RRA 5.56 barrel swap to 300 Blackout

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - RRA 5.56 barrel swap to 300 Blackout

Posted: 9/26/2016 6:26:46 PM EDT

I have a factory Rock River Arms in 5.56 that I want to swap the barrel to a 300 Blackout for hog hunting here. I purchased the armors kit that includes all the tools for the job. Can someone give me a heads up about any issues I may encounter in this barrel swap? Proprietary parts? Looking for feedback on what barrel to use (16") and what flash hider to use as well. CMMG has barrels around $150.

The one on the right is the one I want to swap.
Gas block from the 5.56barrel will swap to 300 blackout barrel? Or do I need a specific one for 300 blackout? Give the new guy some help!

Posted: 9/27/2016 3:05:18 AM EDT

[#1]

It should be very straight forward. The only issue might be if Rock River uses Loctite of any kind on any of the screws or nuts. The gas length on the 300 might be shorter. I would get a gas tube and block for the 300 and leave the 5.56 with the 5.56 and keep or sell them together.

Posted: 9/27/2016 4:48:08 AM EDT

[#2]

Just pick up a Ballistic advantage barrel, swap them out and start plinking hogs, pretty simple process, the only thing that is proprietary is the barrel. You will also need a 5/8 x 24 muzzle device for the barrel.

Posted: 9/27/2016 5:48:06 AM EDT

[#3]

Nothing proprietary on the RRA 15's, unless it's their left hand version. It's their 308 size AR that's all buggered up with proprietary stuff.

RRA barrel nuts have a reputation for being extremely difficult to remove. Pack a lunch box full of patience before you get started. There's a rumor going around that RRA uses loc-tite or some other thread adhesive on them, but I haven't noticed it. The other rumor is that the Samsonite gorilla moonlights as an RRA armorer. lol

If it were me, I would get a new upper receiver to mount the new barrel on, rather than swapping barrels on the current receiver. That .223 barrel lying around would beg me to remount it on a receiver, anyway. Might as well just do that .300 from the start and skip the swapping step.

As for a flash hider, my favorite is still the kind that requires a $200 stamp. If that doesn't interest you, then just look for your favorite style made for a .308 rifle. Easy-peezy.

Posted: 9/27/2016 6:03:36 AM EDT

[#4]

Good excuse to buy another upper, imo. Saves all the swapping.

Posted: 9/27/2016 9:45:17 AM EDT

[#5]

Quote History

Quoted:
Good excuse to buy another upper, imo. Saves all the swapping.

View Quote

Just what I was thinking. Another upper receiver and HG wouldn't set you back that much extra, and at that point it's a plug and play affair.

<singing> Snap on! Snap off! The Blackout!... It's in ALL your heads now <evil laugh>

Posted: 9/27/2016 1:38:58 PM EDT

[#6]

I would find a barrel get a new gas block and gas tube put it together and put it on if youre going that way. But like everyone else as stated just put together another upper and be done with it. Two guns out of one lower. But eventually you will get another lower and have just that two guns... I went this route for hogs as well and now I have a few extra 5.56 guns on new lowers...

Posted: 9/27/2016 3:28:20 PM EDT

[#7]

Getting a new upper in 300 blackout would be great, but I wanted to keep the cerakote'd upper to match the lower. I already have a few 5.56/223 ARs and was looking for the best option for hogs without going the AR10 route.....yet. Thank you all for the feedback. Now looking for some suggested parts that are proven good to go. I purchased PMAGS that are tan to make sure I don't mix up the ammo as I have seen what 300 ammo does to a 5.56 upper/barrel care of YouTube.

Posted: 9/28/2016 3:57:28 PM EDT

[#8]

Hey man Standard MFG has 300 BLK barrel in stock for like 160. They are nitride in and out. 1/8 twist barrels and pistol length gas systems. They have some good parts for sale. They look to be just getting into the AR game from their DP-12. A little to the game but nice stuff and good manufacturer none the less. They are at STDGUN.COM/ar-15-parts, I just bought one and it's very very nice.

Posted: 9/28/2016 5:53:25 PM EDT

[#9]

Make sure to get pistol gas so you can cycle subs and supers without adjustable gas.

Posted: 9/28/2016 8:16:02 PM EDT

[#10]

Their uppers and lowers may NOT fit your other uppers and lowers.

They use red loctite on their buffer tubes

Their barrels are very accurate! Replace with one of their 300bo barrels instead of any of the many sub-par barrel makers out there. (think I saw RRA has 300bo barrels)

Posted: 9/28/2016 9:21:03 PM EDT

[#11]

I have a couple of 300's they have BA barrels and quite a few round downrange and I have never had a problem at all with them.

Posted: 9/29/2016 7:50:00 AM EDT

[#12]

Quote History

Quoted:
Their uppers and lowers may NOT fit your other uppers and lowers.

They use red loctite on their buffer tubes

Their barrels are very accurate! Replace with one of their 300bo barrels instead of any of the many sub-par barrel makers out there. (think I saw RRA has 300bo barrels)

View Quote

other uppers fit their lowers fine. Their uppers require some trimming of the rear lug to fit other lowers.

The loc-tite/rockset rumors just won't die, will they?

An RRA rep has said they use blue loc-tite on some castle nuts. Not red. Not the entire tube. Never on barrel nuts. I have personally never seen any adhesive residue on a RRA rifle that I have worked on.

Posted: 9/29/2016 8:38:33 PM EDT

[#13]

RRA does not use LocTite. They DO use an appropriate barrel nut grease. Keep in mind that the torque applied to install the barrel nut is in no way related to the force required to loosen the nut. Nope, not even a little.

Torquing the barrel nut causes the front of the upper to stretch - this applies a clamping force on the barrel flange. But that stretch will now (very strongly) resist efforts to remove the barrel nut. Been there, done that, cussed a lot.

Use a VERY secure method to solidly hold the barrel or a VERY solid clamshell-type receiver block. Get a long cheater bar. Be prepared to work hard at loosening the nut.

Once the barrel nut is loose, it's going to be VERY loose. That's what we call "success."

Posted: 9/30/2016 1:02:56 AM EDT

[#14]

Bullshit they don't use red loctite.

What's worse is I had the castle nut spinning, and the buffer tube still locked into the lower. The shit was RED. This is all while heating it up with a propane torch. And it still took a lot to get it out.

Please explain to me what I experienced and saw roughly one year ago when I switched the buffer tube out of my RRA Tactical Entry.

And yes, the lower was in a vise. I was using pipe pliers before the end.

Posted: 9/30/2016 1:08:42 AM EDT

[#15]

Quote History

Quoted:

other uppers fit their lowers fine. Their uppers require some trimming of the rear lug to fit other lowers.

The loc-tite/rockset rumors just won't die, will they?

An RRA rep has said they use blue loc-tite on some castle nuts. Not red. Not the entire tube. Never on barrel nuts. I have personally never seen any adhesive residue on a RRA rifle that I have worked on.

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
Their uppers and lowers may NOT fit your other uppers and lowers.

They use red loctite on their buffer tubes

Their barrels are very accurate! Replace with one of their 300bo barrels instead of any of the many sub-par barrel makers out there. (think I saw RRA has 300bo barrels)

other uppers fit their lowers fine. Their uppers require some trimming of the rear lug to fit other lowers.

The loc-tite/rockset rumors just won't die, will they?

An RRA rep has said they use blue loc-tite on some castle nuts. Not red. Not the entire tube. Never on barrel nuts. I have personally never seen any adhesive residue on a RRA rifle that I have worked on.

I know I couldn't get one half to install to another half. I don't know about the other halves. I could test this, but the point is, one doesn't work so the other may not either. Sucks when something so standard doesn't work like it should.

And again, I've had red loctite on a buffer tube and some on the castle nut. make the job a huge pain.

Posted: 10/1/2016 8:15:08 AM EDT

[#16]

Thanks for the heads up on this project. I appreciate all your information! Will post when I get all the parts gathered up. Thanks again!

Posted: 10/1/2016 9:27:45 AM EDT

[#17]

Quote History

Quoted:
Bullshit they don't use red loctite.

What's worse is I had the castle nut spinning, and the buffer tube still locked into the lower. The shit was RED. This is all while heating it up with a propane torch. And it still took a lot to get it out.

Please explain to me what I experienced and saw roughly one year ago when I switched the buffer tube out of my RRA Tactical Entry.

And yes, the lower was in a vise. I was using pipe pliers before the end.

View Quote

OK, "in MY experience" RRA did not use any thread locker ON THE BARREL NUT. But having to fight a VERY tight barrel nut does NOT mean there's a thread locker there. Also, I can't vouch for their assemblers sticking to "max 80 ft/lb" torque on the nut, which can give us some problems too...

Posted: 10/1/2016 9:30:59 AM EDT

[#18]

For magazines get Lancer. Pmags have a rib that interferes with some bullets in the BO.

Ballistic Advantage has sales on their barrels every week. I have 2 16 in YHM 300 barrels that are very accurate.

Posted: 10/1/2016 2:35:26 PM EDT

[#19]

Quote History

Quoted:
For magazines get Lancer. Pmags have a rib that interferes with some bullets in the BO.

Ballistic Advantage has sales on their barrels every week. I have 2 16 in YHM 300 barrels that are very accurate.

View Quote

I run Troy battle mags for my .300's and they work fine.

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - RRA 5.56 barrel swap to 300 Blackout

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