AR Sponsor
Posted: 4/4/2013 6:18:52 PM EDT
| I just bought a new bushmaster AR. It has the carry handle on it. Was wonder if it would be ok to change the upper receiver without the handle and use the same parts or just buy a whole new upper bushmaster receiver. |
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You can easily swap on a new receiver. The question is whether or not the barrel extension has M4 ramps or rifle ramps. If M4 ramps, then any M4 style A4 upper will work. If rifle ramps then you will need a receiver WITHOUT M4 cuts.
The M4 uppers are much more common, but there are makers of A3 or rifle uppers out there. Take a picture of the inside of the receiver where the extension is seated into it. |
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Quoted:
I new to this, and still researching and learning. How do I know the difference if is a M4 or rifle? Tmac, Congrats on the new bushmater. You have several choices (In approximate order of difficulty-easiest to hardest): 1. Keep the rifle as is. A2 uppers (like yours with the fixed carry handle) can be extremely accurate with iron sights, durable, and make a great gun to beat up at the range. My A2 is still one of my favorite guns to shoot. 2. Keep the rifle as is, but buy a carry handle rail mount. This is how the pros did it back in the day (LAPD SWAT, etc) and it worked just fine. If you want to keep your gun as is, but HAVE to have an optic, then this is the way to go. 3. Sell your entire A2 upper and buy a flat-top upper. Pick the upper you actually want this time. 4. Using several different specialized AR wrenches: Take off your flash-hider, then your handguards, then your gas block, then your gas tube, then your handguard cap, then your D-ring assembly, then your barrel nut, and finally your barrel. Buy a new flat-top upper and reassemble the entire gun with all those parts back on. If you are new to the AR game this is not going to be easy or advisable. Your barrel's marriage to the upper is the heart of your gun's accuracy, and safe operation. Realize that your barrel's chamber is containing a controlled explosion inside it as you hold it next to your face. The cost of doing this yourself correctly, with vises, vise blocks, and the special tools will make this expensive quick. The cost of having a gunsmith do it will be even more. Does this help? |
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Quoted:
I can't imagine why the feed ramps would make the slightest difference. You should be good either way man. How many ARs have you built? If the barrel has a rifle extension then you can not use a upper with M4 cuts. If the barrel extension has M4 ramps then you can use a receiver that has M4 cuts or one that does not. I would hope in this day and age that the barrel extension he has does have M4 ramps and he should be able to use either style receiver. ETA: 
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