Shortening barrel vs new upper...opinions

[OhioFinance]

Now that the paperwork is submitted for my SBR lower, I have some time to consider which option on the upper. I currently have an M&P 15T with 1200 trouble free rounds down range. My question is, would I be better served sending the upper to ADCO and having the barrel shortened or just sell this upper and buy something like the DD MK18? The net cost to me is not much different. My question is, am I correct in assuming the new upper is more of a plug and play setup versus not so much with barrel cutting? Oh and for me, swapping the barrel is more costly than selling this upper and buying a new one. The purpose of said gun in question, is carbine class, range, general fun.

[az doug]

If the difference in cost is negligible then I would sell the current upper and buy a new one vs. shortening the barrel. I have shortened barrels, but that is because I do it myself and therefore does not cost me anything.

You can run into gas port issues with a shortened barrel but whoever shortens it should check the size and open it up if needed.

[glen]

If you send the whole upper to a reputable experienced company like ADCO to cut down the barrel, it will most probably come out right.

If you buy a complete upper from a reputable company like DD, it will most probably be put together right.

If they both will work I would generally go with the cheaper option.

They would be both essentially plug and play as you would be getting a barreled upper in both cases.

[Velcro]

...sell the upper and replace it. You may or may not have a good experience, but that MK18 upper was designed specifically for that length.

Get a new upper.


Velcro

[OhioFinance]

I'm leaning towards selling anyway. I got such a great deal on the rifle that spending a couple of extra bucks on a correctly designed piece makes sense.

[6933]

If you have the $$$, new upper.

[gumby223]

I would say all new upper, I've heard the stories about the gas port issues.

[shadow65]

Given a choice I would go with a new set up. Gas port size can vary from carbine to carbine, so it will definetly vary from barrel length. Sending the whole upper in would be a great option if you are saving a lot of cash. But a DD MK18 is likely to be right, and if you decide down the road to sell it, will be worth more.

[OhioFinance]

I appreciate all the input. Yeah when you see some of the deals on either the Noveske MK 18 or DD MK18 its hard to think it isn't worth it to go that route. Net cost over cutting should be less than a couple hundred bucks.