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Posted: 1/18/2006 7:16:50 PM EDT
| Hello all, I am new to this board and this is my first post. I have finaly got my first ar15 project going and I have come up with a question that I am hoping someone can help me with. I have my complete lower half ready to go (RRA), and now all I need is a complete upper half. I don't want to build the upper myself but I can't seem to find exactly what I want. I want a flat top varmint grade upper with a 20" bull barrel. The problem is I don't like the way all of the 20" uppers look. They have the same forearm as the 24" uppers which I think is to long for a 20 inch barrel. Does anyone make a 20" upper that doesn't have such a long forearm? Looking at the ones RRA makes, I think that the 20" upper should use the forearm from an 18" upper. There's just not enough barrel sticking out past the forearm for my taste. However I don't really want the 24" upper because I just don't want something that long. I appologize for such a lengthy post, but can anyone give me some advice? |
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CJ8R I just got on line to ask the same question. I've got a 22" upper that has a great profile. Its not a .223, But I would like to have built a 20" with the same profile in .223. I think that 18" size free-float tube and gas system would be perfect. Looks like the USAMU has been building similar prototype (SPR)'s in 18" length. Its hard to tell whether they are using 16" gas systems or 18"s from the PIC in the article I read. The article read like they understand the Fluted Stainless Heavy Barrel, Free-Floated idea for the squad designated marksman rifle. Can't be all that bad of an idea if they're already working on it. |
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the longer forearm is to cover the barrel and keep you from burning yourself along with protecting the gas tube. most here use longer tubes and this thread is surely different. im sure it can be done, contact one of the dealers in the industry forum and see what they can do for you. jt distributing offers varmint uppers and im sure he can swap the rifle length tube out for a carbine one or something |
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| the length of the handguard is generally dictated by the length of the gas tube, thus the location of the gas block/front sight... the logic is no more difficult than that. There are reasons to run a shorter than normal HG and we have made up a few guns with 2" shorter guards for the mil/LE crowd, I would suggest contacting Steve at ADCO and see if he can help you out. |
| Thanks for tips thus far. I'll have to look into it some more and see what can be done. Who sells 22" uppers, Ive seen a few but can't remember who makes them. That would be a compromise between a 20 and 24" barrel obviously. I know looks shouldn't be that important and generally looks aren't that big of a deal for me, but this is a fairly expensive gun for me and I want it to be exactly how I want it. |
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I specialize in custom barrels and uppers and I can make you EXACTLY what you want. |
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But a rifle length gas system with handguards any shorter than "rifle length" will leave an exposed gas tube. What's the reason for this? I can surely see doing something becaues of the way it looks when you have more than one option, but this is just a little silly. Handguards have always been there to cover and protect the gas tube. Making a custom barrel that will have a handguard cap in an unusual place so you can use carbine handguards is going to limit your options in the future (like when you realize this is a little wierd.) |
Who said anything about a carbine handguards on a rifle length gas system? I can make him anything he wants, to include a 22" barrel with a rifle length handguard, or even a 20" with a mid-length gas system and handguards if that's what he likes to look of. I agree that carbine length handguards exposing a rifle length gas system would be FUGLY. 
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I think you might have missed something:
He wants a shorter handguard on a 20" barrel. I guess you could make him a 20" carbine but was thinking that would be just as odd and even if you put looks aside, Why go from a rifle length gas system on a rifle to a carbine length gas system on a rifle? |
I got that he wanted more barrel sticking out in front of the front sight or gas block than the 20" offered, but not as much as the 24". With that in mind, I could do a mid-length 20" or a rifle-length 22" barrel. Either of these would seem to satisfy what he wants without a fugly exposed gas tube. Various gas system lengths:  Edited to add: Hmmm, looks better here: www.ar15barrels.com/prod/gas-systems.shtml |
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