AR Upper Palooza For 2025/26

[arakboss]

This is my first pistol caliber upper project for the year. I bought the upper already assembled and it had been used previously on a lower that accepted Colt mags. The bolt has both Colt and Glock cuts. I have a PSA stripped lower that is set up for Glock mags and another Lower that has a mag adapter that accepts Colt style mags. One day I will dig those up. For now I am going to use this rifle lower with endomags, when I find them.


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I found and installed my Stern Defense mag well adapter for M&P/P320 mags. I tried cycling a couple of hollow points I had on the bench and it didn't go well. Hopefully round nose rounds feed better. I can tell this set up is going to be a fussy eater.

The barrel in this upper has the lame feeding cone. It's a big jump from the feed ramp built into the mag well adapter to the feed cone.

 

[tdemore1743x]

I want to build a micro pistol like what's pictured. 4.75" 5.56 barrel with a CMMG .22LR kit so I can run a bufferless lower

 

[arakboss]

I want to build a micro pistol like what's pictured. 4.75" 5.56 barrel with a CMMG .22LR kit so I can run a bufferless lower

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I picked up a Foxtrot Mike's ranch rifle style lower last year. I am going to attempt using a BCA side charging AR15 upper (with disabled gas system) and this neutered BCG for first upper.



I am waiting for prices to come down significantly on bufferless uppers, before I buy one.

 

[arakboss]

Dropping another $200 on a complete 300 BO upper this weekend. It has a CHF Chrome Lined barrel most likely manf by FN. This will be a February or March project. I am going to load up some heavy cast bullet rounds so I can shoot it down at the silhouette range.

 

[titsonritz]

The only one I have planned for the near future will be a dedicated NV gun built around a Criterion 13.9" CORE barrel.

 

[arakboss]

I just threw my recently purchased Rosco barrel on an Aero upper receiver. I reused a low pro gas block/tube, I had on hand. I installed the recently purchased TF FF handguard and now I need to select a muzzle device.

 

[arakboss]

Next upper build on the list is a goofy one. Plan is for another bloop tube project but with 300 BO 16" barrel. Instead of using copper tube like on the Glock 21 project, I will use 3/4" EMT pipe. It should slip right on the barrel all the way past the gas port. This will be a manual loader set up. To secure the EMT to barrel I will try something like this.





Holes will be drilled throught conduit pipe and into barrel to act as dimples for the two set screws to rest in. I will powder coat it and the EMT pipe black to lower the ugliness profile. The connector above will be hidden under handguard so it shouldn't be obvious what materials were used. I have a cheap Bear Creek Arsenal barrel that will be sacrificed for the project. I may make the bloop tube ridiculously long since EMT pipe is cheap. It should be fairly easy to remove if I don't like it.


Edit: Why? For the fun of it.

 

[arakboss]

Next upper build on the list is a goofy one. Plan is for another bloop tube project but with 300 BO 16" barrel. Instead of using copper tube like on the Glock 21 project, I will use 3/4" EMT pipe. It should slip right on the barrel all the way past the gas port. This will be a manual loader set up. To secure the EMT to barrel I will try something like this.

View attachment 2018835



Holes will be drilled throught conduit pipe and into barrel to act as dimples for the two set screws to rest in. I will powder coat it and the EMT pipe black to lower the ugliness profile. The connector above will be hidden under handguard so it shouldn't be obvious what materials were used. I have a cheap Bear Creek Arsenal barrel that will be sacrificed for the project. I may make the bloop tube ridiculously long since EMT pipe is cheap. It should be fairly easy to remove if I don't like it.


Edit: Why? For the fun of it.

Decided I wasn't going to pay $10+ for a stick of EMT, so I used some left over black pipe from a slamfire shotgun project. I still need to put a finish on the barrel "shroud" but here are some mock up pics. 300 BO barrel is 16", shroud extends it out to 24". Still working out some details with attachment of shroud to barrel. It is going to be really ugly.

 

[arakboss]

Decided I wasn't going to pay $10+ for a stick of EMT, so I used some left over black pipe from a slamfire shotgun project. I still need to put a finish on the barrel "shroud" but here are some mock up pics. 300 BO barrel is 16", shroud extends it out to 24". Still working out some details with attachment of shroud to barrel. It is going to be really ugly.

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I'm getting close. The "collar" that holds the shroud to the barrel is heavily rubbing on the inside of the cavernous handguard. I will go to town on it this weekend with a file and I should be able to wrap up the initial phase of project as well.

Next phase will be to add a flash hider (aka, a bigger piece of black pipe) to the muzzle end. Maybe some harmonic balancing weights or vibration dampeners. The sky's the limit when you have mad skills like me.

 

[Kruel J]

I still have 4 lowers that need to be built. Don't know if I'll ever get to it, I already have a few complete rifles and don't really need another one.

 

[arakboss]

I still have 4 lowers that need to be built. Don't know if I'll ever get to it, I already have a few complete rifles and don't really need another one.

I may have triple as many stripped lowers. I am focusing on uppers for now but sneaking in some part purchases for lpks and buffer kits when deals come up.

During the post M114 period and up until last summer, I mostly focused on serialized stuff. Serialized item purchases are pretty much over for me. Now it's time to fill in the gaps.

Edit: I think Oregon will end up like Washington one day and parts may be hard to get. I just want the parts on hand even if they won't get assembled right away.

 

[arakboss]

I'm getting close. The "collar" that holds the shroud to the barrel is heavily rubbing on the inside of the cavernous handguard. I will go to town on it this weekend with a file and I should be able to wrap up the initial phase of project as well.

Next phase will be to add a flash hider (aka, a bigger piece of black pipe) to the muzzle end. Maybe some harmonic balancing weights or vibration dampeners. The sky's the limit when you have mad skills like me.



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Did a little massaging, with coarse file, nearly all the way around the collar. Test fitting went well and handguard spins freely over collar. I need to refinish it and it will be ready to go.

 

[arakboss]

I am suppose to meet up with @RyanG90
on Monday to sell him this upper. If for any reason he can't meet up Monday, it's going off the market. It will then enter boss bubba's shop of horrors for a wannabe rifle upper makeover. Hopefully he can make it, because I almost feel bad about what will be done to this upper otherwise.

Diamondback 300 Blackout AR15 10.5" Upper with BCG & CH Price Reduced.

See my other ads here: https://www.northwestfirearms.com/search/2689995/?t=post&c[child_nodes]=1&c[content]=thread&c[nodes][0]=4&c[users]=arakboss&o=date For sale is a Diamondback 300 Blackout 10.5" complete upper. This upper is like new and unfired. See full specs here...

www.northwestfirearms.com

 

[RyanG90]

I am suppose to meet up with @RyanG90
on Monday to sell him this upper. If for any reason he can't meet up Monday, it's going off the market. It will then enter boss bubba's shop of horrors for a wannabe rifle upper makeover. Hopefully he can make it, because I almost feel bad about what will be done to this upper otherwise.

Diamondback 300 Blackout AR15 10.5" Upper with BCG & CH Price Reduced.

See my other ads here: https://www.northwestfirearms.com/search/2689995/?t=post&c[child_nodes]=1&c[content]=thread&c[nodes][0]=4&c[users]=arakboss&o=date For sale is a Diamondback 300 Blackout 10.5" complete upper. This upper is like new and unfired. See full specs here...

www.northwestfirearms.com

I will be there.

 

[obesechess]

I'm still working on my first 5.56 build, but I have an FDE lower that keeps whispering to me - for reasons I don't fully understand - that I need to build it out for 6.5 Grendel or something else insane.

 

[arakboss]

Decided I wasn't going to pay $10+ for a stick of EMT, so I used some left over black pipe from a slamfire shotgun project. I still need to put a finish on the barrel "shroud" but here are some mock up pics. 300 BO barrel is 16", shroud extends it out to 24". Still working out some details with attachment of shroud to barrel. It is going to be really ugly.

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Finished this one off to point I can test drive it. I ended up using a half of a BCG in the receiver (the better half). This sucker is heavy.

I don't know what's going to be harder on the hand, the cheese grater handguard or manipulating the half a BCG on every shot.

 

[arakboss]

Finished this one off to point I can test drive it. I ended up using a half of a BCG in the receiver (the better half). This sucker is heavy.

I don't know what's going to be harder on the hand, the cheese grater handguard or manipulating the half a BCG on every shot.

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In case my single shot upper build is a fail, this is my back up. I hope it shoots better than it looks. I tried this back up lower on the single shot upper but the single shot upper is a billet upper and wider than a milspec upper. It was causing the BAD lever to move the bolt catch and wouldn't allow free travel of the BCG.

 

[bmac88]

I have not built an AR yet...hoping to in the not so distant future...I will definitely lean on y'all when I do!

 

[skvnk]

Well so I almost got my ar9 perfect, but also with limited funds i keep juggling lights and such around. But I think I am close to having everything in balance.

I really want to build a 12.5 mid dedicated suppressed with my rc2.

Basically, I love my main rifle. It has a 14.5 that runs perfectly on it and a 10.5 that runs great. But the 14.5 with a can is just too long, and the effective range of the 10.5 is too short. So my idea is my 12.5 mid length dedicated suppressed will be the best upper I have built, and I will finally have a go-to that I am happy with.

I also have a 5" 300 blackout in parts in a box that I should probably sell because I am not into stocking that extra caliber, and I have a 18" spr in a box that I should build but honestly I don't have an optic for it so that is kind of no rush.

 

[Member 45541]

Now that Anderson is kaput, I picked up this complete upper to stowaway in the closet for a future use.

Anderson Manufacturing AM-15 Utility 5.56mm Complete Upper Receiver with 16 Inch Barrel and 15 Inch M-LOK Handguard.