(this thread is an extension of 10/18 ARFCOM Newsletter article)

International Firearm Corporation .410 ARU Upper

Certainly this is not the first AR-15 pattern shotgun, nor is it new, but it may be one of the most fun.

With the limited amount of testing we've been able to do so far (more detailed video review will be coming) it works exactly as it should and the .410 cartridges are great for pest control, small game hunting, and skeet shooting.



COMPONENTS
One of the reasons this is a favorite is that this is a simple upper that fits right on your AR-15 lower. So you can take advantage of whatever lower receiver you currently have.

The gas-operated upper is fitted with an 18.5" smooth bore barrel, dust cover, forward assist, charging handle, bolt carrier assembly, and a flash hider. It also includes a set of "Magpul-ish" flip up sights.

It comes with one single stack 10 round polymer magazine which is about the same size as a 30rd 5.56 mag. In addition 5 round (similar size to 20rd 5.56mm magazine) and 15 round (similar in size to 40rd 5.56mm mag) magazines are available for under $20.

While the manufacturer claims a 4lb weight, our example came in at just over 4lb, 12oz.



The upper itself externally looks just like a standard upper, but take a quick look under the hood and you'll see many differences.







While the description says it's a 2.5" chamber, it will take 3" shells as is inscribed on the barrel. The limitation is that these need to be loaded directly into the chamber as the magazine will only hold 2.5" shells (and 2.5" shells are not all the same, discussed below).



Operation is again straight-forward and just like any other magazine fed AR upper. It features a last round bolt catch that works as it should.

Disassembly is described in the manufacturer's video listed below, but we found a few differences from that video suggesting the design has been updated since that was filmed.

AMMUNITION
So one of the problems encountered with the upper is not really the fault of the upper.

Due to the fixed size of the magazine well on a standard lower, the length of the magazine and the rounds is limited as we all know.

This can be an issue as it seems that different manufacturers load their shells to different lengths. Winchester makes their .410 shotgun shells a little bit longer than everyone else and as a result they tend to get stuck in the magazine and induce failures to feed. They are just a tad too long and rub against the front of the magazine.




A quick measurement shows that 2-1/2" does not mean 2-1/2", much like when buying lumber. Measuring the variety of rounds we had on hand, we came up with these results:


 
 


 
 


 
 


 
 


 
 


 
 

Description	Length
Hornady Critical Defense	2.221"
Remington Game Loads	2.262"
Winchester SuperX Upland & Small Game	2.314"
Winchester PDX1 Defender	2.354"
Winchester SuperX 000 3"	2.720"

Due the monsoons we've been having here in Dallas for the last week, the range session and video review had to be rescheduled for a future date.

PURCHASE
You can purchase these uppers at Centerfire Systems and as mentioned above it comes complete with a 10 round magazine and flip up sights, quad-rail, forward assist, dust cover assembly, and a charging handle and bolt carrier group so all you need is your lower and some ammo.

Oh, and the best part- it's only $299.99!

We'll be releasing the video review of the upper in a coming issue and posted here, as well as range results with all of the ammo listed above so keep an eye out for that.

In the meantime, here are a couple of videos from IFC:




=== 12/27/2018 ===

Finally received the chokes for this, and here are my observations so far.

The kit comes with 4 chokes, and a tool.


You'll notice the ends of the chokes are marked (* Extra Full, ** Full, *** Modified, and **** Improved Cylinder)


The inside of the choke butts up against the end of the barrel so there is no gap inside between the end of the barrel and the choke itself.


But the good news is that they fit!


The tool itself is made of anodized aluminum and has 4 of the same size cutouts for the chokes.



But here is where it gets interesting... the chokes don't really vary much in inside diameter!





It will take some field tests to see if this minor variation makes any difference at all in patterning (which I doubt), so that will be the next step.

=== 2/17/2019 ===

Got a chance to shoot the chokes, and here are the results.

TLDR; : They work as they should.

Here is our test platform: IFC .410 upper and using Winchester Super X .410 2-1/2" 1/2oz 7-1/2 shot



Before we tested the chokes, we removed the flash hider and fired a test using nothing on the end of the barrel (note: all shots were fired at 7 yds.).



As discussed above, there are 4 chokes in the set. The tightest is the extra full choke, and this was the result.



Overall, we had groups ranging from 8" (with the extra full choke) to 14" using the improved cylinder, evenly spaced. So the results were:

14" - Improved Cylinder
12" - Modified (same result as the bare barrel)
10" - Full
8" - Extra Full

All of the resulting targets are displayed below (starting with the bare barrel, then IC, M, F, XF)



And the individual targets.


(bare barrel - no choke - 12")


(improved cylinder - 14")


(modified - 12")


(full - 10")


(extra full - 8")

Next step is to test some buck shot and slugs through this, as well as some reliability testing.

I had the same thought!

I believe it limits the rearward travel of the bolt carrier group, but I can check to confirm.

ETA: Actually it activates the ejector...

No one seems to be publishing this for either barrel, but it appears to be a 5/8-28? (finer than 5/8-24).
Only thing I can do is order them and we'll all find out together... says a couple of weeks for availability, so I'll add to this thread when we know more.

Haven't heard a peep...

That’s a good bit of news. Now if they could just ship them, we’d be all set.

UPDATE - Received the chokes, observations noted above (edits to the OP), and field test will follow.
Suspect they may not do much, but we'll see!

Seems to be the case.

Range results with the chokes posted above in OP.

No polymer lowers here! That's an ARFCOM 7075 billet lower. As for the .45 Colt, I'd be happy to film *you* doing it...