I'm looking for a conversion upper to use wih my Rock River Match rifle. Who makes the best and why? Conversely, who makes the worst and why should I avoid it? I'm looking for the same sight picture as my service rifle and a good sling swivel. Floated barrel a plus.

You have a number of choices.

Insert (I) that replaces bolt and carrier vs dedicated upper (DU)

Army M261 kit. (I) good, but harder to find. 10rd inserts turn .223 mags into 10 rd .22 mags. Black Dog Machine (BDM) makes 27rd mags. The BDM mags occasionally need a bit of tweeking to run right.

Olympic arms copy of M261. (I) Oly is a pain to deal with if you have problems. A friend had their insert and it was machined incorrectly. Black Dog Machine (BDM) makes 27rd mags.

Compass Lake Engineering. (DU) They have one based on a modified M261. Likely the most accurate, almost match grade from what I have read. Expensive. Not sure if BDM M261 mags work in these.

Ceiner kit. (I) The owner is an ass and having to deal with him if you are having a problem is a nightmare. Black Dog Machine (BDM) makes 27rd mags.

Ceiner copy (DU) and (I)
Available since patent has expired. Way to go in my book. CMMG and Spikes Tactical make these, perhaps others. Black Dog Machine (BDM) makes 27rd mags.



I have a Spikes dedicated upper. It is tuned to run on the cheap Fed bulk pack at Walmart. 27rd mags (BDM)are easily available. The kit is plated and runs very well with little lube and cleans up easily,

I have NEVER regretted my Spikes upper and recommend it to everyone. I am sure I am over 3K rounds thru it with essentially no problems. It is as reliable as my stock 10/22. I think the only reason it is not 100% is because of ammo issues, not the upper itself.

Check out the rimfire section at AR15.com for more discussion.



I don't see how you could possibly go wrong with Spikes

Thanks for the info. And thanks for the input on Olympic I like an honest answer.

I think I'm going with a Model 1 Sales upper and several Black Dog mags.

I really like the reviews on Spikes products and have seen some of their guns on the range here but they only have A-4 style listed for sale.

I'm looking for a free floated A-2 to swap on a RRA Match lower. Compass Lake is likely the best it is also the most expensive. More than I paid for my AR.

The inserts looked good but most of the reviews on them have said that they are not accurate with a 1 in 7 twist barrel, most saying the bullet shaves off in the barrel rather than spinning.

Spikes can easily do a free floated Walther Lothar barrel if you are looking for "match" performance. Model 1 Sales has a few customer service complaints from what I have read. Be sure they have in stock what you want BEFORE you order.

My Spikes is a free float with a YHM quad rail.

Spikes is second to none if you have issues. They will make it right.

I would email or call Spikes and discuss exactly what you want before I did anything else.


(Can you tell I really really like my Spikes upper? )

I guess I will contact Spikes to see what they can do. I've seen a lot of good reviews and should probably put the "human contact" option into the purchase.