3 ARs in 1 Build

treillw

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Mar 3, 2017
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I want to build an AR with a few uppers. There are my thoughts:

• A really nice lower with a good trigger. Probably get the SBR stamp.
• A standard 5.56 upper (probably 16" or 14.5" pinned) for defense. Probably doesn't need to be anything too fancy.
• A 300 BLK upper with an adjustable gas block. Short barrel. Turn the gas block off to essentially turn it into a bolt gun and have it be as quiet as possible for subs. Turn the gas block back on for supersonics and typical defense operation.
• A long range upper. The 243 WSSM sounds like a ton of fun. Coyotes, deer, antelope, wolves.

I know enough about ARs to be dangerous, but never got into them too heavily. Any advice to make all this go smoothly? Does it matter if the uppers are the same manufacturer to aid in fitup, etc?

Who makes the nicest lowers? I'd think to go better quality on the lower and long range upper/barrel. The BLK and 5.56 could probably be more military grade.

A defense trigger and a long range match trigger aren't exactly the same animal - dunno if this will cause any grief.

Does your optic zero shift at all when switching between uppers? I know the optic is fixed to the upper, but does anything else change similar to resetting the barreled action in a bolt gun? I'd imagine the change would be pretty minimal, if present.

What components would you use? Build or buy?

Clarification: I don't intend to build them myself without help from a gunsmith, etc.

Thanks!
 
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Your “long range” upper isn’t necessary if you build the standard 14.5”-16” correctly. The 300 BO would serve as a PDW but id build two rifles instead of playing musical uppers.

Im also going to assume your reference to a “243 WSSM” is a typo of some sort as that cartridge uses the 300 winchester short mag case and would require an entirely different platform (large frame vs small frame)
 
Your “long range” upper isn’t necessary if you build the standard 14.5”-16” correctly. The 300 BO would serve as a PDW but id build two rifles instead of playing musical uppers.

Im also going to assume your reference to a “243 WSSM” is a typo of some sort as that cartridge uses the 300 winchester short mag case and would require an entirely different platform (large frame vs small frame)
243 WSSM was not a typo. Look up Dtech uppers.
 
243 WSSM was not a typo. Look up Dtech uppers.
So they are using a modified mag to make that upper work with a conventional small frame lower.

Interesting, the shit companies are coming up with these days. In that case its prob worth pursuing as an option.

Id buy something like an LMT, DD, BCM or KAC SR15 as the primary then slap the other two uppers on as you want.

No need for any gunsmith to do anything.

Zeros on all your optics should be retained unless the upper takes a hard fall or similar event and if so, you would just need to confirm
 
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I want to build an AR with a few uppers. There are my thoughts:

• A really nice lower with a good trigger. Probably get the SBR stamp.
• A standard 5.56 upper (probably 16" or 14.5" pinned) for defense. Probably doesn't need to be anything too fancy.
• A 300 BLK upper with an adjustable gas block. Short barrel. Turn the gas block off to essentially turn it into a bolt gun and have it be as quiet as possible for subs. Turn the gas block back on for supersonics and typical defense operation.
• A long range upper. The 243 WSSM sounds like a ton of fun. Coyotes, deer, antelope, wolves.

I know enough about ARs to be dangerous, but never got into them too heavily. Any advice to make all this go smoothly? Does it matter if the uppers are the same manufacturer to aid in fitup, etc?
Honestly you will be a whole lot better off thinking about what kind of layout you would like. After I asked 9 million questions on my first build that's what I did. I ended up with a very well balanced rifle. Having a very nose heavy rifle (with suppressor) sucks big ones. Mine are not like that.

Same thing rings true for what optics choices you want and for what reasons. Each one has a very valuable trait so you need to think that through and maybe ask more questions around those lines.

The idea that you will use an adjustable gas block to 'turn it into a bolt gun' or to make it more quiet I guess in theory would sort of work by supposedly eliminating the bolt noise but I personally thing that is not a great plan.

If you can afford three uppers you can also afford 3 lowers. I personally prefer that mine match up but it's not an absolute requirement. If I were you I would go with something like an Aero upper/lower combo and build out ONE core rifle. Get that up and running and then use that as the baseline for the other builds.

Having an SBR stamped lower fit onto a different longer upper (when not required) 'for self defense' doesn't help you out any. God forbid you need to use said rifle in an actual situation, you will have an NFA item in the police locker for six months.

Even aside from that I am not at all a fan of orphan uppers. It's so much better to just be able to grab and go. Not to mention if something were to ever happen (break/fail/get stolen/blow up or whatever) you have a backup or two. Also in a worst case scenario you can cannibalize parts in a pinch. Regardless, you always need to buy extras of parts just in case. It wasn't that long ago where you couldn't buy a bolt carrier group if you tried. In other words plan ahead of time to prepare for bad/dry times.

If you want 3 or 4 rifles that's fine. You can buy 3 or 4 matched upper and lower sets. But before you go out buying hand guards and all that build out one full rifle and shoot it to see what you like or want to improve.
 
Don't have one for gas guns at this point - researching.

Just getting a gunsmith is one thing, but even a regular old gunsmith can assemble an AR.

What they can't do though is figure out the layout of items you want and how or why you want them that way. IE how do you want your light set up? Left or right side? What kind of activation method? What about your optic height? Even if it's a red dot it matters. What kind of stock do you want? Some are much better for certain applications than others. What about your sling setup? To say 'it doesn't matter' is not true. Little details like that make a difference between ok rifles and great rifles, not to mention add to the overall enjoyment level of shooting.

Let those types of decisions/choices influence what type of components you purchase for your build. You can do a lot of that research buy reading and asking questions and possibly visiting some local gun stores to handle various items.
 
I agree with the 14.5 pinned and see what works. If I could have one, that would be it. As long as you don't pin a muzzle brake, you can shoot with earpro and not be concussed and still have a reasonable OAL
 
I agree with the replies to build two separate and complete firearms.

A Recce-ish would be the first one. Then a 300 BO SBR.

Swaping uppers can cause issues with reliability. Even the best lower will not be 100% on every upper. This gets into "tunning" the entire rifle. It makes for a more reliable and overall better preforming rifle.
 
Oh Boy....

My advice, start off with Buying/Building a Recce style set-up. It's just a well balanced rifle, use it as your foundation and learning curve and once you discover your abilities and limitations with that setup then start making decisions on what you need as far as an alternate upper.

^^^This.

Start with a 14.5" or 16" complete rifle from a reputable manufacturer (FN, BCM, Colt, etc) and shoot the crap out of it. You'll discover a lot about what you like & dislike about the platform. You can eventually apply that knowledge into upgrades on the original rifle, or changes in your plans for the next builds.

I tried the "musical uppers" thing for a while, but eventually bought lowers so that each rifle could be complete. It's much simpler now that I don't have to swap uppers around - just grab what I need and go.
 
I thought it was as simple as can be to swap uppers. A few pins and you're good.

What is the additional work you need to do?

Would this be mitigated if you used the same handguard and "action portion" of the upper on all builds?
 
I thought it was as simple as can be to swap uppers. A few pins and you're good.

What is the additional work you need to do?

Would this be mitigated if you used the same handguard and "action portion" of the upper on all builds?
There’s no additional work per say but musical uppers gets old. And As others have pointed out, differing tolerances/dimensions etc may result in less than ideal fitment between one or more of your uppers and the lower.

I tried it years ago briefly but ended up buying lowers for each upper before long.

Lastly, if you have a problem with your lower preventing operation, all of your uppers are down until your one lower is fixed.
 
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i went the "two uppers, one lower" route but hated seeing that lonely, un-matched upper in my safe, so i put together another lower for it...
Same. Couldn't stand the sight of uppers lying around.
That and I always want very specific triggers, stocks and buffer/spring weights for each individual gun, and then all of the sudden you have most of a lower in parts. Might as well just have an entire rifle at that point.
 
I thought about just getting a 300 blk ruger american, but figured why not spend roughly the same on an upper for an AR and be able to use it as a single shot and in full zombie mode.

The single shot thing really is a novelty. It's so fun to shoot subs out of a bolt gun and hear essentially nothing but the clink of steel. A bolt gun just for the novelty of doing that is pretty expensive...
 
I thought it was as simple as can be to swap uppers. A few pins and you're good.

What is the additional work you need to do?

Would this be mitigated if you used the same handguard and "action portion" of the upper on all builds?

Different calibers might require different set ups. Say for example my 10.5" 5.56.

I have multiple rifles that are the same brand upper and lower. But in my 16" gun I can run a standard buffer and spring.

However if I put the 10.5" upper on that same lower it will have malfunction after malfunction because the buffer is not heavy enough and there is not enough spring power in the buffer.

On my 10.5" SBR though I have an XP spring and an H2 buffer. That combo slows down the carrier speed so that it runs like a top.

Literally everything else is almost identical between the two lowers. The only real difference is more power and weight in the buffer.

Both guns have adjustable gas blocks as well.
 
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Different calibers might require different set ups. Say for example my 10.5" 5.56.

I have multiple rifles that are the same brand upper and lower. But in my 16" gun I can run a standard buffer and spring.

However if I put the 10.5" upper on that same lower it will have malfunction after malfunction because the buffer is not heavy enough and there is not enough spring power in the buffer.

On my 10.5" SBR though I have an XP spring and an H2 buffer. That combo slows down the carrier speed so that it runs like a top.

Literally everything else is almost identical between the two lowers. The only real difference is more power and weight in the buffer.

Both guns have adjustable gas blocks as well.
I didn't realize there was a spring system in the lower. Crap.
 
The buffer tube and stock are all part of the lower, as well as obviously the trigger; all of these are generally best when selected for their specific role instead of as do-it-alls. It’s possible, but like everyone is saying, just build out two or three guns. I would also recommend 6ARC for the long range build, YouTube and Google will tell you everything you need to know.
 
Trying to make an all in one never works out the way you expect but go ahead and try. In the end your looking at.

1 SBR or pistol
14" or 16" dedicated 5.56 battle rifle
1 long precision smallnor large frame
 
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Any experiences with this dude? Seem to be very nice.
 
I am quite familiar with the 243wssm as I drooled over one for years when my only rifle st the time was a factory DPMS Lo-Pro AR15 in 5.56 with 16 inch non threaded heavy barrel.

I used to watch @c_bass16 videos over ...and over....and over....especially the antelope hunt video and the one where he's in an old abandoned farm house smacking steel out in a field showing STELLAR results.

If you were to go .243 WSSM....you're on the right path as Mike @dtech is the ONLY person in the world I would buy a .243wssm upper from.

That being said....I haven't ran data through my ballistics app to compare. 243WSSM to 6ARC.....but before even scrolling through....My recommendation was gonna be = go 6ARC vs .243wssm. Run the numbers and buy what you like but the 6ARC will have SO much more support and offerings.

For a long range upper.....depending if you're smacking steel or hunting AND WHAT you're hunting at what distance all plays in. If just shooting steel and having fun out to 1300ish yards....maybe go .224V if wanting a little more energy on target run numbers and see if 6ARC makes more sense.

You're going to have a HELL of a time sourcing .243WSSM brass nowadays......and it's almost certain you will have to load your own. This is a HUGE factor if you are not already setup to reload and have the knowledge and experience to do so.

Trust me....I get where you're coming from.

Do you have any bolt action rifles setup for long range? If not.....go grab a nice priced 6.5CM and forget about the .243WSSM or go 6ARC.

I'm not trying to crush your dreams but all of the guys above speak from experience and most of them have WAY more experience than me.

What kind of distances are you trying to shoot?

If you're just trying to hit steel out to 800 yards and in.....I would HIGHLY suggest building an SPR inspired build that has a .223 wylde chamber 1:7 twist and 18 inches (an SPR barrel). Get a good trigger (I LOVE the SSA-E but everyone has their own favorite) and a free floating hand guard.

As far as your other options....guys above lined out a bunch already.

I'm just trying to give some tips and experience I have gained when I was in your shoes then learned as I went along and built rifles as I see fit.

I decided to build a Savage back in 2013 when there were no other factory options like nowadays. I took a Model 10, ordered a Manners T4 (waited a year for that), ordered a Criterion 26 inch 6.5CM barrel and threw my SWFA 10x super sniper scope......fed it factory 140grain AMAX (before ELD-M change) and it was amazing to me.

Then I built the following on the order as posted as entire complete guns

-18 inch WOA .223 wydle SPR inspired build

-300 BO 10.5 inch pistol Nordic Components match grade barrel and mostly Nordic parts

(Finishing right now) AR10 Aero M5 build with Wilson Combat Recon 6.5CM barrel, SSA-E, Law Gen 3 folder, JP scs, and SD Tactical titanium brake to go with my 6 inch form1 Titanium can (this is mainly built for night coyote hunting and we hike A LOT going to various locations and sets)
 
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I am quite familiar with the 243wssm as I drooled over one for years when my only rifle st the time was a factory DPMS Lo-Pro AR15 in 5.56 with 16 inch non threaded heavy barrel.

I used to watch @c_bass16 videos over ...and over....and over....especially the antelope hunt video and the one where he's in an old abandoned farm house smacking steel out in a field showing STELLAR results.

If you were to go .243 WSSM....you're on the right path as Mike @dtech is the ONLY person in the world I would buy a .243wssm upper from.

That being said....I haven't ran data through my ballistics app to compare. 243WSSM to 6ARC.....but before even scrolling through....My recommendation was gonna be = go 6ARC vs .243wssm. Run the numbers and buy what you like but the 6ARC will have SO much more support and offerings.

For a long range upper.....depending if you're smacking steel or hunting AND WHAT you're hunting at what distance all plays in. If just shooting steel and having fun out to 1300ish yards....maybe go .224V if wanting a little more energy on target run numbers and see if 6ARC makes more sense.

You're going to have a HELL of a time sourcing .243WSSM brass nowadays......and it's almost certain you will have to load your own. This is a HUGE factor if you are not already setup to reload and have the knowledge and experience to do so.

Trust me....I get where you're coming from.

Do you have any bolt action rifles setup for long range? If not.....go grab a nice priced 6.5CM and forget about the .243WSSM or go 6ARC.

I'm not trying to crush your dreams but all of the guys above speak from experience and most of them have WAY more experience than me.

What kind of distances are you trying to shoot?

If you're just trying to hit steel out to 800 yards and in.....I would HIGHLY suggest building an SPR inspired build that has a .223 wylde chamber 1:7 twist and 18 inches (an SPR barrel). Get a good trigger (I LOVE the SSA-E but everyone has their own favorite) and a free floating hand guard.

As far as your other options....guys above lined out a bunch already.

I'm just trying to give some tips and experience I have gained when I was in your shoes then learned as I went along and built rifles as I see fit.

I decided to build a Savage back in 2013 when there were no other factory options like nowadays. I took a Model 10, ordered a Manners T4 (waited a year for that), ordered a Criterion 26 inch 6.5CM barrel and threw my SWFA 10x super sniper scope......fed it factory 140grain AMAX (before ELD-M change) and it was amazing to me.

Then I built the following on the order as posted as entire complete guns

-18 inch WOA .223 wydle SPR inspired build

-300 BO 10.5 inch pistol Nordic Components match grade barrel and mostly Nordic parts

(Finishing right now) AR10 Aero M5 build with Wilson Combat Recon 6.5CM barrel, SSA-E, Law Gen 3 folder, JP scs, and SD Tactical titanium brake to go with my 6 inch form1 Titanium can (this is mainly built for night coyote hunting and we hike A LOT going to various locations and sets)
I have a couple long range bolt guns currently - 6.5 and 300 win. The WSSM just sounds like so much fun for coyotes, wolves, and deer.

Currently reloading for pretty much every gun I have, so the WSSM doesn't scare me much. I was able to find some Winchester brass at a decent price doing a quick search.

I've talked to a few guys who switch uppers back and forth and haven't had any issues FWIW. I'll find a good smith and talk to him about it I guess. Mark Hostetter at Precision Firearms seems to have a good head on his shoulders.

Thanks for the help.
 
Any experiences with this dude? Seem to be very nice.
Mark has a good reputation in general. That said, I haven't been fully happy either of the two times I've used him. The first upper he built for me he used the wrong handguard and changed the Cerakote color without asking. The second he sent back as a short barrel upper even though the build sheet specified a pin+weld. I didn't pursue the first one, but he did make the second one right.
 
Mark has a good reputation in general. That said, I haven't been fully happy either of the two times I've used him. The first upper he built for me he used the wrong handguard and changed the Cerakote color without asking. The second he sent back as a short barrel upper even though the build sheet specified a pin+weld. I didn't pursue the first one, but he did make the second one right.
Did they perform well at least?

How about the accuracy guarantees?
 
So I can get a 16" gun today and an upper with a 12" barrel today, but I just can't attach the 12" upper to the lower until my tax stamp comes back. Is that correct, or how does this SBR thing work?
 
So I can get a 16" gun today and an upper with a 12" barrel today, but I just can't attach the 12" upper to the lower until my tax stamp comes back. Is that correct, or how does this SBR thing work?
Pretty much. More to it but basically yes.

Regardless of how stupid the rule is, if you attach any barrel less than 16" to a lower you need to have that complete tax stamp in your hand before you do it. That said you can still configure a lower into pistol format and attach whatever you want with no stamp.

If you do it prior to getting a tax stamp it's a felony, that is if your lower has a stock on it.
 
I want to build an AR with a few uppers. There are my thoughts:

• A really nice lower with a good trigger. Probably get the SBR stamp.
• A standard 5.56 upper (probably 16" or 14.5" pinned) for defense. Probably doesn't need to be anything too fancy.
• A 300 BLK upper with an adjustable gas block. Short barrel. Turn the gas block off to essentially turn it into a bolt gun and have it be as quiet as possible for subs. Turn the gas block back on for supersonics and typical defense operation.
• A long range upper. The 243 WSSM sounds like a ton of fun. Coyotes, deer, antelope, wolves.

I know enough about ARs to be dangerous, but never got into them too heavily. Any advice to make all this go smoothly? Does it matter if the uppers are the same manufacturer to aid in fitup, etc?

Who makes the nicest lowers? I'd think to go better quality on the lower and long range upper/barrel. The BLK and 5.56 could probably be more military grade.

A defense trigger and a long range match trigger aren't exactly the same animal - dunno if this will cause any grief.

Does your optic zero shift at all when switching between uppers? I know the optic is fixed to the upper, but does anything else change similar to resetting the barreled action in a bolt gun? I'd imagine the change would be pretty minimal, if present.

What components would you use? Build or buy?

Clarification: I don't intend to build them myself without help from a gunsmith, etc.

Thanks!
I don't know your location, but first and foremost don't inadvertently become a criminal.

At least in my location when building off a lower that you intend to use a pistol upper on, the lower has to be registered as a pistol or other (unless your doing an SBR). I register them as other. If you want to put a a pistol upper on it, that has to be done first (take a picture). If you build iy out as a rifle first and then slap a brace + pistol upper on that lower it is illegal. I know that sounds ridiculous cause it is, but that is the law in Maryland at least. There are a bunch of AR specific full retard laws & so I'd suggest starting with familiarizing yourself with any state specific laws that may be in play where you live.

Another example in MD if building 5.56 or 223 it has to be a heavy barrel or H-bar, build any other caliber or even a pistol 5.56 and that no longer applies. Again full retard, but it's the law.

Personally I chose to build out a lower for each upper for the same reasons others have stated. Each one tuned to the upper. I also prefer to build pistols with braces vs SBR. It's not really the stamp I want to avoid, but the total PITA involved if I ever want to sell one. The Maximum braces are great & I don't feel like I'm giving up much vs a stock.

Even among pistols I build dedicated lowers. For example 300BO 9" barrel pistol gas running a JP heavy silent capture buffer system vs 350 Legend 11" barrel carbine gas with std Maximum spring & buffer.
 
Any experiences with this dude? Seem to be very nice.
Mark is a good guy that fixed the only issue I had with a barrel. His quoted wait times are optimistic at best. That was years ago, long before the current craziness. Good luck. I’ve got two Bartleins he spun up and some of his large frame upper parts that I’m quite happy with.
 
You may not be wanting to run all 3 uppers on the same buffer and spring.

Agb's help but may not get the best tune possible, I didn't.
 
Pretty much. More to it but basically yes.

Regardless of how stupid the rule is, if you attach any barrel less than 16" to a lower you need to have that complete tax stamp in your hand before you do it. That said you can still configure a lower into pistol format and attach whatever you want with no stamp.

If you do it prior to getting a tax stamp it's a felony, that is if your lower has a stock on it.
Another piece of perfect gun legislation that does nothing but punish the good guys.
 
I am quite familiar with the 243wssm as I drooled over one for years when my only rifle st the time was a factory DPMS Lo-Pro AR15 in 5.56 with 16 inch non threaded heavy barrel.

I used to watch @c_bass16 videos over ...and over....and over....especially the antelope hunt video and the one where he's in an old abandoned farm house smacking steel out in a field showing STELLAR results.

If you were to go .243 WSSM....you're on the right path as Mike @dtech is the ONLY person in the world I would buy a .243wssm upper from.
HEY THATS ME!!! 😄

The 243wssm was the first rifle I ever actually bought with my own money...back in like 2008 probably.
For me, starting from scratch with nothing to base my experience on, it wasn't really a big deal to load, feed and function in the AR.
HOWEVER, since letting it go, it might be one of the rifles I miss the most. It was just fun to send 105gr bullets 3000 fps out of a gasser.
It was WAY TO MUCH for coyotes if I wanted to save fur, and when I hunted with my cousin, that was the prime objective. Worked great on deer and antelope, but I've since switched to more precision bolt gun obsession and I never really looked back.
I had a pretty good side hustle back in those days, modifying 20 and 30 round PMAGS to feed WSSM ammo, but I can't really do it anymore without an upper in my hands to ensure feeding. It's a lot of hand tinkering to just make sure it works if someone was paying me to do it. Pretty sure I was running 105 Amax at an OAL of 2.400 with some magazine and feed ramp adjustments.

All in all, If I was going to do it all over again....I absolutely would, and it's a rifle I have always wanted to re-do.
I've currently got a couple AR10s in 6.5 Creed and 6.5 PRC as well, so the WSSM just doesn't blow my mind anymore. But 10 years ago, it was a blast!
 
Did they perform well at least?

How about the accuracy guarantees?
The first was a Grendel he spun up on a Bartlein which shoots .5-1.25 depending on the load, I'm happy with that one. The other is a 223 Wylde that shoots more like 2.0, but that was a Black Hole Weaponry barrel I provided so I don't blame him for that.
 
Yes sir, I PM'd you several times about 10 years ago....I almost snagged Dtech .243WSSM upper but ended up going bolt action 6.5cm build 2 years later. If I were to ever do a .243wssm it would make the most sense to put a long barrel on it to really capitalize on maximizing velocity......and to be honest.....I'm not looking to build anything with a long barrel. Once a person start building and using rifles with short barrels and use them effectively within their limits.....you want everything to get chopped lol. Only build I would do now with a really long barrel is a magnum ELR setup.

I agree though....10 years ago....there was nothing even close to it in the AR15 frame.

I have watched your antelope hunt video 100 times over the years. That video was very well produced and filmed for the equipment and software available at the time.

Now I have gotten my feet wet in the night game .....boy it's fun .....gonna be more fun with 6.5CM AR 10.


To the OP....if you want it and are set on having fun with the .243WSSM and understand/capable of reloading....dude go for it man. Enjoy it and don't worry about others opinions 👍👍
 
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Any experiences with this dude? Seem to be very nice.

As others have mentioned his work practices are questionable at best, I would highly recommend you go with somebody else like compass lake, Craddock or even Keystone.