First AR15 - Help ID Upper?

Not sure if the info you're looking for is included, but look here:

http://www.biggerhammer.net/ar15/uppers/

If not, I guarantee someone over at ar15.com can tell you.

FN does not sell to the civilian market

the upper could be from the same manufacturer that supplies FN with castings

Also is there any way for sure to tell if it is chambered for 5.56 or .223

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At the very least, that information should be stamped on the barrel somewhere. If not, then I'd wonder what was up.

Better make sure of it's chambering before firing one off. Do NOT rely on the 5.56 stamped on the lower.

What profile is the barrel? If it was turned down from an HBAR that would explain why it has no barrel markings.

The keyhole and three dot is the Cerro Metal forge marking for the receiver. They make bare receivers for a lot of manufacturers. Rock River buys their stuff and so does Bushmaster but both of those companies also mark their barrels.

"FN-manufactured" is usually gun dealer speak for "I don't know who made it".

Fabrique Nationale is prohibited from selling contract parts to civilians in the U.S. The only way you see FN-marked parts on the market is if FN rejects parts made by a subcontractor after they have already been marked or if they "fall off a truck" at some point in their military service. Several AR manufacturers use the same subcontractors and some of the less scrupulous ones feel that since these contractors make the same part for FN (though whether to the same specs and same QC is questionable), it is fair to claim the part is "FN" since that sells better than a "no-name" brand.

There is no way of knowing for sure who finished out your upper; but it is probably a good basic upper. I'd be more concerned about the no-name barrel.

On determining whether the chamber is 5.56mm or .223, a simple way would be to buy a box of NATO spec ammo such as Federal XM193, Winchester Q3131A, or the IMI M855 and see if your rifle will feed it reliably. It won't necessarily give you the chamber dimensions but it will answer the practical question of whether your rifle will be reliable with 5.56mm ammo.

Well it looks like it is an HBAR profile. The muzzle on my Bushy is crowned (I believe all their bare muzzles are) so it's almost certainly not one of theirs.

The Sellier & Bellot 55gr FMJ round you mentioned is loaded to SAAMI pressures and so is the Winchester USA loading. Both should function just fine in a .223 or 5.56mm chamber. You'll need to try a round loaded to 5.56mm NATO specs to check the chamber issue.

Your barrel is essentially a no-name with no way to tell who made it; but it certainly wasn't made by FN. Chances are very good that the chamber and bore are not chrome-lined (which has benefits and drawbacks - one benefit is you can change the chamber if it isn't 5.56mm).

http://www.cerrofabricated.com/products_firearm.htm


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IF you choose to shoot Wolf in it, it's a good idea not to leave a live round in a hot chamber during firing pauses. The lacquer can glue itself to the chamber and damage the extractor upon firing resumption.

If it was on consignment, have the gun shop give the previous owner your phone number and ask him to call ... maybe he knows.

IF you choose to shoot Wolf in it, it's a good idea not to leave a live round in a hot chamber during firing pauses. The lacquer can glue itself to the chamber and damage the extractor upon firing resumption.

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The problem with Wolf ammo is not the lacquer; but the red sealant used to waterproof where the bullet meets the neck of the cartridge. This sealant can melt out in a hot gun and cause stuck casings and a variety of other problems. New batches of Wolf don't have the sealant; but you want to make sure you give your chamber a good scrubbing if you use the older batches.

Sounds like whatever barrel you have, it is good to go with 5.56mm.