Cluelessly bought an upper.

I have that very same lower from PSA, rather my wife does and it’s a solid deal if you don’t care to assemble your own. If I were shooting it I would change two things; first the hammer/trigger springs for a set from JP ($10 or so if memory serves). Second would be the stock. Magpul somehow managed to make the MOE stock incompatible with QD swivels unless you purchase an adapter, which I did. Otherwise it is comfortable to use, the EPT trigger is far better than the Mil-Spec.

Regarding accuracy you won’t know what you don’t know and neither will anyone else until you try it out. I’d probably start with Black Hills or Hornady if you don’t reload for it then after shooting som PMC and American Eagle decide on your accuracy to $$$ quotient. I don’t judge my ARs so harshly as other rifles because they serve a different purpose. I also don’t chase tiny groups with them as I find an RDS to be of more use when compared to a scope, again for my purpose.

The Colt used to sell for $750 sans furniture and if you add it up you’ll find you have to spend more to complete your build. My personal choice (and it’s only that) would be to keep the upper you have. You may find parts you want to replace eventually but you have a really nice upper that will always trade above most any other should you decide to move it along.

Mn Fats said:

I might be able to pull off another one. Depending on the consensus. Guy at work wants to do a straight trade for a Colt OEM 1 NIB, looks like the Colt LE6920 with no furniture. I see I can get them for $780 on Buds +$35 transfer fee. So an $815 Colt for a $850ish BCM upper that I paid $700 for.

There's too much stuff to look at once you start paying attention to these guns. Overwhelming almost. For the Colt, I put all Magpul stuff in my Midway cart to complete it (aside from a Troy quad rail) in case I make the trade. Not sure yet.

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MAKE THE TRADE!

You'll have a solid complete rifle that only needs furniture. Skip the Troy quad rail (for now) and get the MagPul Slimline handguard instead. Spend the difference in cost on ammo and mags and get to shooting. The Colt comes with all the right springs and buffers. The only thing you'll need to do before hitting the range is clean out all the Colt preservative and apply lube.

I have a couple of Colt 6920s and they do not disappoint. More than that, it's a pleasure to shoot ARs that were set up right from the factory. No marginal extractor springs, no under weight buffers to replace, no gas keys to re stake, just clean, lube and shoot.

(The triggers are usually very gritty, but can be smoothed out by careful dry firing. All AR triggers need to be removed, cleaned and greased before reinstalling.)

Quad rails are fat and heavy. They are uncomfortable in the hand without rail covers which make the quad rail fatter and heavier. Quad rails are made of aluminum which get hot in the summer sun and freezing in the winter. They get hot with a heavy firing schedule, such as found when taking a carbine class.

Slimline handguards are inexpensive, comfortable, protect the hands from heat (and from the hot gas block), rugged, light and, if you don't like the original color, easy to paint. They're easy to attach lights, sling mounts and, if you swing that way, vertical fore grips to.

Later, after you've shot up a pile of ammo and are in a better position to decide what changes you may or may not want to make, you can decide which free float handguard you want- or if you even want one.

Make the trade. You'll be happier in the long run.

Mn Fats said:

I might be able to pull off another one. Depending on the consensus. Guy at work wants to do a straight trade for a Colt OEM 1 NIB, looks like the Colt LE6920 with no furniture. I see I can get them for $780 on Buds +$35 transfer fee. So an $815 Colt for a $850ish BCM upper that I paid $700 for.

There's too much stuff to look at once you start paying attention to these guns. Overwhelming almost. For the Colt, I put all Magpul stuff in my Midway cart to complete it (aside from a Troy quad rail) in case I make the trade. Not sure yet.

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I own both brands, and consider them close to equal in terms of parts, assembly, and performance.

In this scenario I’d get the Colt, put magpul stock and hand guards on it, buy a bunch of mags, and spend the next 1,000 rounds gaining familiarity with it.

It’s a complete carbine that’s ready to go with minimal added parts.

IMO, I'd make the trade as long as the free float handguard is not important to you. Neither is really a precision build, so to me it wouldn't be a big deal to not have one though I prefer the look/utility of the free floated handguard if I have the choice. Can't go wrong either way though.

I would keep the BCM.

The front sight base of the Colt will make hand guard selection and installation problematic unless you are comfortable with driving out the taper pins or cutting down the sight tower portion of the FSB/gas block.

I know they are considered to be 'The Standard' but I have never been particularly impressed with the Colt 6920. They are a reliable rifle but the configuration leaves a lot to be desired IMHO.

Things which I think make the 6920 less than optimal:

FSB restricts handguard choice.
FSB occludes sight picture through optic. How significant this is depends on the optic.
Should be a mid-length, is a carbine length.
M4 barrel contour is stupid. Do any of us have a grenade launcher to mount?

The Troy handguards you're referring are drop in. They're also $150, short, clunky, fat, uncomfortable and heavy.

MagPul Slimline handguards are available from Brownell's for $33. They're lighter, comfortable, longer and more than $100 cheaper. That's enough to buy 7-10 magazines. https://www.brownells.com/rifle-par...oe-sl-carbine-length-handguard-prod69780.aspx

I have both types handguards (my quad rail is made by KAC but they are nearly identical to the Troy).
View attachment 845499

The sharp edges and corners are uncomfortable in the hand. They make covers, but they make already fat handguards even fatter.
In this photo, the KAC rail covers are installed. They add a lot of girth.
View attachment 845500

The LaRue clips don't add much girth but the shape of the handguard still feels awkward.
View attachment 845501

I much prefer the Slimline handguards. It's easy to install a QD cup for a sling. Light Mounts are available that attach directly to the handguards. I happen to prefer to use the Mossie Tactical Midnight Mount on this rifle. The buttstock is also a Slimline. The grip is
a BCM Gunfighter.
View attachment 845502

Compared to the drop in quad, the Slimline is longer, giving the shooter more room to stretch out...
View attachment 845503

...and covers the gas block for added protection when things heat up. Gas blocks get quite hot!
View attachment 845504

I find the AR with the Slimline handguard balances better and handles better for dynamic shooting. I have to work harder to start and stop the AR with the quad rail when switching targets, or when following a moving target. For the money, the Slimline handguards are hard to beat for a basic general purpose AR.

Mn Fats said:

I don't why but I'm kind of diggin the quad rail.

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That's a perfectly good reason to get a quad rail

Maybe seen too many middle east war movies I guess. In reality, the only thing I would add (both maybes) is a fore grip and a light. For sights, I have the magpul back up flip rear sight in my cart. It has poor ish reviews though. I ditched the Sig Romeo 5 for an Eotech 512...Go big or go home...

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Ditch the Magpul MBUS and get the MATECH BUIS instead. The MATECH is an issue sight. It's not perfect, but after having used both the MBUS and the MATECH, I'd rather spend the money on the MATECH. Or, you could go all in and get the KAC 200-600 meter folding micro. Its cost is significantly higher, but it's a much more rugged sight than the MATECH.

If you really want an AR that's as close to what the military is currently using, take a look at the Colt M4A1 SOCOM. They're going for $1500 but can sometimes found for a bit less. Although it comes with the drop in quad rail, I do like mine. That SOCOM barrel shoots real good!
View attachment 845510

Mn Fats said:

I've been looking at that Socom ever since I thought I should pick up an AR. I like a little bit heavier barrels and the US government stamp on it is pretty cool.

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It would make a fine addition as the second AR to your growing collection.

The rear sight that came with the SOCOM is the MATECH.

The difference between a standard 6920 and the M4A1 SOCOM is barrel, handguard, buffer, rear sight, sling swivel and roll mark.
6920- 16" M4 profile barrel
M4A1- 14.5" SOCOM barrel, pinned & welded to 16"
6920- Standard round handguards. I believe the 6920 comes with two 30 round Colt magazines
M4A1- KAC or Troy drop in quad rails, KAC rail covers, KAC VFG and two 30 round Colt magazines
6920- H Buffer
M4A1- H2 buffer
6920- MagPul MBus
M4A1- MATECH BUIS
6920- Standard sling swivel rivited to bottom of FSB
M4A1- M4 side sling swivel mounted to barrel between the front and rear FSB pins
6920- Civilian type roll marks
M4A1- Government roll marks, including "PROPERTY OF U.S. GOVT."

And stock.

$180 finished lower with already better than Colt trigger or...

($235):

$150 quad rail
$60 stock
$25 front 1913 QD sling mount

Mn Fats said:

I think I'm going to make the trade. Won't this handguard below drop in? View attachment 845478I was looking at a few handguards and one brand (I can't recall) had two options for the same handguard. One was just the standard handguard and was the same guard but it was Colt specific. Something to do with how it fits. What's up with that?

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That would drop in.

But I don't care for short carbine length handguards squeezed in behind the gas block.




YMMV, but I don't care for vertical foregrips either. They get in my way a significant portion of the time.

My 2 cents, the greatest single improvement you can make to an AR is a high quality match grade trigger.

LaRue Tactical MBT if you like a 2 stage.

JP or Hiperfire single stage is my preference. I have a Hiperfire Hipertouch Elite that has become my new favorite trigger. It is a very smart design that actually approached a match grade trigger as an engineering problem rather than a production problem. Rather than simply polishing engagement surfaces and reducing spring pressure, they designed a toggle design that actually reduces the force between the hammer and the sear, but when the toggle cams over, it actually pushes on the hammer harder and strikes the primer with more force than a typical mil-spec trigger from Colt.


Buy a stripped lower, a lower parts kit without the fire control group, and a stock of your choosing.

I am a big fan of the first generation UBR from Magpul.

Lightweight is en vogue right now but I prefer a rifle with a bit of heft. They shoot better that way IMHO.

JMO, if I were going to pay that much for a handguard I'd do/pay for the work to go free floated.

Midwest Industries has some nice options, including one where you can keep the OEM front sight. If you are set on the quad rail, they have free float and drop in options too and I think their drop in quad rail is a smidge cheaper than the Troy.

https://www.midwestindustriesinc.com/Tactical-Handguards-s/246.htm

With my original upper, I used an MOE handguard and attached picatinny rail sections in strategic spots for a light and bipod. Worked pretty well.

The free float handguard has its advantages and the military does use them on a couple of different variants. You won't know if you want or need a free float for your AR until you actually shoot your rifle. That's why I originally suggested starting off with the Slimlines for $35.

Mn Fats said:

I told myself I'd never get into these ugly black guns. Now I'm getting the appeal kind of. Thanks for all the input. Very helpful.

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Ugly!!!???!!

They are beautiful!!!

ANY spare parts will grow into complete weapons !! you have been warned .
CC

Mn Fats said:

Even with match ammo? 2 is terrible imo. Depending on the gun of course. And it's an autoloader. But my FN BAR 30-06 shoots MOA with decent factory ammo.

It seems the premium or hype of the BCM should produce sub MOA. Is it the chrome lining that messes with the accuracy?

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If you wanted a match rifle you bought the wrong upper.

A BCM upper that is free floated is probably going to give you 1.25-1.50 MOA with match ammo for 5 shot groups. That is realistically not bad at all. Keep in mind you bought a chrome lined CMV 4150 barrel with a NATO spec chamber in 5.56mm NATO. So it’s made to run hotter 5.56mm ammo, in adverse conditions and be as close to 100% reliable as any machine made by man can be, and do so for a long service life.

BCM doesn’t make sporting rifles, they make fighting guns and they’re damn good ones. You did really really well, the carbine will still be more accurate than you. Stop worrying about inconsequential MOA numbers, you have a carbine that fires a cartridge that is running out of gas by 500M and 1.5 MOA is still more than capable of holding center mass at that distance if you can hold up your end of the deal.

As for a lower, I suggest picking up a complete BCM lower. It will he put together from high quality parts, assembled correctly and increase the value of your rifle.

Now go forth and put a good optic and BUIS on that, and go get yourself a good sling. Lube generously, add loaded magazines, and start learning to run the gun! Go sign up for a carbine operators course, you’ll have fun and learn to love your M4.