I’m thinking of doing a Recce, using a Noveske Recon barrel. The lower I was planning on using has a Geissele SSA trigger; it currently has a CTR telestock. Sould I replace the CTR with a UBR? I handled a UBR and it felt pretty heavy- will the improved balance outweigh the increased total weight?
Centurion Arms build a nice RECCE based on the Mk12 SPR barrel that has been sized to 16 inches.
Any reviews of the Centurion barrel yet?
lots… they’re excellent barrels.
as far as the stock- are you building a recce for a recce-esque application? if i were to build another recce, i’d stick with an M4 stock… i’m generally all about balance, but with medium profile stainless barrels and long rails, there’s not enough stock on earth to “balance” it out. all you’re doing is adding more pain.
I am a big fan of UBRs…but its b/c they bring so much more than any other stock out there other than perhaps a current spec SOPMOD.
The extra weight is in the one location that imho its generally only going to make a gun balance out better, the rear…sure carrying it will be a bit more heavy, but once you shoulder the rifle and get that incredible cheek weld…zero movement at any area on the stock…and to your point lastly, they balance both my SPR and my Recon (pic’d below) perfectly. The main reason why i got hooked on the UBR was the fact that both of my ubrs went on the heavier precision based guns and for this purpose, the UBR is flat out unbeatable and for me at least a gamechanger.
I’ve tried UBRs but I prefer the cheek weld from an LMT SOPMOD or Magpul ACS
I built a Recce that could be my favourite rifle and it originally had an LMT SOPMOD which I replaced with the Magpul UBR. I had lowers that had the SOPMOD and also the Magpul CTR which was too light for my Recce. While fit and feel are personal I found the UBR balances a 16" Recce with an optic perfectly and feel fantastic for LOP and cheek weld.
Cameron
IMO the UBR is too heavy for practical application.
Centurion barrels shoot really well as do Noveske, and LaRue. You can’t really go wrong either either of the 3.
I’ve been running an Emod on my recce since I built it but tried the upper on a lower with a UBR a while back and I must admit, it felt very nice. Been wanting to pick one up for that rifle for a while now but I’m happy enough with the vltor that I haven’t gotten around to it… Starts getting to be a bit of a pig for a 16" gun, but whats a few extra ounces at the butt of the rifle when it is (as has been mentioned) fairly heavy to begin with.
I definitely wouldn’t run the CTR on there if it were me. If not the UBR then an ACS or Emod (or Imod maybe) - or a Sopmod if that’s your thing.
On a side note, I built mine with the Noveske recce barrel and could not be happier with it. Those centurion barrels are mighty nice as well tough.
The only way that you will truly know is to try it out. I placed a MagPul CTR on my Recon rifle, primarily because I wanted to have the same stock on all of my guns.
I don’t own a UBR, but I have used one on other shooters rifles. It is a very nice stock. Senior Member Jeff USMC03 has a website with a primer regarding matching particular stocks to certain types of AR rifles. There is some very useful information there for you to consider.
LINK:http://www.03designgroup.com/technotes/ar15-buttstock-considerations
Lastly, yes a CTR stock will result in a muzzle heavy rifle if you are using the Noveske Recon 16" stainless steel barrel. I like my rifles to be muzzle-heavy but that’s just me. Bottom-line it is truly personal preference.
SkiDevil
The rifle pictured below with a loaded 30 RD HK magazine is over 10.5 LBS. in weight.
Okay then the next big choice would be what optic to use.
Many of the Recces I have seen on this site have 1-4X variables, but in another thread I learned this about the original ones:
“The original whatever you want to call them- Recces, SPRs, MK 12s (we usually just say “sniper M4”) had a 16” barrel, Leupold 2.5-10 and a PRI foregrip. They were first used operationally in '93 in Somalia by our guys that were attached to our Southern brethren."
Recce users, what say you on this?
To me a recce and SPR are two very distinct guns.
A recce is able to be used in CQB in a pinch due to the size, and optic. An SPR is a dedicated light sniper platform that would be be a real hindrance in a CQB environment. Accuracy is similar but the application of that accuracy is very different.
I am much more confident in my ability to score hits at range with the SPR than a recce.
I’m going to throw in my vote for a Magpul ACS. I put one on my recce set up and it balances quite nicely. I used the 16" centurion light weight barrel.
Without an optic (still saving for a TR 24) and unloaded, the balance sits about an inch in front of the trigger guard, right in the magwell.
I’d say ACS or EMOD with BCM Stickers over the gap. Both have a bit more weight (can be added to with batteries in the storage), which will tame muzzle-heaviness if you want to go that route.
That said, I’m running a preproduction UBR on my Centurion Mk12
how is a sopmod different/better than, say, an Emod? I find the cheekweld to be practically identical. is it something else?
The cheekweld never moves no matter what what position the stock is in for one, two it locks up every bit as tight as a fixed A2 when in a position, thirdly it allows preset positions, fourthly it has a huge, easily assessable storage capacity.
sopmods fit snug on LMT receiver extensions, but so do most quality stocks. i’ve had sopmods literally rattle on non-LMT REs- especially the tan ones, for some reason.
as to the other three points… huh? the cheekweld moves if the stock moves, on either stock. are you thinking of the UBR?
The max range my Recce would be used at would be 600m. Is the 1-4X enough for that?
LOL…indeed I am…gotta run, short bus is honking out front;)
reasons why I personally like the sopmod second best would be the actual LMT Rec. Ext, I also like how easily you can pop the actual stock on and off.
Centurion makes a great barrel. I have their cl barrel so it’s a little different than what you want. But, Centurion is on the same level as any top top tier barrel manufacture.