Opinions on hardened arms

[Will]

Been looking at 300 blackout uppers for a while and really can't make my mind up.

Anyone have much experience with hardened arms http://www.hardenedarms.com/ecProduct_312_31

Dad has a 5.56 and 300 blackout upper he got from them last year in a different configuration. So far his seem to be good but he hasn't shot them a lot.

When it comes to AR's I'm pretty picky. I like stainless barrels and full length slim free float handguards. Anything else just doesn't feel right.

There are lots of AR manufactures out there and I have a hard time telling much difference between ones priced at $5-600 and ones priced around $1,000.

 

[Ian]

I can tell right off that something isn't right. They say the upper comes with a BCM charge handle and picture a Raptor charge handle, which goes for about $30 more than most of the BCMs and is well worth the difference.

A top-quality forged, assembled upper runs about $100, as does a NiBo BCG. Charge handle shown is $85, so there's a little under $300 in parts, then you add a gas block, gas tube, barrel, muzzle device, and handguard with nut and you'd be hard-pressed to build it yourself for that price unless you were very strategic in your purchases.

I'd add a 1:7 CMMG barrel and Midwest Industries slim FF handguard to the build and that would add another $325 or so plus freight, minimum $40 for basic lo-pro gas block and tube and whatever it costs for a decent muzzle device, so you're bumping over $700 in parts alone to build a similar upper without an SS barrel (but with a very good quality Mellonized chrome-moly barrel). Bottom line is if they're making any money on these they're saving a lot on the barrel and/or handguard. Personally I'd just spend $25 on an upper vise block, shop the parts myself so I knew exactly what I was getting, and spend an hour screwing it together.

 

[Will]

I see what you are saying I just haven't taken the plunge into buying all the tools necessary for assembling a AR.

I still haven't made my mind up. Most of my learning on projects like this in the past have gotten expensive.

 

[Missionary]

Always remember the investment in tools is never a dead end return. Buy good used tools and they do not depreciate.

 

[Full.lead.taco]

I have friends who have bought about 5 of their uppers and have had no issues. 3 of them were 300 blk uppers, and 2 of them were 5.56 uppers.

 

[300BLK]

I know 2 guys who bought inexpensive Hardened Arms 300BLK uppers, and I've seen both of them in action. They are accurate and have been trouble free. Both of these guys are shooting cast bullets 160gr and heavier.

My own built uppers were ala carte and considerably more expensive. Like Ian, I prefer the slender, lightweight, free float handguards to the "cheese grater" quad rail. While I have nickel boron BCGs, I'm wondering if they are really better than a melonite BCG.

 

[Ian]

My only complaint about the Nickel-Boron coating is it won't stay wet. Supposedly they don't "need" lubrication, but I disagree. The Parkerized BCGs will stay lubed a lot longer but tend to be scritchy and rough until they finally break in.

 

[Full.lead.taco]

I will say that the crud comes off the nickel-boron bcg's a lot easier when cleaning.

 

[Ian]

I will say that the crud comes off the nickel-boron bcg's a lot easier when cleaning.

It sure does!

 

[300BLK]

There is no doubt that nickel boron cleans easily. I've seen a glossy, black BCG in an Olympic Arms that just might be melonite, and its slick and cleaned easily.

 

[Ian]

Might have been Teflon? There's a coating involving nickel and Teflon that I don't have any experience with yet but sounds like it would be the berries.

 

[300BLK]

Might have been Teflon? There's a coating involving nickel and Teflon that I don't have any experience with yet but sounds like it would be the berries.

Nickel teflon has been around for lots of years. It resembles electroless nickel and is used on couplings for drilling rigs. There is or was a company in Az called Robar that did their NP3 finish on a 1911 that I had 25+ years ago.