Del-Ton Sierra 316 5.56 NATO
Model: ORFTML16-M
Del-Ton Sierra 316 5.56 NATO
Model: ORFTML16-M
Full Specifications
Threaded 1/2x28 barrel: compare 5.56 / .223 suppressor prices.
About This Firearm
The Del-Ton Sierra 316 is a lightweight mid-length semi-automatic AR-15 in 5.56 NATO built for range work and home defense. Del-Ton no longer makes it, so it is a used buy. Its barrel free-floats inside an aluminum M-LOK handguard and the gas block is low profile and pinned, so the top rail is clear from the receiver to the muzzle end.
It came with one 30-round magazine, a gun lock and a chamber safety tool sitting in the chamber. The stock is an M4 type with five positions on a mil-spec buffer tube. No sights are fitted. The muzzle wears an A2 flash hider on a thread whose pitch was never marked, so a brake or a suppressor mount means measuring it first.
If you're cross-shopping, an Anderson AM-15 has an MSRP of $699 with an M-LOK handguard of its own and a 1/2x28 muzzle, and carries 0.81 lbs more. A Palmetto State Armory PA-15 has an MSRP of $899.99 and comes with a carry handle and a front sight, so it shoots without an optic, but its plastic handguard rests on the barrel. Del-Ton is gone, so a warranty question on a Sierra 316 has nowhere to go, while every part except the handguard is ordinary AR-15 shopping.
Best For
Strengths & Limitations
- Upper and lower are forged 7075-T6 with a hard coat anodized finish and M4 feed ramps in the upper.
- The carrier is phosphated 8620 steel with a chrome-lined interior and a gas key that is staked and sealed.
- The trigger guard is aluminum, not polymer.
- A lightweight barrel heats faster than a government profile, which shows up as walking groups late in a long string.
- No sights of any kind, so a red dot and a mount have to be bought before it can be shot.
- Del-Ton sold it as the Sierra 316L Optics Ready M-LOK, so a used listing may not say Sierra 316 at all.
Category Rankings
How the Del-Ton Sierra 316 5.56 NATO ranks among full-size 5.56 NATO rifles.
Compatible Ammunition
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does it take standard AR-15 magazines?
Yes. Any AR-pattern magazine feeds it.
Is the chamber 5.56 or .223?
It is a 5.56x45 mm chamber, so both 5.56 NATO and .223 Remington are safe in it.
What is the chamber safety tool for?
It sits in the chamber and blocks it, so the rifle can be seen to be empty at a glance. Del-Ton shipped the rifle with one fitted.
Can the handguard be replaced?
Yes, with another free-float rail and its own barrel nut. A drop-in plastic handguard will not work, because there is no delta ring or front cap on this barrel.
