Midwest Industries Upper Receiver Rod

[Capbyrd]

I've been taking AR work a lot more seriously over the past year and I've invested heavily in better tooling.  One of my favorite tools and bests investments has been the Midwest Industries URR.   It's a great upgrade to the Geissele reaction rod.  The spine on top makes a huge difference.  Not only can you use it for barrel install/removal but it actually also acts as a gauge to make sure that the barrel isn't clocked inside the receiver.  I used it recently in a Midwest complete upper and found the barrel extension was machined improperly causing the URR not to go into the extension.  A couple of emails to Midwest and they replaced it.  If you do any AR work, I highly recommend checking these out and picking one up.  

 

 

https://www.midwestindustriesinc.com/MI-Upper-Receiver-Rod-p/mi-urr.htm

 

 

 

 

[gregintenn]

That is pretty slick. Midwest industries makes some good and innovative products.

[KahrMan]

That is pretty cool.  I don't even work on ARs and I want one. 

[Erich]

Quick note on these. Yes they are fantastic, I sold off my Geissele's after upgrading. I have both for the AR10 and AR15. But...if you have an alignment issue with the extension lugs do all you can to verify, it may not be your receiver or extension, but the tool out of spec.

They do not do the machine cut for the charging handle fin, its subbed out. How do I know this....

First time I used my 308 MI rod in putting together an upper, it would not line up, was off a few degrees. It fit the extension lugs without the receiver ruling out the lug cut, and the extension pin was centered on top and feed ramp lugs, and a laser showed it in line with the gas port. Hmmm. I then tried it on 2 factory AR10's builds and it would not engage their lugs. I then started to look at the fin and could see it was just a hair offset.

I called MI and they initially denied it could be the tool because they are supposedly QC'd blah blah. Then commenced to blame my upper receiver being out of spec. I explained it more slowly and deliberately why that was not the case and what checks were run. Was asked to call back tomorrow and talk to so and so. Upon doing so, they copped to having a batch that their machining contractor flubbed the fin cut on. They offered to go ahead and swap it, apologizing for the "confusion".

Replacement Rod was good to go, slipped right into all 3.

Moral of the story, verify a new rod if first use finds an alignment issue, it may not be your parts.

 

[Danger Rane]

This site has a sale going and free shipping. I just ordered one.
 

https://www.rockeybrass.com/Midwest-Industries-Upper-Receiver-Rod-URR_p_7627.html

[RED333]

Not knocking what the OP posted, I just work on my stuff. I have been using this with very good results.

https://magpul.com/bevblock-ar15-m4.html

[Capbyrd]

On 2/27/2021 at 10:06 PM, Erich said:

Quick note on these. Yes they are fantastic, I sold off my Geissele's after upgrading. I have both for the AR10 and AR15. But...if you have an alignment issue with the extension lugs do all you can to verify, it may not be your receiver or extension, but the tool out of spec.

They do not do the machine cut for the charging handle fin, its subbed out. How do I know this....

First time I used my 308 MI rod in putting together an upper, it would not line up, was off a few degrees. It fit the extension lugs without the receiver ruling out the lug cut, and the extension pin was centered on top and feed ramp lugs, and a laser showed it in line with the gas port. Hmmm. I then tried it on 2 factory AR10's builds and it would not engage their lugs. I then started to look at the fin and could see it was just a hair offset.

I called MI and they initially denied it could be the tool because they are supposedly QC'd blah blah. Then commenced to blame my upper receiver being out of spec. I explained it more slowly and deliberately why that was not the case and what checks were run. Was asked to call back tomorrow and talk to so and so. Upon doing so, they copped to having a batch that their machining contractor flubbed the fin cut on. They offered to go ahead and swap it, apologizing for the "confusion".

Replacement Rod was good to go, slipped right into all 3.

Moral of the story, verify a new rod if first use finds an alignment issue, it may not be your parts.

 

 

You should verify all of your gauges are to spec.   And then they should be periodically checked with use.   Trust, but verify! 

 

 

23 hours ago, RED333 said:

Not knocking what the OP posted, I just work on my stuff. I have been using this with very good results.

https://magpul.com/bevblock-ar15-m4.html

Magpul's Bevblock is a good little tool.  I have one as well.  But for high torque work, it does not come close to locking all of the parts together the way that the MURR does.  The MURR also provides a lot more surface area of contact in addition to four positions.   In the case of a stubborn barrel nut, Bev blocks have been known to break receivers.  Unfortunately no one tool does everything and the more jobs we give a tool, the worse it does them all.    I'm a proponent of having ALL the tools so I say get them all! 

 

[Erich]

2 hours ago, Capbyrd said:

 

Unfortunately no one tool does everything and the more jobs we give a tool, the worse it does them all.    I'm a proponent of having ALL the tools so I say get them all! 

 

A man after my own heart. I am still in search of the holy  grail.  Its great to have options and seeing improvements on AR specific tools.

I just bought the VISM Receiver block to try out https://www.ncstar.com/optics-acc/tools/ar15-tools/vtaruvb-upper-receiver-block-for-ar-15

I got them for 308 and AR15. It seemed to offer retention at the charging handle channel, bottom of the receiver and its lugs. Best of all worlds. I knew it was Chinese made, but it seemed to have good reviews and good concept without having to worry about extension splines or pin shearing. I found the VISM tool is sloppy fitting, neither having any upper channel engagement, doing all the work at the detent pin lugs, which is not ideal. No improvement over the plastix revolution low end version.

I would say anyone looking at it, they should pass. The URR is still best of breed in its price class for those that are not die hard clamshell guys.

I think this is next up for me to try is the JP receiver block. Some may say its just the glorified version of sticking it between a couple 2x4's, but it engages the lug to prevent any rotation without the need to vise pressures that can crack the receiver. Only concern being finish marring.

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1007099477