[ARCHIVED THREAD] - 6ARC upper issue (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 11/13/2025 5:45:33 PM EDT
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Some of you might member this thread that has since moved to archives… https://www.ar15.com/forums/General/-ARCHIVED-THREAD-Brand-new-6ARC-upper-won-t-fully-chamber-rounds/5-2801908/?page=1 Well, I got the upper back last well, and I can chamber rounds now, BUT I CANNOT EXTRACT. Texted a video to the builder (6SigmaArms). Took it to a local gunsmith and tried loading and unloading gun (had to mortar It to remove rounds)… immediately the local smith told me “I wouldn’t shoot a round down this barrel”. Contacted Carson Lilja via the email on the Lilja website and he responded within an hour and asked me to ship the upper to Lilja. An hour or so later, I get a reply from the builder and he wants to build another upper for me from the ground up. New barrel. New parts. New everything. No additional cost to me. So.. hopefully in a short while I’ll have some resolution to this issue. Got it back 1/30 Here it is with daytime optic mounted 
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Quoted: Sounds like the bullet was engaging the rifling and getting stuck. Can you see rifling marks on the bullets you chambered?  That’s exactly what I think is happening. BY THE WAY, I ordered this darn thing on Feb 8, 25 and I STILL don’t have a 6ARC I can shoot. I could have had a Bartlein super steel barrel turned by Craddock by now…  I fully intend to buy a 16” Craddock RTR and have it setup for an AEM65 or the OCL equivalent for my next one. (Watch the Lilja barrel I finally get to work shoot dimes at 100 yds and make my choice that much harder,  )
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Quoted: Tag. been wanting a 6arc upper and this thread may have a impact on my purchasing decisions. For what it's worth. I know a guy who bought a 20" HBAR complete upper from BCA for yotes. Put it on an Aero lower with rifle length tube, no issues at all, shoots 1 MOA with all Hornady grains. |
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Your chamber was cut short somewhere. That they blamed the mags when the issue still presented when manually fed into the chamber is telling. If what I don’t know, but it’s telling. Six Sigma, which IIRC was where you got it, has a bit of a spotty record. Which is a shame, Lilja is a good barrel. I’ve had a few of their barrels, and still have one, a 16” Grendel. It’s lightweight and shoots SSTs like a laser. My only interactions with them are 1) asking them a simple question about barrel weight, which they handled promptly, and 2) asking for guidance on a barrel of theirs that I couldn’t get to shoot, to which I never received a response. That told me a lot. |
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Quoted: https://i.imgur.com/NSSacv3.jpeg That’s exactly what I think is happening. BY THE WAY, I ordered this darn thing on Feb 8, 25 and I STILL don’t have a 6ARC I can shoot. I could have had a Bartlein super steel barrel turned by Craddock by now… I fully intend to buy a 16” Craddock RTR and have it setup for an AEM65 or the OCL equivalent for my next one. (Watch the Lilja barrel I finally get to work shoot dimes at 100 yds and make my choice that much harder, )Quoted: Quoted: Sounds like the bullet was engaging the rifling and getting stuck. Can you see rifling marks on the bullets you chambered? https://i.imgur.com/NSSacv3.jpeg That’s exactly what I think is happening. BY THE WAY, I ordered this darn thing on Feb 8, 25 and I STILL don’t have a 6ARC I can shoot. I could have had a Bartlein super steel barrel turned by Craddock by now… I fully intend to buy a 16” Craddock RTR and have it setup for an AEM65 or the OCL equivalent for my next one. (Watch the Lilja barrel I finally get to work shoot dimes at 100 yds and make my choice that much harder, )I have a Craddock Grendel. It’s a 13.9 featherweight barrel, .625 gas block, 1/2X28 threads and all. It still shoots ELDMs for 5 inside MOA. |
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Quoted: I'd love to tell you to buy one from these guys, but . I HAVENT BEEN ABLE TO SHOOT THE DAMN THING YET.  Quoted: No gripes about the caliber. Undoubtedly the barrel was mis cut in this one. I'm definitely interested in this caliber, just wishy washy on how I want to get it.
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At well over 2x the price? You gonna fund that difference? ETA: if they had offered JUST the upper when I was buying, I would have no question went with G. They didn’t. Im fairly certain they still do not. |
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Lmao, no.... Edit to add, should've just built your own. |
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The Geissele is an excellent off the shelf rifle, and to me is worth what it costs. My homebuilds are still better. |
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I already had my DDC receiver set or I would have. If I could sell this build and get an 18" GFR Stratomatch, I would! It has certainly turned into one without the G improved bolt, upper, and cut rifled barrel. However, my SOLGW 18" barrel is breaking in nicely and looks to be a sub-moa rifle. Hopefully Lilja takes care of you, OP. They put on my local PRS match and seem.like good people.   |
| I got my barrels from him before I was more aware of other options. They shot fine and the one I still have, I’m very happy with. These days though knowing what I know now I’d pay about the same for a Craddock RTR or if I wanted something nicer or specific id have one of their custom cut Bartleins or Paul Ross who will still cut you most any profile and cartridge from a Douglas, Krieger, or Bartlein. Which are the directions I’m going forward as I replace barrels. |
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Quoted: I got my barrels from him before I was more aware of other options. They shot fine and the one I still have, I’m very happy with. These days though knowing what I know now I’d pay about the same for a Craddock RTR or if I wanted something nicer or specific id have one of their custom cut Bartleins or Paul Ross who will still cut you most any profile and cartridge from a Douglas, Krieger, or Bartlein. Which are the directions I’m going forward as I replace barrels. I believe Craddock RTR will be my next barrel. |
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Update 87 Heard back from the Curt at SixSigmaArms. After receiving my upper and replicating the problem, He got a wild hair and checked ALL of his remaining 14.5” and 16” Lilja 6ARC barrels. They are all short throated. He spoke to Carson Lilja and they think they figured it out. Curt (6Sigma) ordered around 100-125 barrels and Lilja chambered them starting with the longest (22.5” & 19.5”) and then moving toward to shortest. They believe they wore out the reamer by the time they reached the shorter barrels. He’s going to ship ALL of those barrels back to Lilja who were supposed to have already ordered a reamer before they got off the phone. They’ll re-ream and check the barrels and the throat. Then they’ll ship them to Curt and he’ll double check. Then he’ll rebuild the upper and ship it to me. Hoping to have a functioning upper by Jan 15th or so. I’m just glad to know I’m not crazy. |
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Quoted: Update 87 Heard back from the Curt at SixSigmaArms. After receiving my upper and replicating the problem, He got a wild hair and checked ALL of his remaining 14.5” and 16” Lilja 6ARC barrels. They are all short throated. He spoke to Carson Lilja and they think they figured it out. Curt (6ARC) ordered around 100-125 barrels and Lilja chambered them starting with the longest (22.5” & 19.5”) and then moving toward to shortest. They believe they wore out the reamer by the time they reached the shorter barrels. He’s going to ship ALL of those barrels back to Lilja who were supposed to have already ordered a reamer before they got off the phone. They’ll re-ream and check the barrels and the throat. Then they’ll ship them to Curt and he’ll double check. Then he’ll rebuild the upper and ship it to me. Hoping to have a functioning upper by Jan 15th or so. I’m just glad to know I’m not crazy. That’s 1999 Bushmaster type manufacturing |
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Quoted: If that is believable as a cause (not saying it isn't) that's pretty crazy. Also sounds like gunsmith will be smart to add a step to his quality control. Any reputable person building ars for sale should have go/nogo gauges. I may not check my own but you can be damn sure if I was selling to people I'd be checking before. Seeing their website I imagine their shop being a small garage. |
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Quoted: At well over 2x the price? You gonna fund that difference? ETA: if they had offered JUST the upper when I was buying, I would have no question went with G. They didn’t. Im fairly certain they still do not. So I have not caught up but at 2x the price for a gun that works vs cheap and owning a wall hanger. 1 year project to buy an upper is something I can not wrap my head around. Time is money you saved 50% buying a non functional upper. Type slow and make this make sense to the readers here. |
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Quoted: So I have not caught up but at 2x the price for a gun that works vs cheap and owning a wall hanger. 1 year project to buy an upper is something I can not wrap my head around. Time is money you saved 50% buying a non functional upper. Type slow and make this make sense to the readers here. Quoted: Quoted: At well over 2x the price? You gonna fund that difference? ETA: if they had offered JUST the upper when I was buying, I would have no question went with G. They didn’t. Im fairly certain they still do not. So I have not caught up but at 2x the price for a gun that works vs cheap and owning a wall hanger. 1 year project to buy an upper is something I can not wrap my head around. Time is money you saved 50% buying a non functional upper. Type slow and make this make sense to the readers here. Plenty of people have Lilja barrels and no issues. I just happened to get a bad one. A. $3k is way outside of my budget. B. Even if it were IN my budget, it wouldn’t have been worth it TO ME to spend that type of money. I could get a 6mCreedmoor Small frame AR10 AND a nice scope for that price. ETA: in no way was it expected to be a 11 month project. If I had known that it would have been, I would have bought a Craddock RTR upper and called it great. ETA2: Geissele (as good as they are as manufacturers) has had their own issues. |
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Quoted: Any reputable person building ars for sale should have go/nogo gauges. I may not check my own but you can be damn sure if I was selling to people I'd be checking before. Seeing their website I imagine their shop being a small garage. Quoted: Quoted: If that is believable as a cause (not saying it isn't) that's pretty crazy. Also sounds like gunsmith will be smart to add a step to his quality control. Any reputable person building ars for sale should have go/nogo gauges. I may not check my own but you can be damn sure if I was selling to people I'd be checking before. Seeing their website I imagine their shop being a small garage. Do those check throat or just headspacing? Because the headspacing (as far as where the cartridge shoulder interaction with the barrel is relative to the face of the bolt when the cartridge is seated) is fine. |
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Quoted: I bought a complete upper from brownells. I think an aero precision. Been flawless and an moa gun or better with reloads. Have a savage bolt action as well…its chamber is TIGHT. I’ve got to keep ammo separated for the two guns. Honestly, I probably could have just shot 90 gr class projectiles and been just fine, but I wanted a rifle I could grab whatever was on the shelf at academy to shoot at hogs and still have a projectile it was guaranteed to shoot tiny groups with (103 gr Hornady Hunter). ETA: in talking to Curt, he said a new run of barrels will be coming in 3 months, but I didn’t want to wait that long. So he’ll send me one of the re-reamed barrels. I offered to buy the original barrel at a greatly reduced price and just pay for someone to hand turn the throat for me to barely work with the 109s, but I don’t think that’s gonna happen. |
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Quoted: I bought a complete upper from brownells. I think an aero precision. Been flawless and an moa gun or better with reloads. Have a savage bolt action as well…its chamber is TIGHT. I’ve got to keep ammo separated for the two guns. Buddy of mine used an AERO 6ARC for PTS. Broke a bolt with Hornady factory ammo and barrel was shot out at 4,000 rounds. |
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Quoted: Buddy of mine used an AERO 6ARC for PTS. Broke a bolt with Hornady factory ammo and barrel was shot out at 4,000 rounds. Quoted: Quoted: I bought a complete upper from brownells. I think an aero precision. Been flawless and an moa gun or better with reloads. Have a savage bolt action as well…its chamber is TIGHT. I’ve got to keep ammo separated for the two guns. Buddy of mine used an AERO 6ARC for PTS. Broke a bolt with Hornady factory ammo and barrel was shot out at 4,000 rounds. I thought short barrel life was just part of the equation with 6ARC. Am I wrong? ETA: expected life (per the web) should be approximately 5k rounds. |
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Quoted: Plenty of people have Lilja barrels and no issues. I just happened to get a bad one. A. $3k is way outside of my budget. B. Even if it were IN my budget, it wouldn’t have been worth it TO ME to spend that type of money. I could get a 6mCreedmoor Small frame AR10 AND a nice scope for that price. ETA: in no way was it expected to be a 11 month project. If I had known that it would have been, I would have bought a Craddock RTR upper and called it great. ETA2: Geissele (as good as they are as manufacturers) has had their own issues. Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: At well over 2x the price? You gonna fund that difference? ETA: if they had offered JUST the upper when I was buying, I would have no question went with G. They didn’t. Im fairly certain they still do not. So I have not caught up but at 2x the price for a gun that works vs cheap and owning a wall hanger. 1 year project to buy an upper is something I can not wrap my head around. Time is money you saved 50% buying a non functional upper. Type slow and make this make sense to the readers here. Plenty of people have Lilja barrels and no issues. I just happened to get a bad one. A. $3k is way outside of my budget. B. Even if it were IN my budget, it wouldn’t have been worth it TO ME to spend that type of money. I could get a 6mCreedmoor Small frame AR10 AND a nice scope for that price. ETA: in no way was it expected to be a 11 month project. If I had known that it would have been, I would have bought a Craddock RTR upper and called it great. ETA2: Geissele (as good as they are as manufacturers) has had their own issues. Actually shot my 11.5 6arc RTR homebuild today. Shot its 3 shot zero confirmation into one ovular hole. |
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Quoted: Actually shot my 11.5 6arc RTR homebuild today. Shot its 3 shot zero confirmation into one ovular hole. Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: At well over 2x the price? You gonna fund that difference? ETA: if they had offered JUST the upper when I was buying, I would have no question went with G. They didn’t. Im fairly certain they still do not. So I have not caught up but at 2x the price for a gun that works vs cheap and owning a wall hanger. 1 year project to buy an upper is something I can not wrap my head around. Time is money you saved 50% buying a non functional upper. Type slow and make this make sense to the readers here. Plenty of people have Lilja barrels and no issues. I just happened to get a bad one. A. $3k is way outside of my budget. B. Even if it were IN my budget, it wouldn’t have been worth it TO ME to spend that type of money. I could get a 6mCreedmoor Small frame AR10 AND a nice scope for that price. ETA: in no way was it expected to be a 11 month project. If I had known that it would have been, I would have bought a Craddock RTR upper and called it great. ETA2: Geissele (as good as they are as manufacturers) has had their own issues. Actually shot my 11.5 6arc RTR homebuild today. Shot its 3 shot zero confirmation into one ovular hole. Nice! There was a lightly used 14.7” RTR barrel on the EE for $400 that I had to make myself not buy.
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Quoted: Nice! There was a lightly used 14.7” RTR barrel on the EE for $400 that I had to make myself not buy. Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: At well over 2x the price? You gonna fund that difference? ETA: if they had offered JUST the upper when I was buying, I would have no question went with G. They didn’t. Im fairly certain they still do not. So I have not caught up but at 2x the price for a gun that works vs cheap and owning a wall hanger. 1 year project to buy an upper is something I can not wrap my head around. Time is money you saved 50% buying a non functional upper. Type slow and make this make sense to the readers here. Plenty of people have Lilja barrels and no issues. I just happened to get a bad one. A. $3k is way outside of my budget. B. Even if it were IN my budget, it wouldn’t have been worth it TO ME to spend that type of money. I could get a 6mCreedmoor Small frame AR10 AND a nice scope for that price. ETA: in no way was it expected to be a 11 month project. If I had known that it would have been, I would have bought a Craddock RTR upper and called it great. ETA2: Geissele (as good as they are as manufacturers) has had their own issues. Actually shot my 11.5 6arc RTR homebuild today. Shot its 3 shot zero confirmation into one ovular hole. Nice! There was a lightly used 14.7” RTR barrel on the EE for $400 that I had to make myself not buy. Actually I finally put a decent magnified optic on my 14.5 .223 RTR and it put 5 rounds of AAC into .65 MOA @ 200. To be fair I think it outshoots their 11.5 6arc of mine, but still, I was blown away. It outshot a Bartlein home build I had out that day, at least with that ammo. They make a good barrel. Even their stupid thin pencil 6.5 Grendel barrel I got from them will do .88 MOA with 5 ELDMs @ 100 when I took it out to measure its precision. |
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Quoted: I thought short barrel life was just part of the equation with 6ARC. Am I wrong? ETA: expected life (per the web) should be approximately 5k rounds. Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I bought a complete upper from brownells. I think an aero precision. Been flawless and an moa gun or better with reloads. Have a savage bolt action as well…its chamber is TIGHT. I’ve got to keep ammo separated for the two guns. Buddy of mine used an AERO 6ARC for PTS. Broke a bolt with Hornady factory ammo and barrel was shot out at 4,000 rounds. I thought short barrel life was just part of the equation with 6ARC. Am I wrong? ETA: expected life (per the web) should be approximately 5k rounds. I wouldn’t know. He wasn’t happy and uses much more expensive barrels now |
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Quoted: I wouldn’t know. He wasn’t happy and uses much more expensive barrels now Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: I bought a complete upper from brownells. I think an aero precision. Been flawless and an moa gun or better with reloads. Have a savage bolt action as well…its chamber is TIGHT. I’ve got to keep ammo separated for the two guns. Buddy of mine used an AERO 6ARC for PTS. Broke a bolt with Hornady factory ammo and barrel was shot out at 4,000 rounds. I thought short barrel life was just part of the equation with 6ARC. Am I wrong? ETA: expected life (per the web) should be approximately 5k rounds. I wouldn’t know. He wasn’t happy and uses much more expensive barrels now I’d figure 6arc would be fine. It’s loaded pretty mild. About like Grendel I’d think offhand. Now those 6mm bolt cartridges some of them can be some barrel burners as they’re really trying to hotrod an efficient bullet for long range shooting. 6arc is fairly mild though. Probably has to be to work within the constraints of a small frame and bolt face dimensions. |