300 BLK Upper Build
I finished this build-my first AR Upper. Below is a list of all parts used and prices paid. I thought I would share the outcome with as much detail as practical to help others decide if it is worth doing.
I wanted a light weight government type profile barrel, capable of killing things as big as a pig at ranges no further than 200 yards. Decent accuracy is all that was required, but I was hoping for better than “minute of Pig.”
I simply assembled the parts-no special barrel bedding or receiver trueing. I did use anti-seize on the receiver threads.
I bought one tool: a $15 dollar upper vise block from Atlanta Range and Ordinance.
An Aero Precision assembled upper receiver was purchased locally from Abrahams Gold and Pawn in Newnan for less than $100. The rest of the parts came from Optics Planet and AIM Surplus.
Optics Planet purchases:
AIM Surplus purchases:
Total = $507.05 + my labor and the vise block.
The Results:
The 1/8 twist, carbine gas system barrel reliably cycles Remington 220grain subs, and seems to be accurate enough.
The bolt carrier from AIM Surplus was the only disappointment. It looks good from a distance, but is poorly machined. I was going to return it, but they wanted a 3% return fee, and made it a hassle to return. So, I will not recommend the AIM brand.
The Sadlak Gas block was a winner with its clamp on design.
The Aero Shim pack was the smartest purchase of the project. Without it, installing the Hogue hand guard would have been virtually impossible.
The Hogue hand guard is a simple tube design with no accommodations for adding rails or accessories. The installation process is easy to understand, but very difficult to preform. I could not get the included barrel nut tool to work. A “strap wrench” is suggested by several review writers. I ended up using duct tape and a piece of belt leather wrapped around the nut to protect its finish, and a pair of very large channel lock pliers positioned so as to only provide contact force over the solid portion of the nut, right around the receiver threads—not near the delicate end to which the hand guard attaches. Everything went well and the nut was properly timed without marring the finish.
Final note on the barrel nut:
Its torque is not measured, as it is not possible to attach a torque wrench. But, it is believed that if you hand tighten the nut and then twist it down far enough with a strap wrench to line up the next gas tube hole, it will have proper torque applied.
I used barrel shims to reduce the amount of torque required to line up the holes. This was necessary because my holes lined up perfectly when only hand tightened, and I felt like the distance required to get to the next hole would be further than I could twist the nut. I used enough shims to get the hand tightened distance from the next hole reduced to about half the distance between two holes.
Accuracy:
Functional Report:
The factory loads functioned without any problems. My Flat Nose hand loads would not feed from the magazine. All loads fired, locked the bolt back every time on an empty magazine.
Berry Bullets 150 grain 30-30 Flat Nose bullets@1634fps with RL7 is the most accurate load at this time. However, these bullets will not feed from the magazine. They are getting caught under the barrels’s M-4 feed ramp. Pointed bullets feed.
An M4 and an A2 lower have been used with this upper-no issues. I am using an H2 buffer in the M4 lower.
Zeroed at approximately 2.5 high at 100yards with RL7.
100 yard target:
The four circled holes are the 14.5 Alliant 2400 and a 150 grain Berry Bullet. The other group (2.5 high and 1/2 left) is 18.5 RL7 and the Berry 150. The target grid squares measure 1 inch square.
I finished this build-my first AR Upper. Below is a list of all parts used and prices paid. I thought I would share the outcome with as much detail as practical to help others decide if it is worth doing.
I wanted a light weight government type profile barrel, capable of killing things as big as a pig at ranges no further than 200 yards. Decent accuracy is all that was required, but I was hoping for better than “minute of Pig.”
I simply assembled the parts-no special barrel bedding or receiver trueing. I did use anti-seize on the receiver threads.
I bought one tool: a $15 dollar upper vise block from Atlanta Range and Ordinance.
An Aero Precision assembled upper receiver was purchased locally from Abrahams Gold and Pawn in Newnan for less than $100. The rest of the parts came from Optics Planet and AIM Surplus.
Optics Planet purchases:
AIM Surplus purchases:
Total = $507.05 + my labor and the vise block.
The Results:
The 1/8 twist, carbine gas system barrel reliably cycles Remington 220grain subs, and seems to be accurate enough.
The bolt carrier from AIM Surplus was the only disappointment. It looks good from a distance, but is poorly machined. I was going to return it, but they wanted a 3% return fee, and made it a hassle to return. So, I will not recommend the AIM brand.
The Sadlak Gas block was a winner with its clamp on design.
The Aero Shim pack was the smartest purchase of the project. Without it, installing the Hogue hand guard would have been virtually impossible.
The Hogue hand guard is a simple tube design with no accommodations for adding rails or accessories. The installation process is easy to understand, but very difficult to preform. I could not get the included barrel nut tool to work. A “strap wrench” is suggested by several review writers. I ended up using duct tape and a piece of belt leather wrapped around the nut to protect its finish, and a pair of very large channel lock pliers positioned so as to only provide contact force over the solid portion of the nut, right around the receiver threads—not near the delicate end to which the hand guard attaches. Everything went well and the nut was properly timed without marring the finish.
Final note on the barrel nut:
Its torque is not measured, as it is not possible to attach a torque wrench. But, it is believed that if you hand tighten the nut and then twist it down far enough with a strap wrench to line up the next gas tube hole, it will have proper torque applied.
I used barrel shims to reduce the amount of torque required to line up the holes. This was necessary because my holes lined up perfectly when only hand tightened, and I felt like the distance required to get to the next hole would be further than I could twist the nut. I used enough shims to get the hand tightened distance from the next hole reduced to about half the distance between two holes.
Accuracy:
- American Eagle 150 grain—4 inch group@100.
- 14.5 Alliant 2400, 150 grain 30/30 bullet-3 inch group. Estimated velocity is 1825, based on performance in a Ruger American Ranch.
- 18.5 Reloader 7, 150 grain 30/30 bullet-right at 1.0 moa+/-, velocity is 1634fps.
- Remington 220 subs-somewhere around 4moa.
- Hornady 150 FMJ BT, 17.0 LilGun, speed not measured-shows good preliminary accuracy. Feeds well in the AR.
Functional Report:
The factory loads functioned without any problems. My Flat Nose hand loads would not feed from the magazine. All loads fired, locked the bolt back every time on an empty magazine.
Berry Bullets 150 grain 30-30 Flat Nose bullets@1634fps with RL7 is the most accurate load at this time. However, these bullets will not feed from the magazine. They are getting caught under the barrels’s M-4 feed ramp. Pointed bullets feed.
An M4 and an A2 lower have been used with this upper-no issues. I am using an H2 buffer in the M4 lower.
Zeroed at approximately 2.5 high at 100yards with RL7.
100 yard target:
The four circled holes are the 14.5 Alliant 2400 and a 150 grain Berry Bullet. The other group (2.5 high and 1/2 left) is 18.5 RL7 and the Berry 150. The target grid squares measure 1 inch square.
