Need help choosing a upper receiver

[larryb]

I need help choosing a upper receiver to go with my Stag Arms lower.

I want the ability to go flat top with a detachable carry handle and the shorter 16" HD type barrel.

The only thing i have left is a collapsible stock and the entire upper receiver.

Let me know your suggestions. Thanks, Larry

[savasyn]

In case you haven't already checked it out, you can see my new Rock River upper here:

http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=67556

Basically it comes down to how much money do you want to spend. It also helps to know if you want a stainless steel barrel or a chromed bore. Chrome bores tend to be best for general use while SS ones are better for precision but don't last as long. Or at least that's the prevailing opinion.

Take a look at www.ar15barrels.com and see if you see anything you like. Give Randall a call or PM him from here (ar15barrels) and he'll set you up.

[larryb]

Your upper receiver looks great. I am looking for something more traditional with a chrome barrel such as http://www.stagarms.com/righthalf.htm Stag-15 Complete Upper Half with Carry Handle
Model 1H Pre-Ban
MSRP
$545.00

Anyone have any experience with Stag uppers?


I also like this set up in the Commercial Sales & Good Deals http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...ad.php?t=67520

[savasyn]

Thanks!
I've been looking at something like that myself. I also like the traditional look and the shorter M4-style. My first AR way back when was a shorty, but it jammed a lot and I didn't know a thing about clearing it up. Now I know $6 in extractor parts would have fixed it. Oh well.

I don't know anything about Stag's uppers, though they have a great reputation for lowers. Hit Randall up via PM and start a conversation with him about what you are looking for. Dude seriously knows his stuff with ARs! And he can get pretty much anything you are looking for.

[aplinker]

Your upper receiver looks great. I am looking for something more traditional with a chrome barrel such as http://www.stagarms.com/righthalf.htm Stag-15 Complete Upper Half with Carry Handle
Model 1H Pre-Ban
MSRP
$545.00

Anyone have any experience with Stag uppers?


I also like this set up in the Commercial Sales & Good Deals http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/s...ad.php?t=67520

Stag is pretty much the 1st moderately priced go-to brand. They're good.

For not much more money you can get better.

You're a bit far for Randall if you're Central Coast... he is worth the drive, since he'll custom build it for you from scratch -- anything you can conceive -- though if this is your 1st you'll probably be just fine with an off the shelf upper.

Wes @ Ten Percent is a good guy (see link up top), along with the other people supporting this site.

[superhondaz50]

Check out Garrison Manufacturing. He makes awesome uppers (with Wilson barrels) Inexensive too. Hes a great guy to deal with. Give him a call. Check out the kits section to find out about complete uppers.

http://www.garrisonmfginc.com/index.php

[Socal858]

if you want short go with CMMG's 14.5" barrel pinned with accessory to approximately 16".

most 16" barrels, like my old 16" stag measures something like 18-19" with accessory on the end. its pretty much almost as long as my 20" cmmg lol

[larryb]

One of the uppers i am seriously considering has a 16" barrel including the flash suppressor. The flash suppressor is pinned and welded to make it non removeable. Are there any serious downsides to a non-removable flash suppressor?

I spent quite a few years in the Army infantry and a few years in LE special ops and can not recall one time we ever removed the flash suppressors for any reason.

Any input??

[blkA4alb]

One of the uppers i am seriously considering has a 16" barrel including the flash suppressor. The flash suppressor is pinned and welded to make it non removeable. Are there any serious downsides to a non-removable flash suppressor?

I spent quite a few years in the Army infantry and a few years in LE special ops and can not recall one time we ever removed the flash suppressors for any reason.

Any input??

With the pinned flash hider you will never be able to go featureless and use detachable magazines.

[larryb]

With the pinned flash hider you will never be able to go featureless and use detachable magazines.

Ahhhh, gotcha. I knew there had to be a catch somewhere. Thanks!!

[bwiese]

With the pinned flash hider you will never be able to go featureless and use detachable magazines.

That, plus what that also means is (since it's a less-than-16" bbl with a part added to get it to legal length) you're throwing away ~1+" of bbl length and thus lower muzzle velocity.

Get the 16" bbl. Having no flash hider, or a brake or fake nonoperational hider, allows a featureless detachable mag build and you also avoid performance issues of a short bbl.

[larryb]

What is the actual barrel length on a military issue M4 not counting the flash suppressor?

[aplinker]

What is the actual barrel length on a military issue M4 not counting the flash suppressor?

Standard is 14.5".

You're not "throwing away" barrel length with a pinned muzzle device on a 14.5" build. The ones that ARE throwing it away are those ridiculous lengthened ones -- about 5" long with the suppressor at the end for 11.5" builds. With the 14.5" you're choosing a shorter length barrel with muzzle device. It just happens to be permanently attached to the end for a stupid legal reason. A 16" barrel with the same muzzle device would be 1.5" longer and allow for the detachment and replacement of another -- or you could remove it and still be 16" long.

[bwiese]

Uclaplinker,

Since you have to have 16" of 'continuous pipe' to stay legal, I am just asserting that a 14.5" bbl + 1.5" muzzle device throws away 1.5" worth of increased muzzle velocity available from a 16" bbl.

[aplinker]

Uclaplinker,

Since you have to have 16" of 'continuous pipe' to stay legal, I am just asserting that a 14.5" bbl + 1.5" muzzle device throws away 1.5" worth of increased muzzle velocity available from a 16" bbl.

I'm only making the point that few people use a 16" bbl without a muzzle device, thus their 16" is actually 17.5" or more. Sure, a 14.5" shorter than 16" -- obviously. My point is that for people who want a short, authentic M4 build, they're not "throwing away" length at 14.5" by attaching some ridiculously long device. They're using the standard suppressor or brake. They're only missing out on a detachable muzzle device. I absolutely do agree that you're better off making it as long as possible and desirable -- thus the 14.5" with a permanent device is the shortest pinned one that makes sense. You're not really losing barrel, you're losing detachability. If, however, you cut it shorter and used some bizarrely long muzzle device to make it in compliance, you would be. Make sense?

Another way to say it is that, for compactness, I wanted the shortest legal build possible with a standard muzzle device.