All posts tagged gas piston upper receivers

Does LWRC still make the best piston upper receiver?

LWRC upper receiversThe answer to that is yes, and a big yes, but there are a lot of nice less expensive gas piston guns out there, but LWRC is still the most proven design and there SBR’s a hands down the best.   We have dealt with several security and special forces groups that are using the 6.8SPC and now we hear LWRC is actually making a 6.8SPC gun because there were too  many issue with magazines and mag wells when people made their 5.56 guns into 6.8.   There are also some very big improvements to the 6.8SPC cartridge and it the ballistics of the cartridge.  I won’t get onboard with this yet, but I do think that if the military changed from the 7.62 Nato round to the 5.56 NATO they should seriously think about the advantages of the 6.8 SPC  now that bad guys have more body armor and bullet range and penetration can be increased.

There were many issues with POF guns when they first came out and there were issues with bolt carriers tilting and causing reliablity issues that I was the first amongst my group to try out the LWRC M6A1.   There have been some changes with the LWRC upper receivers over the years but they really do have a fantastic design that is at the pinnacle of what a gas piston gun is suppose to do.  The short barrel 8inch, 10.5 inch and 12 inch upper receivers are well known for being outstanding suppressed and their LWRC M6A2 is available in several variations and finishes.   There are a few other models that are available but due to the high demand  in production they have been very restriction on how many models they are producing.

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Firearms may become easier to get, but parts is another issue

AR15 complete upper receiversI spoke to several of our Reps for that work and various high end gun manufacturing companies and they told us that they are no longer taking orders for upper receivers, only complete firearms.  We pretty much figured that out when we saw the panic buying and the surplus of gun parts just disappeared.  I was involved with a company called Section 8 Tactical several years ago and we sold an M4 parts container kit that I would love to revive again someday.  I would hold a bolt, extractor and all of the parts you need if something on your bolt carrier group goes down.

If you snoozed for the last 4yrs and didn’t get a spare parts kit, you might have issues for several more months and possible years trying to acquire them.   Trying to find AR15 Complete upper receivers in a climate like this is going to be difficult but keep your eyes open for reasonable deals.   Prices will eventually come down to some degree but trying to get the good stuff is going to be difficult.  Some of the higher end products tend to not be made in high volumes so those waits are probable close to 1yr if you are lucky.

 

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Gas piston uppers instead of a new gun?

Put me down as someone that didn’t have a clue as to what the differences were between my LWRC M6A2 upper I purchased in comparison to what else is out there, I basically just went by word of mouth and looked up a few sources online for reviews.   The notion of having a cleaning running rifle was appealing to me and for the number of times I’ve seen AR15 rifle jam and go down, I was always looking for something better than what is out there.   The truth of the matter is all machining, lubrication and quality control for AR15 guns has dramatically improved.  The DI guns that are being made now are not the DI guns from 15yrs ago.  Magpul Pmags have greatly improved the reliability of the gun and there just aren’t the problems that there use to be.

LWRC is still the cream of the crop although they have evolved from their original designs for a short stroke piston gun.   The machining of the Noveske uppers and the Daniel Defense are also outstanding DI guns but the new competition for piston uppers isn’t POF pistons, it’s the Adams AR15 complete uppers that are for the most part under $800.   The Adams 556 upper receivers are a really nice gas piston upper and if you already have a lower, this is probable the best step up if you’ve been running a Bushmaster or a Olympic arms guns for the last 15yrs.  We recently have been testing the Slip 2000 product line with these guns so stay tuned.

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What do you want in an AR15?

So many people have that itch to constantly modify their firearms, and there is nothing wrong with that, but the one thing that I have constantly seen happen on firing ranges, especially Carbine courses, is people simplifying their firearms and accessories.   The different between a 7lb Carbine and a 10lb Carbine is considerable and you really feel it at the end of the day.  Even the best shot will have trouble keeping up the consistency under stress and physical stress will always occur at some point in the field.  If  you think about it like this, if you had to use a firearm in your home and hold it in a ready position, a double stack 45acp is going to be hard to kept upright on a threat for very long. People with experience in  using firearms always trend towards simplicity.

The trend towards simplicity actually occurred almost 50yrs ago when the Army adopted the M16 and replace the M14.   That was the first major transition towards simplicity and a lighter firearm.   The AR15 complete upper receivers that we sell have very diverse applications.   Some are for designated marksmen applications with longer and usually heavier barrels and then some are for Patrol vehicles and are as short and light as possible.  Right now the Daniel Defense uppers that we sell win the lightest AR15 contest but it’s been too early for us to claim they are as tough as some of the others.

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Finding a gun case for your expensive Carbine

It always bothered me that guys would call off going to the range with me when there was the slightest chance of rain coming down because they didn’t want their gun to get wet.   It’s funny that someone would spend $2000 to get a combat worth rifle and then be afraid they might damage it if it gets rained on.  Most modern firearms can handle the rain and you better get use to the fact that rain isn’t going to ruin it.  If you had a wood stock on your rifle that might be another issue, but people can be far too protective of firearms when real operators know that firearm parts wear out.  Guns get scratched and things come loose and anyone that is that concerned about it probable doesn’t really have a spike in a fight anyway.

One thing that I don’t have a problem with is people getting good gun cases and protecting their guns and gear in storage.  Sometimes rifle optics can double the value of your guns, and some people upgrade their guns with new AR15 complete upper receivers that can further increase the value of a firearm.  Guns, especially M4 Carbines should be rugged and tough and getting good Magpul Accessories on it and tightening them with loctite is a way to prevent problems.   There are some really nice gun cases from Elite Survival Systems like the Covert Operations gun case that has velcro straps for locking down your optics and firearm securely.

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Too much to think about or lots to think about ?

After watching many Youtube videos about what is coming out in 2012 I was mostly bored out of my skull trying to understand why I would bother spending another $2000 for an AR15 that is slightly different than what I already own.   Sure there are improvements but spending $2000 on something that is 5% more of a gun than an AR15 that you already own doesn’t justify the cost.   I am a big proponent to upgrading what you have.   There was a really good article in Swat magazine years ago about improving what you already own and the small things you can do to improve your AR15.   Replace extractor springs, stake screws, lube your gun right and you’ve just improved your gun for less than $150.

If you are looking to make your Carbine a firearm that you can rely on, make sure you don’t over think the configuration and setup.   I understand why people spend $2000 on AR15 upper receivers that have folding front and rear sights, but if you have folding front sights keep in mind that you have one more step to getting your firearm up and running and that is something to seriously think about.   I am a firm believer that people need to adapt to weapons and gear and not always expect to adapt the firearm to them.  Fixed front sights have been around for a long time and I don’t think changing that another thing that needs to be folded or screwed on is worth the liability.

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Sale on LWRCI upper receivers

As we move into our new facility we’ve been listing to our customer base tell us about what they wish they would see in the store.  Many of our customers complain that although the internet is where most of their shopping takes place there are certain things you really need to get your hands on.   Things like clothing and rifle accessories are a real royal pain to figure out online and many gun shops don’t want to deal with the headaches.   We’ve had to modify our return policy because we’ve had too many take advantage of our return and exchange policies with gun parts.   I have heard of 2 gun shops in our area not stock gun accessories because people were buying them, walking out the door, and then coming back a few days later complaining that the parts broke or were broken.   From the gun shops stand point, it’s because people didn’t know how to install them and were lacking gunsmithing talent.

 

This unfortunately had happened to us via online sales and we’ve had people buy $400 optics and call  up and complain that they didn’t know they needed a $75 adapter for their AR15 and now they want to return the optic.   When we inform them that we are charging a 10% restocking fee they complain that we’re ripping them  off.   We are stocking LWRCI uppers which puts a lot of money on the line with small margins, but given that they are unique gun parts, sometime there are pens that need to be fitted when attaching upper receivers.  Do you research or find a gun shop that stocks the products, then do your homework on how to properly install gun parts and be patient.  If you have questions, ask them, every gun is different and there are always fitting and tweaking that can occur.

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Getting the most out of the .223 gun

Even if you are someone that get’s very accurate results from your M4 or 14.7 inch barrel AR15.   You may be getting hits, but that caliber can become very weak once you get several hundred yards out.   When I picked up a chronograph I was blown away by how much velocity I actually got out of short barrel handguns and my M4 rifles because it did not match up with what I previously read about on the internet.   I saw 75gr HPBT clock at 2900fps out of my guns when I thought they would have been close to 2750.   I know you can push the limits with hand loaded ammunition, but you do have to be careful about excessive wear and tear.

I have been recently thinking about picking up an LWRCI Repr because I have been a big fan of battle rifles and even the military has brought back the 7.62 DMR rifle in various configurations.  I have even seen a few British troops show up with FAL rifles with scopes on them.   There is also a difference between what you can get out of a 55gr hpbt and a 75gr hpbt out of a 5.56 gun.  Sometimes an 18-20 inch AR15 upper receivers will get you far more range and punch than M193 ball ammo.  What you can do at 400-800yds with those guns compared to a 55gr bullet is considerable especially with wind drift ect.   Of course much of this is up to the skill level of the shooter.

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