The Panther Arms series of.223 and.308 AR rifles are considerably cheaper than Bushmasters, but I was wondering if they are better, or is the name Bushmaster hyped up more than they are worth. Panther Arms ranked third in the amount of AR's produced, but they were behind Colt and Bushmaster. MGW carries the quality AR platform and like rifle componets from DPMS Panther Arms. Parts here are available to the public for self installation, but they can also be installed by our highly trained gunsmiths. Midwest Gun Works Gunsmiths can offer servicing skill that your DPMS firearm deserves. Please scroll down to find model specific parts for your DPMS firearm, or click on one of the. An affordable yet accurate plinking gun, the Panther Oracle is built to bridge the gap between the Sporting and Tactical markets. This introductory level carbine features a 16' light contour barrel DPMS Panther Oracle.223/5.56 AR-15 Rifle 60531: RK Guns. Private Citizens: A private citizen needing to obtain the serial number of a stolen firearm purchased from an FFL which has since discontinued business will need to contact local law enforcement and request that the agency submit a Record Search Request. The NTC can only provide firearms records to law enforcement personnel, not to the general.

DPMS LR-308 with a 4 digit serial number (42XX) and no K at end. About them building rifles with non-sequencial serial numbers and just the serial does not tell if preban you have to contact them. DPMS / Panther Arms. AR15.COM is the world’s largest firearm community and is a gathering place for firearm enthusiasts of all types. From hunters and military members, to competition shooters and general firearm enthusiasts, we welcome anyone who values and respects the way of the firearm.

DPMS (Defense Procurement Manufacturing Services) Panther Arms manufactures a wide range of military and civilian rifles in Huntsville, Alabama.

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History[edit]

Randy Luth founded Defense Procurement Manufacturing Services (DPMS) in 1985 in Osseo, Minnesota as a precision machine shop for manufacturing M203, M14 and M16 parts for U.S. military contracts. In the later 1990s, the company employed 30 people selling Colt 1911 and AR-15 parts and accessories and moved the company to Becker, Minnesota. DPMS later began producing AR-15 style rifles.

DPMS moved to St. Cloud, Minnesota in 2004. In 2007, the firm was named one of The Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal's '50 fastest-growing privately held companies.' DPMS doubled its revenue between 2004–07 and employed 65 people in 2008.^[1]

Freedom Group purchased DPMS Panther Arms on December 14, 2007, the same year it purchased Marlin Firearms. Freedom Group is a consortium of firearms manufacturers and part of Cerberus Capital Management, a New York private equity investment firm. Cerberus combined DPMS with Bushmaster Firearms International, Remington Arms and Cobb Manufacturing to form the Freedom Group.^[2] Remington is the company's immediate corporate parent.

On December 20, 2012, Cerberus announced they were selling their Freedom Group brands, including DPMS, based on pressure from a California pension board.^[3] This transaction has failed to occur as of May 2014.^[4]

Products[edit]

The company manufactures AR-15 style rifles chambered for the .223 Remington, 5.56×45mm NATO, .308 Winchester, and .260 Remingtoncartridges, among others.

The company attracted attention within the firearms industry with its version of the AR-10, the Panther LR-308, earning the NRA Publication's magazine Shooting Illustrated 2005 Golden Bullseye Award for Rifle of the Year. In 2006 the 'Panther LR-308AP4' earned the NRA Publication's magazine American Rifleman Golden Bullseye Award for Rifle of the Year.^[5] In 2008, DPMS introduced the LR-338 chambered in the .338 Federal cartridge.^[6]

Production relocation[edit]

DPMS's St. Cloud production facility with 115 employees was closed and production has been moved to Remington's new non-union facility in Huntsville, Alabama. Remington's Ilion, New York, production facility closed down two production lines for their Bushmaster-branded AR-15 style semi-automatic rifle and R-1 1911 pattern pistol and moved them to Huntsville. In 2014 Remington moved production of two gun lines and 150 jobs from New York to Alabama because of New York state's gun laws which banned the sale of those products in the state,^[7] and consolidated its production from six locations into Huntsville in order to increase efficiency, and reduce production and labor costs.^[8][9][10] The six companies being relocated were: Advanced Armament Corp, of Lawrenceville, Georgia; Montana Rifleman, of Kalispell, Montana; TAPCO; LAR Manufacturing, of West Jordan, Utah; Para USA (formerly Para-Ordnance); and DPMS.

Serial Number Lookup For Equipment

Notes[edit]

1. ^'St. Cloud gunmaker moving to Alabama'. St. Cloud Times. May 16, 2014.
2. ^DPMS Acquired By Cerberus. Joins Bushmaster and Remington. « AccurateShooter.com Bulletin
3. ^In Unusual Move, Cerberus to Sell Freedom Group, a Gun Company - NYTimes.com
4. ^'St. Cloud gunmaker moving to Alabama'. St. Cloud Times. May 16, 2014.
5. ^NRA 2006 Golden Bullseye Awards
6. ^'DPMS LR-338: An AR-Style Rifle Chambered in .338 Federal For Serious Hunting'.
7. ^'Remington Arms moving two assembly lines from Ilion to Alabama because of NY Safe Act, senator says'. Syracuse.com. May 16, 2014.
8. ^Remington to move production of two gun lines from New York to Alabama
9. ^Minnesota St. Cloud based gun maker moving to Alabama
10. ^St. Cloud gunmaker moving to Alabama

External links[edit]

DPMS (Defense Procurement Manufacturing Services) Panther Arms manufactures a wide range of military and civilian rifles in Huntsville, Alabama.

History[edit]

Randy Luth founded Defense Procurement Manufacturing Services (DPMS) in 1985 in Osseo, Minnesota as a precision machine shop for manufacturing M203, M14 and M16 parts for U.S. military contracts. In the later 1990s, the company employed 30 people selling Colt 1911 and AR-15 parts and accessories and moved the company to Becker, Minnesota. DPMS later began producing AR-15 style rifles.

DPMS moved to St. Cloud, Minnesota in 2004. In 2007, the firm was named one of The Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal's '50 fastest-growing privately held companies.' DPMS doubled its revenue between 2004–07 and employed 65 people in 2008.^[1]

Freedom Group purchased DPMS Panther Arms on December 14, 2007, the same year it purchased Marlin Firearms. Freedom Group is a consortium of firearms manufacturers and part of Cerberus Capital Management, a New York private equity investment firm. Cerberus combined DPMS with Bushmaster Firearms International, Remington Arms and Cobb Manufacturing to form the Freedom Group.^[2] Remington is the company's immediate corporate parent.

On December 20, 2012, Cerberus announced they were selling their Freedom Group brands, including DPMS, based on pressure from a California pension board.^[3] This transaction has failed to occur as of May 2014.^[4]

Products[edit]

Dpms Serial Number Guide

The company manufactures AR-15 style rifles chambered for the .223 Remington, 5.56×45mm NATO, .308 Winchester, and .260 Remingtoncartridges, among others.

The company attracted attention within the firearms industry with its version of the AR-10, the Panther LR-308, earning the NRA Publication's magazine Shooting Illustrated 2005 Golden Bullseye Award for Rifle of the Year. In 2006 the 'Panther LR-308AP4' earned the NRA Publication's magazine American Rifleman Golden Bullseye Award for Rifle of the Year.^[5] In 2008, DPMS introduced the LR-338 chambered in the .338 Federal cartridge.^[6]

Production relocation[edit]

DPMS's St. Cloud production facility with 115 employees was closed and production has been moved to Remington's new non-union facility in Huntsville, Alabama. Remington's Ilion, New York, production facility closed down two production lines for their Bushmaster-branded AR-15 style semi-automatic rifle and R-1 1911 pattern pistol and moved them to Huntsville. In 2014 Remington moved production of two gun lines and 150 jobs from New York to Alabama because of New York state's gun laws which banned the sale of those products in the state,^[7] and consolidated its production from six locations into Huntsville in order to increase efficiency, and reduce production and labor costs.^[8][9][10] The six companies being relocated were: Advanced Armament Corp, of Lawrenceville, Georgia; Montana Rifleman, of Kalispell, Montana; TAPCO; LAR Manufacturing, of West Jordan, Utah; Para USA (formerly Para-Ordnance); and DPMS.

Notes[edit]

1. ^'St. Cloud gunmaker moving to Alabama'. St. Cloud Times. May 16, 2014.
2. ^DPMS Acquired By Cerberus. Joins Bushmaster and Remington. « AccurateShooter.com Bulletin
3. ^In Unusual Move, Cerberus to Sell Freedom Group, a Gun Company - NYTimes.com
4. ^'St. Cloud gunmaker moving to Alabama'. St. Cloud Times. May 16, 2014.
5. ^NRA 2006 Golden Bullseye Awards
6. ^'DPMS LR-338: An AR-Style Rifle Chambered in .338 Federal For Serious Hunting'.
7. ^'Remington Arms moving two assembly lines from Ilion to Alabama because of NY Safe Act, senator says'. Syracuse.com. May 16, 2014.
8. ^Remington to move production of two gun lines from New York to Alabama
9. ^Minnesota St. Cloud based gun maker moving to Alabama
10. ^St. Cloud gunmaker moving to Alabama

External links[edit]

PREBAN AR15 INFORMATION RESOURCES | PRE BAN AR 15

PRE BAN AR 15

PRE BAN AR 15 information is very valuable to shooters in states that maintain an ASSAULT WEAPON BAN. While I dont normally advocate borrowing content from other websites I feel this information is invaluable and needs to be protected, duplicated and shared for the greater good of the shooting community.

If anyone has more information and links please post them at the bottom and I will update the list. If you have a lower of from one of the lesser known brands and have managed to verify the date to the serial number please add your info to the comments and I will add it to the master list.

OLYMPIC ARMS

Q: What does my serial number mean?

A: Nothing is more frustrating than to know little or nothing about the firearm you own or are about to buy. Use the information in this page to help determine when your Olympic Arms AR 15 was produced. Please read all of the details on this page because there are many questions answered in the following paragraphs.

As many of you already know, on the 7th of June, 2000, Olympic Arms experienced a devastating fire that destroyed our sales offices. In those offices were housed our current as well as archival records with regards to manufacture, acquisition and distribution of firearms. The books that we, as well as all federally licensed firearms dealers are required to keep are commonly known as “Bound Books”, or “A&D” (acquisition & distribution) books.

These books, over 25 years of Olympic Arms history and data, were completely destroyed in that fire. All A& D book records prior to the 7th of June, 2000 are GONE. Period. This is an unfortunate situation that severely limits our ability to provide product information for any and all AR-15 lower receivers and/or complete guns manufactured prior to that date. As a result all that we can provide is what you see below, a date “range” in which your serial number was manufactured.

Dpms Oracle Serial Number Lookup

We CANNOT provide you with the date the serial number was shipped, we CANNOT provide you with information determining whether a particular serial number was a factory assembled firearm, and most importantly, we CANNOT determine whether or not your particular serial number is a legal grandfathered pre-ban firearm.

Many people and organizations have been critical of Olympic Arms for not securing a copy of these records elsewhere, or keeping an electronic file of this data as an emergency back up. If you’d like to read why this decision was made, please read the article in the About Us section titled “Pre-fire Bound Books”. Remember that Olympic Arms fully complied, and still does, with ATF regulations regarding A&D books.

Below you will see a list of serial numbers. At Olympic, we group our serial numbered lowers into “ranges”. If you’ll notice, all the serial number ranges have a letter prefix but one. The initial receivers made by Olympic Arms simply contain a 4 digit serial number, no letter prefix. Each subsequent serial number range (either beginning with 0001, or 1001) will show a 1 or 2 letter prefix.

Additionally, you will see several lines for serial numbers that begin with the same letter(s) prefix. These prefix series are divided by a date range to their right. These date ranges are the beginning and ending dates of the physical paper ledgers in which those numbers were recorded. In other words, the ledger books were not large enough to contain all of the numbers (0001-9999), in one book. For that reason, there is a beginning date and end date for each ledger. That is what you see below.

Match your receiver up with the letter prefixes on the chart below. Each line is separated into 5 columns.

Column 1: The serial number itself (including prefix).

Column 2: The beginning serial number in that book.

Column 3: The beginning date for that book. If there is only one date listed after the serial numbers in column 2 and/or 2, all of those numbers were manufactured on that same day.

Column 4: End date for that book.

Column 5: Comments regarding that range of serial numbers. The comments as listed would apply to all of the serial numbers with the prefix listed to the left.

AR15.com

The folks over at AR15. com have compiled the list below

Disclaimer: This list is correct to the best of my knowledge, however, I accept absolutely no responsibility for the accuracy of this information or for the consequences and/or damages occurring from any inaccuracies. I have compiled this list for the purposes of sharing information only. This is not intended to be used in any way except for personal entertainment. It is a compilation of both personal information and information submitted from others from the Internet. ALL SERIAL NUMBERS SHOULD BE VERIFIED FROM THE MANUFACTURER PRIOR TO ANY PURCHASE OR ASSEMBLY. It should be noted that it is a felony to possess a Post-Ban (newly assembled after Sept 13, 1994) assault weapon.

If any information presented here is found to be incorrect or you have additional information to contribute, please contact me via E-Mail (hkusp40@midmaine.com) and I will update and re-issue the list.

Note: All items marked with a single asterisk (*) are taken from http://home1.gte.net/bblakley/ban/index.htm. The year/serial numbers under Colt SP series was forwarded to me by an individual whose return address I no longer have. Double asterisk (**) under Bushmaster, a person on the internet e-mailed me that he had a lower that was shipped stripped (thus not a complete rifle) in 1991 from Bushmaster with serial #0327XX – ALWAYS CALL TO VERIFY.

Advanced Armaments

No information – Apparently machined from bar stock aluminum, lowers are marked as M-15.

American Spirit Arms (Formerly “Sun Valley Traders”)

ALL lowers are Post Ban AR 15. Began introduction of lowers and rifles in mid/late 1998. Noted as having good fit & finish. Also, reported to be manufactured by Lewis Machine & Tool (LMT).

Armalite | Eagle Arms

Slightly over S/N 30,000 was the Pre Ban AR 15 cut-off, call to verify.* (Some Eagle lowers below the 30,000 range were determined to be POST BAN AR 15 by BATFE – call to verify) Armalite sells Eagle lowers, but sells factory complete rifles with Armalite lowers.

Bohica

Made stainless steel lowers, rumored to have also made AR-15 pistols. Lower marked M16-SA. This is NOT verifiable info as it came from the Internet. Out of Business.

Bushmaster

Below L051000 – Assembled Pre Ban AR 15 Rifles and some pre-94 lowers.**
L051001-L063000 – Mixed Pre Ban Assembled Rifles and Pre-Sept 94 Lowers (Call to verify)
L063001 and Up – Post Ban

Century International Arms

Lower marked CIA. All are Post-Ban. Made with Olympic Arms Receivers under contract.

Colt Firearms

CC001616 and Below – Pre-Ban
CH019500 and Below – Pre-Ban
GC018500 and Below – Pre-Ban
LH011326 and Below – Pre-Ban
MH086020 and Below – Pre-Ban
NL004800 and Below – Pre-Ban
SL027246 and Below – Pre-Ban
SP360200 and Below – Pre-Ban
1963 SP00001-SP00023**
1964 SP00101
1965 SP02501
1966 SP05600
1967 SP08250
1968 SP10750
1969 SP14000-SP14653
1970 SP15001-SP15473
1971 SP16001
1972 SP19401
1973 SP24201
1974 SP32601
1975 SP43801
1976 SP55301
1977 SP67651
1978 SP83400
ST038100 and Below – Pre-Ban
TA10100 and Below – Pre-Ban
BD000134 and Below – Pre-Ban (AR-15A3 Tactical Carbine – very rare model)
MT00001 and Above – Post-Ban
BK000001and Above – Post Ban (CAR-A3)
CST000001 and Above – Post-Ban (Began Late 1997 Production)
CMH000001 and Above – Post Ban
CCH010000 and Above – Post Ban MT6700, MT6700C and MT6700CH series, 1998 production

Dalphon

All are POST ban. Cast 356-T6 Aluminum, hardcoat anodized per mil-spec A-8625

DPMS

Below 10300 – Pre Ban AR 15 Rifles.
Some or all lowers are cast. Black in color. Some lowers are Stainless Steel.

Eagle Arms

Now called ArmaLite. They will not give out a list, but will look up on an individual basis. Lower receiver serial numbers DO NOT begin with EA.

Essential Arms

All are Pre Ban AR 15 Rifles as they went out of business in 1993. (DPMS bought them prior to the Ban) Call DPMS Lower receiver serial numbers begin with EA. Some or all lowers are cast. Light gray coloring. It is rumored that Ruger investment casted the lowers for Essential Arms.

Frankford Arsenal

All are Pre Ban AR 15 Rifles. As rumor has it, Olympic Arms produced the lowers for Frankford Arsenal Call Olympic Arms and then Frankford assembled the weapon. A2 configuration lower. Frankford Arsenal went out of business in 1987. (Info from RudolphoS@aol.com)

Hesse Arms

All AR-15’s are post ban. Manufacturing began late 1997/early 1998.

J.L.M & Sons*

SC001 thru SC250 are Pre Ban AR 15 Rifles. All others are post ban.

Knights Armament Co. aka KAC

All AR-15’s are post ban, very few AR-10’s are pre-ban. No further info at this time.

Military Manufacturing (M2)

All were military/law enforcement only. Full auto lowers were standard, semi were optional. Lowers were machined form raw bar stock with improvements incorporated – 18deg magazine angle and square magazine release.

Nesard

See “Sendra” below.

Olympic Arms (Continued)

4-numbers only – very very old. Probably machined from bar stock.
1-letter and 4# – older receiver, but forgings. (Some are newer, POST ban castings – call to verify.)
2-letters & 4# – most receivers follow this pattern.
2#, 2 letters, 4# – the first two #’s are year of manufacture of the lower.
2 letters, 6# (separated 2 & 4 – e.g. SA 96 0000) – first 2 #’s are year of manufacture.
“ICR” marked lowers are an European customer’s overrun, has an unused additional hole – all ICR lowers are post ban.

Olympic Arms Manufacturer’s Notes:

Dpms Panther Serial Number Lookup Online

1. There were some odd variations and some custom serial numbers mixed in thru the years also. And, some receivers manufactured after the ban have the year stamp after the model name, not in the serial #. and if you don’t see a year stamp on the receiver, it is not necessarily pre-ban.
2. Serial numbers that end in “D” were duplicates and one was changed using this letter.
3. Recently some serial numbers have left with one or two letters followed by FIVE numbers. The last numbers are either 5’s or 0’s. 99.9% of these are post-ban.
4. “Older” does not always mean pre-ban as per Corey Sattler.
5. “BL” serial number series lowers are transitional with some pre and some post ban. If you have a “BL” you’ll have to call to verify for certain.

Professional Ordinance

All are post ban (including all of the pistols).

PWA

35222 and Below – Pre Ban AR 15 Rifles (Note:Some lowers are cast not forged. Out of business) Post-ban have a year prefix in the serial number. Rumored to have only sold lowers.

Rocky Mountain Arms

Dpms Panther Serial Number Lookup Tool

Producer of AR-15 type pistols.

Colt Revolver Serial Lookup

Sendra

Post-ban receivers have a circle milled into the side of the magwell. They were originally bead-blasted to a non-glare finish. All others are pre-ban. (This is unverified info…) Also, they used to be NESARD. Rumored to have been owned by Dick Drasen (currently M&A Parts) and produced lowers only out of Barrington, Illinois. No complete guns were sold (again, unverified info).

Colt Carbine R6521

Colt Carbine R6521 – Is a rare Colt of which only a few hundred were made for export purposes. They are not marked Sporter, AR-15 or SP1. These are the only Colt AR15 type weapons allowed to be transferred among Connecticut citizens