I recently purchased  this rifle and The accuracy is ok but I'm looking for touching holes like my savage tactical does at 100yards or so.  I was thinking of a bushmaster varminter barrel or a competition barrel of some sort.  Do you think this would help at all or do I need a new upper all together or just be happy with 1 1/2- 2 inch accuracy?

If this helps your decision making any...

The Armalite uppers I have had personal experience with were a TERRIBLE fit to my Bushmaster lower.  So I would ASSUME therefore that an Armalite lower and a Bushy upper would also have a less than optimal fit.

If you want that kind of accuracy, you could replace the barrel with one of MANY options, including RRA and Bushmaster as well as a Wilson, JP, or other match grade barrel.

OR, if you have the $$$, buy the Armalite M15(T) 24" upper and put it on your lower.

Based on my sample of one (1) ArmaLite upper receiver there are no fit or finish issues on any standard lower receiver to include Bushmaster, ArmaLite, Essential Arms, and Colt's.

Ammunition and shooter are more important than equipment.  Benchrest accuracy like you're demanding also requires good, highpowered optics.

-- Chuck

I have had 0 troubles placing Armalite uppers on Colt, Diemaco, Bushmaster and other lowers.

That was no slam on Armalite BTW, I was just passing along my personal (but admittedly limited) experience.

I only have 1 pre-ban Bushmaster lower.  I have tried 2 seperate Armalite uppers on it.  Both of them were a sloppy fit, even with an AccuWedge.

I have a complete Armalite rifle in the safe that I haven't tried putting the upper on my Bushy lower yet.  Wifey's asleep in there, or I'd go get it now.  But that's still  the same lower, just a third upper.  If you guys have had no issues, then maybe it's just my 11 year old lower... although the RRA upper I tried on it fit TIGHT.

FWIW, I saw NO finish issues of any kind on ANY Armalite, and the complete Armalite rifle I have just purchased is a very good fit.

Onslaught, just because an upper to lower fit is sloppy doesn't mean the rifle won't shoot and shoot well.  However, it can bother some people and cause them to concentrate less on shooting and more on the loose fit of their rifle.  It's more of a personal distraction than a performance degrading problem.  RRA's, in my limited e\xperience, fit everything very tightly to the extreme.  They seem to be machined tighter than the milspec calls for.

I'm a capable shooter as I can group shots touching easily at 100 yards with my savage tactical .223.  My main question is would just a barrel help me to obtain groups like this from my armalite or will I need a new upper as well?