DPMS won't help with my broken 300 Saum: UPDATE, DPMS came thru!

204 AR

204 AR

Well-known member
Hi all, really bummed out today and need to vent a little. I was out shooting my 300 Saum DPMS, at 500 to 650 yards (and getting good groups I might add) when it started failing to extract empties. I thought it was because my brass is on it's 5th loading and sticking for some reason. When I finally looked at the bolt, I noticed that half of the extractor's hook was chipped off.

So I emailed DPMS, and they said that model is discontinued (I knew that already) and they don't stock parts for it. Now, I contacted them last summer, right after I bought it, and asked that very question. Specifically if they could replace broken bolts or extractors, as those are the two pieces that are different with this caliber. They said they could repair the 300's for two more years. Well, apparantly they only had enough for 6 months, or are b.s.ing me. The reply email told me to check Gunbroker, wow that's customer service.

I mean, they have the dimensions. A good machinist should be able to make a new one from a 308 extractor, it's just a matter of reshaping the hook. I would think they'd do that and send it to me.

I was just about to buy a new 308 upper for this rifle, now I have to rethink buying anything from DPMS unless they make this right. I'm not asking for a freebie, (although anyone with good warranty service would provide that), I just need the part so I have a functional rifle as opposed to a paperweight.

Well, I guess I'll take the extractor to a gunsmith and see if he can mill a new one from a 308 extractor. That's all I can do at this point. I don't know if it will have to be rehardened, or what.
 
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You should be able to do it with a dremmel. I would not worry about the
hardening if you don't get it hot. Case hardening or Surface heat treating is not all that common these days. It is probably a fully treated part.
 
Originally Posted By: bigwheeler You should be able to do it with a dremmel. I would not worry about the
hardening if you don't get it hot. Case hardening or Surface heat treating is not all that common these days. It is probably a fully treated part.

Yeah I might have to resort to that. But I would prefer a factory made part, not something some garage redneck (me) cobbled together. Haha. Good to know about the hardening, I hope you're right.

Thanks

PS maybe I should figure out how to make one, if I'm going to keep it I'll probably run into this again down the road.
 
DPMS uses parts from where ever they can buy them the cheapest. This was one reason I decided NOT to buy a DPMS. I live about 160 miles from where DPMS's are made so I wanted to support a Minnesota company, but I also want a gun that is made to last. (I got this info from a guy that works at DPMS).
Take a look at Rock River, I am looking at a Rock Varmint A4 as my next AR purchase. Good Luck.----Riflemann
 
Originally Posted By: dogtiredKies here on the board is putting together a 300 SAUM or WSM line. You may check with them for parts.

Good idea.

Happy birthday Riflemann!
 
Well after a couple more emails, including returning the old email from last summer, DPMS is coming thru for me. They went looking and found a stash of extractors, and are sending me one.

So thanks DPMS for coming thru in the end!

I also talked to Kies and they thought theirs would work also, but don't know when they'll be done. When they are I am going to get a couple if possible.
 
A friend had the same problem with his rifle after he put in a DPMS extractor. Then when the new one came, it still wouldn't extract, so we contacted Scott at Specialized Dynamics, he took a look at it, the new extractor had chipped, and the new one hadn't been machined correctly. Scott dropped one of his extractors in, and the gun was back in business.
 
Originally Posted By: SnowmanMoA friend had the same problem with his rifle after he put in a DPMS extractor. Then when the new one came, it still wouldn't extract, so we contacted Scott at Specialized Dynamics, he took a look at it, the new extractor had chipped, and the new one hadn't been machined correctly. Scott dropped one of his extractors in, and the gun was back in business.

I think you misunderstood. My rifle functioned fine, for several hundred rounds over the last 6 months. Today, the extractor chipped, so that only half of it was gripping the rim of the case. Therefore, I need a new one, and since it is a special extractor made only for the 300 Saum, which has been discontinued, they didn't think they had one. But he checked into it and they do have some and are sending me one after all.

Just wanted to clarify, it wasn't a newly installed extractor that didn't work. Extractors take a beating in these rifles, especially with these larger cases. I'm not upset that one chipped, I half expect it occasionally. Run enough AR's, and put enough rounds thru, and stuff is going to break or wear out. I was just upset that they originally told me to take a hike, but glad that they had one after all.
 
Good to hear that they found a part for you.
Sounds to me like they need to tool up and crank out a few hundred `special` extractors.
At least it sounds like one from SD would work if you had trouble with it again. Thank heaven for the specialty/ custom suppliers.
 
Originally Posted By: 204 AROriginally Posted By: SnowmanMoA friend had the same problem with his rifle after he put in a DPMS extractor. Then when the new one came, it still wouldn't extract, so we contacted Scott at Specialized Dynamics, he took a look at it, the new extractor had chipped, and the new one hadn't been machined correctly. Scott dropped one of his extractors in, and the gun was back in business.

I think you misunderstood. My rifle functioned fine, for several hundred rounds over the last 6 months. Today, the extractor chipped, so that only half of it was gripping the rim of the case. Therefore, I need a new one, and since it is a special extractor made only for the 300 Saum, which has been discontinued, they didn't think they had one. But he checked into it and they do have some and are sending me one after all.

Just wanted to clarify, it wasn't a newly installed extractor that didn't work. Extractors take a beating in these rifles, especially with these larger cases. I'm not upset that one chipped, I half expect it occasionally. Run enough AR's, and put enough rounds thru, and stuff is going to break or wear out. I was just upset that they originally told me to take a hike, but glad that they had one after all.

Nope, I got it. His functioned fine for a few months, then failed to extract. Then, on top of that, the new one wasn't machined right. Double whammy. Scott was good enough to help us out because of the rifles that I get from him, and we installed an upgraded extractor into the rifle, and it has been working fine for a couple of years. For a company like DPMS, they have suppliers, and I kinda figure they must have had a bad run.

I am glad that they ended up working with you in the end. Good to see them stand up behind their product.
 
Originally Posted By: SnowmanMoOriginally Posted By: 204 AROriginally Posted By: SnowmanMoA friend had the same problem with his rifle after he put in a DPMS extractor. Then when the new one came, it still wouldn't extract, so we contacted Scott at Specialized Dynamics, he took a look at it, the new extractor had chipped, and the new one hadn't been machined correctly. Scott dropped one of his extractors in, and the gun was back in business.

I think you misunderstood. My rifle functioned fine, for several hundred rounds over the last 6 months. Today, the extractor chipped, so that only half of it was gripping the rim of the case. Therefore, I need a new one, and since it is a special extractor made only for the 300 Saum, which has been discontinued, they didn't think they had one. But he checked into it and they do have some and are sending me one after all.

Just wanted to clarify, it wasn't a newly installed extractor that didn't work. Extractors take a beating in these rifles, especially with these larger cases. I'm not upset that one chipped, I half expect it occasionally. Run enough AR's, and put enough rounds thru, and stuff is going to break or wear out. I was just upset that they originally told me to take a hike, but glad that they had one after all.

Nope, I got it. His functioned fine for a few months, then failed to extract. Then, on top of that, the new one wasn't machined right. Double whammy. Scott was good enough to help us out because of the rifles that I get from him, and we installed an upgraded extractor into the rifle, and it has been working fine for a couple of years. For a company like DPMS, they have suppliers, and I kinda figure they must have had a bad run.

I am glad that they ended up working with you in the end. Good to see them stand up behind their product.

Oh, ok I misunderstood. Well I hope the new one is correct, we'll see I guess. I would be all for installing an upgraded part if that solves it for good and if I could find one.
 
Originally Posted By: 204 AROriginally Posted By: SnowmanMoOriginally Posted By: 204 AROriginally Posted By: SnowmanMoA friend had the same problem with his rifle after he put in a DPMS extractor. Then when the new one came, it still wouldn't extract, so we contacted Scott at Specialized Dynamics, he took a look at it, the new extractor had chipped, and the new one hadn't been machined correctly. Scott dropped one of his extractors in, and the gun was back in business.

I think you misunderstood. My rifle functioned fine, for several hundred rounds over the last 6 months. Today, the extractor chipped, so that only half of it was gripping the rim of the case. Therefore, I need a new one, and since it is a special extractor made only for the 300 Saum, which has been discontinued, they didn't think they had one. But he checked into it and they do have some and are sending me one after all.

Just wanted to clarify, it wasn't a newly installed extractor that didn't work. Extractors take a beating in these rifles, especially with these larger cases. I'm not upset that one chipped, I half expect it occasionally. Run enough AR's, and put enough rounds thru, and stuff is going to break or wear out. I was just upset that they originally told me to take a hike, but glad that they had one after all.

Nope, I got it. His functioned fine for a few months, then failed to extract. Then, on top of that, the new one wasn't machined right. Double whammy. Scott was good enough to help us out because of the rifles that I get from him, and we installed an upgraded extractor into the rifle, and it has been working fine for a couple of years. For a company like DPMS, they have suppliers, and I kinda figure they must have had a bad run.

I am glad that they ended up working with you in the end. Good to see them stand up behind their product.

Oh, ok I misunderstood. Well I hope the new one is correct, we'll see I guess. I would be all for installing an upgraded part if that solves it for good and if I could find one.

No, it's quite all right. It is a little surprising to try to upgrade with what is supposed to be an premium part, only to have two of them fail in such short order. I know that it took Scott by surprise, which was why he helped us to decide on the upgraded one we finally put in, which has held up. Mostly I think that it is just an issue with their supplier, then a miss on the customer service front. Typical of a company that is a little larger.

It is good though to see that someone there got the point and helped you get the issue resolved. You are so right about AR's getting punished. I used my first M4 in 3 gun competitions, and have used both my 16in .223 and my 24in Specialized Dynamics flat tops in long range precision competitions, where we might fire them anywhere up to 200 times in a single competition. That is a lot of abuse. And as a competitive shooter I appreciate a well made product, but appreciate customer support just as much.
 


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