DPMS is gone but not forgotten...

[-hanko]

...Ask a former employee anything.

Not gonna' cut and paste, just a link from arf that may fill in a lot of blanks as to Remington's stupidity, at least imo. It's fascinating to me, but a long read.

Be aware that arf is a bit more loose with language than Calguns. You've been warned.

Link...https://www.ar15.com/forums/general/...g-/5-2293793/?

[TrappedinCalifornia]

If you scan through the thread and focus on the actual, former employee's responses, it's interesting what you learn. (A former CMMG employee joins in on Page 7.)

[jimmykan]

If you scan through the thread and focus on the actual, former employee's responses, it's interesting what you learn. (A former CMMG employee joins in on Page 7.)

Is CMMG going away too?

[TrappedinCalifornia]

Is CMMG going away too?

The DPMS employee is... GUNFRK223

The demise of DPMS and TAPCO are about Remington 'consolidating' after the bankruptcy.

I mentioned the CMMG employee (who says he's been out of the business for 6 years) as another, actual industry employee as opposed to the numerous members simply posting to the thread. (He was responding to a question that came up regarding CMMG.) I don't know how to link to his specific post in that thread, but on, Page 7, he (JBowles) stated:

I've been mostly out of the loop for almost 6 years now though, the Mk47 was my last big project. That said I think there distribution and marketing people/structure IMO are the ones to blame for the less then competitive pricing and confusing product line-up, but I think CMMG is in a good place in the market with the Mk47 and RDB pistol caliber products they are good products and if not wholly unique they are some of the best executed designs in there segment. We predicted the demise DPMS at least as a major parts supplier to the industry it was one of big reasons CMMG put a lot into making LPKs at a large scale, and little bit better than DPMS' benchmark in terms quality while we where at it.

CMMG started off as DPMS dealer/distributor, like 2000-2002ish, CMMG really became notable when they had got the to point of assembling there own uppers and spec'ing out there own barrels, somewhere 2004ish was there first run of CMMG lowers and big stuff like receivers and barrels being bought directly from OEMs, from there on out CMMG relied more and more on there own OEM network by 2008-2009 ish CMMG was I'd say 95% free of DPMS sourced parts. By 2014 CMMG's supply was mostly independent of the rest of the gun industry, more recently they have become more vertically integrated and are doing more and more under there own roof. the strategic goal was to be able to produce guns and parts regardless of supply and demand issues within the industry.

[The War Wagon]

Soooo... CMMG is now the LOW BENCHMARK of AR quality? I'd kinda always thought that anyhow, with DPMS a step up from that, and Oly a step above that.

Reflections of a weak AR market, which generally happens under a firearm-friendly President (I've been observing this firsthand as an AR owner since 1990). Crappy brands merge, or are absorbed my marginally better brands (Remington ). Think, "American Motors."

Whatever Packard, Studebaker, Hudson, & Nash had BEEN... by 1962, they were heading the way of the Pacer, Gremlin, and Hornet... soon to be headed the way of... out-of-business...

[Tere_Hanges]

As far as LPKs go, its pretty hard to eff that up. I've used CMMG LPKs with no issues.

As far as uppers go, I had a CMMG .308 MKIII upper that would have case head ruptures and failures with steel cased ammo and funny looking bulges with brass ammo. Never got it to run reliably and sent it back to CMMG twice. They never admitted anything was wrong with it. I think there was something wrong with the barrel and the bolt. I finally ended up stripping it for parts and trading it away.

By contrast I have been 100% satisfied with Windham Weaponry products. Very high quality IMO. Their CL CHF barrels are excellent mass produced barrels for the money. Windham is incredible value. Just wish they would use milspec buffer tube extensions.

[Jimi Jah]

CMMG has other products like .22LR conversion bolts, barrels, parts. Those remain popular.