AR-15 - Build; Need some upper advice

Look for the cheapest price on the same quality by checking: shotgun news.com and check their advertisers websites, MidwayUsa.com, and such.

21 posted on 03/22/2011 4:07:22 PM PDT by mountainlion (America land of the free because of the Brave.)

I normally load 223 with Sierra 77-gr bullets and have never seen any of the problems you mention.

22 posted on 03/22/2011 4:07:22 PM PDT by wendy1946

23 posted on 03/22/2011 4:07:56 PM PDT by Squantos (Be polite. Be professional. But have a plan to kill everyone you meet)

This is a good place to start.

http://www.model1sales.com/

24 posted on 03/22/2011 4:20:32 PM PDT by mylife (Opinions: $1.00 ~ Halfbaked: 50c)

25 posted on 03/22/2011 4:23:51 PM PDT by APatientMan (Pick a side)

77gr is different than 80gr.

26 posted on 03/22/2011 4:41:56 PM PDT by The KG9 Kid

To: Chasaway; GunsAndBibles

27 posted on 03/22/2011 4:43:45 PM PDT by Doomonyou (Let them eat Lead.)

Well...first of all what caliber do you want to use? .223 is relatively cheap but not exactly the best long range round and it seems that is what you are looking for. As you want to mate it to an existing lower that excludes .308, .338 Federal, and some other permutations. 6.5 Grendel/.264 LBC-AR would do a 20" barrel justice but you would have to start reloading if you don't already. Alexander arms or Satern barrels are your best best for bolts and barrels in 6.5 Grendel. Satern barrels are plain great regardless of caliber and they have some fantastic deals on occasion. If you are thinking more a national match set up with irons, a 18" - 20" stainless bull barrel would do nicely. There was mention of an ACOG which excludes the rifle from national match...and while I like them, and would own one given an infinite amount of money, I feel there are better values in optics. If you really want a long range rifle then a good rule of thumb is to spend twice the money on optics as you do on the rifle. (given an infinite amount of money...etc.)

It depends on how you are going to shoot it though. I confess to having planned uppers just because I really thought it would be cool to have "X" configuration only to realize that it would be a silly configuration for my shooting habits and ranges. The max range I have in my area is 600 yards so a thousand yard rifle wouldn't make much sense for me to build. (other than coolness, which given an infinite amount of money...etc.)

I can vouch for rainierarms.com, bravocompanyusa.com, and spikestactical.com as reputable AR parts and components places.

Don't buy a premade upper unless you have way more money than time. There are not a lot of variables in an upper and virtually all the companies that build them would use the same parts and tools that you would. There are exceptions to this of course. There are builders that make the parts to their spec, true up the parts that they had made and have them put together by dedicated craftsman that are experts in ARs. Prepare to spend gobs of money. (given an infinite amount of money...etc.) Les Bear and JP Rifles would give you a good place to start if that is where you are going.

28 posted on 03/22/2011 4:54:04 PM PDT by Durus (You can avoid reality, but you cannot avoid the consequences of avoiding reality. Ayn Rand)

I don’t know nuffin about birthen no black rifles.

29 posted on 03/22/2011 4:55:27 PM PDT by tet68 ( " We would not die in that man's company, that fears his fellowship to die with us...." Henry V.)

To: Georgia Girl 2

30 posted on 03/22/2011 4:55:38 PM PDT by Durus (You can avoid reality, but you cannot avoid the consequences of avoiding reality. Ayn Rand)

So, I’m not sure why no one has an opinion about this!

(LOL!!)

I’m actually not as interested in the optics/scope (at this point), etc. as I am in the barrel/forend/bipod.

I figger if I get the barrel, forend, etc. set up right, I’ll have ANOTHER bunches of optic/sight choices.

Which is a whole ‘nother thread!!

Yay!

Thanks for all! Keep it coming!

Chasaway

31 posted on 03/22/2011 4:58:13 PM PDT by Chasaway (Tonto: "What do you mean "We", White Man?")

BTW the second rifle down in your pictures is practically blasphemy while the last rifle is a work of art. That being said the ghetto rifle could be more accurate than the “purty” rifle.

32 posted on 03/22/2011 5:02:43 PM PDT by Durus (You can avoid reality, but you cannot avoid the consequences of avoiding reality. Ayn Rand)

To: ÃŸuddaÃŸudd

"Dont forget the tricked out over-sized trigger guard for when wearing gloves."

My Armalite (AR10) has the swing-away trigger guard so it can be fired with gloves/mittens....just the way Eugene Stoner originally designed it back in the 50's...

33 posted on 03/22/2011 5:10:54 PM PDT by Joe 6-pack (Que me amat, amet et canem meum)

This is a good place to start. http://www.model1sales.com/

They put together an A4 CAR Upper in 7.62x39 for me... sweeeeeet!

34 posted on 03/22/2011 5:18:37 PM PDT by AvOrdVet ("Put the wagons in a circle for all the good it'll do")

I’m actually not as interested in the optics/scope (at this point), etc. as I am in the barrel/forend/bipod.

I figger if I get the barrel, forend, etc. set up right, I’ll have ANOTHER bunches of optic/sight choices.

Some of the rigs you showed at the top of the thread would make an H&K PSG-1 sniper rifle feel like a lightweight. How is the rifle to be used (realistically), and what is expected of it?

35 posted on 03/22/2011 6:26:35 PM PDT by Charles Martel (Endeavor to persevere...)

To: Charles Martel

Probably a good question to help answer MY questions...

Long range, supported shooting - at least generally.

I’m already fixed up for heavy caliber/long range and light caliber/short range (carbine/quick handling) rifles.

This is to be more of a long range, lighter load rifle. In the interim, I’ll use it for varmint (coyote, bobcat, fox) shooting down here. Maybe even find someone who’ll let me shoot their prairie dogs.

Not really concerned with weight on this one. Although > 16 pounds would probably get old.

36 posted on 03/22/2011 6:47:11 PM PDT by Chasaway (Tonto: "What do you mean "We", White Man?")

Some of the best if not the BEST price/quality ratio around.

37 posted on 03/22/2011 7:25:58 PM PDT by mylife (Opinions: $1.00 ~ Halfbaked: 50c)

38 posted on 03/22/2011 7:32:35 PM PDT by mylife (Opinions: $1.00 ~ Halfbaked: 50c)

Well, I've seen a lot of the "match barrel" type ARs set up with Krieger stainless steel barrels; those seem to have retained popularity for years now - must be pretty good hardware. IIRC, those are sold with a fitted bolt with confirmed headspace, just use your own upper receiver, bolt carrier and free-float tube.

Note that many such match barrels are .223 chambered, NOT 5.56 NATO, so no practice with the less expensive milsurp stuff.

Post an update when you get that build rolling.

39 posted on 03/22/2011 7:45:37 PM PDT by Charles Martel (Endeavor to persevere...)

40 posted on 03/22/2011 11:38:09 PM PDT by smokingfrog ( sleep with one eye open ( <o> ---)

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