Deciding On the Best AR Upper Receiver

The AR15 platform is popular for a variety of reasons, one of which being its modular design which allows virtually limitless options for customization.  From buttstocks to triggers, barrels to handguards, sights to flashlights, bolt carrier groups (BCGs) to rail systems, there’s an abundance of options from a host of manufacturers that will all work together.  This allows for ultra-customization, by the shooter for the shooter.  In this article, we’ll discuss the finer points of the AR15 upper receiver, what its function is, and how to get the most out of it for your money.

The upper receiver portion of an AR15 rifle generally comprises the barrel, handguard, and BCG, sold together as a complete package.  It’s intended to be coupled with a lower receiver to complete the rifle, resulting in a fully functional weapon.  Each of the parts mentioned above will have features that will yield specific results.  For instance, the barrel itself.  Shorter barrels offer more mobility, but decreased accuracy at longer distances than a longer barrel.  The BCG is the group of parts that are responsible for chambering a round, setting off the primer via the firing pin (which fires the bullet), ejecting the spent round, and then re-chambering a new round.  BSGs made and coated with different materials may be easier or more difficult to keep clean, and durability between different BCGs can vary.  The handguard is also known as a heat shield and offers a protective barrier between the shooter and the heated barrel, as well a place to put rail systems to which vertical grips, optics, and flashlights can be mounted.

Choosing the Best AR 15 Upper Assembly  

For all intents and purposes, the term “best” can be considered highly subjective, but depending on what your goals are, you should be able to easily to decide on what the best AR upper for the money is for you in your situation.

You simply need to ask yourself a few questions to help identify what you want to be able to do and what you intend to do with the weapon, and doing so well help to whittle your choices down to a digestible number.  Some of these questions should be:

Do I want to be able to shoot targets at especially long ranges?  If so, you probably want to purchase an upper with a fairly long barrel.  M4 profile barrels are shorter and designed for short to medium-range engagements, whereas M16 profile barrels are built more to “reach out and touch someone”.

For a long range or hunting weapon, we recommend the Bushmaster Predator .223 Remington Barrel Flat Top.

Is this going to be a home defense weapon? If so, you probably want a shorter barrel as it will be more mobile and specifically built for close quarters combat.  At the types of ranges that are common in home defense, there is no good reason to have a long barrel.  Chances are, you’ll be moving through narrow hallways and corridors in a home defense scenario, so the shorter the barrel, the better off you’ll be.

For a short range or home defense option, the Chiappa M4 22LR 16” is the best option for your money.

Do I want to add various weapon attachments to my rifle? If you intend to add a vertical grip, flashlight, laser sight, or any other type of mounted optics like a reflex site or scope, you need rails on your weapon.  Typically, rails can be found on the portion of the upper receiver that contains the BCG, and then additional rails may be found on anywhere from 1 to 4 sides of the heat shield.  A quad rail is essentially a heat shield with rails on the top, bottom, and sides of the handguard – all places where you would attach vertical grips, flashlights, lasers, and any other attachment you can think of.  If you intent to add such attachments, go for an upper receiver that already has them built-in.  If you want a bare bones rifle, choose an upper receiver that doesn’t have the rails.  You’ll save money this way, and you can always buy a quad rail or individual rails to add to your upper receiver at a later date if you decide you want to.

What’s the best overall AR Upper for your money?

We recommend the DPMS Upper A3 Flat Top .223 Remington 16” Barrel.

All things considered, there a lot of options at your disposal when choosing the best AR15 upper receiver, and it can be easy to get overwhelmed.  Hopefully with a little thought about your end goal, you can choose something that is both functional and cosmetically desirable that you will be happy with for years to come.