Question on changing upper

[Saddlebag Preacher]

I have a S&W Sport II and it has been great for what I need around the farm and for SD rifle. However, I am looking at maybe ordering a mid or rifle length upper without the front sight to use for coyote and varmint hunting. I need to know if I will need to change out the buffer tube and buffer, or will the carbine buffer be OK.

I don't want to order a whole new rifle, when I may be able to just swap the uppers and order and receive one UPS.

Thanks for the assistance.

 

[adcoch1]

A new upper is all you need. Mid length is usually a carbine length (16") barrel with a longer gas system, so read up before you buy if you want the longer barrel. Rifle length is usually a 20" or longer barrel AND a longer gas system than the mid length. Either upper should work on your lower without any buffer changes.

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[Saddlebag Preacher]

Thanks much!

 

[Varminterror]

The buffer, buffer spring, and receiver extension (buffer tube) are the only parts which have to line up for the lower to function. What gas system is installed in the upper doesn't matter. A Carbine stock & buffer work fine with rifle length uppers, and A2 or other rifle lowers work fine with Carbine gas length uppers.

If all you're wanting is to eliminate the front sight occlusion of your optic, then it's a lot cheaper just to swap gas blocks. Save a lot of money doing this instead of buying an entire new upper.

 

[MistWolf]

If the rifle upper is gassed correctly, you'll want to run a fresh spring and an H or H2 buffer. A rifle buffer is designed to run with a rifle weight buffer. The weight of a rifle buffer fall between an H and H2 buffer

 

[Saddlebag Preacher]

Actually, I want to retain the front sight and my red dot on the S&W upper for beating around the place and SD. I wanted a specific hunting upper to put a good scope on for varmint loads. Having two guns in one just appealed to me.

Then if I choose, I can put an aftermarket trigger in it down the road, if needed and have the same for both uses.

 

[adcoch1]

Actually, I want to retain the front sight and my red dot on the S&W upper for beating around the place and SD. I wanted a specific hunting upper to put a good scope on for varmint loads. Having two guns in one just appealed to me.

Then if I choose, I can put an aftermarket trigger in it down the road, if needed and have the same for both uses.

Unless you find a good price on a lower... then you have two guns, and then you want a different stock which causes an order online, then you have extra parts that could be used on yet ANOTHER gun... welcome to the addiction...

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[Saddlebag Preacher]

adcoch1, I think I just realized how right you are after I reread my own answer. Maybe down the road next year that might happen, getting a lower to build, then I'll already have an upper. Just have to look at things on a limited budget over time.

 

[Varminterror]

Yup - ain't that the truth...

I've built over 200 of the evil things over the years, worked on countless more... Any time I end up with a spare lower or upper laying around, they tend to grow a nose or tail REALLY quickly.

My latest "accident" was a pair of Bushmaster lowers I picked up on a song when I was buying a batch last winter - 10 lowers were cheaper than the 7 I needed, so I ended up with a couple stragglers. I intended to hold them back for client guns, or resell them, but within 6mos, one became a new SBR for my wife, and another became my new Highpower/Leg Rifle... And of course, I never wanna find myself without spare lowers, so I ended up ordering a handful more on another sale last summer.