Registered receiver or Lightning Link or something else??

[texas yankee]

I have three Olympic Arms AR-15s with 9mm, 7.62x39, and 5.56 uppera - they all work fine in semi automatic operation. I'm thinking about getting back into the FA world on an AR platform, and I'm wondering about what which approach would give me a more trouble free FA experience - a registered receiver or a Lightning Link, buy a complete FA AR, or some other FA approach ?

If I just went ahead and bought a complete FA AR-15, what components in my existing uppers would I have to modify \ swap out to be able to use them on the "host" AR-15?

THANKS in advance for any guidance !

 

[chili17]

I would go in this order:

DIAS
LL
RR

I might get some flak about the LL over a RR. My reasoning is I would like to swap the LL to separate hosts. Sure you loose the .22 capability, but you can use the valkary belt fed. Plus they are stupid easy to fix.

 

[texas yankee]

Thanks Chris - with a DIAS or LL, realistically speaking, how much tweaking or gunsmithing or fitting or adjusting would I have to do (or probably pay someone to do, in my situation) to get the device to work reliably in at least one of my Olympic Arms AR lowers??

Assume I get the device working with one of the lowers hosting the DIAS or LL, and the 9mm upper - is each upper gonna need tweaking to run reliably?

And which upper \ lower parts would I need to switch out for FA usage? THANKS!

 

[chili17]

Not much. You do need a sp1 carrier for the LL. It is easy to modify an ar15 carrier with a file or mill. IF using a m16 carrier you will need a mill. Occasionally you will need to file a little off the rear lug of an upper.

Most DIAS have been plug and play for me. Once in a great while you will need to shim one.

 

[Concorde]

No offense to Chris, but since you said, "which approach would give me a more trouble free FA experience", then the answer really has to be "REGISTERED RECEIVER" (or the registered receiver as part of an AR converted to select fire). It will work just like your current ARs... simple, easy to swap uppers, no tweaking any more so than a semi-auto AR.

I have registered receiver guns and a DIAS. While the DIAS is more flexible (moving it between ARs but the ARs have to have M16 fire control groups -- the parts being M16 hammer, trigger, disconnect, and selector -- in them anyway), the registered receiver guns are pretty much perfect out of the box.

 

[SecondAmend]

No offense to Chris, but since you said, "which approach would give me a more trouble free FA experience", then it's really "REGISTERED RECEIVER". It will work just like your current ARs... simple, easy to swap uppers, no tweaking any more so than a semi-auto AR....

But make sure the AR uppers are clearance milled out for the auto sear. Not all AR-15 uppers are. I have one that is not, so I have to remember not to try to put it on the M16 lower.

MHO, YMMV, etc.

 

[boofus]

I have to shim my DIAS for every different upper. The RR is the route if you just want to slap an upper on it and go without having to do a bunch of tuning to make it run.

That said the DIAS does offer more flexibility. I've currently got mine in a Colt LE901 modular carbine so it can be everything from a .22LR plinker to a 7.62 NATO battle rifle.

 

[ccosby]

Not much. You do need a sp1 carrier for the LL. It is easy to modify an ar15 carrier with a file or mill. IF using a m16 carrier you will need a mill. Occasionally you will need to file a little off the rear lug of an upper.

Most DIAS have been plug and play for me. Once in a great while you will need to shim one.

Young manufacturing makes a bolt carrier that is already milled for a lightning link, the chrome stripped one is in stock.

No offense to Chris, but since you said, "which approach would give me a more trouble free FA experience", then the answer really has to be "REGISTERED RECEIVER" (or the registered receiver as part of an AR converted to select fire). It will work just like your current ARs... simple, easy to swap uppers, no tweaking any more so than a semi-auto AR.

I have registered receiver guns and a DIAS. While the DIAS is more flexible (moving it between ARs but the ARs have to have M16 fire control groups -- the parts being M16 hammer, trigger, disconnect, and selector -- in them anyway), the registered receiver guns are pretty much perfect out of the box.

I agree with the above. I'd say for the best out of box experience it would be a factory m16 lower. Since most of those are colts and on the higher end side the next would be a tested lower or one that someone has gone through and put back in spec(say an Olympic that m60 joe blue printed). You do have some Olympic lowers that were replaced with newer a2 ones before the atf put a stop to it that should be gtg as well. The colt sp1 and a2 converted guns are large front pin so they need an adapter to run a standard upper(or can be fixed with a standard size hole again by someone like m60 joe).

But make sure the AR uppers are clearance milled out for the auto sear. Not all AR-15 uppers are. I have one that is not, so I have to remember not to try to put it on the M16 lower.

MHO, YMMV, etc.

I don't think this is anywhere near the issue it used to be but yea this was a thing. Almost everything today has the cuts in it(I don't think the hk mr556 does though).

 

[chili17]

Im all types of offended!

Maybe ive been lucky, but ive never had to tweak a LL or dias to my knowledge. I have had to machine or file lugs on the uppers so the would fit in the lower though. Think that was on 2 model 1 uppers

 

[Bugzy]

I'm in 100% agreement with Chili, and all of his comments. Been there, done that, and got the greasy T-Shirt.

 

[SecondAmend]

Im all types of offended!

Maybe ive been lucky, but ive never had to tweak a LL or dias to my knowledge. I have had to machine or file lugs on the uppers so the would fit in the lower though. Think that was on 2 model 1 uppers

The sans auto sear cutout AR upper that I have is on a DPMS Oracle.