.50 bmg uppers, yes or no?

xdpatriot

xdpatriot

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Apr 1, 2010
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South Texas
#1
I've been interested in possibly buying a .50 bmg. I read an article recently about the uppers that can convert your AR into a .50. Does anyone know anything about these weapons systems, or has anyone ever fired one? I wouldn't want to put one on any of my lowers, I would want a dedicated lower for this rifle. I was just trying to find out if there was anything out there that was safe enough to use that wouldn't break the bank. Thanks
 
#2
Re: .50 bmg uppers, yes or no?

Plenty of choices for .50 bmg uppers out there.
Many are geared towards putting it in the hands of the budget minded average joe.
Of those 99.9% will never have an issue most likely as with most any other platform.

I love shooting the .50 but right or wrong I tend to give it a bit more respect than when shooting my others.
Two more recent/ publicized incidents of .50 bmg malfunction that resulted in bodily harm that I'm aware of were with .50 bmg uppers on a AR15 lower.

Both manufactures have since updated/upgraded the bolts.
Problem with many a firearm malfunction is determining exactly what the cause, be it firearm/ammunition/operator or any combination thereof.

I had one of the above uppers at one time.
It had some issues with reliability to start with and in the process of working those out as we all might...not wanting to give up on a project, in the end I got rid of it.
I specifically remember not wanting my son to shoot it and realized that if I did not trust it with someone else behind the glass, than I had no business with it either.

Now it could be that I was influenced by the fact that I was at a shoot where one of those above 50's came apart.
Not pretty obviously and thank God the shooter in the end was not more seriously hurt.

That said, the .50 I still shoot and always will is a dedicated .50bmg that I have the utmost confidence in.

Just my opinion here and all that matters in the end, is that your happy and confidant with that stick of dynamite at your nostrils!!
AR15 platform was not designed for the .50bmg...others may and will differ with that.
Have fun, be safe and Do Your Homework!
wink.gif
 
#3
Re: .50 bmg uppers, yes or no?

Native has pretty much said the truth about them....cheap way for an average guy to shoot a few rounds of 50 BMG.However, it's NOT an ordinary round and demands a LOT of respect ( noise, recoil, cost,backstop)and the lower should be considered a "consumable" in most cases.No way that hunk of aluminum will put up with that pounding for very long, especially that it's essentially "pinned on" in 2 places....and at some point it will crack.If you want cheap and safe get a Viper 50 or LAR Grizzly.
 
#5
Re: .50 bmg uppers, yes or no?

I know of 2 people who shoot ALS uppers in FCSA matches and they're happy with them. The shoot the hell out of them and they are capable of some pretty impressive groups. I tried a few rounds through one of them and liked it. The recoil was about like an AR50.
 
#6
Re: .50 bmg uppers, yes or no?

Unless you just go super cheap and buy one of the kit guns or one that probably won't be of very good quality, you are better served buying a complete rifle.

For example...

ALS .50BMG coversion upper (basic)...$2300

OR

Ferret50 .50BMG conversion upper (basic)...$3100

Now, add a complete AR lower with stock of your chosing, etc. and you can tack another $250 or so on top of the conversion upper price. So, with that price added to the cost of the conversion upper, you are at least looking at around $2800 (at least for the ALS as an example). Now, for $2700, you can have a brand new Armalite AR-50. Based on that, its a no-brainer for me as to what I'd get!
 
#7
Re: .50 bmg uppers, yes or no?

I bought one of the ferret 50 uppers 2 years ago and am very pleased with how it shot. I put it on a dedicated single shot lower made by Stubborn Mule Outdoor supply. Right now the gun sits on a shelf disassembled since i couldn't find a practical reason to shoot it, it was just to big and cumbersome. Maybe if i can afford another scope to put on it i'll shoot it again. It was awesome sending 750gr amax down range though.
 
#8
Re: .50 bmg uppers, yes or no?

These are all good points, and I had already thought about the Armalite, LAR or Serbu. It just didn't seem to me that a lower made for a smaller caliber could handle a round like the fifty. I just figured the guys on this site would know alot more than me. Thanks for the input, I'll let you know what I come up with.
 
#13
Re: .50 bmg uppers, yes or no?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: MrFish</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Just curious... does anyone know of a 50 BMG upper for an AR-10 (DPMS) lower? The AR-10 lowers seem to be stronger, or atleast heavier than the AR-15 lowers. </div></div>

i believe dave at ferret had made some uppers for a AR10 at some point
 
#15
Re: .50 bmg uppers, yes or no?

Ferrett,ALS and Bohica uppers are good buys.They might be a little cheaper than buying a whole rifle,but you won't need to do any paperwork to purchase one.Thats the selling point for the average shooter in buying one.I had a first production 36" ferret mounted on a DPMS lower for years and had no problems with the fit and function.The lower is used for my spare/loaner 3 gun AR now and it's still functions perfectly.You will have to upgrade a .223 lower with a heavier hammer and spring to effectivly fire the 50 cartridge.Keep your eye out on the usual auction sites,as uppers come around every once and awhile.
STEVE
 
#16
Re: .50 bmg uppers, yes or no?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Shoots100</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Ferrett,ALS and Bohica uppers are good buys.They might be a little cheaper than buying a whole rifle,but you won't need to do any paperwork to purchase one.Thats the selling point for the average shooter in buying one.I had a first production 36" ferret mounted on a DPMS lower for years and had no problems with the fit and function.The lower is used for my spare/loaner 3 gun AR now and it's still functions perfectly.You will have to upgrade a .223 lower with a heavier hammer and spring to effectivly fire the 50 cartridge.Keep your eye out on the usual auction sites,as uppers come around every once and awhile.
STEVE</div></div>
Good point. You changed my mind. Get an upper.
 
#18
Re: .50 bmg uppers, yes or no?

The "no paperwork" aspect of the upper only buy is just one good reason to purchase one.Alot of shooters don't really know if the 50bmg is right for them at first and the upper option is a good way to see if it's your cup of tea,or not.I've tried 5 different upper conversions.I started with and reccomend a ferrett50 upper.It got me hooked and now I own 3 50's.Uppers are a good stepping stone buy,just get one that has a proven track record.
STEVE
 
#20
Re: .50 bmg uppers, yes or no?

I had a Bohica and at first it was OK aside from the modifications needed to affix it to a standard AR lower. I found out quickly that it is much better to have a total package for a caliber that big. I did not trust the rig and on top of that I was kind of mislead into believing it was a simple swap between uppers. It is not and it is actually something that needs its own dedicated lower.
Knowing what I know now. I would not buy a .50 upper unless I had plans on providing the upper its own dedicated lower and it wouldnt be a Bohica.
 
#21
Re: .50 bmg uppers, yes or no?

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: native</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Plenty of choices for .50 bmg uppers out there.
Many are geared towards putting it in the hands of the budget minded average joe.
Of those 99.9% will never have an issue most likely as with most any other platform.

I love shooting the .50 but right or wrong I tend to give it a bit more respect than when shooting my others.
Two more recent/ publicized incidents of .50 bmg malfunction that resulted in bodily harm that I'm aware of were with .50 bmg uppers on a AR15 lower.

Both manufactures have since updated/upgraded the bolts.
Problem with many a firearm malfunction is determining exactly what the cause, be it firearm/ammunition/operator or any combination thereof.

I had one of the above uppers at one time.
It had some issues with reliability to start with and in the process of working those out as we all might...not wanting to give up on a project, in the end I got rid of it.
I specifically remember not wanting my son to shoot it and realized that if I did not trust it with someone else behind the glass, than I had no business with it either.

Now it could be that I was influenced by the fact that I was at a shoot where one of those above 50's came apart.
Not pretty obviously and thank God the shooter in the end was not more seriously hurt.

That said, the .50 I still shoot and always will is a dedicated .50bmg that I have the utmost confidence in.

Just my opinion here and all that matters in the end, is that your happy and confidant with that stick of dynamite at your nostrils!!
AR15 platform was not designed for the .50bmg...others may and will differ with that.
Have fun, be safe and Do Your Homework!
wink.gif







</div></div>


Excellent point.

I had one of them too and I sold it after the Angeles range incident.
I had a few near KB malf's with my upper which really caused me to look very deeply at my descision and the worth of life and limb.
A single unit built around the caliber should negate the inherent problems that the uppers have.
Mine had fleas. It was a "poor mans .50 cal club subsription" but not worth my safety or the safety of others.

OTOH I have heard good things about the Tactilite. I would recommend a beefy lower with the billett or steel lower and the steel buffer tube. I also recommend a strong fixed stock like the ACE ARFX or the PRS.
 
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