The DPMS GII AP4-OR

I like listening to 60’s and 70’s rock ballads. They sharpen the recollection of dreams and aspirations. Each song marking a specific time, a specific event or a specific state of mind. Music reminds me of the people I know, the people I knew; essentially the beginning of all things that have come to pass and all things that remain to be done… like yard work and writing this DPMS AP4-OR overview.

Writing about modern sporting rifles, contrary to popular belief, is typically not a treat. I don’t attend amateur mercenary training seminars, I pretty much have ruled out the need for defense against an invasion in my time and I do not need a place to park sophisticated optoelectronics gear. While I would never say it aloud, I tend to see black rifles as the My Little Pony of firearms, where collectors can participate in an endless discussion of the newest and best way to attach a sling to a buttstock or floating handguard.  For me, if an MSR is to be of value, it only needs to competently facilitate recreational target shooting, hunting and rural home defense. No discussion required.

The DPMS GII has appeared on the digital pages of Real Guns in various forms since its introduction in 2014. It is well made, exhibits excellent performance and serves practical purposes. The GII approaches the light weight and compact form of the AR 15 while providing 308 Winchester power. As a bonus, the GII is compatible with AR 15 buttstocks, fire control pieces and handgrips. The GII’s gas tube and top rail to bore centerline dimensions are the same as an AR 15, which permits the use of AR 15 size floating handguards with a GII compatible barrel nut or mount system.

The GII AP4 and GII AP4-OR are distinguished from the other six DPMS GII configurations by their short barrels, light weight, M4 6 position buttstocks, and Glacier Guard non-floating handguards. The new for 2017 GII AP4-OR facilitates the use of an optical sight systems by substituting a railed gas block for the AP4’s F marked front sight base and rear sight and drops the MSRP by $150.

A little elaboration with a little illustration…

The GII’s receivers are 7075 aluminum forgings with T6 temper. The zinc content of the 7075 alloy makes for near steel material strength. The receivers are Level 3 anodized and Teflon coated for wear and corrosion resistance. Level 3 anodizing has an equivalent Rockwell wear resistance of Rc 70, which is greater than that of electroless nickel, hard chrome, and ceramic coatings.

The receiver set is 5/8″ shorter than the AR 10 standard and just 1/2″ longer than the AR 15, the same dimension as an AR 15 from the magazine release back. The ejection port is larger than an AR 10 standard and the brass deflector has been redesign to aid in ejecting brass more consistently. Takedown and pivot pins are AR standard 0.250″ diameter, trigger and hammer pins are AR standard spacing and 0.154″ diameter.

The GII has a dual ejector system and an extractor utilizes an elastomer button in place of a traditional metallic spring. Both features enhance reliability and I have to say it returns casings in about the same condition they were received.

The carrier is shorter than an AR 10, a bit longer than an AR 15 and AR 15 diameter. The combination makes for the compact receiver and allows for a reduced diameter barrel extension which keeps the top rail and gas tube spacing from the bore centerline the same dimension as an AR 15. The DPMS GII buffer and buffer spring are tuned to the 308 Winchester, but shorter than the AR 10 standard. The reduced size permits the use of an AR 15 type 1.168″ buffer tube and compatible buttstocks.

Performance. What comes out of the small end…

The GII AP4-OR was set up with an overkill scope, 14x, and shot with and without an Advanced Armament Corp Fast Attach SR7 Silencer. A 90T 5/8″x24 Flash Hider replaced the DPMS A2 Birdcage flash hider to facilitate non-suppressed / suppressed data collection.

Three common and modestly priced ammo types were selected for checkout. The weights are also common and all consistent with soft point hunting ammunition. No steel cased ammo was tested. I have too much respect for my firearms to run junk ammo through them and they need to provide years of reliable service.

The GII functioned with monotonous reliability, silencer off or on. Magazines fed from full, partially full and filled with mixed ammo types. The forward assist was never required. Recoil was… 308 Win like; no big deal, regardless bullet weight or ammo.

The charging handle, like any AR charging handle, competed with the scope’s eyepiece for my attention and I suspect they will as long as fingers have knuckles. I did use various buttstock positions dependent upon shooting position. The Glacier Guard forearm felt… unnecessarily large, but a solid gripping surface.

The bolt catch, safety selector and magazine release controls were crisp and positive in actuation. Trigger pull was heavy; not rough, little creep. If it were my rifle over the long haul, I would probably clean up the trigger or switch to a DPMS 2 Stage. As is, the GII is easy to shoot accurately. Suppressed, 25 dB – 39 dB sound reduction, it makes for an excellent day at the range and it would no doubt make for an excellent day of Maine moose, deer, black bear, or even coyote hunting.

For other DPMS GII coverage and further detail:

Real Guns – The GII Compact Hunter from DPMS Panther Arms Part I
Real Guns – The GII Compact Hunter from DPMS Panther Arms Part II
DPMS GII Web Site