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December 21st, 2009, 04:48 PM #1
picked up blackthorne products M4 kit
I read a lot of reviews about these kits. The majority being from 08 and early 09. Most of the negative comments were from people that hadn't touched or seen one. I read that Blackthorne was formerly Hesse/vulcan who apparently made junk.
I decided to take the plunge and when the kit arrived i was more than happy that i did. I ordered it on a sunday and it was at my house on wednesday. $450 to the door with everything minus a stripped lower. The finish on the kit was flawless. I read that there packing jobs sucked and the upper was just put in the box with no packing material. Mine came with the upper wrapped in foam with the buttstock and components in plastic bags. The packing was not great but at least now the uppers are protected.
The only issue's i had putting the kit together was i had to remove some of the anodizing on the rear take down pin and lower with some emery cloth to put the upper on. The other issue is when the stock is completely collapsed and you pull the charging handle to the rear it has a tendancy to catch on the lip of the stock if you don't pull the charging handle straight back. Note sure if this is common or not.
I read blackthornes reviews on gunbroker and most of them were positive. The majority of the negatives were from people unwilling to tinker, lack of customer service and a shitty 3 day 100% money back return policy. I can't really comment on the customer service as all i did was order it on the internet. I took it to the range and fired 30rds. primarily to check function which it did without a problem. I wouldn't be suprised if i have some feed issues in the first 500rds. as the finish on the BCG and the upper seems a little grainy. I'd suggest buying one of these kits if you can put it together and test fire it within the 3 days. I believe they have a 3-30day return policy minus shipping and a 12% restocking fee. Overall i'm more than happy with the purchase. Maybe i just lucked out and got a good one. The site is akpartskits.com
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December 21st, 2009, 05:33 PM #2Grand Member
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Re: picked up blackthorne products M4 kit
Im getting this when I can swing it
real colt version is almost $3k just for the upper.
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December 21st, 2009, 07:57 PM #3
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December 21st, 2009, 09:03 PM #4
Re: picked up blackthorne products M4 kit
i bought some galil mags from blackthorn and they were very nice but i would caution against buying some of their complete weapons. before i really knew anything about hesse i ordered a krink ak from them during the 94 ban and they had tack welded a underfolding stock to a straight stock receiver. reputable builders at the time would use the correct receiver and underfolder components and then pin or weld the stock in the open position. buyer beware
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December 21st, 2009, 09:14 PM #5
Re: picked up blackthorne products M4 kit
I do recall the Blackthorne kits being WAY cheaper about a year ago (like $350). If they still were in that ballpark, I'd possibly give 'em a try. However, vs. that $450, I'd rather get a Del-Ton kit for $486 to my door. Zero issues with the one I bought, and they have a good reputation.
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December 21st, 2009, 10:47 PM #6
Re: picked up blackthorne products M4 kit
I thought about going the Del-Ton route too. The savings of $30-40 isn't what made me buy the kit though. I was feeling froggy and wanted to see what i would actually get. It was more a test of the " I hear they're junk" internet talk but never any first hand experiences. I wouldn't buy an ak kit from what i read above but i think ar parts are pretty much a science so i took a leap of faith and luckily it didn't backfire. Like i said i knew i'd have it put together and test fired within the 3 day return policy otherwise i wouldn't have got it. Maybe there still a shitty company and i just lucked out. Either way i still built a nice M4 for $550.
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December 21st, 2009, 11:00 PM #7
Re: picked up blackthorne products M4 kit
I don't have that kind of "risk capital," but I'm glad to know your risk paid off.
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December 21st, 2009, 11:25 PM #8
Re: picked up blackthorne products M4 kit
Yeah that's pretty much my exact thoughts. AR's might be lego guns with most of the parts being churned out by just a few manufacturers... but they also run tight tolerances. At that price point I nearly expect factory seconds... or the parts every other vendor / manufacturer turns away. Combined with their spotty history & non-existent customer service...
And I would not have risked my $ either with del-ton being reliable for a similar cost.
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December 21st, 2009, 11:35 PM #9
Re: picked up blackthorne products M4 kit
What company name are they on now? The seventh? I really don't know. Maybe if they get I new name I would risk it
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December 21st, 2009, 11:54 PM #10
Re: picked up blackthorne products M4 kit
do any of you have a first hand experience with an ar from them though? All i could find in my research was " I heard" and thats all i'm hearing now. I'm not trying to sound like a dick cause i'm sure someone's been burned and i'd like to know on what.
Worst case was i would have been out $15 shipping. Either way i'm happy with what i got.
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