Budget upper help

Radical firearms, Anderson, PSA. One more manufacturer I just found (D&S thread) but I don’t know if they’re okay because I’ve never had one but the three I listed above are good for messing around with on a budget AR build.
 
Try not to skinflint too much and today's market, it's impossible.

Believe it or not, WOLF has been getting great reviews.


It is a piston though.

What length?


I've been looking everywhere because I need a 11.5" / 12.5"
 
Try not to skinflint too much and today's market, it's impossible.

Believe it or not, WOLF has been getting great reviews.


It is a piston though.

What length?


I've been looking everywhere because I need a 11.5" / 12.5"
Looking for a 20inch range. Not skinflinting. I have alot of higherish quality uppers. More looking for the best of lower end
 
Couple of guys at the range used these. -

I’ve got one of their 10.5" uppers and so far it’s functioned very well. Plenty accurate too. I realize they’re a bottom of the barrel manufacturer but I wanted a cheap upper to mess around with and shoot steel case ammo etc.
 
i got my side charge x39 upper from bca. nothing wrong with the brand for the value. i needed another ar like a hole in the head, this was a low cost way to go and it turned out i grew fond of the gun and ended up beating it up. nothing else i can say, still runs great, very little wear.
 
Looking for a 20inch range. Not skinflinting. I have alot of higherish quality uppers. More looking for the best of lower end
Iron sights? Optics only? Fixed sights?
RRA has that RRAGE upper bare bones basic,
Bear creek -
Midway Stoner brand seems to be on the less expensive side.
I do see aome good deals on AR parts here and there.
depends on what you really want
 
Bear Creek has good stuff for not a lot of money @dgrantdoherty I've bought a couple of uppers from them, .223 & 7.62x39 and happy with both.
I have seen a few and for the price point paid(early 2019) they are good to go. I only know of one being highly abused and fed steel case crap from day one. So far no problems other than one hard double feed jam. the owner is not mechanically inclines so any little issues with a firearm hes at my door with sniffles and tearing eyes. "I , sniff , I, sniff , I dont know what I did"
 
I have seen a few and for the price point paid(early 2019) they are good to go. I only know of one being highly abused and fed steel case crap from day one. So far no problems other than hard double feed jam.

Steel case is the only thing the x39 upper I got from them gets fed and it hasn't complained yet!
 
I've had excellent service from Radical uppers. Most recently picked up one of their 300 BLK uppers (complete but no BCG) on a ridiculous sale for $125. I've had their .458 socom upper for years with zero problems. Accurate too.
 
Bought a budget AR Stoner complete upper from Midway for a NH relative's build up of a lower he had for a long time (his choice, not mine.) and I'll be damned it that thing don't shoot straight, fit well and no issues... Paid $229.95 in February with a free shipping coupon. I think he's got $450 into the whole build.



Now $459.69... (Or, slightly more than his whole build)

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Product Information
Cartridge5.56x45mm NATO
FinishBlack Parkerized
MaterialSteel
Weight4.14 Pound
Barrel Length16 Inches
Twist1:9 Inches
Threads1/2"-28
Barrel ContourGovernment
SightsYes
Barrel FinishBlack Parkerized
Chrome LinedNo
Gas Block Diameter0.75 Inches
Gas System LengthCarbine
M4 Feed RampsYes
Upper Receiver TypeA3 Flat-Top
Barrel Material4140 Chrome Moly Steel
Handguard2-Piece M4 Style
Bolt Carrier Assembly IncludedYes
Muzzle DeviceA2 Flash Hider
Mil-Spec or CommercialMil-Spec
Country of OriginUnited States of America
Compatible WithAR-15
 
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Many of these brands are garbage, AR stoner, bear creek, etc.

rock river arms sells uppers on their site. Excellent prices and their quality is top notch. My 16” middy RRA uppers are winners. $450 for an ar stoner midway is too high. I purchased a few of the at $225 or so. Middy A4 RRA uppers can be had for $410.
 
as enbloc said, i have a stoner complete upper, bought over a year ago just because it was there and cheap.

didn't need it, never shot.

now double the price. friggin nutz. am i selling it ??? no way. might double again, may consider then.
 
I purchased a few of the at $225 or so.
How did you like them at that price point?
The one and only time I've ever used one was for my Nephew's build because he was on a super budget and wanted it assembled ASAP.
I put 200 rounds through it with him that day and thought it was a decent entry-level complete upper. Zero issues, good accuracy at 100+ yards. (he's not a gun guy, but wanted to have one)

I wish I had bought 2 or 3 more at that price for reselling like @boscru said...

And, for what it's worth, that gun will never be fired in anger or defense, just easy range-time.
 
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Many of these brands are garbage, AR stoner, bear creek, etc.

rock river arms sells uppers on their site. Excellent prices and their quality is top notch. My 16” middy RRA uppers are winners. $450 for an ar stoner midway is too high. I purchased a few of the at $225 or so. Middy A4 RRA uppers can be had for $410.
problem right now is RRA is back ordered on a lot of stuff. I have a lot of thier offerings in my safe

The draw to stoner is alot of stuff in stock.

Although OP did not mention budget amount I always assume when someone says budget they mean low price.
 
problem right now is RRA is back ordered on a lot of stuff. I have a lot of thier offerings in my safe

The draw to stoner is alot of stuff in stock.

Although OP did not mention budget amount I always assume when someone says budget they mean low price.

my last RRA order wasin august and I received ~6 weeks later. i Would rather back order a quality rifle component than overpay for something that ships right away. However that’s just me as A rifle snob. I need more uppers like I need more wives, so I’m plenty patient.

theres still plenty of quality uppers out there at non rape price. For example this Adams arms middy would be perfect for me suppressed but they already pinned the muzzle device, otherwise I would be all over this to Pin a dead air FH on it.


delton stuff to me has been solid

 
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my last RRA order wasin august and I received ~6 weeks later. i Would rather back order a quality rifle component than overpay for something that ships right away. However that’s just me as A rifle snob. I need more uppers like I need more wives, so I’m plenty patient.

theres still plenty of quality uppers out there at non rape price. For example this Adams arms middy would be perfect for me suppressed but they already pinned the muzzle device, otherwise I would be all over this to Pin a dead air FH on it.


delton stuff to me has been solid


Regarding Stoner vs. Del-Ton, I have seen/heard no reason to elevate one over the other. Both OK for their price point. I'd put CMMG in about the same category. Yeah, I'd like to eventually splurge for an LMT but not until I escape Mass. I really like to see the Noveskes and Bravos when they show up at the range, but I'd never spend the $$$ for one.

Agree with you regarding that Adams Arms blem upper- that's a pretty good deal for someone who can have the bird cage flash hider. A very solid company I don't recall being mentioned is Windham.

I don't really get the dissing of certain AR's, components, and/or brands unless they have built up a well documented, terrible track record -or- someone personally had a bad experience and the company refused to back their product. Seems like the interwebs is a magnet for pig piles over one bad experience and a host of "I used to know a guy who had a cousin who worked with a guy who had a bad experience with XYZ...".

I've said it before and I'll say it again: AR's are like Barbies. A great barrel, bolt, and trigger can be slapped into also-ran receivers, BCG, and other components so long as the receivers are forged and in spec for dimensions. Everything else is dress up time. This combo will 100% shoot as good as any high end brand. No, it won't look as cool at the range without the latest Barbie fashion holding these parts together, but it will shoot and it will last. I guess it makes some feel better to make fun of the girls who dress their Barbies in potato sacks.
 
Why go cheap-o? Why not get one you can win the National Matches with?? after all, you deserve it!

OP's goals were...

1) Budget upper.
2) Able to mess with,
3) Complete assy...

Looking for a budget upper for my ar. Just something I can mess with. Any recommendations? Looking for complete
 
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