Fedx finally got the package
Delivery is tomorrow but I’m only on the other coast of Florida

I've done a lot of business with Chris, many times over. None inside the last 2 years.

The man never did me wrong.


Many have reported opposite experiences though.  

I'm definitely aware. Even back when Shark was getting mostly positive reviews I had a lot of reservations just based off of trying to navigate the website... It just seemed a bit off.

That’s great…. For you…. lol

Mine still shows label created.  

Same here. Well, maybe tomorrow…

Received an email today that had a new tracking number.  This one is now in FedEx hands.

My receiver showed up today
The last one had key hole forging and no feed ramps
This one has feed ramps and no forge marks
Really nice fit
Alot better then the luth I got from their last batch

Good to know about the ramps... I now have an idea of what direction i plan to go with this one...

Any pics of it?
Curious on the finish and whatnot

Email sent

Ditto on above.
I took a chance and ordered one moments ago.

AIRBORNE!!!!!

I'm curious how well they look. I have two A2 projects I want to do. Certainly can't beat the price. I had messaged with them a while back about some other items, but never ordered anything from them.

I am going to try this from my phone…..

https://i.imgur.com/o5ipne1.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/gxGzcdC.jpg

Poop… that didn’t work. Not sure how to post the images from the Imgur app… it’s not the same as the desktop version…


Edit.  Over all, nice looking receiver. Has M4 ramps, smooth finish. Barrel fits well, mil-spec charging handle and BCG fit fine. (I have had upper where the charging handle would not even slide into the notches it was machined so badly).  Fit to the host lower (PSA PA-15) has a little slop, but it’s better than a couple of colt upper lowers I have.

Overall, I am happy with it. Can’t wait till the weekend to assemble it. I am waiting for an A2 sight installation tool… never knew I needed one.

Your pics man....

Attached File


Attached File

Thanks!  I can get it from my desktop, but couldn’t get it from the mobile app.

Just looked at mine at there isn't any touch up paint.  I saw how gray you upper was and thought it was strange, must be the lighting, because I thought mine was black, but its not.

Just wanted to throw my 2 cents in about the A2 uppers from Thundertactical.com. I received the 2 I ordered today and I can second everything seand1111 said about their quality, fit and finish. And for anyone interested here are a couple more photos. Attached File

Here is one right from the package in the middle with a Colt on top and FN on bottom for comparison. Attached File

Here is the second one after applying a little CLP and mating with a PSA lower, a pretty good match.

No showing OOS.

RCA

Yeah, Reddit killed that inventory.

Edit: Temporary basis.

Back in stock at Thunder. Just ordered a couple and received email confirmation. Awaiting a tracking number
💪🏼

Where is one able to obtain the A2 rear sight components needed to build this these days?

They raised the price $10 also. I have a couple raw ones coming. Guess I'll have break out the anodizing equipment!

amherstmilitary.com


jsesupply.com

I bought an A2 last week so this is a list I grabbed from here and there over the last 2 weeks. I have not checked out each place to make sure they are GTG. Use this just as a starting place.


JSE Surplus -  $45 Sold Out

Fulton Armory - $72

Luth AR - $60

Schluder Shots - $38 Sold Out

Al's Custom - Entire upper kit $99 - $119

Amherst Military - $60

Del-Ton - $38 Sold Out - Has Parts

Midweat Gun Works - $50 Sold Out

Shark Arms - Colt - Coming soon

A1 Sport - $65 Out

MA Parts Inc - $55

Gun Parts Corp Has parts

McKay - $89

TNT Sales - $65 Sold Out

Rock River Arms - $69

Compass Lake - $140 National Match sights Fancy stuffs!

Gun Broker - Some pop up on GB - Example Colt $135

Or you use a 6/3 one from a $15 Amazon rear sight or a $50 carry handle

Rear sight components @ https://www.del-ton.com/ar-15-upper-s/93.htm

Good point. I’ve used assemblies from several USGI detachables that were in the parts bin. I actually prefer the 6/3 because of the click values and my eyes won’t let me see 800m unassisted anyway.

Good surplus carry handles pop up on the EE all the time for around $35. In my opinion, it’s a better option than the offshore CHs from Amazon.

My understanding is that the detachable CH sights are not compatible with the A2 receivers.

And you are 100% correct as usual.

Thought I may have been going senile.

Lol, nope not yet... Unless I'm going senile too.

I’m not being argumentative, you guys are much more knowledgeable than I, but I have used them in at least two of my A2 builds, maybe three. They were Colt detachable carry handles. I know an 8/3 will not work in a detachable handle because the threaded post is too long but the 6/3 fit and functioned fine in A2. The adjustments just have a different value.

Now I’m questioning if there was something special about my A2s or the colt CHs. I’ll have to pull them out and investigate further this weekend

ETA: I should add that these were built as plinkers and zeroed at 50. I only have 100 yrds at home so these have not been shot further. I imagine that I would have significant issues if trying to range out to the rifle’s capabilities. Hell, with my old eyes, I can’t see much further anyway

They will fit, just not function correctly due to thread pitch differences.

Attached File

Ordered 2 last night.
Would have ordered sooner, but didn't want to be the guinea pig.
Also have been down south for the winter and by the time others received theirs and posted pictures, It was about time to head home and didn't want to order and have it sitting outside before I got home.
So I waited and it cost me an extra $20

RCA

Yep, and also the index detent spring from the detachable carry handle rear sight isn't made for use with A2 uppers. It's only to be used in the detachable carry handles. > Link.

3 of these springs go to the A2 rear sight assembly and only 2 go to the detachable carry handle rear sight assembly. > Link.

Ah, understood. At least I know I’m not going senile also. I probably should go ahead and grab some A2 sight kits for these before I pass them on to my boys. At the rate things are going, they or their kids may have to one day utilize the capable range of these things. Thank you gentlemen

They seem to be on the ball this go around. I ordered mine on Wednesday and received an active tracking number this morning. The carrier’s ETA says Tuesday delivery.

In the picture above, which sight is the 8/3 and which is the 6/3?

RCA

BTW, the A4 (20" flattop) carry handle should have the 8/3 and the M4 should use the 6/3 sight.

Then there is some confusion because a lot of early commercial carry handles having the sight ledge lower than mil spec.

That also leads to commercial manufacturers using the wrong front sight bases that the above compensated for.  




RCA

A2 top, CH bottom.

Also of note is that CH shaft is shorter also.

The statement quoted in red is incorrect. All mil-spec detachable carry handles, whether they are going on the 20" A4 or the 14.5" M4 are 6/3. There is no 8/3 detachable carry handle unless it was put out there by some commercial manufacturer at some point. As far as I know, nothing like that has ever come from either Colt or FN on the 20" A4s.

I have seen modified flat top uppers that are drilled to accept the longer threaded post of the 8/3 A2 rear sight so that it could be used with a detachable carry handle, but that has never been a factory configuration.


Edit: The shorter height carry handles came about so the commercial manufacturers could continue using A2 FSBs on their barrel assemblies. This actually makes more sense to me vs. the way Colt decided to do things with raising the height of the FSB and making the detachable carry handle to match the FSB's height increase... There might be a good reason that Colt went that route, but I am unclear of the actual reason?

+1

Thanks for correcting me, It was my understanding that the USMC used a different carry handle/sight on the 20" A4.

Also thanks for the reply, it has been 20+ years since I've had an unassembled A2 sight.



So the A2 has longer but coarser thread!?

RCA

8/3 =
Attached File


6/3 DCH=

Attached File

I done some research a week ago. From my research on the A2 sights, I found out there were 3 main types. A 6/3 which is the ones found on carry handles and the Amazon $16 ones here - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B095WBLX2N

Then there is the 8/3 ones that normally are found on the A2 uppers. There are two types of these. The standard 8/3 1 MOA click ones and the NM (National Match) 1/2 MOA click ones.

The 6/3 ones are normally all 1/2 MOA click ones.

So after researching for a couple nights, I found out the main difference between the 6/3 and the 8/3 was mainly the stem length. The 8/3 has a longer stem and will raise up enough to shoot out to 800 meters. The carry handle and Amazon ones (6/3 and will shoot out 600 meters) have a shorter stem. Any longer, then it would protrude out the bottom and not mount up.

Now me, not even planning on shooting out 600 meters and usually I just set my sights at 25 yards and leave them there forever, I figure the 6/3 will be fine with me. I will mostly be zeroing it by the front sight anyways. Just being able to move the rear sight any, was a bonus for me. So I already have a few carry handles I bought from a sale at DVOR for $13 each. So I order one of the Amazon sights and also order a proper LuthAR 8/3 sight. Yesterday I finally have all my parts in.

First I tried the Amazon sight. All went ok. I even took pictures but somehow managed to delete them. Then I tried the $13 carry handle. It went ok too and I saved the pictures.

Here was what was not 100% correct. The small springs on the 6/3 are a tad shorter than the 8/3 sight. So I stretched them out a millimeter or two and they worked fine (if you just drop something in the hole to take up some of the depth, you wouldn't even need to stretch the spring). The roll pin that holds the stem in place was a tad small. It worked ok but I would want to get a larger one out of my $6 Harbor Freight roll pin kit if I was planning on leaving the sight on there permanent. (I mainly did this because so many said I could not do it)

So what is my opinion and verdict? If you are strapped for cash, can't find the proper A2 sight, do not plan on shooting 800 meter targets, plan on setting the sights and leaving them, and/or do not care about being 100% correct, use the the 6/3 sights. I mainly did it just to see if it could be done.

Pictures - https://imgur.com/a/LVkn5Z0

The "reason" had to do with greed.  Something about Colt needing proprietary parts to patent and retain exclusive ownership over the guns it was producing ala "Smallarmssolutions".

I was about to hit "submit" on a couple raw uppers wednesday, held off a day and saw that the anodized were back in stock. I ordered two yesterday, got a tracking number that evening, and Fed Ex update today with delivery time of Tuesday.



Nice explanation of the different sight types. I've been looking at all the vendors and noticing subtle differences on the sights. I wasn't sure what was what. Somewhere I have a detachable carry handle I keep running across. I wasn't sure if the sight on that could be yanked and put on the A2 upper. I think I'll just get a couple 6/3 ones. These will never get used past 100 yrds....and usually 20-40 yrds.

About to pull the trigger on an A2 upper from thunderguns.com.
My question is if using a 20" barrel, what front sight base would you use? My understanding is F marked is designed for flattop receivers.

Curious on this as well.  My understanding is you can use either but you are supposed to use a non F marked one.  The F marked base has a 0.040" higher shelf.  If you use a F the sight post may be higher or lower than the normal amount.  Lots of options for post heights also.  All of my A2 or CH uppers are all set up for RIBZ but I don't have a 20" yet.  That's what I am going to build for the next A2 that is in route.  Been thinking about playing with a thinner post for this build as well but not really keen on a smaller aperture.  At least not a 0.030" NM type aperture.  Really wish I knew someone with a NM type setup that I could handle to see what would work right for my older eyes.

I personally like to take a square tapered A2 front sight post, chuck it in a drill press, and use a file to turn it down to .060", which is about halfway between the National Match sight (.050") and standard A2. (.070).

Gives a little finer sight picture without being so narrow that it is hard to pick up in the field as when using a National Match front sight post.

This also gives a straight untapered side, which I find easier to use.

RCA

I am building a M16A1 right now and my understanding is they use a round front sight like this. I have like a dozen A2 square front sights here in various heights. It is not a big thing but, my OCD tells me I need the round sight post. Drill press and a file may just cure my OCD. If it fails, then I will just spend the 10 bucks.