Best .50bmg upper for an AR?

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Well, I'm finally moving out of CA, so I want to start my new life off with a bang, so to speak. Of course, I'm going to build an AR, but I have also gotten a bug up my shorts for a .50bmg. I've shot an Armalite AR-50, and fell in love.

Unfortunately, I won't be able to afford a $6000 rifle, so I've decided to go the route of the AR upper. The problem is, there seems to be so many different kinds out there, I just can't decide which one I want.

Currently, the one I like the most is one from www.50bmg.net. I like the various choices that are available, and the price seems about right as well. I also like how it's a bolt-action design, unlike my next two choices.

Also, I've looked at http://lgweaponry.com/, but if I remember correctly, that one you have to break open in order to load or unload the weapon, a feature that I'm not to impressed with.

Thirdly, I've checked out www.watsonsweapons.com. Again, I'm not to impressed with the screw-your-bolt-in design, but I have heard good things about them.

All of these are pretty much in my price range (I want to keep it under $2000, if I can), and I really don't want to spend my money on junk. So, if you've had experiences with .50bmg uppers (good OR bad), let me know and help me pick the right thing!
 
Heh

A friend of mine has one of those, and man alive is it a hoot.
I forget the brand name, unfortunately, though he spent around $1250 on it.
A couple things about these-

VVV Alright, since most of my assessment is based on hearsay evidence, I'm willing to retract it.
I do stand on my assertion that .50 BMG is not a true precision round, and that you won't see the same accuracy from your upper that a dedicated rifle will produce with equivalent accurizing efforts. I also refuse to retract my statement that .50 cal rifles are super-excellent fun time makers.

You should plan on wearing out the lower you put it on. AR lowers weren't designed for the forces you'll be putting it under, so plan on getting a cheapie and wearing it out. Compared to the upper itself, what's $90 for a new lower, anyway? You'll spend several times that amount on ammo while wearing out the first one. :D
Accuracy is not grand with these systems. .50 BMG ain't .338 Lapua, and accuracy is not helped by the fact that you're stitching together a rifle from bits and bobs. The quality of these uppers is also not at par for .50 cal rifles, hence the lower price point overall. Have no illusions on approaching the accuracy of a Barrett or AR-50, and you'll be much happier with your purchase. Plenty good for making pumpkins explode at a couple hundred yards, though. ;)

That said, .50 BMG AR uppers make a perfectly good rifle. They somehow manage to be louder than Mosin Nagant carbines, and you'll turn every head at the range when you take it out of its case. Putting on the stock and grip you prefer is a major bonus, and fine-tuned trigger groups are readily available to drop into an AR lower.
Be warned- .50 cal quality optics pretty much start at around $400, so be sure to factor that into your purchase price if you plan to scope it.
Also, .50 BMG rounds are expensive and sandbox 2 is eating up a lot of the surplus supply. Commercial is simply unfathomable, so you may want to invest in an appropriate loading press.
 
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The ferret 50 (AR upper) is nice, never shot one though. Complete rifles I like the Serbu, you can't beat a solid gun by a guy with such a great rep. The Vulcans can be had pretty cheap, the most inexpensive new .50 I know of.
There are probably alot of guys who know way more than me though.
Congrats on your exodus from opression (moving), I made mine in 2000 and haven't looked back.
 
trueblue1776 said:
http://www.atlanticfirearms.com/programming/expand.asp?Prodid=178 Heres the Vulcan from Atlantic firearms
Click to expand...


DO NOT AND I MEAN DO NOT BUY THIS GUN!!!!!

THERE HAVE BEEN MABY INCODENTS WITH THIS PEICE EXPLODING IN MANY SHOOTERS FACES!

with that said read up at
http://groups.msn.com/50bmg/sources.msnw
they show many guns and review them!

and another board just for .50's read up here too.
http://www.biggerhammer.net/barrett/wwwboard/


I have set my mine on a state arms .50 shorty!
I cant wait for spring when i have the money!
 
AR-50

An Armalite AR-50 is in the $2500 range, iirc. I would seriously give it another look. For $6k you could get a Barrett bolt gun and a great scope. If you could find a used AR-50, that might be even below your price range. I think it's the best deal.
Dan
 
garrett1955 said:
DO NOT AND I MEAN DO NOT BUY THIS GUN!!!!!

THERE HAVE BEEN MABY INCODENTS WITH THIS PEICE EXPLODING IN MANY SHOOTERS FACES!
QUOTE]
I don't know of "many" but one is enough I suppose....
Upon futher condisideration I retract my previous statement. Good call Garrett, there is(or was?) some pretty bad stuff going on with that gun from what I hear.
People are also knocking the LAR, I don't understand that, I've shot one and I liked it.
Click to expand...
 
Okay hold on here, let's dispell some rumors that are not true.

.50 uppers have been around for years now and there hasn't been 1 mention of it wearing out an AR-15 lower. This is false info and if you can find mention of it, I would like to see the pics.

Myth 2 about them not being accurate, PLEASE! Check out the ALS upper, it won first place at the FCSA's nationals two years ago in hunter class. The owner of the company opened some eyes when he won and he was up against guys that put bipods on their bench guns to shoot in the class.

Ammo is still plentiful, places like Ammoman.com, Ammunitionstore.com, TTI Armory, Natchez's, Hi Tech ammo..... As long as Ma deuce is kickin' A$$ there will always be surplus for the masses.

Personally I would get a Ferret50 or the ALS upper for accuracy, there's also the Ultralite50 and Ultramag50 uppers. The UM50 is mag fed, here's a range report that a friend wrote up on his http://www.daplane.com/50bmg/um50rpt.htm There's also a semi auto .50 upper coming out, I've posted the link but can't find it right now. Thought it was on the Ultralite50 page but didn't see a link for it there.

Figures I would find a pic of it after posting.http://community.webshots.com/photo/113721917/115347621VUWJXj
 
the LAR is the grizley right???

I think some people dont like them cause they are shell holders.

over at the big hammer boards, larry, the owner of east ridge gun co. he makes the state arms guns. ended the arguments about shell holders.

he made a great post

they are safe and some of the most accurate guns out there!

I will buy one!

I have only heard bad things about the vulcan/hesse guns.

I dont think its good when ???? blows up, and the company just goes and changes their name and goes on like nothing happened...
 
Yep, LAR makes the Grizzly. The thing I don't like about the Griz is that it beats the :cuss: out of you. LAR needs to redesign their muzzle brake to something more efficient. Until then I'm done shooting them.
 
how the hell do you fit a .50BMG mag in the mag well designed for 5.56?

~TMM

that said, Serbu is coming out with semi auto .50BMG, or you could get an AR in .50Beowulf...

~TMM
 
Easy - BOHICA. Inexpensive but expect about MOA accuracy out of their standard chamber and sub-MOA out of the match chamber. As for the AR-50 you can find them brand new for $2,800. Pop a Millett LRS-1 on for $450 and you're rolling out of the box for $3,250. Serbu is well represented too and has a good reputation. Expect to invest about $1,800 - 1,900 on a BOHICA upper including lower receiver, parts for the lower, heavy mass trigger/hammer (JARD is recommended). These guys are also talking about a semi-auto but that looks to be waaaay down the road.
 
Wow weeklycigar, do you think the OP is still interested after 4+ years??

Not to worry I was excited when I got my Bohica also, and did some stupid things also.
 
Not to add to the confusion of old treads,
But I had a 'Ferret .50' upper for AR rifles,
Single shot, shot gun break down for reloading.

That thing was so light weight it was ABUSIVE to fire!
I was strapping it to the table to tame the recoil to fire it more than a couple of times!

I wasn't too happy with the accuracy of the Ferret .50 either.
Having fired several .50 BMG rifles, I though the Ferret should have been MUCH more accurate.
Even after some 'Tune Up' work, it still didn't fire groups under 2 MOA and I though it should have done much better than that.
(The Barret guys were ALWAYS kicking my butt!)

I have an AR-50 now, and I have a McMillan .50, and I couldn't be happier with either!
The McMillan breaks down for easier transportation, and I really like that part.
I'm wanting to trade some other rifles for a Barret .50 so I have a matched set and can decide for myself which is the 'Best' shooter for me...
 
Talk about reviving a thread...
Click to expand...
Die M**********r, Die :smilie beating copier with fists:

^If you fail to understand the above...for the love of all that is good watch Office Space...now. :D
 
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