Hello guys,

This may be a stupid question, but I'm just getting into the AR world, so please pardon my ignorance for a moment!  :)

Basically, I'm trying to build a .22LR AR-15 with the Bushmaster .22LR upper kit and a Stag Arms forged lower.  I'm going with the Bushy because it is close to a hundred dollars cheaper than the DPMS .22LR upper, and Bushmaster has pretty good quality from what I've read.  Now the Bushmaster upper is one of those Carbon 15 types, so will it work with a normal (read: cheap) Stag Arms forged lower?  Or do I have to drop the extra money for a DPMS upper?

Oh yeah: are there any good-quality .22LR uppers out there besides DPMS and Bushmaster?  I'm looking for a very reliable upper, since I'm not experienced with building/tuning guns and I'd like this to be as foolproof a build as possible.  I'm trying to get a "mil-spec" clone, with the A2 stock and the regular carry handle/iron sights (not an M4 or a flat-top).  I thought I remembered something about a CMP .22 rifle, but I can't recall the manufacturer.

Thanks!
--dbates

EDIT:  Here's the link for the Bushmaster upper: www.bushmaster.com/shopping/uppers/post-ban/az15846k.asp

Sorry to burst your bubble, but I ordered my Bushie Carbon 15 .22LR upper in October 2005.

Still waiting - they are in the process of "redoing the molds" and will be using a different magazine.

I'll report back when they actually start shipping again.

In the meantime, I'm entertaining myself with a Ciener kit.  

Works great thus far for plinking.

But I'd prefer a dedicated setup of course.

Hmmm. . . guess I'll have to go with DPMS then.  The Compass Lake Engineering uppers are just way too expensive. . .

Bad news with DPMS for you sir.  At the gun show last weekend I was talking to their sales manager ( live in MN, their based in MN, so they are at all of the gun shows).  He said that they are re-designing their .22 uppers, and that they won't be available for about 6 months.  Their web site says coming in June.  I wanted an M-4 .22 upper, and was pretty bummed when I couldn't get it......

Brad

Edit:  Brownells still has M-4 post ban uppers listed on their website.

Ah, found them: www.brownells.com/aspx/ns/store/ProductDetail.aspx?p=17447&title=AR-15+.22+LR+UPPER+RECEIVERS

Who makes them?  They don't list a manufacturer. . .

That is a DPMS upper.  FYI, when I contacted Brownells to order extra 10 round mags, they had 8 left.  So, if you go with the upper and want more mags, order them at the same time.  DPMS has no 10 round mags.  Per customer service, they are going to be making more of them in the next month or so.  Midway USA has them backordered until the middle of May.  No word on the 25 round hi-caps, again per DPMS they are re-tooling, and have no eta on the release date, just later this year.

When I was talking to Dustin at the gun show, he told me that they are currently not making the .22 uppers because they are redesigning the way the bolt assembly locks onto the chamber.  Currently it just slides over the chamber.  Apparantly (I've not had it happen to me) if the chamber gets very dirty, you can have an out of battery firing.  According to Dustin that will blow off an extractor (there are 2 of them on the bolt), and possibly blow the mag out of the mag well.  I have read of people having those problems.  I told him that after I am done shooting I scrub the chamber with a barrel brush, and he told me that I should have no problems with the out of battery firing.  I have got 1222 rounds through mine (I thought it would have been more), and have had no problems.  I wanted to pick up one of thier M-4 uppers in Pre-ban configuration so I could have a nice scoped upper.

I have their DCM upper in Pre-ban configuration, and I really like it.  I would recomend it.

Good luck sir!

Brad

The_Beer_Slayer:  You are talking about the DPMS upper?

Brad76:  Thanks for the info!  I was starting to think that all the uppers were going off the market.

Hopefully, I'll be able to build my first AR in a few weeks.  

Beer Slayer:  was yours a DPMS or Bushmaster?

Brad

Thanks Beer Slayer!  You had me kind of nervous there for a minute.

Dbates:  You're welcome.  Hope I can be of help.  Another option would be an upper from Kurts Kustom Firearms.  He is in the industry section.  I bought my first dedicated upper from in in 2001.  It runs off of an un-modified Ciener conversion kit.  The pros are 30 round mags, and they are made of steel.  Also, the kit itself is very easy to disassemble for cleaning.  I bought a 16" postban upper from him.  I have 18,000 + rounds through it now.  The only problem I have had is about 3 months ago the firing pin in my conversion kit broke.  But, I figure after 18,000 rounds that is bound to happen.  There are 2 drawbacks to KKF.  1)  You need to buy the Ciener conversion kit, unless if you already have one.  That adds an extra $200 to the total cost.  2)  As far as I know this is not a "stock" item, so there is a wait time.  For me it was about 7 weeks (August 1 to September 18).  But, well worth the wait!

Brad