The Firearm thread: Engineering artistry of wood, polymer and steel.

[Ducimus]

Originally Posted by August

So, my question is should I have the throat of my 223 AR lengthened at great expense, aggravation and possible risk involved with finding a Gun Smith experienced and equipped to do this properly and hoping he doesn't screw it up.

OR

Wait for prices to come down some more and buy a whole new upper for my AR that is already chambered for 5.56? (presently about $500-$1K).

I'd wait for the prices to come down. I just did a quick image search on the Colt Sporter II 1988. Does your rifle have the fixed A2 carrying handle? If so, i'd definitely wait for the prices to come down, or for a screaming deal, and then get a 5.56 chambered flat top upper reciever. That way, you open yourself up for accessory options. A red dot scope with a magpul mbus cowitness for example.

Also, you keep your rifles original reciever intact and unaltered/undamaged, which gives you the option to revert the rifle back to it's original form.

[August]

Originally Posted by Ducimus

I'd wait for the prices to come down. I just did a quick image search on the Colt Sporter II 1988. Does your rifle have the fixed A2 carrying handle? If so, i'd definitely wait for the prices to come down, or for a screaming deal, and then get a 5.56 chambered flat top upper receiver. That way, you open yourself up for accessory options. A red dot scope with a magpul mbus cowitness for example.

Also, you keep your rifles original reciever intact and unaltered/undamaged, which gives you the option to revert the rifle back to it's original form.

Yes my rifle is the old fixed handle type. See below.

My thought was to buy a complete upper including bolt carrier group (though that is a quick enough swap), front sight post and hand guards and bring one or the other to the range depending on what type of ammo I have.

[Ducimus]

Originally Posted by August

My thought was to buy a complete upper including bolt carrier group (though that is a quick enough swap), front sight post and hand guards and bring one or the other to the range depending on what type of ammo I have.

Well, if you get a 5.56 NATO chambered upper, its really all you need. Headspace aside (haven't done my homework on .223 and 556 headspacing, I'm assuming their same), you have the chamber pressure rating to feed it 5.56 or .223 at that point. My wife can feed either one through her rifle without any issues whatsoever.

EDIT: I think the only major difference is more brass expansion with .223, the cases are slightly thinner then 5.56, and NATO chambers tend to be a bit looser to allow for dirt, and debris.

[August]

Originally Posted by Ducimus

Well, if you get a 5.56 NATO chambered upper, its really all you need. Headspace aside (haven't done my homework on .223 and 556 headspacing, I'm assuming their same), you have the chamber pressure rating to feed it 5.56 or .223 at that point. My wife can feed either one through her rifle without any issues whatsoever.

EDIT: I think the only major difference is more brass expansion with .223, the cases are slightly thinner then 5.56, and NATO chambers tend to be a bit looser to allow for dirt, and debris.

Correct. The idea is to be able to swap between them quickly. Good idea on the flat top rail too.

[Stealhead]

This is more of an opinion question.I have a friend that is left handed and dropped extra coin to for an AR upper that had a left hand ejection port and I think the selector switch is on the right side (to be lefty friendly).

I also have a neighbor and friend who is left handed and he shoots a standard AR-15 just fine.This guy is from Laos originally and fought the communists with an M-16 even though he is left handed just fine.And the shells really do not fly into your face thanks to the casing deflector anyway that is why they put it there for left handed shooters.Of course this Lao dude 40 years ago they did not have the casing deflector on M-16s back then.


Personally I think that those lefty upper mods are just a waste of money/a way to show off to other people that you have money to spend on unless things.Which is ok I suppose but i just think in the grand shecme of things at least for self loading firearms if your left handed it works just fine without modification.

What do you guys think?

[August]

Originally Posted by Stealhead

This is more of an opinion question.I have a friend that is left handed and dropped extra coin to for an AR upper that had a left hand ejection port and I think the selector switch is on the right side (to be lefty friendly).

I also have a neighbor and friend who is left handed and he shoots a standard AR-15 just fine.This guy is from Laos originally and fought the communists with an M-16 even though he is left handed just fine.And the shells really do not fly into your face thanks to the casing deflector anyway that is why they put it there for left handed shooters.Of course this Lao dude 40 years ago they did not have the casing deflector on M-16s back then.


Personally I think that those lefty upper mods are just a waste of money/a way to show off to other people that you have money to spend on unless things.Which is ok I suppose but i just think in the grand shecme of things at least for self loading firearms if your left handed it works just fine without modification.

What do you guys think?

I looked into a left handed upper. The company that makes them is Stag Arms. They are comparable in price but the company has a 2 year waiting list. Ouch!

[Stealhead]

I just wonder as I know guys that are left handed and they dont seem that interested in a left hand upper.At least in my case the one person I mentioned
he is very much the cool hobby of the next few years type.

He never did much shooting then he deiced to "get into it" and he ordered an upper that was left handed I think he had to wait a few months not sure exactly.Anyway he brought it out on the 4th and the Lao guy looked at it fired a few rounds then set it down and said "waste of money".

We actually had to zero the lefty rifle such is the experience level of the lefty gun owner.I would think it would be better to first try out of few rifles if you are a lefty and see if you really need the left handed port or not.Say that you're left handed but right eye dominate which means that with a rifle it is better to learn trigger control with the right hand anyway.

I know of people that are right handed but left eye dominate and they shot left with rifles and right with pistols(because with a pistol you can simply hold the sights over farther to one side).