Del-Ton (DTI) generally makes good AR-15 rifles that are “priced to own,” as they say. “Cheap” in other words. But only in the monetary sense. This afternoon RF forwarded me a press release from DTI introducing a new rifle called the “Extreme Duty” (pictured above), and I have to say I’m not extremely impressed. Here’s the presser . . .
Extreme Duty AR-15 style modern sporting rifle (MSR). “I am very proud of this rifle,” says Tony Autry, president and CEO of Del-Ton. “This is our most ambitious design, to date, and we have succeeded in producing a spectacular MIL-SPEC rifle for the enthusiast seeking high end enhancements.”
Key features include:
- 16” FN Manufacturing 1X7 twist, hammer forged, chrome-lined barrel for long life (HPT/MPI tested)
- Chambered in 5.56 X 45
- Upper and lower receivers are MIL-SPEC, forged 7075 T6 aluminum, hard coat anodized
- MIL-SPEC phosphated 8620 steel carrier assembly with HPT/MPI tested Carpenter 158
- bolt that are heat treated and plated; chrome-lined carrier interior and key
- M4 handguard with double heat shield and aluminum Delta ring assembly
- M4 rifling profile and feed ramps
- M4, five-position buttstock with MIL-SPEC buffer tube
- Troy Industries flip-up rear sight
- Ships with sling, 30 round magazine, buttstock cleaning kit, and hard case
The MSRP for the DTI Extreme Duty is $989.00.
Del-Ton Incorporated is a manufacturer of quality of modern sporting rifles and an online
supplier for parts, upgrades, accessories, optics and custom rifle kits. Based in Elizabethtown, N.C., all rifles and components for Del-Ton products are made in the U.S.A. and Del-Ton rifles carry a lifetime warranty for the original purchaser. Visit www.del-ton.com for detailed product information.
There’s not anything wrong with the rifle in and of itself. Only the Extreme Duty runs $239 more than Del-Ton’s standard DTI-4 rifle. I was expecting something more than a 1:7 FNH barrel, a flip-up rear sight and an extra heat shield in the handguards. Literally everything else about this rifle is identical to their existing models.
The 1:7 barrel will enable you to stabilize heavier bullets. That said, with a non-free-floated 16″ barrel, I wasn’t expecting accuracy beyond the operational capacity of a standard 55gr round. And while an extra heat shield may be nice I’ve never found myself needing more than one (on the bottom) for a semi-auto firearm.
It’s great that manufacturers are creating and selling more “modern sporting rifles.” I just don’t think that every iteration deserves its own model number. Cars have “accessories” and “sports packages” and “optional features” that swap out parts and tailor a car to your needs, and I think that’s the way firearms should be treated as well. Advertise a base model and then let people pick and choose how they want their guns, maybe with “suggested” builds. Anything is better than this current system of searching for a company that makes exactly the build you want.
The AR-15 platform has been distilled to near perfection over the last few years, and while there are different builds you can do I just don’t think that a barrel change and a rear sight qualify for the term “extreme.” Slap some free floating rails on that thing and a quality optic from the factory and you might have yourself a ball game, but minor changes do not an “extreme” firearm make.