Mixing and matching AR uppers and lowers...

[BHPshooter]

Well, I went and did something bad. Really, really bad.

We had a Bushmaster 20" A3 in stock that I put on layaway. It is used (but very clean), so I got a pretty hefty discount on it. The only thing about it is that it is a Clinton-ban model, so it doesn't have the evil features like the bayonet lug (simply a must-have ) or a compensator/flash hider.

So I went and got this crazy idea. I would really like to keep an AR like this for more mid-range stuff, like coyote hunting, but I'd also prefer to have a carbine for "serious situations."

Therefore, I went and looked at the Bushmaster website to see what the 16" carbine upper would cost me. As of today, a complete 16" upper from Bushmaster is $565, and if I want the A3 (which I do), it'll raise that price to $665.

That's $15 short of what I'm paying for this complete rifle.

I can get the same upper from Stag Arms (with the A3 setup) for $545. That's still quite pricey, but a sight better than the Bushmaster upper.

My question: after having an interesting experience with a friend's AR, in which he mated a RRA lower to an ASA upper, he experienced performance that can only be described as reliably unreliable. Am I in for the same thing if I go with a different brand upper? Should I just stick with Bushmaster?

I know that ASA (American Spirit Arms) is not exactly a name brand, and Stag IS, but I still have to wonder.

Wes

 

[MountainBear]

I mated a J&T Distributing 16" upper to a DPMS lower with RRA internals. It went through a couple thousand rounds without a malfunction before I sold it.
I like the mil-spec uppers from kit companies (J&T/DoubleStar, M&A Parts), and I wouldn't have any issue attaching one to my current Bushmaster or DPMS Lower.

 

[modifiedbrowning]

I have a RRA midlength upper on a Bushmaster lower and have had no problems. Most quality AR uppers and lowers will work together just fine.
The ASA upper is probably the cause of the unreliability.

 

[DougW]

I have swapped around the uppers and lowers of my 3 AR's so many times that I have forgotten how they were origionally configured! Not an issue.

 

[CleverNickname]

That's $15 short of what I'm paying for this complete rifle.

The federal Firearms Excise Tax is due on complete firearms. An AR lower is not a complete firearm, so no tax is due.

 

[BHPshooter]

Thanks for putting that worry to rest, guys. That's going to be nice to save some oh-so-scarce dough.

The ASA upper is probably the cause of the unreliability.

At this point, I am positive that was the issue. I believe that it was a .223 chamber, and I know that he was shooting 5.56 NATO ammunition... that could also have been the cause. .

The federal Firearms Excise Tax is due on complete firearms. An AR lower is not a complete firearm, so no tax is due.

I'm buying a complete rifle, it's just that I want another upper for it that I can swap out whenever the mood strikes. So, just buying the upper, I won't have to pay tax on it.

Thanks, guys!
Wes

 

[soul_rapier]

i got a RRA complete lower at knob creek last month and got a stripped upper dont know the brand no marking on it at all got all the upper parts from j&t. put it all together and i got around 200 rounds fired out of it and no problems saved about $300 on it by building it. i wouldnt worry about mixing parts

 

[CHEHALIS]

I run a stag upper on an Oly lower 1000's of rounds no problems short of crappy ammo (old wolf) that my old dept had us shoot for quals ONCE

 

[swingset]

I own a bunch of AR's, and not a single one has matching uppers/lowers, they all run great.

That's the whole fun of owning AR's, is switching uppers/lowers.