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3/24/2008 7:17:32 PM EDT
Im sure this has been asked a thousand times, but lets make it one more time...
I went out and looked at bushmaster varmit rifles tonight.  I looked at several rifles and found that 4 out of 5 had quite a bit of wiggle/wobble/slop between the upper and lower.  Is this normal.  The one that had no slop, is that a better gun.  Is there a way to fix the loose fit?  Im on the fence on building my own or just buying the bushmaster. Will I have the same issue on my build? Or is it not a issue,  thanks for you help fellas.
3/24/2008 7:21:36 PM EDT
[#1]
Unless you buy a "Matched Set" that have been hand fitted they all have some slop. If built "To Spec" all th +/- leave a little room. RRA offers a NM set of upper & lower that are very tight. They also use these on their NM service rifles.
3/24/2008 7:26:00 PM EDT
[#2]
It's normal. It's not an issue.
3/24/2008 7:57:02 PM EDT
[#3]
No disagreement with the posts above, but if it bothers you (it does me) the condition is easily eliminated with a $4 gadget called an Accuwedge.  Since "real men" don't use Accuwedges, you must be careful in purchasing and using this evil gadget or you'll be asked to turn in your man card.  By the way, an Accuwedge is a chunk of flexible plastic that you stuff behind the rear takedown pin, that shims the slack out of the upper and lower.  Colt has supplied them as OEM on certain models, so there is some semi-legitmate precedent for its use.
3/24/2008 8:23:00 PM EDT
[#4]
Just stuff an MRE cracker in between the upper and the lower. That will stop the wiggle and allow it to sit firmly in the safe.
3/25/2008 5:55:17 PM EDT
[#5]
I bought my first RRA rifle based on a review that I read about them.  The review characterized the fit between the upper and lower as being tight without any gap between the upper and lower receivers.  Although I do like the rifle (a lot) the fit isn't nearly as tight as described in the review.  If I hold the rifle up to the light, I can see light in the gap between the receivers, so there is some slop there.

In an effort to get the fit that I was looking for, I ordered a NM matched set of the upper and lower receivers.  It was a bit tighter than my first rifle, but still not tight enough to give that one piece feel.

I have achieved that one piece feel by going with a Smith  M&P lower with a RRA upper.
3/25/2008 6:17:42 PM EDT
[#6]
I guess I lucked out, or maybe it was because the upper and lower are the same brand.  I bought a Stag upper and a Stag lower separately, but when I slapped them together, there's no slop at all.
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