Would you spend $$ to reconfigure an AR upper in todays market?

cmatera

Active member
I have an AR in .204 Ruger. It easily shoots 1/2" so I question tearing it apart to do the following. I want to have the barrel threaded for a muzzle break/suppressor ($175), add the muzzle break suppressor ($125), add an adjustable gas block ($125), and change the free float tube ($250). The hand guard that is currently on it is a Clark's Custom carbon fibre, and it is glued on, so removing it will destroy it, but the only way to get to the gas block and gas tube and get it threaded. The gun has less than 200 rounds through it, and the Hart SS barrel is deadly accurate as is.

Would you tear apart a proven shooter and spend $675 to upgrade an upper when you can hardly get $450 for an upper in today's market?
 
what is a muzzlebreak suppressor? are you talking just having it threaded so you can add either later? I am sick of suppressor crap to go through and will not buy another. waiting a year is just a bunch of crap. heck it might be longer than a year
 
It is a muzzle break that is threaded for a suppressor aka SAS TOMB mount (thread over muzzle break). Yes the wait is long. My last was 13 months.
 
depending on the barrel and gas system config - you might not need an AGB to run a 204 suppressed.

i have a 24" DPMS bull barrel uppeer with rifle gas that i didnt have to do anything other than thread to run suppressed. its not over gassed, runs like a top.

that said - here's a prime example of why its absolutely stupid to glue a freaking handguard on. what kind of idiot who invented that system thought it was a good idea?

as a long term thing, id probably just eat the handguard, do it right this time around with a user-removable model (plenty to choose from these days), forgo the AGB and call it a day. the good part is once the handguard issue is resolved, if you need to go back and do an AGB its just a trip to the workbench and not any extra expense other than the AGB.


if you wanna save a few bucks - let ADCO do your barrel. they only charge $75 for threading a bare AR barrel + shipping. their work is very nice and turnaround is measured in days, not weeks. I only live about an hour from them as the crow flies, and using UPS ground both ways my turnaround time to them has averaged around 8 days door-to-door. They've already done several barrels for me and will continue to get more as i get the itch to thread them.
 
No, I would not. I'd consider just building another upper... prices are cheap right now.

In the end, you might ruin the performance you have.
 
If your are replacing it all, why not just build another one. The only added expense would be an upper and parts kit which are cheap. You would have two uppers for the price you are looking at to change that and only have one. You can buy threaded barrels for not much more than the cost of threading that. X-caliber just had 30% off on barrels b
 
I agree, it is stupid to glue a hand guard on. It is a Clark's Custom carbon fiber. The new ones have been re-designed and are not glued on, but the older ones were. Not sure I'd buy from them again. Lots of better choices out there.
 
Uhg. That's a ridiculous price for threading. I usually pay 40 to 50 locally.

I would drill and tap your gas block for an adjustment screw. Replace the handguard, $250 is too rich for me though. I have had a few of the DPMS glue on tubes. I like them, but agree it's a terrible idea. I have had decent luck removing them with a strap wrench, and believe it or not putting them back on and lining up the gas tube. The TOMB mount is something you'll have on any barrel if that's your preferred mounting method, so not really fair to include that in the cost. Mine are direct thread mostly because I'm kinda cheap lol.
 
I think I'll leave it alone. It just shoots too good. I'm pretty sure the accuracy is from the Hart custom barrel. I probably paid as much for it as a whole upper today, and waited months for it.
Tearing off the hand guard would be the hardest part-it's epoxied on.

I probably will not even build another upper. Without spending big money, I will have a mediocre gun that will be worth much less than when I bought it even at today's prices. If one of the nut job commies running for President gets in, banning AR's will be at the top of their list, if not total confiscation.

Thank you for all the input-carl
 
Originally Posted By: Bowhntr6ptNo, I would not.

When you have a gun that shoots good don't do anything to it. IMHO I give those guns names and a guaranteed spot in the gun safe.

All the other stuff you are looking for can be slowly purchased over time when items are on sale at Brownells.

Hint: When an item is already on sale at Brownells, you can add the discount promotion to the sale and hit the double whammy.
 
No. Just build another.
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Your going to spend all that money and your groups will probably open. I know of three members here including myself that own a 243 chambered Bear Creek Arsenal style complete upper that shoots under a half inch. You can buy them for $300 to $330 directly from bear creek depending on barrel length. Which is less than you want to invest in yours. The prices just keep going down. If you already messed around and have a proven load leave it alone. Sounds like you your like me and get bored with your rifles.lol I just go buy another to mess with...and get all mods done before I shoot it the next time around or I’ll be in the same boat again. To each his own. I’ve been there, did it done it, and in the long run spending the extra money on it decreases the value of you ever want to trade it or sell it. It’s like trying to sell a car with a custom paint job lowered to the ground, with mags. If you don’t care and plan on keeping it till you die then who cares...but Imo I wouldn’t waste a dollar on a proven upper and start over.
 
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Originally Posted By: Bowhntr6ptNo, I would not. I'd consider just building another upper... prices are cheap right now.

In the end, you might ruin the performance you have.



Agree 100%. Probably could sell the current upper and make seller and buyer happy!!
 
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