Barrel swaps on an AR - Page 2

Mobuck · October 11, 2017, 05:55 AM

Would you swap the engine on your car to take a summer trip and then swap back after the trip?
A new upper receiver would only add $65-80 to the parts needed to just change the barrel. The OP seemed to be planning to retain the original BCG(bad idea IMHO).

Ibmikey · October 11, 2017, 06:57 AM

Monicker has a very good point new upper parts that are expensive are the :
1. Barrel
2. BCG
3. Rail
The remainder of parts needed to assemble an upper are relatively inexpensive unless you go for exotic stuff. As far as moving the BCG I have always shyed away from the practice as the bolt wears to the lugs of a particular barrel. Headspace could also bea factor if the bolt and barrel are used, not so much a problem if the bolt is used in a new barrel. The carrier can be used anywhere without concern but not the bolt, for a hundred bucks each your uppers can have their own mated parts ( mark them so you do not mix up with other rifles during cleaning I use a number stamp with the last two of the S/N)..

marine6680 · October 11, 2017, 09:03 AM

Yeah, pick up a BCG from PSA, on sale for under $100, and has the full specs and tests done.

Barrel price depends on manufacturer and the quality level... $150-200 is average for a decent to pretty good barrel. Faxon or Ballistic Advantage, make pretty good barrels that are sub $200.

You can get a barrel cheaper, and it may even be decently accurate... The question is what is the rifle for, and how accurate does it need be for that task

FrankenMauser · October 11, 2017, 11:52 PM

I wouldn't recommend swapping a BCG between uppers, either.
I know I mentioned sharing one in my previous post, but that's only temporary.

Right now, I believe the best low-cost BCG available for a general use AR is the Alpha SS Nitride BCG. ($59)
I'm running two of them. Like every other person I've seen post, or review that I've seen, I've had no issues and they clean up far easier than phosphated BCGs.

JoeSixpack · October 12, 2017, 01:24 AM

PSA just had nitride BCG's for 59.99 shipped.
I almost bit on a couple but they just keep getting cheaper Im waiting till BF

Just a couple months back I picked up a DSA phosphate BCG for 60 and that was a good deal.. THEN.. now nitrides are going for that and I seen a toolcraft nitride for 65 a few weeks ago..

I predict 50 dollar nitride BCG's on black friday.

stagpanther · October 12, 2017, 01:29 AM

I personally have found that hardened-steel NIB BCG's are worth the extra expense--but can't always afford them.

444 · October 12, 2017, 06:41 AM

FWIW: this is just my personal experience. I am sure others have different experiences.

I have owned an AR15 since 1982. But, somewhere around 1990, I really got into them and ended up with several of them. All of which, at the time, were just consumer grade, off the shelf ARs. Nothing custom, nothing exotic. Just stuff on the shelf of a gun dealer. Don't get me wrong, I never tried to buy the cheapest thing out there: they were usually Bushmasters. I have an old SGW.......... Other than the first one I ever bought (which is all original) they wern't even Colts, let alone anything semi-custom. They were all well used and several of those were used pretty hard. One for example, I fired over 8000 rounds out of one rifle of the old Wolf steel cased ammo with the lacquer on it that the internet warns you about. That stuff back then was $69/1000 round case at our local gun shows and I bought a case every month at the show. Also back then I was into taking these various carbine classes and I ended up taking 19 different classes. Some of them required a round count of about 1800 rounds in five days (none of which was Wolf). Since that time, I have rebuilt most of the rifles into different configurations at least once but most of them twice: BUT, I used the same upper and lower receivers, I used the same bolt and bolt carrier and just rebarreled, put different stocks, Geissele triggers, different optics, different rails...... but the same basic bones. FWIW: I bought the basic rifles and used the crap out of them and as different fads came around, I usually followed the trend and rebuilt them into something else. But to this day, I am using all the original receivers as well as the original bolts and bolt carriers.

And I have never had anything break on any of them. I have never even had any kind of problem that I can remember. Some of those classes I took, I was the only civilian: everybody else was active duty military or police and my guns shot every bit as good as theirs did. In some cases, they had problems and I didn't.

Point being, there is a whole lot of discussion on the internet about possible failure points in the AR15 and a whole lot of discussion about various high end parts to avoid these failures.............but for me, it has never been an issue. And it is my belief that I have fired a lot more rounds out of my AR15s than most people.

zukiphile · October 12, 2017, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe6pack

PSA just had nitride BCG's for 59.99 shipped.
I almost bit on a couple but they just keep getting cheaper Im waiting till BF

Just a couple months back I picked up a DSA phosphate BCG for 60 and that was a good deal.. THEN.. now nitrides are going for that and I seen a toolcraft nitride for 65 a few weeks ago..

I predict 50 dollar nitride BCG's on black friday.

You mean you didn't lose your mind and collect BCGs when they went down to $100? I still have a bunch of 10 cent rimfire ammunition I couldn't bring myself to say "no" to.

Metal god · October 12, 2017, 02:13 PM

444 : I could see that all working out especially if you have multiple rifles . I do as well and although I shoot a good amount using those rifle ( nowhere near what you described ) Each rifle has a relatively low round count at around 3k or less with the newest build only having maybe 500 . The more I have the less each gets fired . I have one that has not seen a round in the chamber in 2 years .

My concern would be a bolt that has 8 to 10k rounds or more after swapping barrels on it being worn to a point that it no longer passes a NO-GO gauge . Any chance you measured your chambers using these used bolts before and after to see if headspace had grown after many thousands of rounds ?

444 · October 12, 2017, 04:06 PM

No.
I didn't measure anything.
I don't even own a set of headspace gauges.

I am not saying this is good practice or that anyone else should follow my lead.

All I am saying is that I think people tend to go from one extreme to the other when it comes to AR15s and AR15 parts. One group wants to buy the cheapest possible thing they can get their hands on. Another group want to buy the latest/greatest whatever from whatever manufacturer the internet favorite is this week. However, my experience is that if you buy good stuff, not nessessarily the best, but good. You will have a long and happy life with the gun.

Since prices of this stuff were mentioned, my 2 cents is that if you are into "tactical" stuff: buy best quality fire control parts and a good bolt. If you are into real accuracy: buy best quality fire control parts and the absolute best barrel you can afford. Decide what you can afford for the barrel and then add another hundred dollars. If you shoot the gun a few hundred rounds a year at things like a five gallon propane tank from 20 yards using the cheapest ammo you can find, none of this matters.

Metal god · October 12, 2017, 04:49 PM

Quote:

, my experience is that if you buy good stuff, not nessessarily the best, but good. You will have a long and happy life with the gun.

I agree to that and pretty much everything you just said .

October 11, 2017, 11:52 PM	#29
FrankenMauser Senior Member Join Date: August 25, 2008 Location: In the valley above the plain Posts: 13,424	I wouldn't recommend swapping a BCG between uppers, either. I know I mentioned sharing one in my previous post, but that's only temporary. Right now, I believe the best low-cost BCG available for a general use AR is the Alpha SS Nitride BCG. ($59) I'm running two of them. Like every other person I've seen post, or review that I've seen, I've had no issues and they clean up far easier than phosphated BCGs. __________________ Don't even try it. It's even worse than the internet would lead you to believe.

October 12, 2017, 01:24 AM	#30
JoeSixpack Senior Member Join Date: April 12, 2017 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,048	PSA just had nitride BCG's for 59.99 shipped. I almost bit on a couple but they just keep getting cheaper Im waiting till BF Just a couple months back I picked up a DSA phosphate BCG for 60 and that was a good deal.. THEN.. now nitrides are going for that and I seen a toolcraft nitride for 65 a few weeks ago.. I predict 50 dollar nitride BCG's on black friday. __________________ NRA sold us out This is America!, You have the right to be stupid.

October 12, 2017, 01:29 AM	#31
stagpanther Senior Member Join Date: March 2, 2014 Posts: 11,787	I personally have found that hardened-steel NIB BCG's are worth the extra expense--but can't always afford them. __________________ "Everyone speaks gun."--Robert O'Neill *I am NOT an expert--I do not have any formal experience or certification in firearms use or testing; use any information I post at your own risk!*

October 12, 2017, 06:41 AM	#32
444 Senior Member Join Date: November 20, 2000 Location: Ohio Posts: 3,968	FWIW: this is just my personal experience. I am sure others have different experiences. I have owned an AR15 since 1982. But, somewhere around 1990, I really got into them and ended up with several of them. All of which, at the time, were just consumer grade, off the shelf ARs. Nothing custom, nothing exotic. Just stuff on the shelf of a gun dealer. Don't get me wrong, I never tried to buy the cheapest thing out there: they were usually Bushmasters. I have an old SGW.......... Other than the first one I ever bought (which is all original) they wern't even Colts, let alone anything semi-custom. They were all well used and several of those were used pretty hard. One for example, I fired over 8000 rounds out of one rifle of the old Wolf steel cased ammo with the lacquer on it that the internet warns you about. That stuff back then was $69/1000 round case at our local gun shows and I bought a case every month at the show. Also back then I was into taking these various carbine classes and I ended up taking 19 different classes. Some of them required a round count of about 1800 rounds in five days (none of which was Wolf). Since that time, I have rebuilt most of the rifles into different configurations at least once but most of them twice: BUT, I used the same upper and lower receivers, I used the same bolt and bolt carrier and just rebarreled, put different stocks, Geissele triggers, different optics, different rails...... but the same basic bones. FWIW: I bought the basic rifles and used the crap out of them and as different fads came around, I usually followed the trend and rebuilt them into something else. But to this day, I am using all the original receivers as well as the original bolts and bolt carriers. And I have never had anything break on any of them. I have never even had any kind of problem that I can remember. Some of those classes I took, I was the only civilian: everybody else was active duty military or police and my guns shot every bit as good as theirs did. In some cases, they had problems and I didn't. Point being, there is a whole lot of discussion on the internet about possible failure points in the AR15 and a whole lot of discussion about various high end parts to avoid these failures.............but for me, it has never been an issue. And it is my belief that I have fired a lot more rounds out of my AR15s than most people. __________________ You know the rest. In the books you have read How the British Regulars fired and fled, How the farmers gave them ball for ball, From behind each fence and farmyard wall, Chasing the redcoats down the lane, Then crossing the fields to emerge again Under the trees at the turn of the road, And only pausing to fire and load. Last edited by 444; October 12, 2017 at 06:52 AM.

October 12, 2017, 02:13 PM	#34
Metal god Senior Member Join Date: April 10, 2012 Location: San Diego CA Posts: 6,876	444 : I could see that all working out especially if you have multiple rifles . I do as well and although I shoot a good amount using those rifle ( nowhere near what you described ) Each rifle has a relatively low round count at around 3k or less with the newest build only having maybe 500 . The more I have the less each gets fired . I have one that has not seen a round in the chamber in 2 years . My concern would be a bolt that has 8 to 10k rounds or more after swapping barrels on it being worn to a point that it no longer passes a NO-GO gauge . Any chance you measured your chambers using these used bolts before and after to see if headspace had grown after many thousands of rounds ? __________________ If Jesus had a gun , he'd probably still be alive ! I almost always write my posts regardless of content in a jovial manor and intent . If that's not how you took it , please try again .

October 11, 2017, 05:55 AM	#26
Mobuck Junior member Join Date: February 2, 2010 Posts: 6,846	Would you swap the engine on your car to take a summer trip and then swap back after the trip? A new upper receiver would only add $65-80 to the parts needed to just change the barrel. The OP seemed to be planning to retain the original BCG(bad idea IMHO).

October 11, 2017, 06:57 AM	#27
Ibmikey Senior Member Join Date: June 1, 2013 Location: Now relocated to Texas Posts: 2,943	Monicker has a very good point new upper parts that are expensive are the : 1. Barrel 2. BCG 3. Rail The remainder of parts needed to assemble an upper are relatively inexpensive unless you go for exotic stuff. As far as moving the BCG I have always shyed away from the practice as the bolt wears to the lugs of a particular barrel. Headspace could also bea factor if the bolt and barrel are used, not so much a problem if the bolt is used in a new barrel. The carrier can be used anywhere without concern but not the bolt, for a hundred bucks each your uppers can have their own mated parts ( mark them so you do not mix up with other rifles during cleaning I use a number stamp with the last two of the S/N)..

October 11, 2017, 09:03 AM	#28
marine6680 Senior Member Join Date: July 24, 2012 Location: Parker, CO Posts: 4,594	Yeah, pick up a BCG from PSA, on sale for under $100, and has the full specs and tests done. Barrel price depends on manufacturer and the quality level... $150-200 is average for a decent to pretty good barrel. Faxon or Ballistic Advantage, make pretty good barrels that are sub $200. You can get a barrel cheaper, and it may even be decently accurate... The question is what is the rifle for, and how accurate does it need be for that task

October 12, 2017, 04:06 PM	#35
444 Senior Member Join Date: November 20, 2000 Location: Ohio Posts: 3,968	No. I didn't measure anything. I don't even own a set of headspace gauges. I am not saying this is good practice or that anyone else should follow my lead. All I am saying is that I think people tend to go from one extreme to the other when it comes to AR15s and AR15 parts. One group wants to buy the cheapest possible thing they can get their hands on. Another group want to buy the latest/greatest whatever from whatever manufacturer the internet favorite is this week. However, my experience is that if you buy good stuff, not nessessarily the best, but good. You will have a long and happy life with the gun. Since prices of this stuff were mentioned, my 2 cents is that if you are into "tactical" stuff: buy best quality fire control parts and a good bolt. If you are into real accuracy: buy best quality fire control parts and the absolute best barrel you can afford. Decide what you can afford for the barrel and then add another hundred dollars. If you shoot the gun a few hundred rounds a year at things like a five gallon propane tank from 20 yards using the cheapest ammo you can find, none of this matters. __________________ You know the rest. In the books you have read How the British Regulars fired and fled, How the farmers gave them ball for ball, From behind each fence and farmyard wall, Chasing the redcoats down the lane, Then crossing the fields to emerge again Under the trees at the turn of the road, And only pausing to fire and load.