Hello, does anyone have experience with the JP Enterprise VTAC rifle system or upper. I am thinking about buying an upper because I live in the Republic of Kalifornia and I only have one registered lower.
I read the book by Kyle Lamb Green Eyes Black Guns. Great info, pushing the VTAC rifle.
So what do you guys and gals think?
If you are into gun games, then it makes sense. Other than that, I would pass.
C4
I have two uppers with the VTAC handguard system and like them both.
If you donāt plan on running more than a light and possibly a VFG and still want a free floated barrel it is an excellent choice.
I went through two of Bennie Cooleyās carbine classes last year and was extremely impressed with his rifle. We also had a few students who ran the JP uppers with no problems.
If you have the coin then go for it.
I bought the VTAC/LE upper July of '07. I only have 1,100 rounds through it so far, but not a single issue has popped up.
I followed JPās break-in instructions almost, but not quite to the letter, and havenāt cleaned it since then. With the 16" barrel and my reloads, Iām getting 3/4 to 1" groups at 100 yds. Havenāt had a chance to get farther away than that yet. My loads are not āhotā or bench-rest by any means, 62 FMJās doing about 2800 fps and 55 FMJās doing 2950 fps.
The only option I got on it is the comp they sell, (Iām pretty sure itās a Bennie Cooley,) everything else is set up for duty, (standard not lightweight bolt & carrier, etcā¦) not competition. The standard barrel is a Cryoād 1-in-8 twist.
This is the first comped gun Iāve owned. With a non-comped 16", the dot will almost bounce completely off the target with every shot, with the comp it stays in the A-zone.
The handguard is itās weak point. Cool because you attach rails only where you wantā¦rather than just being able to attach things at 90 degrees, itās got attachment points at 45 degrees as well. (8 points going around the handguard instead of 4.) Since thereās only rails where you want, youāre not gouging your hand on rails that youāre not using. On the other hand, thereās not much there for insulation so it gets hot quick. Really, really hot, quick. They have a heat sink that goes under the handguard Iām going to look into.
When I was going through the buying process I talked to them on 3 seperate occassions and each time I made it a point to ask how their stuff compares to Mil-Spec. The response was pretty much the sameā¦immediate laughter followed by āWe exceed Mil-Spec in every possible way.ā They then went on very patiently and explained mil-spec and how they exceed it. As far as customer service goes, they were great when I was buying it, and twice since when I had questions. I donāt know how theyād handle a problem because I havenāt had any yet, but my guess is theyād be very good.
I like it enough that Iāll buy a lower for it soon, and possibly another complete rifle from them. Several of my friends, all 3-gun shooters, have their rifles and swear by them. JP heavily supports USPSA and 3-gun.
If you donāt know about the Off List Lower in CA check out Calguns.net. You are able to build Ar-15 series off the ban list thus JP are offlist and is allowed in CA with exception to the rule. As far as the upper goes, I have their complete CTR-02 and JP-15 rifles and had no issues with them at all and very accurate.
Thanks very much for the input. I like the idea of attaching rails where you need them. But the overheating issue I am concerned. I wear nomex gloves every time I shoot the AR, and during quals for my agency.
This will be used for fun and latter when I change agencies and I can use it on the job.
Ok, I am looking at the Noveske upper VTAC setup with the 14.5 barrel and the pinned flash hider. I am thinking of getting the PIG flash hider. Some of my guys bought the PIG and they like it. They said it reduces the ācrackā of the 223 round.
Any comments. I heard the PIG was needed for the M-4 SBR and not needed for the 14.5 barrels.
I would like to ask if you could provide more information why you would pass JP. I am looking at JP and wonder if I have missed something. I always though that JP makes quality rifles. Thank you.
Gamer guns are set up in a specific way to optimize speed and accuracy. This usually means that that have a light single stage trigger, components that maybe more on the fragile side and the chambers tend to me on the tighter side.
I personally like a lot of JP products, but none of them are on my fighting/training weapons.
C4
No experience of owning one, but I shot a class next on the line to a gentleman who ran JP upper (maybe complete rifle, I donāt know for sure). The upper had VTAC handguards, heat sink, and adjustable gas block - looks like it was optioned at the higher end of their offerings. The class was a very high round count and high rate of fire, and JP didnāt do well. The gent kept clearing malfunctions and I believe he finished that class with another weapon. I donāt know what ammo he used and I didnāt look into what kind of malfunctions they were. Sample size of 1, of course.
I see. They offer also the JP/VTAC with a 16" barrel, it is said that this variant is more for LEO and military folks, perhaps it is more robust or less finicky than the JP-15.
May I ask you another question, I know that you know quite a bit about ARs since you build them for a living and would like to benefit from your experience.
I am looking for an accurate (like 1 MOA or less) and not too heavy (7 - 8 lbs) and durable AR-15 with either a 16" or 18" barrel. What would you recommend?