I"m also waiting for my 18".The waiting and anticipation is truly painful.I have a whole pile of goodies for my AR-15 when it arrives.I have had several conversations with Ryan and he has been very helpful.I feel for him, because he's the middle guy.I'm sure he must get hounded on a regular basis about NEA rifles( guys like me).NEA has had their fair share of bugs along the way which slowed things down.They have dealt with these issues quickly. I for one will be very proud to hold an amazing firearm!