newbie AR question

[wamj2008]

Hi, I'm looking at getting a Colt 6520, it's an A2 frame with a non-detachable carry handle. If, in the future, I'd like to mount an optic on a flat top, could something like this be easily swapped on?

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/sid=1...ver___223_5_56

Not sure how everything works yet! Thanks for your help!

[Mushinto]

Changing upperr is not too hard if you know what you are doing and have all the correct tools. It is best left to a professional.

If I were you, I would buy a flat-top to begin with and you will have what you want and not have any warranty issues.

The original ARs with the skinny barrel are wonderfully light, but the lack of a top rail is a serious drawback.

Just my opinion.

[DCallcolts]

Lately I've been doing preliminary shopping and familiarization with AR's due to my son shopping. Quite a LOT at gun shows and some dealers carry MANY models. Most are VERY helpful at shows. After talking to a few folks, including two who shoot competitively I got these advices:

1. Buy a flat-top without the front site

2. Don't get a short barrel unless you plan on having to 'sweep a room" because you lose accuracy/muzzle velocity

3. the brand didn't matter because the were all pretty much the same in the basic gun

I'm still learning. I thought 1911 shopping was tough on 'information gathering'

D.

[dfariswheel]

Swapping a stripped upper requires special tools and the knowledge of how to use them.
The usual method of doing what you want is to just buy a complete upper.
You then basically own two rifles. By simply switching the uppers you can use the same lower.

If you want to change the barrel assembly from one upper receiver to the other, this can be done, but as above, you have to buy the correct tools and a good book on how AR's are assembled.

I have a friend who went the two uppers route.
He uses the same lower and switches as needed.
One upper is a CMP National Match target heavy barrel upper for shooting formal National Match courses, the other upper is a 16" carbine flat top with an electronic sight for home defense and plinking.
He bought the rifle already set up as a National Match rifle, then just saved his money and when he was ready, he bought the flat top carbine upper.
Switching the uppers takes less then 30 seconds.

[DCallcolts]

Fariswheel,
what brand does your friend own ( the original model) and is he using a 20" barrel for Nat. Match shooting

[William B.]

OP, the Colt 6520 is a solid, reliable firearm. However, if you want a flat-top upper you should probably just go ahead and buy a carbine that already has one such as the Colt 6920, 6940, or 6720.

[William B.]

Lately I've been doing preliminary shopping and familiarization with AR's due to my son shopping. Quite a LOT at gun shows and some dealers carry MANY models. Most are VERY helpful at shows. After talking to a few folks, including two who shoot competitively I got these advices:

1. Buy a flat-top without the front site

2. Don't get a short barrel unless you plan on having to 'sweep a room" because you lose accuracy/muzzle velocity
If we're talking a 16in barrel here you're really only losing about 100fps in muzzle velocity when compared to a 20in barrel. I've seen people making consistent hits out to 500yds with iron sighted M4's which only have 14.5in barrels.

3. the brand didn't matter because the were all pretty much the same in the basic gun
Not true. Inaccurate and arguably deceitful marketing techniques led me to belive this when I bought my first AR15, too. It didn't take me long to realize this was BS, get rid of the firearm in question, and buy a quality replacement. If you're interested here's some good reading on how the different AR brands actually stack up against one another: http://www.tacticalyellowvisor.net/69016/68995.html

I'm still learning. I thought 1911 shopping was tough on 'information gathering'

D.

I hope I didn't come off as being argumentative. Just trying to help you and the OP out. Also, I would be careful when getting advice from gun show vendors and gun shop clerks. They are usually (but not always) full of crap.

[DCallcolts]

coltle6920,
Thanks for the info.

So, you see no pluses of a 20" over 16" or negatives of a 16" over 20?
This would be a fun gun, no hunting and no combat or SWAT
just target shooting.

The one guy I talked to who said " buy any model" wasn't selling them but did shoot in comp at Perry. He was selling reloaded ammo. and I was talking about my mini-14 to him once and we got strayed over to AR's. , and one very knowledgable dealer who was selling many brands was not pushing any particular brand. I liked that.
One local dealer does push Rocks?

D.

[dfariswheel]

Take this for what it's worth.

The rifle my friend bought was a Rock River Arms National Match. The carbine upper was another brand, which I can't off hand remember.

Another friend is a very good National Match shooter. One year at Camp Perry he made the President's 100.
He's an engineer who researches and thinks about things before he makes a move.
He bought a Rock River flat top rifle because they were the only maker who offered a guarantee of minimum accuracy.
He liked it so much, he bought another Rock River National Match version which he's had some custom work done on.

I know that with the Rock River flat top and his hand loaded 52 grain bullets and a Leupold 10X scope, he's getting just over 1/2" groups prone at 100 yards.
He told me he didn't buy a Colt because they didn't make the exact rifle he wanted.

He gave me the Rock River double stage trigger after he changed to a more expensive, adjustable trigger unit.
I put the double stage trigger in my old pre-Bushmaster Quality Parts carbine and I've finally got a decent trigger now, after years of playing around with trying to improve the standard AR-15 unit.

My idea of an AR-15 will be different from yours, but if I was going to buy a new AR, I'd be a Colt Law Enforcement Carbine with the fixed handle.

[William B.]

Well, since you guys both brought up Rock River I'll go ahead and confess that my first AR was a Rock River carbine I had nothing but trouble with it. It had an out of spec chamber and the bolt would lock forward at least once every range session. I understand that this is a sample size of just 1 gun, but you can find information from multiple sources indicating that while AR15's usually look "mil-spec" a lot of them are actually far from it- Rock River being one of them.

DCallcolts, if this is just going to be a range toy, then most AR15's can fill that role. If, however, you have any inkling that you may ever have to use this firearm for home defense or any high round count training or competition I would look harder. Also, while Colt makes a very solid rifle, they are not the only manufacturer producing a quality AR. BCM, Daniel Defense, Noveske, Spike's Tactical, and a few others make some really solid carbines as well. These other brands are also usually available with more factory options and accessories than Colt. A quality carbine can be found in the same price range as Rock River. http://www.gandrtactical.com/cgi-bin...&key=MID-750-C

As for the accuracy issue I don't want to get too deep into that as it is not my area of expertise. If you just want a carbine or service rifle I wouldn't worry too much about the difference between 16in and 20in. One is as accurate and lethal as the other. If you're trying to build a tack driver, though, you would be better off looking into an accurized barrel and parts than increasing your barrel length. I have no doubt that a LaRue Tactical OBR 5.56 with a 16in barrel could outshoot an M16 service rifle with a 20in barrel any day.