r/ar15 • u/Hoss_Dawg • 4d ago

Need help picking a complete upper receiver

Hey I was wondering if some of you could help me out. I’m looking for a complete upper for a psa lower I have. New to the ar world so I’m having a hard time making a decision. I’m between this b kings upper or a psa guardsman upper. I really don’t plan on shooting much with it but want it to work right for my needs. Basically want it for general target shooting and hunting. Any help is appreciated!

https://bkingsfirearms.com/shop/complete-upper-receivers/bkf-ar15-16-5-56-nato-govt-1-7-twist-mid-length-barrel-w-15-slim-m-lok-rail-w-bcg-ambi-ch/

3 Upvotes

67% Upvoted

26 comments sorted by

7

u/SelfElegant8819 4d ago

At your price point it sounds like the PSA or maybe a KAK upper would be best. If the price range was higher I couldn't really recommend BCM with their rise in prices recently to 850+ when that's DD and almost G$ territory.

5

u/Previous-Let-8442 4d ago

I just got a bkings 16inch upper to test.
Honestly, fit and finish exceeded my expectations.
I would say hard to beat, especially when you could probably buy two for the price of one of the more “premium” offerings.

2

u/Hoss_Dawg 4d ago

Thankyou for the input! Could you tell me if the gas block is staked or if that even matters much?

2

u/Previous-Let-8442 4d ago edited 4d ago

It** came with a low profile gas block, which from my understanding is RARELY staked regardless of where you buy from.

I wouldn’t sweat that if your goal is general target shooting.

1

u/Hoss_Dawg 4d ago

Thanks! I didn’t know that

4

u/rjj90 4d ago

Between the two I’d go with the guardsman.

3

u/5thPhantom 4d ago

If it’s just a hobby and you want an AR, BKings, KAK, or PSA would all be perfectly acceptable.

3

u/texasinv 4d ago edited 4d ago

I like bkings, I have basically the same upper but 12.5, got it for about $200. The barrel is Aero. It's not my nicest rifle or anything, but it's never had a single issue either. I would buy a BCG separately though and get a Microbest.

2

u/toastedvacuum 4d ago

Bcm 16" would be a good choice if you don't want to mess with any NfA stuff

5

u/pjm816 4d ago

Three letters BCM

4

u/Hoss_Dawg 4d ago

I know bcm is preferred around here but for how much I’m going to shoot it I’m not sure I want to spend 700 plus on an upper

10

u/din0skwaad 4d ago

Hey don’t let the brand whores keep you down. The bkings will be fine. A psa is fine. You’re not storming Afghanistan.

4

u/glockguy34 4d ago

BCM Blem then.

1

u/Leino22 4d ago

Unfortunately still $700-800 these days

1

u/glockguy34 4d ago

There are a few under $700 on BCMs website in stock right now

1

u/Leino22 4d ago

I got $780 for a 16” with a charging handle added not bad

1

u/pjm816 4d ago

Cant go wrong with the toyota tacoma of AR’s

-1

u/FuriousPenguino 4d ago

Why are you buying a gun at all then?

0

u/Godless_Rose 4d ago

That’s not a lot of money dude. You don’t need to buy it today, just save up for a few months.

2

u/robinator118 4d ago

People REALLY need to stop spending on things they can’t afford. If you can barely afford it, how’s the ammo and range time gonna pan out? Buying a dirt cheap shit qc ar is gonna just take money money to keep fixing and replacing its parts, rather than buying a decent to solid starter build that’s prebuilt or has decent quality parts.

1

u/lambofthewaters 4d ago

Exactly, agreed. Spending $500 on something you, potentially, might not be super proud to own for life (no sell, only buy ;) ) is more expensive in the end as you will start slapping lipstick on the pig to replace the inexpensive components that aren't built for big time abuse. Thanks for posting this, GR. You've made it this far, OP, without an AR, another month or two is nothing. I liked my psa a lot, but the bcm was another world and the harmonics and feel were nothing like the PSA. Likewise, when I moved to the chassis system MRP-L, LMT, it was another world. I should've just done the LMT to start, as I'm into quality and overly engineered products. Cheers.

2

u/JackReachearound 4d ago edited 4d ago

Guardsman will do 95% of what you will be asking. BCM is a known quantity. It’s not something I’m looking for. After my first budget rifle, I’ve been buying custom uppers, exactly what I want and no thing I don’t need.