA folding rear, standard AR-type post front; Picatinny rail for optical sights

MSRP $989

DEL-TON EXTREME DUTY 316

SPECIFICATIONS

“What generally differentiates the

producers of AR15sare the various

features they includeand the care withwhich parts are

selected, finishedand assembled.”

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opinion. Second, Del-Ton offers avery nice carbine at a very nice price.

Once I had decided to test theDel-Ton M4, I thought it wise toinclude a basic model and a modelwith more features. I chose theExtreme Duty 316 and what is basi-cally a semi-custom M4 with aSamson quad rail. Let me explain,

because both are M4 carbines with alot of the same features.

I test a lot of illuminators/pointers(lights and lasers), and hence, prefertest guns with quad rails so I can useilluminators and pointers for thosetests. Also, I write on tactical opsand still do some tactical training.Consequently, I prefer carbines con-figured for use with accessories.Having said that, the Extreme Duty316 is one of the nicest M4 carbineswith a standard Mil-Spec M4 stockI’ve handled, so I thought it wouldbe useful to shoot it quite a bit, too.

Let’s begin with the ExtremeDuty’s features. First, it has ahammer-forged CMV chrome-linedbarrel. My experience has been thathammer-forged barrels are moreaccurate; this is certainly so in theSIG and Steyr rifles, both of whichI’ve shot quite a bit. I like that fea-ture. Twist is 1 in 7. That faster twistis an advantage when firing heavierbullets, such as the 62-grain M855(SS109) or the 77-grain MK262

This close-up of the Samson Quad Rail shows the military NSN number.

The author fires the Del-Ton Quad Rail at hanging plates at 100 meters. The RCO works well when it is brought up onto the targetfrom the low ready position until the tip of the chevron is on target.

“The advantages ofdirect-impingement

systems are thatthey are lighter and

generally allow better accuracy.”

GW-1207-46-54-DELTON.qxp 5/14/12 4:43 AM 0


round, because it stabilizes thembetter. In the case of the M855 formilitary users, the faster twist alsoallows the penetrator to operatemore effectively.

Even though the Extreme Dutyemploys a 1-in-7 twist, less-expensive55-grain M193 surplus ammunitioncan still be fired reliably and accu-rately in it. The bolt and carrier areMil-Spec with a chrome-lined carrierinterior and carrier key.

The handguards are double heatshielded, which is a good thing ifone puts a lot of rounds through thegun quickly. Upper and lowerreceivers and the buffer tube are allMil-Spec. Note, too, that the ExtremeDuty employs an H Buffer. The “H”stands for “heavy” and is basicallythe Mil-Spec buffer that will enhancereliability.

It comes with a Troy DOA foldingbackup rear sight mounted on theflattop. This sight incorporates 200-and 600-meter apertures. I will zeromine at 200 meters, since with myaging eyes, that’s about as good asI’m going to do with backup ironsights.

The version I ordered with theSamson quad rail is similar to theExtreme Duty but without the hammer-forged barrel and with a 1-in-9 twist.

It also has a standard buffer, ratherthan the H Buffer. Its flip-up A2 rearsight is a Samson dual aperture. Bothcarbines have M4 telescoping stocks.

EXCELLENT OPTICS Sometimes when I test a rifle or car-bine, I also test a new scope at thesame time. However, with the twoDel-Tons, I decided on two of theoptical sights I use all of the time onthe M4 carbines I carry in my truckor use otherwise.

For the Extreme Duty, I mountedthe Trijicon Mil-Spec RX01NSNReflex. This sight has a flattopadapter that allows easy mountingon an M4 top rail. It is 1x and usesan amber 4.5 MOA dot for aiming. Atonly 4.9 inches overall and 9.2ounces, it does not adversely affectthe handling of the light and com-pact Extreme Duty. Since theRX01NSN sees a lot of military use inthe sandbox, it comes with a polariz-ing filter, which I found quite usefulwhen I was testing the ExtremeDuty.

Let me add one point here: Gener-ally, I do not use reflex sights verymuch—not because they aren’t good,but because I can see much betterwith some magnification. Neverthe-less, I like the RX01NSN and do use it

on carbines I expect to shoot mostlyat CQC ranges (i.e., 50 yards or less).

For the Del-Ton Quad Rail, Iinstalled my absolute favorite M4optic and the one I carry on the car-bine that is usually in my truck: theTrijicon TA31 RCO—the same sightused by the USMC. As with mostother ACOGs, the RCO combinestritium illumination for low light witha fiber-optic tube that helps adjustillumination to suit available light.I’ve found that the system worksexcellently, since I have used myRCO in bright sunlight and thenstepped into a darkened shoothouse, where the tritium illuminationtook over.

I also find the RCO reticle to be thefastest and easiest for me to see. Itemploys a red chevron, which I pickup best when moving from the lowready position up onto a target. Themagnification is 4x, which is goodenough for me out to 500 yards,although it is best to 300 yards. Thereticle also incorporates a post withstadia lines.

Designed to be zeroed at 100meters for the tip of the chevron, theRCO then allows engagement with-out adjustment by just using theinside of the chevron’s tip, the top ofthe post or one of the stadia lines outto 800 meters. Additional horizontallines may be used for target identifi-cation or lead on moving targets. Thereticle also allows for range finding.

This optic is very tough, has beenproven in use by hundreds of thou-sands of Marines and is very easy to

A close-up of the Trijicon Reflex also shows the Extreme Duty’s back-up rear sight.

“For the Del-Tonwith quad rail, I installed my

absolute favorite M4optic and the one I

carry on the carbinethat is usually in mytruck: the TrijiconTA31 RCO—the

same sight used bythe USMC.”

GW-1207-46-54-DELTON.CX.qxp 5/18/12 12:59 AM Page 51


use. Mine has been used in all typesof weather and thrown in and out ofmy vehicle on my M4 hundreds oftimes, although normally in a softcase. If I owned only one combatoptical sight for an M4 or other battlerifle, it would be the RCO.

In retrospect, I probably shouldhave mounted the Trijicon Reflex onthe Del-Ton with the quad rail,because fitted with a light, it wouldhave been a better choice for CQC.(For future shooting, I may do that,but since I have the Reflex and RCOzeroed, I may not.)

SEE HOW THEY RUNI shot the Extreme Duty first. I onlyshot it on paper at 25 and 50 yardsto get the dot zeroed and did notworry about groups, although three-shot groups at 50 yards (the longestdistance I shot the Extreme Duty) ranaround 3 inches. Mostly, I shot theExtreme Duty with the reflex sight atplates between 15 and 50 yards, in

some cases, starting from low readywith the safety on.

The Extreme Duty handled welland was completely reliable withfour mags, each loaded with 27rounds—the number I was trained toload many years ago. I initially used62-grain M855 to zero the reflex, butfor shooting at plates, I used55-grain surplus ammo, since pointof impact at those distances wouldn’tmatter that much, but the cost ofM855 fired in quantity would have

This topside front view of the Trijicon RCO reveals its red fiber-optic tube, whichincreases the intensity of the chevron in bright light.

The RCO is designed to be zeroed at 100 meters for the tip of the chevron, whichthen allows engagement without adjustment.

The RCO’s reticle employs a redchevron and a post with stadia lines. Italso allows for range finding.



impacted my wallet. Moving amongthem quickly, I hit the plates most ofthe time.

Since I had mounted the RCO onthe Del-Ton with the quad rail, I shotit at longer range. I zeroed the RCOwith the tip of the chevron on at 100meters and fired a couple of five-shotgroups in the process.

Initially, since the quad-rail Del-Tonhas a 1-in-9 twist, I did all of myshooting with 55-grain M193 surplusammo. However, to actually check foraccuracy, I fired a five-shot groupfrom a rest with Federal 69-grainMatchKing BTHP.

I assumed the group wouldn’t becentered, and it wasn’t. Instead, itwas off to the right a bit and slightlylow, but it was around 1.5 inches,which is pretty good for a standardAR-15. I have shot some reallyexcellent groups with AR-15s, butusually, they are ones with targettriggers and other special features.

The quad rail Del-Ton was also100 percent reliable for 108 roundsof various loadings. As is generallythe case with quad rail ARs, I would

recommend getting the rubber“ladder”-type rail covers for theareas where accessories are notattached to avoid abrading yoursupport hand.

SERIOUS BANG FORTHE BUCKDel-Ton AR-15s are careful lyassembled, and perform reliablyand accurately. Their prices are verycompetitive, too. Even the high-quality Extreme Duty has an MSRP ofless than $1,000.

For the shooter who wants oneAR-15—whether for plinking, self-defense, hunting or prepping—I thinkDel-Ton offers good value for themoney. GW

CONTACTDel-TonDept GW(910) 645-2172www.del-ton.com

The Del-Ton AR-15 uses a telescoping M4 stock.

Thompson fires the Del-Ton Quad Railwith the Trijicon RCO optic from thekneeling position. The RCO allowsengagement at CQC distances out to500 meters or more.

This five-shot, 100-yard group from the Del-Ton Quad Rail was shotwith Federal 69-grain MatchKing BTHP.


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