Affordable 18" SPR upper?

[CarlosDJackal]

I'm looking for a reasonably priced SPR-type upper (18-inch match barrel, free-floated handguards, flat top, low-profile gas block, 1:8-twist at a minimum, and threaded for FH/Suppressor). I came across the CMMG website where what I want would cost me arround $800. The main use would be counter-sniper work and Varminting.

I'd like to keep within that price range. Any suggestions or comments onthe CMMG upper?

Thanks in advanced!!

[Dave L.]

This is as cheap as I would go:

CMT M4 Upper Receiver- $100

Sabre Defense 18" Mid-length SPR- $429
http://www.rainierarms.com/?page=shop/detail&product_id=909

LMT M16 MPI Bolt/Carrier Group- $129
http://www.gandrtactical.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=BCG-LMT

Mid Length Gas Tube- $12
Charging Handle- $20

Viking Tactics Mid-length hand guard- $145
http://www.rainierarms.com/?page=shop/detail&product_id=709

That's $835 with no BUIS/OPTIC

Hope that helps,
Dave

[TurretGunner]

Sounds fun, but will be kinda hard to shoot without an upper reciever.

[Dave L.]

Sounds fun, but will be kinda hard to shoot without an upper reciever.

I knew I forgot something!
Thanks man.

[Soulrack223]

I am in the process of building my SPR upper, I've gone with a CMMG 18" barrel, chrome lined, 1/8 twist, CMMG Upper Receiver, BCM BCG, Vltor Gas block pinned by Adco and the next thing is the Daniel Defense Lite Rail. I have my BUIS too, but I need a LaRue SPR Mount and a Leupold Mark 4 scope...

Adco has nice uppers.
http://www.adcofirearms.com/acc/productLine_.cfm?brand=Adco%20Custom&product_category=Complete%20Uppers

As does J-Tac.
http://www.jtacsupply.com/jtacprecisionar15uppers.aspx

Denny Will Build one to your budget (within reason).
http://global-tactical.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWCATS&Category=61

LaRue, MSTN and Noveske would all exceed your budget.

[Dave L.]

I have heard White Oak Armament 18" SS SPR-Profile Barrels producing Sub-MOA consistently at much cheaper price then Noveske.

[TurretGunner]

I have heard White Oak Armament 18" SS SPR-Profile Barrels producing Sub-MOA consistently at much cheaper price then Noveske.


That is pretty much what Ive come to find from my research and experince. The WOA's shoot VERY well for the cost. I have a Noveske and would not feel undergunned with a WOA Barrel. I just like expensive shit I guess you can say. If you are on a budget building an spr, the extra money spent on a CLE/Lija/Nov/Sabre could be beter spent on optics or ammo.

[m4fun]

Anything wrong with a full length gas system on an 18" setup that would lead folks to a mid-length gas system?

[Soulrack223]

Anything wrong with a full length gas system on an 18" setup that would lead folks to a mid-length gas system?

Not in all of the research I've done and by asking around to builders in the "know." It's actually the best choice in an 18" set-up from what I've read and been told.

[TurretGunner]

Not in all of the research I've done and by asking around to builders in the "know." It's actually the best choice in an 18" set-up from what I've read and been told.


I was told by grant, that John Noveske told him that he stopped making the rifle length SPR because the are obsolete. He said the intermediate (middy, or close to it) run better in the cold and that's why they are preffered.

[waterhouse]

Anything wrong with a full length gas system on an 18" setup that would lead folks to a mid-length gas system?

I've never experienced any issues, but I have heard (like Turretgunner) that the rifle length systems may have trouble running in cold weather. I have an 18" WOA with a rifle length, as well as a Noveske with an "intermediate" gas block.

I've only had the Noveske for a few months, had the WOA for several years, and I'm not a great shooter, but I get about the same accuracy out of both. I usually only shoot to 200 yards, so groups may open up from either barrel at the distances the guns were built to shoot . . . I hope to find out later this year when visiting some family with more land.

I took the WOA to the range here last year on one of the colder days and ran a few hundred through it specifically to see if there were any reliability issues, but I didn't run into any. I doubt that proves squat, because a really cold day in central Texas is about 46 degrees.

[CarlosDJackal]

This is as cheap as I would go:

CMT M4 Upper Receiver- $100

Sabre Defense 18" Mid-length SPR- $429
http://www.rainierarms.com/?page=shop/detail&product_id=909

LMT M16 MPI Bolt/Carrier Group- $129
http://www.gandrtactical.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=BCG-LMT

Mid Length Gas Tube- $12
Charging Handle- $20

Viking Tactics Mid-length hand guard- $145
http://www.rainierarms.com/?page=shop/detail&product_id=709

That's $835 with no BUIS/OPTIC

Hope that helps,
Dave

Thanks guys!! It looks like White Oak Armament's 18-inch SPR barrel is a better buy at $265 ($305 with headspaced bolt): http://whiteoakarmament.com/barrels.htm

The only negative is it doesn't look like it's chambered for 5.56mm. :(

[vinesr6]

I believe WOA barrels are Wylde chambered so you can use mil or commercial ammo.

[Soulrack223]

I was told by grant, that John Noveske told him that he stopped making the rifle length SPR because the are obsolete. He said the intermediate (middy, or close to it) run better in the cold and that's why they are preffered.

I'm sure that's true and I would never want to contradict something that Noveske or any of the other barrel making gurus say, as I am sure they've forgotten more than I will ever know on the subject. I just want to clarify what I meant in my previous post about rifle length being a better gas system than middy for an 18" SPR Build. Realiability as I understand it is about the amount of barrel left beyond the gas port. So a 14.5" barrel with carbine gas, a 16" barrel with middy gas and a 20" barrel with rifle gas are all roughly the same in that regard and are all ideal. An 18" barrel falls in between and an intermediate length is probably ideal for it. Does anyone but Noveske make it, is it longer than a middy? Both the owners of Adcofirearms and of CMMG told me that there are no reliability concerns with 18" barrels and rifle length gas.

IMO you'd have to weigh the benefits of cold weather reliabilty against wear and tear on your set-up. The cold weather functioning being better would also be true of a carbine length gas system over a mid-length gas system in a 16" barrel, but I don't see too many recommendations for carbine over middy. The same benefits you see in wear and tear in a 16" barreled rifle with a mid-length over carbine gas system should also be seen in a 18" barreled rifle with rifle length gas over middy gas.

There was a great post that I read, and cannot find, where they had graphed the pressure curves of differrent gas tube/barrel length combos. It may have been the guy from ar15barrels.com but I'm not sure. It explained the differences better than I am going to because it used numbers, but the gist of it was:
1) Barrels under 10.5" are a bad idea.
2) Rifle Length Gas systems on a 16" or less barrel is a bad idea.
And it's all based on the amount of barrel left beyond the gas port. Unless you open the can of worms that is gas port size...

Sorry to hijack the thread.

[CarlosDJackal]

I believe WOA barrels are Wylde chambered so you can use mil or commercial ammo.

So can barrels that are chambered for .223 Wylde safely handle 5.56 ammo?

[TurretGunner]

So can barrels that are chambered for .223 Wylde safely handle 5.56 ammo?

Wylde is the chamber. Its between a 5.56 and a Match chamber IIRC.

[Kurt Reifert]

The only negative is it doesn't look like it's chambered for 5.56mm. :(

You stated that you would be using this upper for counter sniper and varmint hunting.
Most of the 5.56 on the market isn't going to give you the accuracy that you will need.
The accurate stuff is generally loaded to .223 pressures.
If you load your own you'll find that the sweet spot is below 5.56 pressure and velocity.
The Wylde chamber will be fine.

[CarlosDJackal]

You stated that you would be using this upper for counter sniper and varmint hunting.
Most of the 5.56 on the market isn't going to give you the accuracy that you will need.
The accurate stuff is generally loaded to .223 pressures.
If you load your own you'll find that the sweet spot is below 5.56 pressure and velocity.
The Wylde chamber will be fine.

I just wanted the ability to feed it 5.56mm ammo should the necessity arise. I wasn't very familiar with the Wylde chamber until I started this thread. The WOA SPR barrel is starting to look like the way I might go.

Thanks!!

[TurretGunner]

I just wanted the ability to feed it 5.56mm ammo should the necessity arise. I wasn't very familiar with the Wylde chamber until I started this thread. The WOA SPR barrel is starting to look like the way I might go.

Thanks!!


That's basically the Ticket!

WOA if your on a budget

Noveske/CLE/LIJA/Krieger if you are not.