Switch-barrel upper? -UPDATE pg2

[Iraqgunz]

Bruce,

It's been around for awhile. I honestly can't say I have met anyone that has any experience with it at all. That may or may not mean something.

I think you may be overthinking this a little.

[MistWolf]

By the time you buy a BCG, barrel, gas block, gas tube & muzzle device, an upper is only another $100
http://www.bravocompanyusa.com/Upper...%20-m4%202.htm

[rob_s]

By the time you buy a BCG, barrel, gas block, gas tube & muzzle device, an upper is only another $100
http://www.bravocompanyusa.com/Upper...%20-m4%202.htm

And the MGI system is even more.

OP, I'd suggest adding up the costs to change to the MGI system and weigh that against the cost of just buying a new complete upper in the caliber of your choosing.

[Bruce in WV]

Overthinking? I have been known to do that in the past...

I'll just cool my jets for a while and let the gunsmith finish building the new upper. It's going on six weeks since I gave him the deposit, (finding the parts is harder than he expected), and I'm chomping at the bit a little.

[tbaytusmc]

http://dry-fire.com/the-tac2-ar15-discreet-carry-kit

I bought a rifle with one of these on a whim. It actually holds zero terrifically between taking the barrel off and on... it makes cleaning a lot easier... I think it's actually a pretty cool piece of kit. I'm putting a TRX-E on that rifle now instead only for the fact that I cant mount a BUIS.
Anyway, I've got some experience with this thing, It does what it says, drawbacks are no BUIS, and under lots of rapid fire, it gets a little warm. You could probably drill some holes in it to keep the heat down... Also, I've noticed that it DOES seem to time the same every time you reassemble.

Pluses are it makes the barrel ext.\inside the upper easier to clean, breaks your rifle down to a compact size, zero is consistent, width of the tube felt great/was easy to hold onto (i wear a medium glove)

The only problem I could see would be trying to buy another "fore-end lock ring". That's the piece that is semi-permanently on the barrel (you need to remove the gas block to take it off of the barrel, but not to take the barrel off of your rifle.)

[Bruce in WV]

The positives certainly seem to balance the limitations. I wonder if you could change calibers, too, by adding a different BCG to the kit?

I don't understand what this comment means. Can you explain it, please?

"Also, I've noticed that it DOES seem to time the same every time you reassemble."

[tbaytusmc]

The positives certainly seem to balance the limitations. I wonder if you could change calibers, too, by adding a different BCG to the kit? That was the point of me sharing this with you. If you had another barrel with appropriate parts (the extra ring you'd need for the handguard I mentioned) and the BCG for that caliber, it could be as simple as unscrewing the hand guard to swap barrels, swap BCGs, and you could be shooting your 6.8 or whatever in less than a minute.

I don't understand what this comment means. Can you explain it, please?

"Also, I've noticed that it DOES seem to time the same every time you reassemble."
Meaning when you screw it back in, it will end up the same way it was before you took it off, i.e. - you could draw a line with a marker from the handguard onto the upper receiver, and they will line up again after you take it off and put it back on. I haven't fully tested this yet, but so far it appears to do so. Significance of this being, if you drilled holes in the thing to try to vent off some of the heat from rapid fire, you could line them up the same way every time.

Also, just saw this on their site "Multiple barrel systems require an additional Lock Plate for each barrel, which must be purchased separately. All this is accomplished for a third of the cost of similar systems. Purchase an additional lock plate for $25 here" Look on the site... Not bad.

[rob_s]

The positives certainly seem to balance the limitations.

I'd be interested in seeing a cost:benefits analysis. Or a list of pros/cons.

[Bruce in WV]

tbaytusmc - thanks for the explanation of the 'timing' term. Not all terms that are probably common to more experienced users are readily discernible to the less experienced guys like me.

The question about changing calibers had to do with possible headspacing issues with a new BCG - probably another new guy's ignorance question. I'll contact the vendor and ask that question.

Update via email to dry-fire:

Q (me): Can your system also be used to switch calibers if an appropriate BCG is inserted when the barrel is switched?

A (Mike): "Absolutely! 6.8 ,7.62x39, 6.5 grendal or Anything that works off a milspec upper"

[Warg]

A hand-torqued barrel nut, or "barrel assembly" via FF tube doesn't seem very secure, IMO. At any rate, do you realize that you're going to have to sight-in each time you switch barrels? To me that's the primary reason to go with designated uppers.

tbaytusmc - thanks for the explanation of the 'timing' term. Not all terms that are probably common to more experienced users are readily discernible to the less experienced guys like me.

The question about changing calibers had to do with possible headspacing issues with a new BCG - probably another new guy's ignorance question. I'll contact the vendor and ask that question.

Update via email to dry-fire:

Q (me): Can your system also be used to switch calibers if an appropriate BCG is inserted when the barrel is switched?

A (Mike): "Absolutely! 6.8 ,7.62x39, 6.5 grendal or Anything that works off a milspec upper"