Daytona Tactical Review

Introduction

As a gun enthusiast, who also likes to fabricate and design my own weapons I have a chance to scour the internet for advice, ideas, and materials. Along the way, while building an AR15, I was sourcing for parts and materials when I came across the Daytona Tactical website and found a very good source for certain requirements.

Let’s me digress by stating that any gunsmith or weapons enthusiast will always (at one point in time) attempt to build their own gun from scratch. This means building the weapon using raw materials in lump form and crafting every part possible.

I don’t mean screws and springs, but all the other mechanical parts, housings, triggers, bolts, stock, and in some rare cases (which I don’t suggest you try unless you are an expert with years of experience) a barrel.

Back to Daytona Tactical. I started to source for some parts, such as the lower receiver when I found Daytona Tactical and their 80% lower receiver parts, which are lower receivers for AR15 rifles that are not considered a weapons-grade part, and can be bought without going through a Federal Firearms License Dealer with all the processing like a finished part.

Now that was a very nifty exercise in realizing you can build your own gun using 80% finished parts legally, without going through a Federal Firearms License Dealer, which essentially means that if you buy all the parts under 80% completed, you can build an unregistered gun under the radar of law enforcement.

If, on the other hand, you are an upstanding citizen and don’t want to delve into all that adrenaline rushing covert fabrication of weaponry, then you need to source your parts from recognized, respectable and reliable sources. The last thing you want is a part made from some sub-standard material that will fail you after a few months of use.

In the instance you decide to buy gun parts to fabricate and assemble your own gun, you need to visit a reliable source of gun parts site to get a good quote, a competitive quote with prompt delivery and service. This is where Daytona Tactical steps into the picture.

What is Daytona Tactical

Daytona Tactical is the trade name for Florida registered and based Elite Aluminum Products, company number P13000046841. US Federal EIN/TIN number is 46-2903557. This company was registered May 29^th, 2013 in a location called “Daytona Beach” hence the trade name Daytona Tactical.  Its shop and warehouse are based at 920 Carswell Ave., Holly Hill, Fl. 32117 and it is owned by Gary Patterson.

Now that we have the official stuff out of the way let’s look at what Daytona Tactical provides.

Daytona Tactical sells via its website, which is a Shopify template, all kinds of kits and parts for a variety of weapons, and the complete list includes kits and parts for:

• 300 BLACKOUT
• 300 Blackout Pistol Uppers
• 300 Blackout Rifle Kits
• 300 Blackout Rifle Uppers
• 62x39 Parts
• 80% AR-15 Lower Receiver
• 9mm Parts
• AR 15
• AR 15 and .308 AR 10 SALE ITEMS
• AR 15 Hand Guards / Quad Rails
• AR 15 PISTOL KITS .223 / 5.56
• AR 15 Pistol Uppers .223 / 5.56
• AR-10 308 80 Lowers and Parts
• AR-15 80% Lower and AR15 Fully Machined Upper Set
• AR-15 Pistol Kits .223 - 5.56
• AR15 Complete Uppers
• AR15 PARTS
• AR15 Pistol Kits 300 Blackout
• AR15 RIFLE KITS 5.56
• AR15 Rifle Upper .223 / 5.56
• AR15 Stripped Uppers
• AR15-AR10-308-Barrels
• Frontpage
• Lazer Engraved 80 Percent Lowers
• Lower Parts AR-15 5.56 - .223
• Rifle Build Kits AR 15 .223 / 5.56 / 300 AAC Blackout
• Upper Parts AR-15

The company is not a manufacturer; it is a vendor of fabricated parts. As such, they source for the original parts and kits, and you end up choosing what they have to offer via their site. You can buy whole kits, and 100% completed parts, or 80% completed parts and partial kits. Their specialty is the 80% part and kit.

The bottom line is that Daytona Tactical is an online shop front for a “brick and mortar” gun wholesaler that buys American made parts for an assortment of guns. As a wholesaler, Daytona Tactical has the ability to sell at factory level prices, and they do provide sales and other special deals when the occasion arises.

Is Daytona Tactical Good?

This is an objective question with a subjective answer since customer experience is what defines good service and products. There is no arguing with the quality of a product, but there is always going to be an issue with customer expectations that lead to different satisfaction levels.

The Daytona Tactical Website

This is a standard Shopify grid design. The home screen is a grid of parts and kits with prices. When you click on an item, it opens the items page which contains pictures, details, and specifications as well as the price and the add to cart button.

You can filter your search for specific parts or types of weapon parts. There is a simple help screen with FAQ and opening times for the physical shop.

There is an about us page, but you cannot reach it on site, you need to Google search for it, which is an issue with onsite navigation. It is also an issue for people seeking some kind of validation behind the site, making sure it’s a real company and not some online virtual presence for a Chinese knock-off the shop.

The site is unimaginative, not attractive and focuses on parts and prices, which is perfect for some customers seeking a quick sale with no frills.

Customer Reviews

Let’s take a look at some customer reviews, after all; the fact that I bought and am satisfied is not enough; we need some more meat in this section to push that so-called Star rating above and beyond the standard 5.

Customer Reviews

Year: 2015, Site: ar-15.co

• Crays states “I milled a 308 and standard lower from them. A couple guys at work have purchased and assembled their rifle kits, as well. Have not heard any major complaints from any of them.”
• Gat_Wrench states “Their 80% lowers are decent, I have no complaints. Like one guy above said, their handguards seem cheaply made. Customer service sucks balls in my experience, too.”

Explanation: The thread asks whether people have experience with Daytona Tactical, a few replied and the overall impression from 2015 is that the parts were well made, but the service was lacking.

The year 2015 Site: Survival Monkey.com

• Tacmotusn did a long review, and ended with this “When I spoke to the seller on the phone he said he would lower the price to reflect "no shipping and handling." When I said I would be paying cash, and asked "so what is the cash price less shipping and how much is the tax." his response was a question, do you want a receipt? My answer ... "not necessarily" His response with a smile was $380. ...... Works for me!”

I read the whole review and thread; the bottom line is that Daytona Tactical is a nice local operation that operates as a local shop with all the intricacies of finding ways to make a profit through bombastic claims and low prices.

The Year 2018: Site glocktalk.com

• BamaTrooper states “I bought a .223 Wylde keymod upper from Daytona. Put a Troy Industries Claymore brake on it, a new light, Aimpoint and popped it on my lower. Gun runs great; I use it as my patrol rifle. They delivered on time, and it was what I ordered. Didn't need customer service so I can't comment on that.”

The bottom line for this section on customer review: It seems that their parts and delivery are on point, the “customer service” section is truly subjective, where one person is patient and will wait, another is impatient, and 3 minutes is a lifetime. Overall, looking through three years of reviews, their service has not changed, and their products list changes with the times.

Conclusions

Daytona Tactical is a locally based gun shop and warehouse with a global presence made aware to the public through their website. This is a one-man operation, that sources for American parts, as they claim, but can you really differentiate between a local machined piece of metal to an imported one? Did you perform a metallurgic test of the firing pin?

Their service is subject to criticism, and when visiting their store, customers understand that this is a standard gun shop that provides more than just the standard kits and parts. Daytona Tactical specializes in 80% parts, which means that they attend to customers seeking gun parts that do not need to be registered and do not need to go through all the standard law enforcement regulation. As such, if you want to build a weapon with minimum fabrication, Daytona Tactical would be a consideration.

The fact that they are located in Florida should not impact anyone in the US or even abroad. Ordering items, especially 80% completed gun parts can be delivered anywhere in the US and the world with standard courier services.

If you want to be a snob and have “perfect customer service’ then go buy from someone nearby your home. If you are willing to take a low risk and buy from the internet, and not require too much attention, such as a phone call answered in under 2 minutes, then Daytona Tactical is a great choice.

My final words on this Daytona Tactical review is that this is a standard, good quality gun parts vendor, you can order all kinds of parts and kits as well as 80% complete, and get delivery in a fast and timely manner. Yes, there is a lot of competition, but this company will give you prompt delivery at a good price.

Featured Image: pinterest.com