Urgent: Buy or Upgrade my AR?

[Erni]

I need some help deciding if I should upgrade my AR or buy a used but already upgraded gun.
My current AR is a RRA with a free floadting quad rail, 16" mid length gun, 1:9 twist. Bought in 07 when it was a decent setup for a mid length free float gun, not to mention the only one available at Jensens(it was November 07). The gun is STUPID front heavy, probably a combo of the barrel and the insanely large quad rail. So the gun needs a new rail and FSB, and could probably use a new trigger. The gun shoots really well, and made a 5 shot 1.6" group with 55gr PMC, on a windy day, using a 4x Millet scope.
Today I found a Sig M400, 16" 1:7 standard Sig barell at Cabelas and it has a Noveske 11" keymod, Timney drop in trigger and had Magpull plastic BUIS. Light as a feather, super balanced, great trigger. $1200 plus taxes. The gun is used, but did not seem abused, light scuff on the barell and a small nick on the front of the lower. Looks like someone started with an M400 changed the FSB to a low version, added the rail and trigger.

So, to update my gun with the rail and trigger and BUIS we are looking at close to $600 plus I would need the tools to swap out the handguard, and a couple of hours. Provided I get a minimum of $750 for the RRA I break even.

I am a bit stumped, becase new gun!

Help me decide folks!

Thanks.

[hghclsswhitetrsh]

Simple solution. Have both. It's legal ya know?!(for now)

[AR_ART]

Some good points… Me, unless I had some special attachment to the RRA, I'd sell it and buy the Sig. Would just be simpler...

[ray1970]

Here's something else to consider. Maybe some of your weight issues with the RRA are in the barrel. So, even after replacing the parts you mentioned it may still seem a little front heavy. You may end up swapping the barrel out so factor in that cost as well.

[BPTactical]

Or I can re profile and park the barrel for about 1/2 the cost of a new barrel. That thing is probably just a bit under an inch under the handguards. We can skinny it down to .800 or so and save ya some weight.

[Erni]

Thanks for the replies. Totally not attached to the RRA. I did forget that the RRA has a fat barrel so that will account for part of the nose heavy feel. Did any of you add a light hand guard to a heavy barrel? How did the balance feel?

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[ray1970]

I find any AR with a heavy profile barrel to be a nose heavy pig. No matter which handguard you put on it. Personally, I can't tell too much difference between a 7.5 oz handguard and a 15 oz handguard. But I can definitely tell the difference between a 1.5# barrel and a 2.5# barrel.

[ray1970]

Also, just to spread a little knowledge, a heavy profile mid gas barrel will be noticeably heavier than a heavy carbine gas barrel due to that extra two inches of heaviness before the gas port.

[crays]

Just a thought, but if you start changing/swapping bbls on the RRA, it may affect accuracy?

If cost is not an immediate factor, why not buy and try?

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[Erni]

Agreed. Amazing how I realized that after having the gun for a few months. Chit my FAL para has a better balance and feels lighter.

Any thoughts about Sig M400? The specs seem mostly Mil spec, but I see some hate posts out there.

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[crays]

Do you have the opportunity to take the Sig for a test day at the range?

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[Erni]

No way to try it out, so there is the risk of ending up with a poor accuracy gun.


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[Great-Kazoo]

Agreed. Amazing how I realized that after having the gun for a few months. Chit my FAL para has a better balance and feels lighter.

Any thoughts about Sig M400? The specs seem mostly Mil spec, but I see some hate posts out there.

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Show me 1 firearm that doesn't have some baggage


No way to try it out, so there is the risk of ending up with a poor accuracy gun.


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What does the sig website say regarding the accuracy? Stag and others unless it is one of the varmint, precision rifles do not guarantee sub MOA. If you can hit a 12 x 12 - 14 x 14 steel plate @ 2-400 yds it works.

IMO: you should reprofile the bbl, add or subtract accessories as you feel the need, and keep what you have. The remaining money can be spent on ammo.

[Hound]

If you are happy with your lower (not sure what the trigger issue is specifically but new springs are cheap) there are plenty of uppers from $300 and up at places like BCM, Midwayusa and other shops. Switch out your upper and be happy. You could also watch the trading post for deals on parts and save there. This is the great thing about the modular AR platform. You don't have to trash the whole thing because parts are old or your needs have changed.

[kwando]

I got a 16" Spikes upper (.750 gas profile) with KMR Rail. :)

[ray1970]

That KMR rail is super light. When mine arrived I wasn't sure there was even anything in the box.

[Irving]

Where is the urgency exactly?

[Erni]

The urgency is that the gun is on hold for 4 more days only and I need to decide asap.
The trigger on the gun is stock so upgrading it to something nice is on the list, but can be left alone for now. I am not seeing the savings if I do the work myself and sell the RRA, even though I love smithing. (Just got done with a beaver tail and ignition set on a 38 super 1911). I like the concept of the keymod hand guard, less is more here and as a product engineer I think its close to a perfect solution. After finding some numbers on component weight the mass savings on the sig vs the RRA is probably around 16oz, but thats all forward of the recievers.
If I keep the RRA and swap to a BCM rail it will save 13oz, since the BCM is much lighter. Not a big difference overall but the mass on the heavy barrel will be further out there and will give the gun a nose heavier feel. Sorry, the product engineer takes over sometimes. ..
Ideally I would compare both side by side but that's not going to happen.

[Great-Kazoo]

The urgency is that the gun is on hold for 4 more days only and I need to decide asap.
The trigger on the gun is stock so upgrading it to something nice is on the list, but can be left alone for now. I am not seeing the savings if I do the work myself and sell the RRA, even though I love smithing. (Just got done with a beaver tail and ignition set on a 38 super 1911). I like the concept of the keymod hand guard, less is more here and as a product engineer I think its close to a perfect solution. After finding some numbers on component weight the mass savings on the sig vs the RRA is probably around 16oz, but thats all forward of the recievers.
If I keep the RRA and swap to a BCM rail it will save 13oz, since the BCM is much lighter. Not a big difference overall but the mass on the heavy barrel will be further out there and will give the gun a nose heavier feel. Sorry, the product engineer takes over sometimes. ..
Ideally I would compare both side by side but that's not going to happen.


Pull and reprofile it .

[Erni]

How much does that run including refinishing

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[crays]

How much does that run including refinishing

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PM Bert <BPTactical> for that info.

[Hound]

PM Bert <BPTactical> for that info.

+1

[BPTactical]

How much does that run including refinishing

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See post #5 of this thread.


P.S.- thanks for the props guys[Beer]