View Full Version : What do you do with a Garbage Upper?
I built an upper for my brother's AR and now have his old one. I'm a bit stuck on what I am going to do with it. Is it wrong to carry it into a gun show and dump it for $300 or whatever I get?
Andy
You could do that. Or, you could give it to someone that you know that may not have an AR and help them build a complete rifle. If the "Garbage Upper" is still functional and safe?
1-It may be someone else's treasure
2-may serve well for parts when you get around to a project
What was wrong with it?
The upper is functional and appears to be safe, I don't think it has more than 100 rounds through it. It was assembled during the AWB by a guy my brother knew. It has a ridiculously loud integral brake. The only mark I found is the forge mark on the upper receiver.
What is wrong with it:
- Barrel is unmarked, heavy profile, 16" carbine, .750" FSB W/O bayo lug, integral brake (probably 1-9 twist or slower)
- BCG is an unshrouded semi carrier with an un-marked bolt
The only good thing about it is the A2 upper receiver, and I'm not terribly confident in it either.
I upgraded his AR so it was useful to him. Right now, the only original parts on his AR are the lower receiver, selector, and trigger guard (seriously).
Just my opinion so its worth about nothing. I would try and find someone who could use it but doesn't have a AR yet. A Anderson lower and some Arrow guts and there they go, hell I have a Carbine Stock off a M&P15 I would send to you for them if you go this route.
It may not be exactly what you or myself would call a "Good AR" but if it goes bang reliably and is somewhat accurate it could be someone's treasure.
I built an upper for my brother's AR and now have his old one. I'm a bit stuck on what I am going to do with it. Is it wrong to carry it into a gun show and dump it for $300 or whatever I get?
Andy
I don't see any issue with dumping the upper so long as you are honest about what it is, and who knows with today's market how it will do. I've seen people push PSA's in stores for $1200 in certain areas. As for a new upper, you can generally find something if you search for it or wait around.
Thanks for the offer, Spooky. I am pretty sure I have a PSA carbine stock floating around, unless I gave it away.
You guys make a good point about folks who may not need or want a "good" AR.
Andy
Why not mate it to a budget lower and use it for a hiking or camping gun? Something for blasting away at milk jugs and something you don't mind getting scratched up or banged up. Such guns are treated like a rented mule. Who knows, it might end up being a favorite?
gunnerblue
06-07-21, 12:25
I have a garbage upper stashed away in my gun room. It was said to be a S&W Sport but I'm skeptical. It works, though, so I keep it around to possibly cannibalize in the future.
The very first AR I purchased was a piece of crap from a local manufacturer that went tits up. In fact, I think one of my first posts was about that rifle. In spite of carrying one in the military, I didn't know what I didn't know, and I thought ALL ARs = Colt. Anyhoo, I ended up giving it to a buddy who was an armorer in the Marines, and he stripped it and rebuilt it.
Thanks for the offer, Spooky. I am pretty sure I have a PSA carbine stock floating around, unless I gave it away.
You guys make a good point about folks who may not need or want a "good" AR.
Andy
Cool, if ya do go that route and need some extra parts shoot me a PM and I will se what I have squirreled away.
Andy, PM me and we can trade email addresses. Id like you to email me a picture of the upper. I could use an A2 receiver.
Do you know how it shoots?
If it could be cut to between 13.7 and 14.5 getting rid of the integral brake, I'd likely go that route and pin/weld.
If you have an SBR lower, less than 13.7 wouldn't be an issue.
Be fun to play with.
Heavy barrel? Sounds like you need to make light machine gun with all legally acquired parts.
Its weird - no markings besides a number on the FSB and Cardinal forge mark on the receiver. Maybe I should put a sign on it in a gunshow stating it is a sanitized upper issued to the CIA operators during the Russian-Afgan war...
I sent GH41 some pics to see what he thinks.
Andy
turnburglar
06-07-21, 23:46
If I was you.....
Make a game outa how cheap you can make a complete/functional AR. I actually did this same thing with spare parts. I think I got an AR running with a CHF barrel none the less for like $350. Ended up trading it for work on a trailer to a guy with no AR. He was super happy.
As long as it can shoot a mag or two without a stoppage and it can be zero'd it's a lot more gun than no gun.
Most non-forum members aren't brand snobs in the least.
So it’s garbage because of the lack of markings, the time period in which it was made, and the fact that you don’t know much about it?
tanksoldier
06-11-21, 05:30
My question: is it garbage because you don’t know what it is, or is it garbage because it doesn’t work?
If it works, build it into a budget rifle and keep it as a second or third rifle... or tenth rifle. Sure, don’t take it to Afghanistan or carry it for warrant service but I wouldn’t be selling anything that works at this point.
If it doesn’t work, sell it.
The_War_Wagon
06-11-21, 08:51
- List it for DOUBLE what you paid for it
- Be SURE to note, "LESS than a hundred rounds down the pipe; sat in my safe after ultrasonic cleaning since!"
- Post to "Armslist (or TOS)."
- PROFIT!!! :cool:
We had a saying in my old unit- if it’s stupid but it works it isn’t stupid.
So it’s garbage because of the lack of markings, the time period in which it was made, and the fact that you don’t know much about it?
Its garbage to me because it has a 16" H-BAR profile unlined barrel with a mystery twist (1-9 or 1-12) plus a ridiculously loud integral brake and a semi BCG with unshrouded FP from an unknown manufacture.
I think the late Will Larson would have agreed with my description. I wish he was still with us to weigh in.
The upper is on its way to a member who will use the receiver and perhaps some other parts in an interesting build.
Andy
Its garbage to me because it has a 16" H-BAR profile unlined barrel with a mystery twist (1-9 or 1-12) plus a ridiculously loud integral brake and a semi BCG with unshrouded FP from an unknown manufacture.
I think the late Will Larson would have agreed with my description. I wish he was still with us to weigh in.
The upper is on its way to a member who will use the receiver and perhaps some other parts in an interesting build.
Andy
Will let you know when the semi carrier in my older Colt starts acting up...
Will let you know when the semi carrier in my older Colt starts acting up...
Parts is parts, right?
Parts is parts, right?
Not sure what you are getting at but just being a semi auto carrier will not make it junk. Colt put out a pile of rifles with them and they work...
Heck, For that matter Colt has also put out unlined HBAR barrels that definitely work.
Not sure what you are getting at but just being a semi auto carrier will not make it junk. Colt put out a pile of rifles with them and they work...
Heck, For that matter Colt has also put out unlined HBAR barrels that definitely work.
Being a semi carrier doesn't make it junk but a semi carrier with an un shrouded FP is pretty much asking for trouble. This article might help you understand the what and why behind Colt making 3 different carriers. http://weaponsman.looserounds.com/?p=11263
Not sure what you are getting at but just being a semi auto carrier will not make it junk. Colt put out a pile of rifles with them and they work...
Heck, For that matter Colt has also put out unlined HBAR barrels that definitely work.
Im getting at the fact that a Colt AR and an AR built from mystery parts are not at all the same.
An unlined and/or heavy profile barrel is not a show stopper but its hardly a positive for a 16" carbine. The same could be said for an unshrouded BCG.
Andy
Im getting at the fact that a Colt AR and an AR built from mystery parts are not at all the same.
An unlined and/or heavy profile barrel is not a show stopper but its hardly a positive for a 16" carbine. The same could be said for an unshrouded BCG.
Andy
Glad I did not read this (and believe it) before I bought all those 16", carbine gas, match grade, SS, Bull barrels and actually shot them.
Lots of guys 'think' their gov profile 6920 crap is accurate until they shoot something that is really accurate.
So long as your hammer is not notched the unshrouded carriers are usually not a problem. I would not intentionally buy one if I had a choice but would not trash one just because the internet hated them unless it actually was causing issues.
Same with barrels. You got to shoot it before you know if it is a turd or not...
OK Guys, I got the upper from the OP and kept the receiver. The rest is listed on the EE in AR Parts under title "One Man's Junk"
OK Guys, I got the upper from the OP and kept the receiver. The rest is listed on the EE in AR Parts under title "One Man's Junk"
FWIW, GH41 was completely transparent about his plan for the upper.
Andy
FWIW, GH41 was completely transparent about his plan for the upper.
Andy
And I'll add that Andy was completely honest about the condition of everything. If I were gun poor I would have kept everything but I am not. I really should be mad at Andy. The A2 receiver I bought on the cheap is probably going to cost me a couple of grand before the party is over. Thanks Andy!
Id strip it down and rebuild with the parts that you want in an upper. To me a receiver is a receiver, the only parts that I really care about are the BCG and the barrel. Sell whatever parts you don't want online to help recoup costs, but the receiver is always worth building off of.
Coal Dragger
06-25-21, 23:48
Cheap garbage upper that is safe? What to do?
Easy, sacrifice it to steel cased Wolf ammo and use it to train with doing all the rapid fire drills etc that you wouldn’t care to do with a barrel and bolt that you care about. Once you burn out the barrel or crack a bolt lug take the opportunity to rebuild it out of parts that don’t suck.
I sold the upper (less receiver) to a guy building a dedicated 22LR upper for a hundred bucks. IMO a perfect application for the parts.
Glad I did not read this (and believe it) before I bought all those 16", carbine gas, match grade, SS, Bull barrels and actually shot them.
Lots of guys 'think' their gov profile 6920 crap is accurate until they shoot something that is really accurate.
So long as your hammer is not notched the unshrouded carriers are usually not a problem. I would not intentionally buy one if I had a choice but would not trash one just because the internet hated them unless it actually was causing issues.
Same with barrels. You got to shoot it before you know if it is a turd or not...
I would have fired it before dumping it based on internet opinions.
I fired it, as did my brother. It didn't malfunction, but it didn't really check a lot of boxes for what he would do with it.
I replaced his upper and ended up with it. I have 16" ARs, as do my sons.
Garbage is a little harsh perhaps, but it was a somewhat oddball upper that didn't really offer anything to me except to act as a donor for an A2 build and I am buried in projects ATM.
I agree with GH41, a dedicated 22 LR build is a good use of the parts, etc.
Andy
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