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Posted: 2/22/2012 6:57:22 AM EDT
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So I just built my AR a little over a month or 2 ago, took my brother out and he fell in love. I told him if he decides a career and sets up his college career Ill help him build one and per-sway our father into allowing him to own a gun (he's 20). Fast forward couple weeks he has everything ready and I give him a go and tell him give me a picture or tell me what you want, so he pulls up a Rec7 M468 that I guess he already knew about! I told him its a gas piston system which he already knew to my surprise and I told him it would be well over his budget ($5-600 for bare rifle). Instead I decided to help him build a DI replica and this is what I have so far.
Upper: Barret Complete A3 Receiver - $96 Mil-Spec Charging Handle Spikes Tactical BCG - Gift From Me UTG Pro Model 4/15 Mid Length (Made in USA) Free Float Rail - $80 Citidel 16" Lightweight Chrome Moly 1x9 Mid Length Barrel - $99 Mil-Spec Mid Length Gas Tube - $12.50 YHM Low Pro Gas block - $22 YHM Phantom Aggressive Muzzle Brake $22 Lower: Spikes Receiver - $95 PSA Complete Magpul LPK Optics: Magpul MBUS Gen 2 Set - Gift From Me Items in red are already purchased. I think with everything listed I can get it pretty close and enough to make him happy which is all that matters, though I thought Id ask for any opinions on the listed parts or where I could find certain items the cheapest as this is on a 20 year old college students budget. |
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I would recommend the YHM rail over the UTG.
UTG does not have the best reputation for quality, though supposedly they are trying to change that and become a "legitimate" parts manufacturer. I have no experience with their newer FF rails - nothing about them appeals to me over better rail systems on the market, but I have installed countless UTG non-FF quad rails when I worked part-time at a shop that stocked them. I died a little inside each time I did. Out of spec rails, unrefined design, soft inferior materials, screws that stripped out their own threads, shitty finish quality, heavy, poor attachment method, ect. Rumor is and lots of folks claim that they've improved their quality and that their newer rails are better, but it will take a long, long time for me to wash the taste out of my mouth. Especially when a KAC M4 RAS can be had at $150 or less, and there are so many other better rails out there put out by companies that didn't spend most of their time shilling crap before "reforming." ~Augee |
| Most of the other rails out there seem to be standard with as opposed to the UTG Pro 4/15 and Omega X rails and I hear issues with the rails being too wide. With rail covers installed, how wide would an average rail or if you have experience with the YHM Diamond FF rail be compared to a M4 fat handguard cover or standard carbine handguards? |
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Quoted:
Most of the other rails out there seem to be standard with as opposed to the UTG Pro 4/15 and Omega X rails and I hear issues with the rails being too wide. With rail covers installed, how wide would an average rail or if you have experience with the YHM Diamond FF rail be compared to a M4 fat handguard cover or standard carbine handguards? They are pretty wide. And sharp. Rail covers are a must. I ran a YHM diamond on my first one with magul xtm panels... Couldn't really grip it properly, I switched to Larue index clips and it was better, but after swapping it out for modular rails I will never go back to a quad rail... They just don't make sense unless you are going to be hanging all kinds of crap from them, and then they are unbalanced... Quad rails are a no go for me anymore. If I did use one it'd be a DD lite or a Centurion though. |
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[span style='font-weight: bold;']They are pretty wide. And sharp. Rail covers are a must. I ran a YHM diamond on my first one with magul xtm panels... Couldn't really grip it properly, I switched to Larue index clips and it was better, but after swapping it out for modular rails I will never go back to a quad rail... They just don't make sense unless you are going to be hanging all kinds of crap from them, and then they are unbalanced... Quad rails are a no go for me anymore.
If I did use one it'd be a DD lite or a Centurion though. That's what I figured. I guess I'll try out the UTG Pro rail unless I can locate a DD Omega X rail for cheap. I guess my brother doesn't like the actual rails on the UTG, so as of now its the YHM Diamond Free Float unless someone can help me locate a rail with the following features: 1) Free Float one piece design with dedicated barrel nut 2) Thinner horizontal profile 3) No more than $130-140 |
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Was wondering if anyone can recommend a cheap/decent barrel wrench? Also any info on what charging handles should be avoided, looking for just a cheapo mil-spec handle.
After we purchase a charging handle he'll have a complete upper which Im going to let him test fire on my lower, so pics coming up soon. Oh and just an FYI, Ive never seen a Barrett upper before in person but it just came in and they sure are pretty  Highly recommend!
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Quoted:
I think YHM makes their own float tube nut wrench. I would also go with their clamp-on gas block that has the built-in flip up front sight, similar to the Rec7's. Then you'll need a rear sight... We ended up going with the UTG due to its similarities to the DD Omega X rails and mainly because of this thread that compares them (http://www.ar15.com/mobile/topic.html?b=3&f=12&t=547963&page=1). Pretty sure the UTG uses a standard barrel wrench so was looking for one. As for the gas block we went with a standard YHM low pro and hes either going to go with a set of Magpul MBUS or the Troy Battlesights. |
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