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I have been encountering minor fitment issues which I attribute to the Billet machining not being quite perfect. First is the aforementioned Ejection Port shape versus available cover dimensions. The corners of the Upper Receiver do not conform to any of the DPMS pattern Port Doors, making it impossible to close and latch the Port Door. Second is the Charging Handle (CH) cut-out in the Upper Receiver that allows the lugs of the CH to enter their recessed rail. The cut-out is small and circular, meaning that standard CHs will not fit without some minor filing. Third was the Buffer Retainer hole, which on my Lower Receiver was undersized. I had to hog it out with a 1/4" drill bit in order to get it to accept the Buffer Retainer without binding as it moves up and down. Thus far I have not encountered any major problems with assembly. The minor fitment issues can all be resolved with a bit of filing, drilling or sanding, however that is enough to make me recommend this Receiver Set for "Advanced Builders" only. By "Advanced" I mean with a couple of successful builds under your belt and a thorough understanding of how all of the various parts of the AR10/102 rifle interact with one another. Some minor fitting and adjustment is required, that is all.

Thus far the Sterling 102 is coming together nicely. I really lilke the "clean" look of the blank Magazine Well sides and the lack of a useless Forward-Assist. I am still awaitng some key parts (BCG, Barrel), so won't post any photos at this point. More to follow when the build nears completion - hopefully later this week!
 
Thanks for the review, I’ve been wondering about these.

Having to do a bit of fitting here and there and some parts not quite to speck are red flags for me. I want an AR10 but I don’t want to tinker. Stag 10 seems to be the way to go.
 
I can hardly wait to get busy on mine... Will the standard AR-15 bolt stop work fine, or would the beefier AR-10 stop be better? Also, the magazine release? I did a build on a Aero M5 lower, and it needed the AR-10 bolt stop and an extended mag release button...

I believe the Shooting Edge has ejection port covers specifically made to fit the Sterling...was it not included in your package? You might want to inquire about that... Personally, I'd be happy happy to do without, just like the forward assist...
 
I wonder if a dust cover from a BCL will fit? They copied the technical data package did they not? I will be disappointed it if can’t get a dust cover to work. When I have my receiver in hand, I will be able to do a better inspection and determine if a modification can be made.
 
JR @ TSE states that new polymer Ejection Port Doors are forthcoming which are spec'd to fit the Sterling Ejection Port contour. They are supposed to be mailed out this week along with the missing Gas Tube Roll Pin. If for some reason that does not happen, it should be possible to modify an AR10 Polymer Ejection Port Door to fit the Sterling Port Door corner contour.

As stated, the minor fitment issues are not a significant barrier to successful completion of a Sterling build. You just need to have basic household tools (including a file, a drill and bits), some system knowledge and sufficient self-confidence. The good news is that the Sterling is NR which means that if you botch an Upper or (more likely) a Lower Receiver during the fitting of parts, you can just order up a replacement.

If you use an AR15 Bolt Catch, it would be a good idea to leave a few mm of the Roll Pin exposed so that you can remove the pin with a set of vice-grips should the Bolt Catch break. Actually, it is probably a good idea to leave a few mm exposed regardless of what sort of Bolt Catch you use. Otherwise, once the Roll Pin is fully inserted there is no getting it back out!

My build is coming together nicely with everything fitting and functioning just fine so far - my Geissele Trigger passes the function check, all types of .308 Magazine fall free when ejected, the Bolt Catch engages the Bolt Carrier Group on an empty Magazine, etc, etc. I just need a .308 barrel and I will be finished within an hour....
 
jhnvan said:
I don't think I needed to go that thick. That's just what I could fit and the barrel is very tight now. I probably could've gone with half of that thickness.
Click to expand...

What he means is, if you need a shim as thick as an aluminum can - that's too much play/tolerance...

I noticed my IBI barrel was a little loose in the upper, prior to installing the barrel nut.
Gonna use Loc-Tite blue #243 on mine. I can't find my #222 Loc-Tite. Kinda fitting, it's a 243 win barrel !
 
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