Forum Friends - My go to company that I purchased several complete AR uppers several years back has now closed (Hardened Arms) and before anyone says anything bad about HA, Every AR upper (three units) I purchased from them has worked flawlessly....Hated they were not able to stay open when the AR market went down....So now I am looking to purchase a mid-level Complete AR upper (or at least a complete upper less the BCG and charging handle)that I can shoot on occasion but not in competition....

I ran across a veteran owned company named Radical Firearms and wanted to ask if anyone can provide feedback on their equipment...Not asking for anyone to SLAM this company so if you have had less than successful results please respond in a manner that allows your message to be understood without dragging their name through the mud...Thanks Mark

So, I've owned two of their uppers. One was a 7.5"/5.56 upper. Accuracy was pretty bad and I did occasionally have rounds keyhole. This upper was sold pretty quickly.

Second is 11.5" upper in 300 BO. This upper shoots great and haven't had any issues with it. You should be aware that Radical Arms is considered a somewhat lower tier company, so you should be able to purchased an upper for a pretty good price.

Also,since this is a Sig forum, and you do have Sig in your name, you might look into a Sig 556 upper. You will have to look around/be patient, but Sig/dealers have been trying to unload these since they are discontinued and you might be able to pick one up for $5-600 if you get lucky. At that price they are an extremely good value.

Compare prices & availability with RRA and PSA. I’ve had pretty good luck with both.

I bought a bargain 300 BLK barrel from Radical to replace a poorly chambered barrel. Less than $90 delivered, it has been a good shooter.

I have a 10.5" upper in .300 Blackout from them. My dad and I use it for quiet nocturnal pest elimination. Functions fine with supers or subs, suppressed or noisy, and it's accurate enough for coyotes and raccoons out to 100 yds.

Thanks guys for the honest feedback. I will go into this purchase carefully and I will also look at the RRA uppers...I see they have a larger selection in the 5.56/.223 arena which is what I am wanting....I should have provided a little more detail in my original post...

I am wanting an 18” barrel with at least a 15” front hand guard that is a “flat top” model allowing optics to be directly mounted without the need for a riser....Thank again for taking time to provide your comments and suggestions.....Mark

I was putting together two AR lowers a few years ago, then bought complete uppers. The plan was to go with 18” for all around use.

I bought one from RRA and the other from Bravo Co Manufacturing, BCM. No doubt there were/are some a little cheaper out there, but both have been quality.

My 6.5 Grendel upper from PSA has fine, but my personal rate is BCM & RRAs a bit higher.

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5.56/.223 arena which is what I am wanting....I am wanting an 18” barrel with at least a 15” front hand guard that is a “flat top” model allowing optics to be directly mounted without the need for a riser....Thank again for taking time to provide your comments and suggestions.....Mark

Mark, what is your max budget on this upper? I have something you will really like, and it's not Radical Firearms. Shoot me an email.

Not sure what your intended use is. But if you want something that is a real tack driver take a look at RRA's National Match and Varmint uppers. Basically anything in .223 Wylde with a heavy stainless barrel. Plus they are pretty reasonably priced.

I bought an older Varmint upper from RRA and have nothing but good things to say about it. While I don't have one myself,I looked at Radical a while back but get many mixed reviews from other forums.

Radical had some known issues a while back (a couple years) of having barrels coming unscrewed from the barrel extension.

I believe that they have corrected the cause of this problem, as reports have gone away.



They wouldn't be my first choice unless it is all that you can find, which may be the case.

Just put your own upper together, it’s pretty easy after watching a YouTube video or two and the investment in tools is pretty small. Even less if you already have a vice and torque wrench or access to one.

I put a faxon .223 Wylde barrel on an aero precision upper and the thing is dead nuts. Haven’t even put it on a bench with match ammo but I get much better groups with it than my other AR. I don’t even have a fancy trigger for it yet. Just an ALG

I bought a 300 BO upper from them about 2 years ago. I think it was on sale for $179. It's been a good shooter and no issues.

Everyone - Thanks again for taking time to post your thoughts, comments, and experiences. I learned a lot from this thread. I also was provided the opportunity to purchase from Q (12131) a very nice complete upper that he has had in his collection since 2005 and it fits my needs perfectly.

Q, being the generous guy that we all know, provided me a very fair price (actually accepted my offer and said it was the same price he was thinking of) so with this purchase I am set up with an upper that will allow me to reach way out there with reloaded 5.56 rounds.....Now the hunt begins to locate a lower that matches this upper (Altor)....

I am pretty OCD when it comes to my weapons and prefer not to have a different brand lower if one is available made by the same company.
I placed a WTB ad in the classifieds here so if you know anyone that has a Vltor lower (complete or stripped) please ask them to email me (in my profile). Thanks again to 12131 for allowing me to own a piece of your collection. Knowing that this upper was built 15 years ago actually excites me as we all know the quality that was around at that time.

Greatly appreciate all of you for your comments, suggestions, and feedback. Once I get this Long Range AR project finished I will post pictures....Mark