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18” Lightweight LR Upper Receiver Advice?

Braybyrd

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Nov 22, 2018
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Chandler AZ
Have a noveske lower done with a geiselle 2 stage trigger.

Not on a budget. I also don’t want to set a record for a build price.

Want a long range in 223 I also want to make it light for coyote hunting also take and plink long range for practice.

Barrel length? 18” 20” will have can Rex silentium can on it.

Going to stick with .223 since my upper

Get Wylde barrel?

Carbon or pencil barrel? Thoughts on brand for CF?

What handguard that is lightweight? KMR? Will it fit a CF barrel?

Stick with noveske upper receiver? Thoughts?

Thank you for the direction? Haven’t built an ar 15 since 2015 and jumping back in .
 
Get the Ranier Ultramatch 18” Nitrocarb barrel. Adjustable gas block.

Or stay all noveske.

Vltor VIS upper, aero m4e1, San Tan do well.

What generation Noveske? Their upper is pretty good.

Do you plan on mounting NV or IR lasers?

Locktite green the barrel into the upper if it doesnt fit so tight you have to hammer it in.

JP FMOS bcg.
 
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I would take a look at White Oak Armament barrels as well. Chambered in 223 wylde and available in 18” or 20” lengths. I have several hundred rounds through mine and it shoots consistently with little load work up. And at their price i think they are hard to beat. And as stated earlier green loc tite it in the upper if its not already a thermal fit upper.
 
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Lasers or NV require more stability in the front end. Geissele rail, Larue LAT etc.

Consider a larue stealth 2.0 upper. Has the rail built in as a separate part that is very stable and doesn’t touch the barrel nut.

The noveske gen 1 is just a USGI lower. Nothing special in that particular place.

I like the Rainier cause it’s in stock and has a “no fucking around send it back” type warranty.
 
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Proof research barrel if that interests you.
 
I have a 16 and 18” lighter uppers:

1) Larue PredatAr 16” with NX8 1-8x

2) Larue Upper and Handguard (the new ones MLOK) with Criterian 16” CORE barrel. NX8 1-8x

3) Larue Upper and Handguard (the new ones MLOK) with Criterian 18” CORE barrel. NX8 2-20x

LaRue is the lightest. Shoots good, but is expensive at $2200. I purchased the LaRue UU kits (829.99 shipped I think) and sold off the barrel assemblies for 350 each new. I bought the core barrels, GB and muzzle brakes for $350.00 and Aero lower for 99.99. I’m into my rifles for under 1k and that can’t be beat period.

Look into the criterian CORE barrels, they are very nice!
 
Have a noveske lower done with a geiselle 2 stage trigger.

Not on a budget. I also don’t want to set a record for a build price.

Want a long range in 223 I also want to make it light for coyote hunting also take and plink long range for practice.

Barrel length? 18” 20” will have can Rex silentium can on it.

Going to stick with .223 since my upper

Get Wylde barrel?

Carbon or pencil barrel? Thoughts on brand for CF?

What handguard that is lightweight? KMR? Will it fit a CF barrel?

Stick with noveske upper receiver? Thoughts?

Thank you for the direction? Haven’t built an ar 15 since 2015 and jumping back in .
It kind of depends on how light is light to you & have light you really want to go.

I've built a number if 18" rifles with both WOA & Craddock Precision barrels, & even fluted, it's hard to get one under 34 oz., maybe 32.

But WOA is making a 3-Gun barrel that is 1.9 lb (30.6 oz) & even though I'm a little leery of the steps in the contour, that barrel is going on a new lightweight 18" upper that I am building.

The Midwest Ind. Ultra Light handguard will also go on it & at 8.6 oz including the barrel nut, it's the lightest I've seen except for carbon fiber. I can't address it's rigidity as I haven't used it yet.............barrel nut is identical to BCM.

I'm not sure what your Noveske upper weighs but typical forged mil-spec uppers are usually around 7.2-7.5 oz, so if it's heavier than that, you can switch to a BCM thermo-fit upper & be at 7.2 oz. & the BCM uppers are one of the straightest & most concentrically accurate uppers available.

And, of course, you can use a light(er) weight BCG, & if you use an adjustable GB, any length gas system will work with the lighter BCG; with rifle gas, you can probably use a standard non-adjustable GB, IME, depending of how light you want to try on the BCG.

MM
 
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