I received my CMMG AR-15 14.5″ midlength upper receiver this past Saturday from Evil-Black-Rifles.com. Don’t worry, the website looks a little shady/primitive, but the service is good. I received the upper in a little over a week after I had placed my order. They also seemed to be the only one to have the particular model I wanted in stock. This upper is a complete upper receiver, which means it has all the parts already installed and all you need to do is pin it to your lower receiver.

The main reason I chose the CMMG upper was because of its features and price. The complete upper ran $550, not a bad deal and right at the price point of other close mid-level competitors such as Bushmaster, Stag, DPMS, etc. What sets CMMG apart is its mid-level price with high-end features. Here is the one single thread that helped me the most in deciding exactly which brand to get:

“So you want to buy an AR-15, huh” @ Officer.com forums

Some of the more notable features include:

Chrome lined barrel, 4150 steel
1:7 twist
M4 Feedramps
5.56 Chamber

The chrome lined barrel helps in preventing rust and prolonging the life of your barrel, with the disadvantage of reducing accuracy very subtly vs a stainless steel barrel. On the flip side, chrome lined barrels are very easy to clean and don’t need to be cleaned as often. 4150 steel is higher grade, mil spec steel used in combat rifles given to our troops in Iraq. Some mid-level brands use 4140 steel, a slightly lower quality.

The 1:7 twist allows the rifle to shoot heavier rounds. The original M16 had a 1:12 twist which would only stabilize rounds up to about 55gr. A 1:9 twist barrel (like most mid-level companies offer) could allow you to shoot heavier 75 and 77gr rounds, but the stability is iffy from brand to brand. However, the 1:7 twist will stabilize the heavier rounds just fine which makes it perfect for anti-personnel/home defense rounds.

M4 feedramps are debatable as seen in the forum post I linked to. I’m right on target with the author of the post, “if they will prevent one stoppage in 1k rounds, and cost ME nothing extra, I want them.” However, if you end up finding a good deal on an upper without M4 feedramps, don’t let it be a deal breaker. Many people have reported no problems without M4 feedramps, but if you’re getting a new rifle, why not get the latest tech?

A 5.56 chamber will let the AR-15 shoot .223 as well as hotter 5.56 rounds. On the contrary, you should not be shooting 5.56 out of a .223 rifle. This is because 5.56 rounds are loaded to higher pressures than standard .223. If you were to shoot 5.56 out of a .223 rifle, you could potentially damage the weapon. The advantage of 5.56 vs .223? For the most part, accuracy is slightly better with the 5.56 and the velocity is slightly higher. Bottom line: I want to be able to shoot hotter loads should I need the stopping power in case of emergencies like a home invasion, WWIII, 2012, zombies, etc Better to be safe than sorry and better to have it and not need it rather than to need it and not have it.

The linked forum thread at Officer.com should help you a whole lot in deciding which upper to get. I’d advise you to look through the different brands, weigh the pro’s and con’s, price and performance, then make your decision. However, if you’ve got tons of cash and want the best, just get a Colt.

Here is my completed AR-15 rifle

DPMS lower receiver with DPMS lower parts and DPMS 6 position stock
CMMG 14.5″ midlength upper receiver with permanent phantom flash hider
YHM A2 flip up rear sight (known as a BUIS - backup iron sight)

Related posts:

1. Building an AR-15 - Lower Receiver Lately, I had taken up a growing interest in...
2. Globalsat BU-353 GPS Receiver Review After using a bluetooth TomTom GPS receiver for months on...
3. Get Your Gun Before The Next Assault Weapons Ban With Obama as president and the Democrats controlling the House...
4. Daniel Defense Omega 9″ Free Float Rail A few weeks ago, I ordered a Daniel Defense Omega...
5. Cheap Fun - Mosin Nagant M91/30 7.62×54R Bolt Action Rifle The Mosin Nagant is a Russian bolt action rifle...