Worth upgrading my upper?

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  • JTH20

    Active Member
    Feb 18, 2013
    536
    MD
    Hey all. A few years ago I put togehter a Colt HBAR clone with a DSA A3 upper and a Rock River 20" barrel. It's a great rifle and pretty accurate.

    Now I'm putting together another HBAR with a cheap 16" barrel and got a decent deal on a stripped BCM upper. I'm wondering if it's worth replacing the DSA upper on my other rifle with the BCM upper to squeeze out a bit more accuracy, or if it really won't matter that much. What do you all think?
     
    Last edited:

    lazarus

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 23, 2015
    13,673
    Let's start with what is your accuracy now?

    Maybe I am wrong on this one, but I thought the upper itself had very, very little to no real impact on accuracy. You were looking at (in order), shooter, ammo, barrel, trigger group, bolt carrier group and then everything else.

    With of course if one of those down list ones is particularly terrible it can jump way ahead of everything else as causing accuracy problems.
     

    dist1646

    Ultimate Member
    May 1, 2012
    8,758
    Eldersburg
    As long as the rifle is accurate with your current upper, why bother. Those stripped uppers do have a tendency to turn themselves into complete uppers and eventually into complete rifles though!:D
     

    clandestine

    AR-15 Savant
    Oct 13, 2008
    37,031
    Elkton, MD
    IMO its pointless to do that unless you plan on "blueprinting" the Complete Upper. Even then it often makes VERY minor imorovements if any.

    True Receiver Face
    Install Free Float Handguard (may already have one)
    Bed Barrel (not often needed with BCM Upper Receivers)
    Check Headspace with Match Gauges
    Check Bolt Lug to Barrel Extension contact
    Gauge Firing Pin Bore
    Gauge Firing Pin Protrusion
    Scope Barrel
    Check Crown
    Match/Polish Feed Ramps
    Gauge Throat and Muzzle Erosion
    Reinstall Muzzle Device with 35FT/# or Less
     

    outrider58

    Eats Bacon Raw
    MDS Supporter
    Jul 29, 2014
    49,810
    IMO its pointless to do that unless you plan on "blueprinting" the Complete Upper. Even then it often makes VERY minor imorovements if any.

    True Receiver Face
    Install Free Float Handguard (may already have one)
    Bed Barrel (not often needed with BCM Upper Receivers)
    Check Headspace with Match Gauges
    Check Bolt Lug to Barrel Extension contact
    Gauge Firing Pin Bore
    Gauge Firing Pin Protrusion
    Scope Barrel
    Check Crown
    Match/Polish Feed Ramps
    Gauge Throat and Muzzle Erosion
    Reinstall Muzzle Device with 35FT/# or Less

    OP needs to enroll into a SOTAR armorers' class, Then a SOTAR build class.
     

    DaemonAssassin

    Why should we Free BSD?
    Jun 14, 2012
    23,970
    Political refugee in WV
    IMO its pointless to do that unless you plan on "blueprinting" the Complete Upper. Even then it often makes VERY minor imorovements if any.

    True Receiver Face
    Install Free Float Handguard (may already have one)
    Bed Barrel (not often needed with BCM Upper Receivers)
    Check Headspace with Match Gauges
    Check Bolt Lug to Barrel Extension contact
    Gauge Firing Pin Bore
    Gauge Firing Pin Protrusion
    Scope Barrel
    Check Crown
    Match/Polish Feed Ramps
    Gauge Throat and Muzzle Erosion
    Reinstall Muzzle Device with 35FT/# or Less

    OP needs to enroll into a SOTAR armorers' class, Then a SOTAR build class.

    What these guys said!
     

    RoadDawg

    Nos nostraque Deo
    Dec 6, 2010
    94,181
    IMO its pointless to do that unless you plan on "blueprinting" the Complete Upper. Even then it often makes VERY minor imorovements if any.

    True Receiver Face
    Install Free Float Handguard (may already have one)
    Bed Barrel (not often needed with BCM Upper Receivers)
    Check Headspace with Match Gauges
    Check Bolt Lug to Barrel Extension contact
    Gauge Firing Pin Bore
    Gauge Firing Pin Protrusion
    Scope Barrel
    Check Crown
    Match/Polish Feed Ramps
    Gauge Throat and Muzzle Erosion
    Reinstall Muzzle Device with 35FT/# or Less

    In the world of those who assemble things...
    From the guy who...
    - wonders how to put tab B into slot B...
    - to the guy who knows what that does...
    - to the guy who knows how to do it...
    - to the guy who is the Guru of knowing all there is to know about the how, what, and why?

    Novice < Parts changer < Hobbyist < Mechanic...

    You sir, Are the AR Mechanic. :patriot:
     

    j_h_smith

    Ultimate Member
    Jul 28, 2007
    28,516
    Just build it and shoot both of them. Unless you're shooting 600 yards, you'll be okay with either of the AR rifles you're building. Until you have to start measuring your powder by the hundredths of a grain with your reloads, your rifles will do just fine.

    Have fun!
     

    JTH20

    Active Member
    Feb 18, 2013
    536
    MD
    IMO its pointless to do that unless you plan on "blueprinting" the Complete Upper. Even then it often makes VERY minor imorovements if any.

    True Receiver Face
    Install Free Float Handguard (may already have one)
    Bed Barrel (not often needed with BCM Upper Receivers)
    Check Headspace with Match Gauges
    Check Bolt Lug to Barrel Extension contact
    Gauge Firing Pin Bore
    Gauge Firing Pin Protrusion
    Scope Barrel
    Check Crown
    Match/Polish Feed Ramps
    Gauge Throat and Muzzle Erosion
    Reinstall Muzzle Device with 35FT/# or Less

    Thanks! I wasn't really keen on taking apart my rifle to swap uppers, so I'm glad it won't make a big difference.
     

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