I have the following two rifles:
16" DD Lightweight with T1 and 3X mag.
Rem 700 SPS Tac, HS stock, Leupold M3 LRT glass.
(see pics below)
My thought is to sell the bolt gun, the magnifier, and the barrel out of the DD. With the proceeds, I would purchase a 16" SS Recon barrel (Noveske or BCM). I would also purchase a complete factory DD MK18. The T1, KAC sights, and light from my current setup would go on the MK18. The recon barrel would go in the current DD gun and a Leupold Mark AR or something would go on it.
That would leave me with an SBR fighting rifle and a 556 mid-range precision rifle. Would you do it? 1/2 of it? Good idea or bad idea?
What caliber is the Remington? What reticle do you have in the Leupold?
There’s no reason you can’t use the 16" for self defense. Do you plan on suppressing the Mk 18 upper? IMO they’re really designed for use with a suppressor. If I’m going to design a defensive AR for unsuppressed use it’s going to have a good 14.5" or 16" barrel like you have.
You’re going to lose money selling the DD barrel, I’d get either the Mk-18 upper or a complete SPR upper and then decide if you want to sell the 16". Sell the magnifier to save toward the Mk 18 or SPR upper.
Would you receive enough money from the sold items to cover the purchase of the new stuff?
Also, I assume the 700 is a .308, do you not like it? I can understand the desire to have the SBR, but would the precision AR be much of an improvement over the 700? An improvement at all? The size difference in the rounds alone is something to look at. Not sure if you are a hunter or not, but I know that you can’t hunt large game with .223/5.56 in most places.
Before you buy or sell anything, put the scope on your current DD and see how it shoots. It may be that your current carbine is accurate enough without having to replace the barrel. Once you find out, you can plan better
The 700 is .308. The Leupold has the old USMC football mil dots.
I like the 700 well enough. It shoots well. There are two problems: The closest range worth shooting the .308 at is only 700 yds max and 2 hrs away. The second problem is cost of ammo. By comparison, I can get 20 rnds of Black Hills 175 (this is what I’ve found the rifle to shoot best with) for $28. I can get 50 rnds of Black Hills 75gr .223 for $36. Probably less if I went with the remanufactured Black Hills, and I already have 100rdns on-hand. The SPR .223 wil do 700 just fine. Then I’d have commonality with ammo, mags, parts, etc.
Fair enough, I’ll check it out.
Here’s the real driver: I tried to put everything on the table to determine what I really want/need. I keep coming up with an SBR as being the best choice for an all around defensive weapon due to it’s small size. In the SBR’s I like the MK18 from DD.
That leaves the question, “What about shots over 200yds?” That’s where the SPR comes in. Lighter and faster than a bolt gun. Adequate performance out to 700 yds. I live in the Southeast US. There aren’t many 700 yd shots around here.
As far as price/swapping is concerned, I figure the breakdown goes like this:
700 SPS TAC, Steel bedded into HS Precision LTR stock, Badger Bolt Knob, Muzzle threaded 5/8x24 with thread protector - $700.
Leupold Vari-X III LR/T 3.5-10X40, M3 .308 Cam, Mil dot - $700.
Nightforce 20 MOA Base, Nightforce Rings - $200.
Aimpoint magnifier w/Larue flip mount - $450.
The other thought is to get the Smartgunner $655 upper deal with a 10.3 and 9.0 Lite rail so I could run an M42000, and send my DD lower back to let DD Form 4 it. The SPR and the SBR could share lowers until I saved up and built another.
That one goes $2050:
DD SBR - $812 (Including BCG, Smartgunner)
NFA Tax - $200
Leupold VXR - $600
ADM Mount - $180
$258 left over.
That almost buys a complete BCM blem lower ($289 from Grant w/ buttstock) to put the SPR upper on…hmmmm
I think the 2 rifles you have will never let you down, nor would I feel undergunned with them. That said, if you want to change go for it. You only live once. Only you can decide.
Well you don’t have to change the barrel on the AR right away. There’s no downside to getting glass for it and shooting it first. If you don’t like it then you can trade your 16" DD CHF for a 16" BCM CHF or whatever you were thinking. Right? DD SBR sounds nice, let us know how it is when you get it.
So I have 5-6 months (waiting for ATF paperwork) to find a deal on a used NF. (to go on my 16" gun, not the MK18) I discussed the purchase with my wife, and my max budget is $1200. Do you think I’ll be able to find a Mil/Mil ZS 2.5-10 NF for $1200? Any better options within that budget?
Deals can always be found, you just have to take time and look. Patience, not my strong suit, has always yielded the best products and best price but you have to keep looking.
I learned the hard way, and it was the only way I could afford my toys… Example: a DD omega 9" for $160. A 16" DD barrel $120.
Both were new. Took me 6 months to find at that price.
Just keep looking. They are there. Patience grasshopper, that’s what I keep telling myself:D
You my friend have been bit by the AR bug. Other than AR’s I own a few ,22’s, nothing more. My precision rifle for work as a LEO sniper is even a Noveske 16" Recon with a NightForce 2.5-10. I own an SBR and suppressor but tend to think of it as more of a toy than my go to self defense carbine. I’ve carried a 14.5 with pinned battlecomp for quite awhile and prefer that to all others if the need arose.
