Product Spotlight: BRN-15 Upper Receiver Deep Dive

Brownells Gun Tech™ Caleb Savant gives us an in-depth look at what makes our BRN-15 upper receiver unique. He's using the 16" barreled model as an example, but everything he says about it applies to the other BRN-15 barrel lengths as well. The receiver itself is a standard forged 7075 T6 aluminum "mil-spec" receiver, which means maximum compatibility with lower receivers and upgrade parts. The anodizing on the receiver and handguard is unusually high-quality, with a very even, smooth surface that actually has a slight sheen to it. (Don't worry, it's not glossy.)

 

The BRN-15's truly unique feature is its full-length aluminum free-floating handguard. It clamps to the barrel nut via two robust crossbolts that actually go THROUGH the nut to keep the handguard locked in place. Anti-rotation tabs further prevent the 'guard from twisting around the barrel nut, so any accessories mounted on it stay properly aligned. This is a very slim handguard so it fits comfortably in the hand. There's the customary full-length M1913 Picatinny rail on top that lines up with the receiver rail, and full-length rows of M-LOK® slots at 3, 6 and 9 o'clock. There are pairs of M-LOK® up front at the 1:30, 5:30, 7:30 and 9:30 positions. Plenty of open vents allow for excellent air circulation to cool the barrel AND make this handguard surprisingly lightweight.

 

The barrel nut is made of the same extra-strong 4150 chrome-moly-vanadium steel alloy as the barrel. The stress-relieved barrel has 1-7" twist rifling that'll stabilize all the common bullet weights, with a tough, wear-resistant black Nitride finish on the exterior. The gas block is NOT coming loose. It is secured by two screws protruding into dimples in the barrel, with a bit of high-temperature thread-locker to keep them from backing out. There's a standard A2 flash hider on the muzzle. On the Lightweight 16" barrel, it is secured by a lock nut, so remember to back off that lock nut first if you want to remove the A2.

 

The BRN-15 comes at an unusually affordable price for such a high-quality upper receiver assembly. The handguard alone could cost almost as much as the entire receiver assembly! You can get your BRN-15 upper complete, with a standard "mil-spec" charging handle and Brownells M16-type bolt-carrier group. Or you can get it without the BCG and charging handle, so you can customize it with components that fit your specific needs.