I think I need to do the following...
1) Buy a STAG lefty upper

2) Buy a STAG Ambi barrel extension

3) Find someone to sell me or make me a barrel...attach the ambi extension and install on upper. Which leads to my first question, do I need to have it set up on the upper or can I just get a barrel with the extension installed? Is the headspacing in the extension/barrel combo? or does it rely on the setup being installed on the upper? My understanding is once the extension is installed everything should be refinished? Would I have to if it was going on a stainless barrel? or just getting the extension parkerized?

4) What is the profile/diameter of SPR barrels? What length? What material? What type of flash suppressor/muzzle brake?

5) I built a M4gery on a STAG lefty and it's sick. Figured i'd try to build a tack driver. Any help would be awesome.

I may be wrong, but I 'think' that a normal barrel/barrel extension will work with either a left hand or right hand bolt. . . .

nah..the STAG piece has a chamfer on both sides of the lugs to guide the bolt in. Normal only has chamfer on one side. I wish it would but STAG says it would wear things prematurely.

Might give Noveske Rifleworks a look, he's a custom barrel smith and has cmt/stag parts.  He makes an SPR type 18" barrel, which IIRC is cut from a stainless PacNor polygonal rifled blank

KURT,will be putting my new one on shortly.

Quoted: I think I need to do the following... 1) Buy a STAG lefty upper 2) Buy a STAG Ambi barrel extension 3) Find someone to sell me or make me a barrel...attach the ambi extension and install on upper. Which leads to my first question, do I need to have it set up on the upper or can I just get a barrel with the extension installed? Is the headspacing in the extension/barrel combo? or does it rely on the setup being installed on the upper? My understanding is once the extension is installed everything should be refinished? Would I have to if it was going on a stainless barrel? or just getting the extension parkerized? 4) What is the profile/diameter of SPR barrels? What length? What material? What type of flash suppressor/muzzle brake? 5) I built a M4gery on a STAG lefty and it's sick. Figured i'd try to build a tack driver. Any help would be awesome.

I had WOA build my STAG lefty with a WOA SPR barrel (stainless) w/flash suppresser (18 inch) flat top with a WOA DCM float tube and standard issue hand guards. Jon at WOA builds a hell of a good upper. It hits everything I point at it. The barrel extension is a ambi also- I had a picture posted, but it looks like the host drop it. It looks like a standard flat top, but shoots like a laser beam.

Forgive me but, WOA? what or where is that? Thanks for the replies.

Quoted: Forgive me but, WOA? what or where is that? Thanks for the replies.

White Oak Armament

Here

And a +1 to the fact that the Stag lefty barrels do have a unique barrel extension.

I have built quite a few left handed uppers, both 25" bull varminters as well as 11" shorty full auto units.  The standard barrel extension works just fine.

Sounds like the standard gun industry smoke and mirrors bullshit once again.

I just want to know why someone would build a lefty upper rifle?

i must admit I plead ignorance on the subject. I am an armorer of both glock and sig pistols but know NOTHING about AR's. I just got back into the black rifles after about a 15 yr leave. I 'm only going by my conversation's with STAG. Love the LH but dont like the choice of one barrel (16" M4 type)

As far as why I wanted a lefty, aside from the fact that I just wanted one and because I could. I dont like getting a mouthful of gas and all the other shit when shooting alot of rounds. NEVER got hit with brass just always taste like I got a mouth full of pennys. For the extra $60 I couldnt see why not. It was nothing that I was willing to spend a ton of cash on doing but I already have one and it's great. To each his own I guess.

AMEN - I did the same with a lefty because I could also - The price difference wasn't that much - Plus, I didn't buy for resale or to make a profit, I bought it for the pure unique, fun and safety of left handed AR. I'm with you on the choice of being stuck with a 16 inch barrel, that's why I contracted with WOA to build a lefty AR to my specifications. It's my pure fun weapon of choice when I go to the range outside of my JLD PTR91.

Quoted: I just want to know why someone would build a lefty upper rifle?

Answer to your question

Quoted: Sounds like the standard gun industry smoke and mirrors bullshit once again.

Don’t mean to take Tony out of context, but after reading all the posts it seems to fit in my mind.

I’m left handed too and really have never seen the need, especially if you’re paying more and getting something that you’re never really going to be able to sell.

There I go again, using the word need in regards to someone’s BRD. And like it has to fit in my mind. Just seems like having the steering wheel on the right side of the car.

I spent about $4000 plus last year to hunt down a remington 700 short action as part of a gun only to strip it and build the exact replica of the USMC M40A3 sniper rifle in left hand. Obviously, the price of the rifle including optics was $4000 but I wanted it left handed. Not worried about resale just sick of always having to deal with or conform to the righty way of doing things. I agree I dont NEED a lefty but I dont NEED 20 pistols, rifles and shotguns either. I tend to roll things over quite often(like the consecutive numbered MP5's I sold a few years ago and have never forgiven myself since)...have only kept the things that I had truly built for me. Maybe in the long run i'm saving money not losing my ass on resale. Best part of it all is the only person I need to explain my guns to is my wife. Thanks for the replies gents. Going to give WOA a call and see what can be done.

Bulldogxj,

So the gas venting from the carrier is what irritates left handed shooters?

Quoted: I tend to roll things over quite often(like the consecutive numbered MP5's I sold a few years ago and have never forgiven myself since)...

It begs the question… were they gold plated?

I am vary curious about your M40A3, I’m looking to build a replica here too. Can you tell me who did your build and what kinda parts were used?

Quoted: ....Not worried about resale just sick of always having to deal with or conform to the righty way of doing things...

Amen brother.  I'm a left-handed shooter also.  After growing up in a right-handed world, I refuse to comprimise anymore when it comes to firearms.

I am building my own rifle also and got in on a 16" midlength group buy and had them install an ambi extension on my barrel.  Still waiting on some parts and will post pics when finished.

The M40A3 was as follows;

1) Mcmillan A4 stock....spec out the way you want it. I had mine molded in olive green.
2) DD Ross trigger guard
3) DD Ross scope base
4) Badger Ordnance scope rings
5) DD Ross recoil lug
6) Douglas barrel (.950 at the muzzle, 24" long from end to end not from recoil lug like most are measured which would actually make it 25". You want 24")
7) Remington 700 action in .308 (they dont make short action lefty's anymore I bought a .243, bolt has the same breech face as a .308)

Everything above is actual or at least was at the time of build USMC spec'd parts. The DD Ross stuff is "BEEFY" and if you want authentic it's the stuff to get. DD Ross built my rifle but he only builds for LE/Military. Dont know what your situation is but if you are he's in Medina Ohio. Can go to Brownells for most of it. Everything else (optics etc) is up to you.

Quoted: Bulldogxj, So the gas venting from the carrier is what irritates left handed shooters?

It is for me..made it so I didnt want to shoot the AR sometimes.

Quoted: The M40A3 was as follows; 1) Mcmillan A4 stock....spec out the way you want it. I had mine molded in olive green. 2) DD Ross trigger guard 3) DD Ross scope base 4) Badger Ordnance scope rings 5) DD Ross recoil lug 6) Douglas barrel (.950 at the muzzle, 24" long from end to end not from recoil lug like most are measured which would actually make it 25". You want 24") 7) Remington 700 action in .308 (they dont make short action lefty's anymore I bought a .243, bolt has the same breech face as a .308) Everything above is actual or at least was at the time of build USMC spec'd parts. The DD Ross stuff is "BEEFY" and if you want authentic it's the stuff to get. DD Ross built my rifle but he only builds for LE/Military. Dont know what your situation is but if you are he's in Medina Ohio. Can go to Brownells for most of it. Everything else (optics etc) is up to you.

That sounds like what I want to do.

Only real difference would be the receiver, I’m hunting for a pre 320,000 SN Remington 700 short action. I’d like to have Mike Lau build it, it’s my understanding that he builds the most faithful reproductions of the M40 lineup. Aside from the scope (I’ll probably just use the Leupold Mk4 M3 as the Unertl is pushing my little wallet too far).

To get back to the AR theme… I also need to find a Knight FSB/gas block used for the Marine Corps SAM-R. That’s another reproduction I’d like to have some day.    

Quoted: I think I need to do the following... 1) Buy a STAG lefty upper 2) Buy a STAG Ambi barrel extension 3) Find someone to sell me or make me a barrel...attach the ambi extension and install on upper. Which leads to my first question, do I need to have it set up on the upper or can I just get a barrel with the extension installed? Is the headspacing in the extension/barrel combo? or does it rely on the setup being installed on the upper? My understanding is once the extension is installed everything should be refinished? Would I have to if it was going on a stainless barrel? or just getting the extension parkerized? 4) What is the profile/diameter of SPR barrels? What length? What material? What type of flash suppressor/muzzle brake? 5) I built a M4gery on a STAG lefty and it's sick. Figured i'd try to build a tack driver. Any help would be awesome.

Here's a photo of my WOA built STAG Lefty :
http://www.hunt101.com/img/315526.JPG

Quoted: I may be wrong, but I 'think' that a normal barrel/barrel extension will work with either a left hand or right hand bolt. . . .

Thisis incorrect. Stag makes special bbl extenions for there lefty uppers.  I would go with a Noveske polygonal bbl.  If you are buildingthis for accuracy or a duty weapon, this is the way togo, it a bit more expensive than a standard bbl, but worth it.  I would call Stag and get a bbl extension and ask John to build you a custom bbl with your bbl extension.

Quoted: Quoted: I may be wrong, but I 'think' that a normal barrel/barrel extension will work with either a left hand or right hand bolt. . . . I would call Stag and get a bbl extension and ask John to build you a custom bbl with your bbl extension.

Your are correct to call Stag for the LH barrel extension- For some reason Stag has a hard time getting John supplied with enough barrel extensions, but customers can purchase them directly from Stag and have them shipped right to John at WOA. The last time I told John how I obtained a lh barrel extension directly from Stag, he had a few choice words. Be forewarned, WOA is not a fast turn around. I had to wait almost 3 months, but was well worth the wait. Part of the wait might have to do with the  gov't contract for AR builds. They build a good one!

Quoted: I just want to know why someone would build a lefty upper rifle?

Because they are left handed thats why,

if your left handed

if you play base ball you use a left handed mit
if you play guitar you play a left handed guitar or struggle with a right handed one.
if you fish you use a left handed reel
if you use sissors you use a left handed or ambi pair of sissors
if you golf you use left handed clubs
if your left handed you shoot a left handed rifle unless you dont have a choice now you can so why does this question keep popping up

oh i never get hit by hot brass - lucky you ive seen it happen lots of times just this weekend my cousins teenage  daughter had a hot pc of brass fall down her blous she just about dropped my rifle not a safe thing.

oh it can't use mil spec parts - so what are you in the army ? and only the receiver and extension and bolt carrier group is non mil spec on a stag and on a dpms only the receiver and bolt

oh parts will be hard to find - no they are not unless guys keep saying who wants a lefty rifle and people fall for that bs and stag and dpms go out of business of if all the righties get together and ban left handed parts.

its freedom of choice like

oh who really needs a bayonet lug or a flash hider or a collapsable stock remember when the liberal democrates asked that question? i mean really do i need a bayonet lug ?? no but its my f'n right so im going to have one why cause it looks cool and I CAN !

who needs a m4 barrel or a 14.5 or m4 handgaurds or Hell  why do we need guns when we have airsoft. guh

why a 9mm ar or a 7.62 and why a .308 whats wrong with plan ol .223

why own more than 1 ar15 after all they are basically the same rifle

im not saying if you already have a right handed rifle and are happy with it you should sell it and get a lefty im just answering that question
in hopes of not seeing it asked again on every left handed post posted.

come on stop asking why, just enjoy that you can have it. im not pushing these rifles but i do really like them and in a right handed wourld it nice to have options