to grind or trade, that is the question

**NastyNate** · July 26th, 2009, 08:52 PM

Well, just finished my fiirst AR build, and took it out to shoot today. Had 2 failure to load where the bullet got jammed on the feed ramp and the bolt drug over top of the casing, putting a large dent in it. So I noticed that my feed ramp was aweful,that the cuts in the reiever didn't line up with the ones on the barrel. A quick google, and I have an M4 upper reciever, and a standard feed ramp barrel.

The barrel is a used Colt 16" marked C MP 5.56 NATO 1/7. Should I sell or trade it for a barrel with m4 feed cuts, or just dremel the current barrel to work, which I would be comfortable doing. I would really like to trade it for a YHM diamond fluted barrel. What would you do? Grind it, or trade it.

Thanks, Nate

**YBNORMAL** · July 26th, 2009, 11:37 PM

assuming your gunsmithing is up to par, and you get it right, will you want to hold onto this firearm, or sell it? If you ever want to sell it and I was the one looking at it, i would pass on it. Just too many variables on a 900ish doller gun, if your going to keep it, then hack it up and learn something along the way!

remember! measure twice and cut once!

wait, scratch that, cut many many small grinds till you get where you need to be..........you can DO it!

**synergy** · July 27th, 2009, 12:29 AM

IIRC, that steel is some of the toughest steel found in firearms.

I'd price out what it would cost for someone like EGW or Adco to cut it for you.

But that's just me.

**NastyNate** · July 27th, 2009, 07:38 AM

I polish the feed ramps on most of my other guns, but like you said, I may need to resell it. If I am going to put any money into it, its gonna be toward a new barrel assembly. Whats the going rate for a Colt 1/7 C MP barrel these days?

**nfafan** · July 27th, 2009, 07:44 AM

Sell the barrel on Arfcom and get what you need. Someone will happily pay for a genuwine, unmolested Colt barrel for a CAR-15 build.

**NastyNate** · July 27th, 2009, 08:33 AM

yeah that was my concern about cutting it, the Colt name means jack shit to me, but someone else might pay top dollar for it. What is the ballpark price of that barrel, a Colt fsb, delta ring, and CAA m44s quad rail handguard?

**imashooter2** · July 27th, 2009, 08:37 AM

Bah! Cut it and don't look back. The shipping on the barrel swap will be more than you'd lose in resale value unless you butcher the job.

**nfafan** · July 27th, 2009, 09:28 AM

Originally Posted by NastyNate

<snip>

but someone else might pay top dollar for it.

<snip>

Unless your'e in a huge rush, it can't hurt and costs nothing to put it on the various AR classifieds; someone who is a Colt-purist would be happy. Maybe someone with an SP1 that wants to make a CAR-15?

Shiite - they'll pay the HIS to cover it, nothing out of your pocket but the time it takes to sell.

JMHO.