For builders of sporting rifles, there are two main avenues you can take when it comes to choosing an upper.

You can buy a stripped upper and then all the other parts separately, or you can buy an assembled upper, which will come with the vast majority (if not all) of the upper parts already installed.

Here’s what to know.

What Is a Stripped Upper?

A stripped upper is literally a forged or machined piece of aluminum that houses all of the upper parts, like the barrel and BCG. It, like the lower, is one of two receivers that accepts the other parts of a sporting rifle, hence the name.

Why a Stripped Upper?

There are numerous advantages to buying a stripped upper for your build as opposed to building with an assembled upper. Here are some of the most significant.

  • Stripped uppers enable you greater flexibility when it comes to customization, as you need to pick and choose the rest of the parts.
  • Building with a stripped upper is more hands-on and less “plug and play.”
  • You can buy a stripped upper for a lower price than an assembled, complete upper (but you will still need to buy all of the rest of the parts).
  • Building with a stripped upper will force you to evaluate all the parts you choose separately to ensure they are compatible and operational together, which will be highly educational.

What Is an Assembled Upper?

By contrast to a stripped upper, an assembled upper is an upper receiver that has all of the other upper components installed.

Typically, an assembled upper will come with a barrel and muzzle device, gas system, handguard, charging handle, forward assist, ejection port cover, and sometimes other parts. It may or may not come with a bolt carrier group (or BCG), which will be needed, so check the listing before buying.

Why an Assembled Upper?

Just as there are advantages to building with a stripped upper, there are many to building with an assembled upper.

  • An assembled upper will come with most if not all of the AR parts you need already pre-installed. It’s basically the “plug and play” avenue.
  • If you don’t know that much about gun parts or what to pair together, a complete upper makes the process easier.
  • It is much faster and more convenient to pair a complete upper to a lower than it is to build out a complete upper starting with a stripped upper.
  • Not all parts are compatible, so building with an assembled upper can give peace of mind that all the parts will work together as intended.

With all of this being said, it is important to stress that neither is better than the other. It all comes down to what your goals are and what you expect to get out of the process.

Do I Need an FFL Transfer?

No, you do not need an FFL transfer to buy either a stripped or an assembled upper. The lower receiver is what is serialized and regulated as the “gun” itself, so that will need an FFL transfer, but the upper is considered more of a gun part and can be bought without one.

Where to Shop Assembled Uppers

Whether you ultimately intended to go with a stripped or an assembled upper, visit MCS Gearup. In addition to a wide range of uppers, they carry an exhaustive catalog of AR, ARP, and SBR parts, along with AR lower parts kits. In short, they offer everything you need to build or customize a rifle minus the lower receiver. Visit their website to see what they offer today.

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