Adam from United States, WV Public Profile

If you have a 16” or 14.5” mid gas, suppressed only then this is the ticket! I have mine with a YHM Turbo T3, carbine buffer and spring. It’s the softest shooting rifle I’ve ever felt.
If you have a shorty carbine gas, this gas block wont help much. The gas port needs restricted more.

Super loose lockup. Massive amounts of movement. Saw good reviews and figured if it wiggled some I can just shim it with tape. Nope, this isn’t worth it. I’ve had Midwest Industries and P&S drop in rails that are far superior, I will be exchanging.

The S one rails come in at a bargain with a competitive weight of 8oz plus another 2 for the mounting hardware. This is on par with many other lightweight rails that come at a much higher price. The smooth top makes it very comfortable for those who like to run a thumb-over grip.

Only issue it had was the locking system. It locks up great, but was so stiff I had to add a drop of oil to the detent so the cog could turn. No biggie.

Came well packaged with no noticeable scratches or marks. Arrived quickly. Paired with Aero’s M16A4 lower.
Was very easy to sight in. Only needed 3 clicks to the windage. Feels like a tack driver and very accurate, at 50 yards a 1 inch group with the cheap 223 reloads was very doable.
Good price through OP (less than $400 after discount)
Ran it hard with no cleaning prior with drills and mag dumps ~150 rounds. No malfunctions that I can blame the upper for.
I have yet to go wrong with aero and they serve me well!

Had this for over a year now. The battery has yet to die. Never had an issue seeing the dot outside. Holds zero, nice tactile clicks when adjusting. Vortex customer service is unparalleled.

I will say the dot isn’t as crisp as an aimpoint, but come on it’s 1/3 the price.

A fantastic optic.

Alrighty, so you’ve decided to purchase a sub $250 dollar upper. Maybe you’re tight on cash. Maybe you just want a beater rifle. Maybe you love having buyers remorse, and keep telling yourself you can get high quality products for super cheap.

It’s a cheap upper and it feels like it. But It runs. Perfect 3 o clock ejection with 223 brass. I maybe have 300 rounds on it. Keep in mind this is a 10.5 5.56, you’re already pushing the boundaries of reliability and pleasant shooting.

Description says the barrel is chrome moly vanadium but can’t find that written on the barrel anywhere. The barrel is dimpled for the gas block though! That was a pleasant surprise.

Handguard feels like junk to me, and charging would make this ear piercing ringing noise. Not sure how that is happening but I Replaced the handguard with a Midwest and the ringing went away. The barrel nut is some janky thing that your typical armorers wrench won’t fit.

Would I buy it again? Nope. I’d spend a bit more money and get higher quality parts. I like to build though, so my take on it is: Take the 250 from this and get a decent barrel and upper receiver like aero precision, ballistic advantage or rosco.

The SD-SL comes with a finish that is smooth as glass. A proper upper receiver, a good buffer spring, this handle plus a thin coat of oil? Charging your rifle will feel like butter.

The handle protrusions are the perfect middle ground length so that you can grip them easier than your standard handle, but not so long that they snag on all your stuff. If you have a large optic moved all the way to the back then you might need a larger lever handle.

The levers themselves do have some resistance to them, they won’t nonchalantly unlatch from the upper receiver. They can even prevent your bolt from coming all the way forward if you’re guilty of riding the charging handle, but I’m not saying that is the handle’s fault.

It does help some with gas blowback, but tuning your rifle is still needed if that is your reasoning for choosing this handle. If you already have a radian handle, I do not think the little side cuts on this would be worth the upgrade.

Had it for a year now. Wore it almost every day to work and for when I carry. Not a single problem. Love the ratcheting system. Easy to tighten and loosen at a moments notice. It’s just a great belt. Looks great to wear professionally so it’s not just for carrying. If I could only own one belt, it would be one of these.

While it is certainly more durable than your typical Mylar, mine still ripped fairly easily. It’s not the easiest to get it back into the bag but it’s doable with enough time. It works though. Threw it over my sleeping bag when I woke up cold and I warmed right up. Of course you still have the condensation just like all other emergency blankets.

Got this for $150 on Dvor.

Pretty similar to the Velocity systems gen 4, but doesn’t have all the buckles for the shoulder straps. Not a big deal, just means you have to pull it over your head and can’t attach it to a plate carrier. Also no big map pocket behind the magazines and no Velcro field back there.

It doesn’t like PMAGs. They snag too much. You’ll have to use smooth metal ones.

If you’re not a big guy, you’ll have trouble cinching this rig tight enough. For reference my chest is about 40”, waist 30-32”. I took a seam cutter to the stitching on the loops on the Tri glides, then pulled excess strap length through. This is how I’ve seen other straps done. Works like a charm so far.

The general purpose pouches on the sides are perfect for a double stack of ar15 magazines, or the compact Hyfin chest seals to make a mini IFAK.

A nice little piece of kit. Wouldn’t pay full $200 for it due to all the mods needed but it is good quality.