Is 20 dollars for the handpick option for a G1 kit from Tapco worth it?

[tankergod]

I need professional help. I'm addicted and am about to buy a G1 kit. I don't need another rifle, but I saw how pretty the picture of the G1 that idsubgun built was and I just can't help myself.

Must have rifle. The wood on a FN is sooo beautiful. Just one more, I just need one more, it'll be ok.

Anyway, I just need to know whether there is a vast difference on the quality from paying 129 with no handpick or 149 with handpick. I would prefer to save the extra 20 and put it towards US parts, etc.

Take it easy.

[idsubgun]

Thanks for the complement on my rifle.

I bought my kit from DSA. I think you'll do better with them, then from the other vendors. They throw in new HGs, new pistol grip, new plastic for the cocking knob and the carry handle.
Truthfully though, I bought the buttstock and the PG from two others off this board.
You can even opt for DSA to re-park the kit for you, I didn't.

[mp]

NO, its not worth it, in my opinion.

[cowbilly]

I ordered an L1A1 kit hand select from Tapco this summer. My brother ordered one at the same time w/o the hand select. We received our rifles a week or so apart. My brother got a pristine kit. I got a sewer pipe barrel (specified no pitting in bore) with a ragged kit missing several parts. Tapco made it right of course after I called.

In short, I don't think it's worth it either.

[Gavin]

Ditto on the DSA. Have seen 3 from Tapco, 3 from DSA, DSA are head and shoulders above, no question. At least they HAVE buttstocks
(haha)
Gavin

[Sean]

Hello,

I don't think it is worth it. I ordered a hand picked Izzy HB from them and specifically wanted it graded on bore condition. The end of the barrel had some pitting and there was a lot of "crude" in it to the point where I could not tell bore condition when I received it so I know that they didn't "really" check the bore. They probably did a really quick external inspection and packed it up. When I wrote a review here I got a reply from Cynthia the same day and I emailed her to get a return. I never did get a return email so I called. I left my info and never did get a call back so I just packed it up and sent it back for an exchange. I got some nice inch parts instead but I'm still thinking about getting my Izzy HB. In Tapco's defense, they were having some difficulties w/the phone lines at the time that I found out about at a later date. All it cost me was... $20.00 H/P fee, about $15.00 original shipping, about $10.00 shipping back there and the return shipping for my new stuff which was also about $15.00 so in the end... it added up.

To make a LONG and pointless story short, spend the extra $20.00 on parts from them.

Respectfully,

Sean

[TheOtherChris]

I paid the extra $20 for the hand-pick when I bought my G1 during the first round.

It was absolutely worth it.

Good points:
Wood stock and PG. I refinished both and they're beautiful.
Excellent bore.
Slight ding on one handguard, but finish was great.
Finish and painted markings on lower and gas reg were excellent.

Bad points:
No finish on bbl or FH.
Bipod plunger bent (but easily fixed).
No finish on bipod.
Top (receiver) cover trashed.
Buttplate trashed

All in all it was a very nice kit.
I haven't completed it yet because it is for my wife and she wants it blued. I am still polishing the metal so the bluing will be nice.

[Batman]

Keep in mind just what "hand picked" means. It should mean that at the time of your order they will take the time to look over all the remaining kits and pic the best of the lot. It does not guarantee that you will get a like new or very good condition or even something that is good! If there are 45 shitty FUBAR kits in stock, your $20 just means that you will get a less shitty FUBAR kit. But rest assured, the kit will still be shitty and FUBAR!

The best deal is to pay the extra for the DSA refinished kit. they are wonderful and worth every penny.

[ November 08, 2001: Message edited by: Batman ]

[gunhead]

Hi Guys;
I opted for the HP option also & I think it was worth it.
The wood Grip & Butt came out great(my first).
The barrel & hider has 100% finish the Hand guards were a bit banged up but I managed to get them to look better.
Now waiting for the HTs & out it goes to a board Smith.
Heres a few pics of the stock, etc! http://www.baltimorepress.com/~wa2rqy/g1stock1.jpg http://www.baltimorepress.com/~wa2rqy/g1stock2.jpg

[BUFF]

I ordered a hand-pick G-1 kit from TAPCO during the great pre-order frenzy, the first weekend they were offered. When I got it, the barrel was very worn, some minor pitting, the handguards were beat to death beyond salvage, the wood was crap. I returned it and they credited my card, minus the $20.00 fee.

I shuddered to think what the folks who did not "PRE-ORDER" and pay the "hand pick" fee got, if what I got was supposed to be the pick of the litter, i.e. the best of what was on hand when they first got their shipment. Those kits must have REALLY been junk, I thought. In my mind, HP meant the best of what was available, so mine should have come from the top ranks of the entire shipment.

Lots of folks turned out to get much better kits, people who ordered much later and did not pay the HP fee.

I think TAPCO just used the HP fee to pad their profit margin.

I ordered a refinished G-1 kit from DSA. The barrel looked absolutely great. The repark job, at $40, was a bargain. The wood was very solid and just needs refinish. New parts to boot. The original handguards were not to bad plus they threw in a near-new set of STG 58 handguards besides.

I would buy the bare kit from DSA, not TAPCO. If I had access to cheap refinish services, or could do it myself, I would save the $40 refinish fee; if not, I would pay for it.

[ November 08, 2001: Message edited by: BUFF ]

[woodie]

Nope, I've tryed the hand pick acouple of times and never seem to get any better than without. Even went with a handpick with R1 lowers for good cond. wood and ended up with plastic stock on one of them.

[Templator]

I bought 3 G1 kits from DSA,.. the wood sucked big time,... I'm not complaining, however,.. they were worth the $135 that I paid for them. These kits seem to be the epitome of "carried lots,.. shot a little,.. they look like hell but clean up real good,.. and all of the barrels that I got had nice bores and throats. My suggestion is,.. forget about the stocks,..buy you a nice US made stock set and use it as 3 members of your US part count. If you look around, you can get a walnut stock set that will make your rifle a real showpiece for about $150,.... makes more sense to me than paying $90 for a hammer, trigger, sear set that's inferior to the one that's already in the rifle.

[splattermatic]

i opted for the 20.00 hp fee, and couldn't be more pleased..
wood pg and buttstock not dinged up, hg's almost perfect, only a slight crease where the bipod foot folded up to the hg.
barrel is perfect inside,, not a pit, rifleing sharp and crisp...
all in all well worth the extra 20.00, mine is gonna get refini'd anyways at build time , so i didn't care about that...

[depaolis]

If I could do it over, I would not pay the $20 Tapco Hand Pick fee (req good Bore plus wood furniture). At end of sept/beg of oct I purchased 4 G1 kits (1ea from tapco, FAC, WG&A, and DSA). Only the tapco kit had the hand pick option, but you'd never know it by comparison.

The Buttstock had large repaired crack (beauty mark) at top by lower, the pistol grip was chipped at top rear, Good Barrel, typical mismatched #s, usual well worn (Turks?) finish. For quick comparison, WG&A had matching #'s and better wood furniture, FAC's had ugly repair to damaged buttstock, and DSA's repark'd kit had a nice wood butstock (refinish optional), new synth PG, but orig was fine, new metal HG, new replacement plastic for carry and cocking handle/knob.

Built DSA first, and next G1 will be the WG&A after I finish building an Imbel from IO, a Aust L1A1 from FAC, a Brit L1A1 from CIA (w/ SUIT fr FAC), and an STG from Gunthings or M&AParts (both too sweet to sit in boxes long). Now if I could just figure
out where my money went to buy an Izzy HB kit...

[MetalKnight]

Definitely not worth it.
Besides, I think most outfits pre-sort thier kits into piles - supposed hand-select pile and the "other" pile. Tell me if I am wrong. I'm not confident that they clean, scrub and check the hand-select pile for further breakdown (eg. these have pristine bores, these have X% finish etc) they just sort massive amounts of inventory, if it looks good to that particular sorter at face value, plop - into the hand-select pile. I can't imagine paying employees to go over every inch of hundreds or thousands of slop covered milsurp. That would take forever. What an inefficient nightmare that would be, eh?
When you place an order for a HP, the packer goes to the pre-sorted piles and just grabs one and moves on.
I say this because my hand-selects were much crappier than the non hand selects that I purchased. I think it is all the luck of the draw in the surplus kits market.
Spend the extra $20 on ammo, parts or FLOWERS for you wife or girlfriend. You will get much more out of your $20 that way.

MK

[Tec 9]

I don't think it's worth it. I ordered a G1 kit with a handpick option. Buddie said to specify what we wanted it to be handpicked for. I told him nice wood and barrel. What I ended up with was a plastic stock/grip G1. The overall condition was OK, but I even wonder if I got a handpick at all in the confusion. I still happily order from Tapco, but not HP's.

take care,
Tec

[Templator]

I understand, cmr,... but if you're down to your last 500 kits and they're all virtually identical in condition,.. you should stop the hand pick option.

[B3]

I ordered two from DSAand they were well woth the money. I was talking to them about something else and desided to order two of their finished ones. Could not be happier No fee here.

[Slugger]

The extra $20 hand pick fee is halfway to a refinished G1 kit from DSA + you get the extra new parts for free. Worked for me

[Emerson]

Go with the DSA refinish for a few extra bucks for the. I did and man it looks great. I couldn't be happier.

Emerson

[ November 12, 2001: Message edited by: Emerson ]

[F4GIB]

I've ordered both ways from TAPCO. The "hand pick" was significantly better, especially the wood.

If you want a reparkerized version, order it from DSA for $40 - don't hope for a cheap equivalent from TAPCO by the $20 hand pick route. All the G1 kits have seen hard use.

The days of getting a pristine "armory queen" STG58 for $99 are long gone.

[sesh]

I would not go the handpick route. I pre-ordered two regular G1s and I am happy with their condition for the money I spent. I saw pictures and read accounts of several people who payed the hand-pick fee and got kits in much worse shape than mine.