DAC 394 Review and Range Report

Wendell said:
He's got a valid point.

While it's great that these kits are giving people the opportunity to learn the gun's function, the problems will start as soon as these supposedly completed pistols begin to appear at gunshows and on the Equipment Exchange. There will be some cunning sellers who will not give full disclosure. There will be a lot of ignorant buyers who will be stung with something that won't meet their expectations. These disappointed buyers will then bad-mouth the 394 and the Dlask brand.

I'm a little surprised that Dlask would take this kind of risk with what is, in effect, their reputation.
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Folks in the US have been building them since 2003, with what sounds like very little negative outcomes. There are some issues, but mostly they are with fit and basic function. There are some safety issues, but odds are a badly put together piece won't get as far as the range. I agree that anyone selling one of these should most definitely disclose the fact that they weren't assembled by a certified gunsmith, or Dlask Arms Corp.

Although, it seems like there are kits that are easier to put together available from US manufacturers. The Dalsk kits seem to be what most people start out with due to cost.
 
I think more people have been blown up by botched reloads than by ventures such as this. It seems that with some common sense, mechanical apptitude and a little elbow grease that these things are a great project. I am curiuos if anyone has tried any aftermarket springs or Sig parts in their kits to tweek things a bit.
 
After fiddling around with the trigger bar I had high hopes that today was going to be the day my DA would work...nope :( It worked a couple times (better than yesterday) but the slipping sound was starting to worry me so I gave up and decided to shoot SA only again today. Will modify the trigger tab again tomorrow and see if I can continue to improve on it.

I ran another 100 rounds of AE 115gr. through her today....total round count: 152

The first box went smooth as could be, no problems what so ever :D
The second box started fine and then I got some failure to fires (light strikes) I'd re-#### the hammer and eventually they'd go off but it was getting progressively worse. Maybe just dirty or in need of lube I think. At least thats what I hope.

I shot in 5 round groups today. This thing is ACCURATE !!! (Okay, maybe "accurate" isn't the best word to describe it, how about "consistent"?) I'm still shooting high/right but I really worked on shooting the tightest 5 round groups that I could...

This is tight enough for me.
img_0986.jpg


I started off by shooting 10-15 rounds per target, 5 shots at a time, every target showed the same pattern when you throw them on top of each other and hold them to the light, so I started shooting 5 rounds per target

I don't have a sight pusher, so I shifted my point of aim to compensate and here's the best target I shot tonight.
img_0985.jpg


Don't let the naysayers get to you...these things can be plenty accurate/consistent, just take your time and think through what your doing. I may only have shot 152 rounds but thats still 152 rounds. I still have all my fingers, although I did gouge a chunk out of my finger tip when I pinched it in between the slide and the frame while pulling the slide back. Look, at what point do you consider a gun that somebody else built "safe" to fire?

I can totally understand the arguement regarding the potential selling of improperly assembled/fitted guns or deceptive sellers. Hopefully that never becomes an issue here.

But honestly, if you put the damn thing together even half-way properly (mine likely falls into this category :p ) it should be safe and function relatively well. I did nothing special, no "tricks", no special parts, no extra preparation work, no special tools...Mine impresses me, hopefully as more get finished we'll see this trend continue.

On a side note...I was just looking at my empty box and bags from the kit when I realized I had parts left over :eek: ...seriously, does anyone know where a roll pin that looks like the "breechblock pin" on the slide would go? It's not shown in any diagrams I've seen? Maybe spare part? ...meh, can't be too important.
 
novega said:
On a side note...I was just looking at my empty box and bags from the kit when I realized I had parts left over :eek: ...seriously, does anyone know where a roll pin that looks like the "breechblock pin" on the slide would go? It's not shown in any diagrams I've seen? Maybe spare part? ...meh, can't be too important.
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Personally, I plan to replace the slide/breechblock roll pin with a solid pin. It'll look better, and I read an ancient post on homegunsmith.com about the roll pins supplied with the Dlask kits being too brittle and breaking. I don't know if the is still the case, but I'm replacing mine anyway.

:cheers:
 
I've thought about it some more and I realize that no one is concerned about all the AR-15 receivers and built rifles floating around. No one seems to be preoccupied by the question of by whom they were, or will be, assembled.

The only company that I recall had any concern with this was the new (Eagle Arms' company) Armalite. They had, at the time, advertised that stripped receivers would be available under the Eagle Arms name and that - to assure customers of quality - Armalite-marked receivers would be available only as complete rifles. (Since then, I've seen new Armalite receivers for sale, so this policy might have changed.) Other companies with even better reputations than the new (Eagle Arms') Armalite sell stripped receivers without any apparent concern.

A potential Buyer should always do a safety and function check of any used firearm prior to purchase (or during the 3-day inspection) in addition to the visual inspection of fit and finish, so it would be no different here. Caveat emptor.

The fact that something was assembled by a GunNut doesn't really change much.
 
joe-boy said:
Personally, I plan to replace the slide/breechblock roll pin with a solid pin. It'll look better, and I read an ancient post on homegunsmith.com about the roll pins supplied with the Dlask kits being too brittle and breaking. I don't know if the is still the case, but I'm replacing mine anyway. :cheers:
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According to John M. Buol Jr. in The Little Pistol That Could, in the June 2008 Guns & Ammo Combat Arms, the 228's breech block roll pins* are supposed to be replaced at 5000 rounds.

5000 rounds?

:popCorn:

I wonder how many people replace it that frequently.
 
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good luck putting a solid pin in there. won't work. unless you plan on getting one that's super tight, and then stacking it in place. The roll pins (yes pins) are supposed to be replaced every 5000 rounds. there should be two pins in your slide, one inside the other. Once works on the other to keep things nice and tight. The 5000 round count is Sigs by the way, not Dlasks. If you don't replace the pins, your breach block will be loose, allowing the slide body to flex up and down, ripping your slide rails off the gun eventually. How do I know? hmmm I've seen half a dozen 228s and 226s have it happen to them. And those are quality, German manufactured guns, not home shop built.
as for the DA problem, have a look at the spring on the trigger bar, and the interface between the bar and the hammer hook.
 
Slavex said:
good luck putting a solid pin in there. won't work. unless you plan on getting one that's super tight, and then stacking it in place. The roll pins (yes pins) are supposed to be replaced every 5000 rounds.
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Hmmm, that's too bad, I was thinking a solid pin would look better. :( Do you happen to know the the roll pins dimensions ?? They're probably commercially available, and easier to come by than ordering them as gun parts from the states.
 
faizi said:
I will prefer Norinco NP-34 on this pistol any day of the week.
Norinco rocks.
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Yeah, we could have all spent an extra $150 and bought Norincos, but will you have learned anything? My reason for buying this was to learn more about the functioning of my other Sigs, and the satisfaction of finishing this one myself.

After some work with a slide and sandpaper, the finish is looking quite good - can't wait to get it all done, and properly coated.
 
Update:

My new P228 MecGar mags arrived this morning so I went to the range again tonight to try them out. They insert as smooth as silk, the followers were a bit stiff at first and caused the slide to lock back on the second last round but they loosened up nicely after a couple cycles. It's a "night and day" difference between them and the stock Dlask one. I'm very pleased.

Put another 100 rounds through her, Total round count: 252 I'm pretty confident that it's broken-in now. The action is way smoother than before, everything cycles nicely, my primer strikes on the empty brass look firm, centered and uniform. I had no failures of any sort tonight, all rounds fired first try and I never once had to use the 'second strike capability" to fire off a round.

I think part of the success is due to running it wet, I drenched it in oil tonight. Will try grease next time out and see if it makes a difference.

My DA is still not right, I "may" have to take it to a 'smith after all. I've tried everything I could think of and the hammer's still not contacting the firing pin in DA and trigger bar is flexing away from the hammer causing slippage. I hate to take it to a gunsmith partially because of cost/inconvienence but mostly because I KNOW it's going to be some silly little thing.

I guess to make a long story short: My "magic number" for break-in was between 200 and 250 rounds.


Total Round Count: 252
 
the trigger bar slipping off the hammer is likely due to angles on either the bar or hammer, they need to be square, otherwise the bar can slide off the hammer hook.
 
@ Novega

After reading a few hundred posts on that home Gunsmithing site, I've seen quite a few people have had issues with some of the parts in the package and have opted to pick up a few parts from Sig Sauer. From what I've read, the Sig parts are much better fit and quality. I'm thinking that over time I might replace a few parts with authentic Sig internals.
 
$200. for a high quality, reliable centrefire pistol is a great deal...

I hope you guys are keeping track of your 394-related expenditures.

:popCorn:
 
Wendell said:
I hope you guys are keeping track of your 394-related expenditures.

:popCorn:
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I sure am :D

$ 229.95 Dlask DAC394 Kit
$ 74.08 #0000 Steel Wool (used 1 of 16), 10" File, Blue Shop Towels, Tap & Die Set
$ 87.77 MecGar P228 Magazine X2
$ 391.80 SUB TOTAL

MINUS:
$ 66.65 Returned the File and Tap & Die Set after I was done using them

TOTAL COST THUS FAR: $ 325.15

Oh I suppose if i wanted to be nit-picky I could include the ammo that I fired to break it in
$ 90.12 115gr. 9mm Federal AE Ammunition X 5 boxes
Which means I've spent a grand total $ 415.27.


That's really not that bad, considering it includes 2 high quality magazines and 250 rounds of ammo, shipping and all applicable taxes.

I figure, even if it costs me another $100 to get the DA working (either by working on it myself and having to replace a part if I mess up...or as a last resort, taking it to a 'smith) then I've still really only invested $ 425.15 in my set up.

I'm pretty happy with my 394-related expenditures....though the cost on my soul has been enormous. :p
 
Anyone else got a working model yet? C'mon, some of you guys must be close to completion?

I shot my 500th round through mine today...I've had NO problems whatsoever in the last 250 rounds, do you think I could get that damned 500th round to fire? :p

I eventually gave up on it and was disappointed because my total round count was only gonna be 499 but I found a 9mm round under the edge of the carpet at the range and it went off Yay!

About to start build #2 later this week, hopefully she'll work just as well :D
 
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