  The gel point of end-linked model networks is determined from computer
simulation data. It is shown that the difference between the true gel point
conversion, $p_{\text{c}}$, and the ideal mean field prediction for the gel
point, $p_{\text{c,id}}$, is a function of the average number of cross-links
per pervaded volume of a network strand, $P$, and thus, contains an explicit
dependence on junction functionality $f$. On the contrary, the amount of
intra-molecular reactions at the gel point is independent of $f$ in a first
approximation and exhibits a different power law dependence on the overlap
number of elastic strands as compared to the gel point delay
$p_{\text{c}}-p_{\text{c,id}}$. Therefore, $p_{\text{c}}-p_{\text{c,id}}$
cannot be predicted from intra-molecular reactions and vice versa in contrast
to a long standing proposal in literature. Instead, the main contribution to
$p_{\text{c}}-p_{\text{c,id}}$ for $P>1$ arises from the extra bonds (XB)
needed to bridge the gaps between giant molecules separated in space and scales
roughly $\propto\left(P-1\right)^{-1/2}$. Further corrections to scaling are
due to non-ideal reaction kinetics, composition fluctuations, and incompletely
screened excluded volume, which are discussed briefly.
