BRN16A2 5.56 20" COMPLETE UPPER RECEIVER Reviews & Ratings

This is what I had in MCRD boot camp back in 2005. Great rifle. Brownells made it right. Thank you Brownells.

I purchased this out of nostalgia. I was issued this rifle in basic training and hated the length of it. Now, I love it. I got this upper today and slapped it onto my Aero Precision lower. Everything is period correct, minus the trigger. I used a Rise Armament trigger… it’s all I use in my AR’s. I took it out of the box, mounted it on the lower and went to the range. I shot an M855 clone (62gr Penetrator under 24gr of WC844 in LC brass) I didn’t clean it, lube it, nothing. Did a functions check and hit the road. Upon zeroing at 25 yards (not meters… I know) it never shot more than .25”. I had to bring it 3 revolutions up, 4 clicks right. It was dead center after that. Not bad at all for out of the box. The zeroing process was set it on 8/3 +1 up Went to 100 yards and shot a 12”x18” silhouette target, aiming at the bottom of the paper (belly button) and sent 6 rounds. They hit just about dead center as they should, providing a 2.9MOA group. Better than my military rifle, that’s for sure. Fired many more groups, all the same size and impact area. I switch over to 55gr SP ammo I had loaded, not sure of the load. It printed just about the same height but to the right about 3”. Overall 10 round group was just under 5MOA, but the core group was about the same 3MOA as the 62 grain. These were all rapid shots, about 1-2 seconds in between on a front rest. I did notice the 55gr SP did get deformed noses from the non-M4 feed ramps… but still shot decent enough. FMJ of course didn’t have issues. Overall, very happy with my upper and it brought back a lot of memories.

I don't understand the negative reviews. Mine feels pretty darn good. Everything is tight and smooth. Tight groups with cheap ammo. Nostalgic, which is why I bought it. I've ran it pretty hard and I have no reservations. They built it to be a hard use rifle.

I am very happy with this receiver. I sighted it in today at 25 meters with M855 62 gr. ammunition. It shot very well and functioned perfectly. I only had to move the front sight 3 clicks and the rear sight 5 clicks to the right which leaves it just on the right edge of the center mark on the back of the receiver. Very good! The service was super fast too.

I'm giving this complete upper a four-star review based on the appearance and functionality of the parts and how well it was put together. I went over this upper with a fine tooth comb checked headspace you name it everything looks great the only thing I need to do is shoot the rifle for accuracy. May do a quick review later on after hunting season on the accuracy

Here goes a detailed review. Starting with the barrel. Barrel is marked as having been made by Luth-AR. The barrel is correct for the A2 apart from one small insignificant detail. All M16A2/A4 barrels have a very slight step down in the barrel profile just before the threads at the muzzle. This barrel does not. The barrel has no steps between the FSB and the muzzle threads. FN made button barrels have this same omission. The Front sight Base is indeed non-F marked and even measure correctly. HOWEVER, the bayonet lug has a slight dimensional issue. My M9 bayonet fits with force, my M7 bayonet does not fit at all. This is not to say that all M9 bayonets will fit and all M7 bayonets will not. I am saying that somewhere one of the dimensions for the Bayonet lug is too much. The handguard cap is triangular which is correct. Another reviewer mentioned his disappointment in the quality of the handguards. Apart from the heatshields being black instead of silver they are exactly the same as military issue M16A2 handguards. Perhaps that individual is more familiar with oval style handguards and not Military round A2 handguards. Though I will agree the Delta ring spring is a bit weak and easily pulled back, but no the handguards CAN NOT come undone by pulling rearward on the handguards. This is a non-issue and many soldiers will agree that a Delta ring that is easier to pull down is a good thing. The upper receiver had one issue on mine. The holes drilled for the ejection port cover hinge pin are too far set away from the receiver and caused poor engagement of the dust cover spring. The short leg of the spring that pushes against the receiver just below the ejection port had minimal contact and under tension would pop out of place and the ejection port would be unsprung. I just replaced this spring with another one I had that engaged better. The issues I bring up do not make me regret this purchase. I am very satisfied with this A2 clone upper. If you want an A2 upper don't hesitate to purchase.

I’ve been wanting to make a clone of the M16A2 for awhile. I never thought I’d feel nostalgia for an A2 as I hated humping it in Army basic and numerous field problems and I hated how inconvenient it was in my vehicle during the Invasion of Iraq. I thought I’d never look back after receiving my first M4, but here I am. I’ve shot maybe just fewer than 600 rounds through it in the past two months and have been exceptionally pleased with it. I was able to zero it in nine shots (a few clicks on the windshield knob) and it’s a 1.75 MOA rifle with PMC X-TAC 62 grain 5.56 and about 2.5 with Tula steel cased .223. I oiled the BCG before the first range trip but otherwise haven’t cleaned or lubricated it and have experienced no malfunctions. The handguards are the only complaint I have; they feel flimsy and the halves don’t fit perfectly together. After my first range trip, I swapped it out with one from a Colt 20” upper I made into an A4 clone and now I am perfectly satisfied.

I zeroed this upper with M855. No malfunctions. Ejection was consistent and seems to be properly gassed. Accuracy was good. The front sight required only minor adjustment. My only negative, is that I had to move the rear sight noticeably to the left to get it to zero. Other than the rear sight being off center, I'm happy with the purchase.

Overall, I am very satisfied with the fit and finish of the upper receiver and the quality of the boat carrier group. The government profile barrel was perfect for me fitting my LMNT 40 mm grenade launcher. However, this did not get five stars because my rear side Showed up it is very wobbly and loose.

I had purchased this for a build I was doing. When I finished it and I sighted it in, I noticed the rear sight was twisted to the left and did not sit flush to the receiver/handle. I called and talked to a gunsmith about this. He stated that they are all like this the (ones he has seen) and that sending back for a replacement is like 50/50 chance that you would not get one back with the same problem. He also said that Aero is the company that makes this for them. If I had a chance to purchase this again, I would not waste my money on it; I would rather build one.