My AR delima

[ErnieNWillis]

Let me state a little bit of history first....

I bought my 1st and only AR right after the election and the pickings were slim. I picked up a DPMS with a fixed carry handle and A1 sights because the price was right and that's all that was available at the time. It has been an excellent rifle and I have become pretty dang good with it. However I have been overcome with the urge to "tac" it out. The big tax return I was expecting didn't happen so I am stuck with a small budget. Now is my delima. I considered buying a flat railed upper receiver and having a gunsmith swap out the barrel assembly but the teenager working at the gun store said it would be cheaper to just buy a complete upper. I never spoke with th GS because he's never there. The flat railed upper receiver is $100 and gunsmith charge is? ?? What is my best option?

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[RKM]

It doesn't take a gun smith to do that stuff, just a barrel nut wrench. Buy a flat top upper receiver and barrel nut wrench. Remove the handguards, remove the gas tube which is very simple with a punch and hammer. Remove the barrel nut/delta ring. Barrel comes out, stick it in the new receiver, torque down the barrel nut, install the gas tube and you're set.

Upper Receiver Assembly - M4 Flat Top

Mil-Spec Armorer's Barrel Wrench AR-15 Steel

Of course, buying an upper would be much easier, but more expensive. You have some choices if you want to change to mid-length or go with some kind of monolithic free float rail or something like that.
Upper Receiver Groups AR 15

[Mattmann]

^^ this^^
I would listen to rkm. I have come to know him as a very knowledgeable person via his posts.

[ErnieNWillis]

I looked up a youtube video and the process seems fairly simple.

Remove gas block and tube
Remove handguards
Use barrel nut wrench to loosen barrel nut until hand tight then unscrew
Pull barrel out


Is it really this easy or am I missing something?

[40Bob]

Its that easy.

Assemble your own LOWER, UPPER, FREE FLOAT, TRIGGER, GAS BLOCK - Step by step instructions! - AR15.COM

I use the DPMS receiver block that goes inside the magwell. Those DPMS barrel nuts are on there TIGHT!!!!! I broke a wrench getting one apart.

[ErnieNWillis]

Its that easy.

Assemble your own LOWER, UPPER, FREE FLOAT, TRIGGER, GAS BLOCK - Step by step instructions! - AR15.COM

I use the DPMS receiver block that goes inside the magwell. Those DPMS barrel nuts are on there TIGHT!!!!! I broke a wrench getting one apart.

Thank alot! This is very helpful.