Stores that sell upper receivers

[Rocky Mosasaurus]

Try 2A tactical in Barrington NH, I am not familiar with them but someone I know who builds AR's and hasn't yet discovered the internet seeks parts there too, believe its another similar shop. Also is one in Salem NH who sold Aero uppers and such but the name escapes me..

As far as WW goes, Ben's business is assembling custom guns, cerakoting, and such. It would not surprise me that in the world of uppers being hard to attain he might not want to sell the few he has. Did you talk to Ben himself or one of the girls?

One thing I wonder is if they actually got the point you didn't necessarily even want a WW "brand" upper. Typically he offers to order anything and I don't see why he wouldn't have let you get an Aero, Spikes, whatever on order over there (though it might take awhile).

Easiest thing though is you gotta have one friend in NH? Not sure exactly what you want but for instance assuming they don't ship to MA (and maybe they do, no idea), these should be easily attainable:

Stag 15 Assembled Upper Receiver - Anodized

The Stag 15 A3 upper receiver assembly is made to mil-spec standards and includes a picatinny rail on the top, dust cover, and installed forward assist.Sta

www.stagarms.com

I called and was curious because I primarly wanted a Glock side and saw they did custom Glock and AR work but wanted to get info for this thread on the uppers. I spoke to one of the women who works there and I did not specify whether I wanted one of their uppers or another manufacturers upper, she seemed to think I meant another manufacturers upper but then again I did not know they had their own, so it makes sense that she would take it that way.

I have some time now that I’m on break from college and may take a road trip to NH at the end of the month to a couple places to see if I can score an upper. I’ve already built recently, but it was a blast and I figure I might extend building season to last the whole year just for the fun of it. Maybe get the clamp on correctly and grab a little hammer so I don’t nick the finish of my lower with my punch.

ETA: I don’t know any buddies in NH but it’s not a huge rush for me I was mainly scouting it out to post info in this thread.

 

[Reptile]

NEW Noveske GEN3 stripped upper receiver GEN III​

GunBroker.com - Error

 

[clampett]

$560. for a stripped upper, WOW! A few years back a bought a few stripped poverty pony uppers in a group buy for about $40. each
I wonder if there is really a $500. difference in quality.

 

[Reptile]

$560. for a stripped lower, WOW! A few years back a bought a few stripped poverty pony uppers in a group buy for about $40. each
I wonder if there is really a $500. difference in quality.

That’s just for a stripped upper.
A matched set of both upper and lower will set you back over $1,000 in a free state.

Double that in Mass.

 

[Rocky Mosasaurus]

Nick’s Sports Goods in Palmer MA has a few complete uppers for sale, including a heavy bull barrel complete upper in .223 with a bipod for $500. I almost bought it today when I was there on my travels but punted and bought some targets and Breakthrough gun cleaner instead. It would be great for shooting competition.

 

[Coyote33]

$560. for a stripped upper, WOW! A few years back a bought a few stripped poverty pony uppers in a group buy for about $40. each
I wonder if there is really a $500. difference in quality.

A matched set of both upper and lower

Milspec is milspec.

 

[StevieP]

nm

 

[Reptile]

Milspec is milspec.

Milspec on AR's can still loose and sloppy.

When the high end manufactures like Noveske offer matched set uppers, the fit together and swing open with the wonderful feel of a bank vault.

That could happen with an ordinary brand as well.

I myself would prefer perfection.
An AR is more than just a "tool" for me.
It's a showpiece and a trophy.

I only have one complete AR.

It has survived thousands of rounds (parts have been replaced per manufacturer recommendations) and countless classes with lots of bruised knuckles.
It shoots like a dream people say and has been a workhorse. I like that it started as work of art but now every mark on it (some controls have a patina) have been earned.

Just remember that milspec is generally made by the lowest bidder to the lowest denominator.

Just like with military bootcamp and police academy training. It can be downright dangerous because some of those people might have lower than average IQ and skills or not be "into" guns. They have to train to the lowest common denominator in bootcamp to accommodate a wide variety of recruits.

I admit though that despite taking tons of classes, I have been in classes with big name instructors where just about all the students were stars and I was near the bottom if not tied with the worst student. But, I'd suspect there would be some so called professionals who only have to qualify 2x a year and have worse skills than I.

 

[Rococo]

Guys on gunbroker will ship upper receivers. Guess how I know? I bought a stripped Cerro Keyhole Milspec Upper just the other day for under 100$

 

[Rococo]

Milspec on AR's can still loose and sloppy.

When the high end manufactures like Noveske offer matched set uppers, the fit together and swing open with the wonderful feel of a bank vault.

That could happen with an ordinary brand as well.

I myself would prefer perfection.
An AR is more than just a "tool" for me.
It's a showpiece and a trophy.

I only have one complete AR.

It has survived thousands of rounds (parts have been replaced per manufacturer recommendations) and countless classes with lots of bruised knuckles.
It shoots like a dream people say and has been a workhorse. I like that it started as work of art but now every mark on it (some controls have a patina) have been earned.

Just remember that milspec is generally made by the lowest bidder to the lowest denominator.

Just like with military bootcamp and police academy training. It can be downright dangerous because some of those people might have lower than average IQ and skills or not be "into" guns. They have to train to the lowest common denominator in bootcamp to accommodate a wide variety of recruits.

I admit though that despite taking tons of classes, I have been in classes with big name instructors where just about all the students were stars and I was near the bottom if not tied with the worst student. But, I'd suspect there would be some so called professionals who only have to qualify 2x a year and have worse skills than I.

If a rifle has tolerances that are too tight it will jam up the second dirt or mud gets into it. Look at the AK47. There is a reason it is still heavily in use.

You may find yourself in the shit and you don't want your AR gummed up because it's too tight.

At least that is my 2 cents.

 

[Reptile]

If a rifle has tolerances that are too tight it will jam up the second dirt or mud gets into it. Look at the AK47. There is a reason it is still heavily in use.

You may find yourself in the shit and you don't want your AR gummed up because it's too tight.

At least that is my 2 cents.

I got what you are saying.

The only parts of a matched set are the upper and lower receiver.

The rest of the parts still "milspec".

Some people don't like the slop of lower that has play. Although it will work just fine that way.

AK47 have loose tolerances and are easy to make. The parts are easier to make than parts that have to be very presice to fit together. They work in filth because the dirt that can get in does not clog up the parts.

1911's are the opposite. The parts must be hand fit like watch parts and they don't operate under all conditions. A Glock is the opposite and is more reliable. The Glock parts are made to exact tolerances but when the pieces go together there is more play than a 1911. An example of such a part is the firing pin. When the trigger is not engaged, you should actually hear the firing pin move when you shake the gun up and down. That is a sign that the firing pin channel is clear and not gummed up with oil (oil should never be in the Glock firing pin channel). It's part of a function test for Glock armorers. When the slide is pulled back the barrel flops around a bit which is also normal. You can hear it rattle when you shake it left and right.

My particular lower actually has a flaw. Maybe its not milspec at all. It is a Gen 2 Noveske Flared Forged Lower. The first hundred were in a group that were made which can't accept magpul mags. I don't use them because I'm in Mass, but to make them fit you need to dremel a spot on the mag or in the magwell. Noveske can do it perfect if you send in the lower but I will never use magpul mags. There was a thread on m4carbine.net about how it was still mil spec, but there is another unique issue with Gen 2 Noveske lowers. The take down pin fits tight. You can't pull it out with your fingernail like some other take down pins and you need a tool like a bullet tip.

Most people will never need to pull apart a lower but one time a loose primer came off and got stuck under the selector switch which resulted in the inability to put it on safe. This happened in a class and the drill had to end and in order to diagnose the problem by opening the lower and view the inside of the selector switch. If this happened in battle, a tool would have to be used to open the lower instead of just pulling it open.

Despite these "flaws" the original Gen 2 lowers command a very high premium because they are more desired than the Gen 3 lowers that are billet. Although the Gen 2 is forged it actually has an incorporated trigger guard. Forged lowers are more durable than billet for people who have unnecessary requirements.

 

[teamRR]

If a rifle has tolerances that are too tight it will jam up the second dirt or mud gets into it. Look at the AK47. There is a reason it is still heavily in use.

You may find yourself in the shit and you don't want your AR gummed up because it's too tight.

At least that is my 2 cents.

All that can definitely be true, especially with ammo variations - ie say a match chamber being fed run of the mill bulk ammo.

But if you have watched some of the online torture tests, ARs hold their own, one in particular - filling it with mud and shit, outperformed an AK as the AR design seems to do well expelling matter. The design is good.

And the cheaply made AKs are not necessarily all that reliable as far as holding up over time either, ie might eat garbage corrosive steal case 7.62 Russian without a failure or cleaning, but a loosely thrown together AK likely fails catastrophically when it does versus the typical AR clogged up tube, worn spring, extractor chipped stuff a high round count might produce. Just my feeling on the topic.

 

[Rococo]

All that can definitely be true, especially with ammo variations - ie say a match chamber being fed run of the mill bulk ammo.

But if you have watched some of the online torture tests, ARs hold their own, one in particular - filling it with mud and shit, outperformed an AK as the AR design seems to do well expelling matter. The design is good.

And the cheaply made AKs are not necessarily all that reliable as far as holding up over time either, ie might eat garbage corrosive steal case 7.62 Russian without a failure or cleaning, but a loosely thrown together AK likely fails catastrophically when it does versus the typical AR clogged up tube, worn spring, extractor chipped stuff a high round count might produce. Just my feeling on the topic.

I'm with you brother AR > AK

 

[GenderBender]

Unless I am mistaken AR complete upper receivers are legal in MA.

Unfortunately I am finding out many companies such as BCM will not ship to MA.

Do any stores in the New England area regularly sell complete Upper Receivers?

 

[Rococo]

I got what you are saying.

The only parts of a matched set are the upper and lower receiver.

The rest of the parts still "milspec".

Some people don't like the slop of lower that has play. Although it will work just fine that way.

AK47 have loose tolerances and are easy to make. The parts are easier to make than parts that have to be very presice to fit together. They work in filth because the dirt that can get in does not clog up the parts.

1911's are the opposite. The parts must be hand fit like watch parts and they don't operate under all conditions. A Glock is the opposite and is more reliable. The Glock parts are made to exact tolerances but when the pieces go together there is more play than a 1911. An example of such a part is the firing pin. When the trigger is not engaged, you should actually hear the firing pin move when you shake the gun up and down. That is a sign that the firing pin channel is clear and not gummed up with oil (oil should never be in the Glock firing pin channel). It's part of a function test for Glock armorers. When the slide is pulled back the barrel flops around a bit which is also normal. You can hear it rattle when you shake it left and right.

My particular lower actually has a flaw. Maybe its not milspec at all. It is a Gen 2 Noveske Flared Forged Lower. The first hundred were in a group that were made which can't accept magpul mags. I don't use them because I'm in Mass, but to make them fit you need to dremel a spot on the mag or in the magwell. Noveske can do it perfect if you send in the lower but I will never use magpul mags. There was a thread on m4carbine.net about how it was still mil spec, but there is another unique issue with Gen 2 Noveske lowers. The take down pin fits tight. You can't pull it out with your fingernail like some other take down pins and you need a tool like a bullet tip.

Most people will never need to pull apart a lower but one time a loose primer came off and got stuck under the selector switch which resulted in the inability to put it on safe. This happened in a class and the drill had to end and in order to diagnose the problem by opening the lower and view the inside of the selector switch. If this happened in battle, a tool would have to be used to open the lower instead of just pulling it open.

Despite these "flaws" the original Gen 2 lowers command a very high premium because they are more desired than the Gen 3 lowers that are billet. Although the Gen 2 is forged it actually has an incorporated trigger guard. Forged lowers are more durable than billet for people who have unnecessary requirements

Well said my friend!

 

[weekendracer]

All that can definitely be true, especially with ammo variations - ie say a match chamber being fed run of the mill bulk ammo.

But if you have watched some of the online torture tests, ARs hold their own, one in particular - filling it with mud and shit, outperformed an AK as the AR design seems to do well expelling matter. The design is good.

And the cheaply made AKs are not necessarily all that reliable as far as holding up over time either, ie might eat garbage corrosive steal case 7.62 Russian without a failure or cleaning, but a loosely thrown together AK likely fails catastrophically when it does versus the typical AR clogged up tube, worn spring, extractor chipped stuff a high round count might produce. Just my feeling on the topic.

Try grabbing any random AK mag and putting it into a random AK. Good luck with that. Wouldn't bet my life on it.

I have one, fun to shoot, but it's a 'trunk gun' at best. Of the 6 mags I have for it, only 2 function reasonably well.

 

[drgrant]

Try grabbing any random AK mag and putting it into a random AK. Good luck with that. Wouldn't bet my life on it.

I have one, fun to shoot, but it's a 'trunk gun' at best. Of the 6 mags I have for it, only 2 function reasonably well.

Your gun is broken or your mags are all garbage, then. It's not really that hard to get an AK that will use a wide variety of halfway decent magazines.

Like any other platform though there are junk guns and junk mags.

 

[weekendracer]

Your gun is broken or your mags are all garbage, then. It's not really that hard to get an AK that will use a wide variety of halfway decent magazines.

Like any other platform though there are junk guns and junk mags.

What is the 'spec' for an AK? There is 'mil-speck' for ARs, that just means there is a set measurement for everything within a certain tolerance. Show me an AR where a Pmag doesn't work and I'll show you the exception rather than the rule.

There are Romanian AK's, there are Chinese AK's, and there are Russian AKs. You mean to tell me those are all built to the same tolerances? My AK is a US receiver with Romanian parts. Maybe it's junk, who knows, don't care, never really shoot it.

 

[Coyote33]

Forged lowers are more durable than billet

This is often overlooked. Forged is stronger.