BILL, GEORGE, AND JACK ARE A DIME A DOZEN. THERE IS ONLY ONE JOE.
The J.O.E.® Mk3 Upper Receiver Group comes straight from our entry-level complete rifle. A high value, high performance option, it has a suite of baseline features that make it ready to work out of the box while leaving room in the budget for accessories like a light, sling, and optic and other support gear. There are a lot of options when it comes to completing your next build, but the J.O.E.® Mk3 URG is a great one to take the guesswork out of your hands for one of the most crucial parts of your rifle.
UPPER RECEIVER
Just because the J.O.E.® comes in at a more affordable price does not mean that we cut corners on the way to get there. Don’t let the entry-level price point fool you; the J.O.E.® gets just as much TLC as our other offerings.
This URG begins with a forged 7075-T6 thermal fit receiver. With a slightly undersized barrel seat, the receiver must be heated to fit the barrel. While it is common for boutique rifles to feature shims, sealant compounds, and other solutions, this mechanical fit is the tightest and most consistent seat you can get in an upper assembly. This tight seal ensures that you can wring every ounce of mechanical accuracy and shot consistency out of the rifle. We also take care not to achieve this seat by hammering the upper onto the barrel with the muzzle sunk into the work bench. Instead, we use a little heat and a splash of knock ‘er loose to fit the barrel into the upper without the potential for crown deformation or bore deflection.
Guiding the lead down range is our new J.O.E.® barrel. Precision-drilled and button-rifled from MIL-spec 4150CMV and treated with a proven MIL-Spec Manganese Phosphate/chrome-lined finish, they are accurate, durable, and dependable. The 5.56 NATO chamber and 1/7 RH twist rate make it suitable for use with a wide variety of ammunition from affordable 55-grain ball ammo for drills and 77-grain match loads for improved precision. The gas port is drilled to a more conservative 0.076" as compared to the much more common 0.078-0.082". As suppressors increase in ubiquity among the public and stocks of cheap, inconsistent steel cased import ammo dry up, we wanted to ensure that rifles using our barrels will function optimally under the prevailing use case of today's modern shooter. The port is optimized for use with 5.56 NATO spec ammunition. For buffer recommendations, click here. Whether using a modern low-backpressure or traditional baffle stack can, you will not encounter issues stemming from dramatic overgassing such as excessive component wear or arduous double-feeds when using a standard fixed gas system. Should you be using weaker loads, there is still enough flexibility to step down to a lighter buffer or spring to ensure reliable cycling. To ensure proper port alignment for reliable function, the gas block is set in place with a heat-treated taper pin that certainly won’t budge without explicit permission from a hammer and punch. Lastly, each barrel is individually marked with a unique quality control number matched to the upper receiver and bolt head so you can rest assured that they are individually checked for head space and paired throughout the entire assembly and testing process. On the business end of the barrel is an 11-degree target crown that reduces gaseous interference on the projectile as the it exits the bore and protects the "last touch" of the bore for more consistent shooting. Capping off the assembly is either an A2 flash hider that is timed with a crush washer or your choice of suppressor host that is torqued between 20 and 30 lbs-ft and installed with Rocksett™ ceramic adhesive to hold it in place while preventing accuracy depleting bore constriction at the muzzle.
Another major upgrade based on customer feedback is in the Bolt Carrier Group (BCG). All rifles now come standard with our M4P BCG. It starts with a full-mass carrier turned from 8620 steel with a mil-spec 4130 gas key that is sealed with high-temp gasket compound and secured in place with staked Grade-8 fasteners. The bolt head is machined from the time-honored Carpenter No. 158 alloy, precision ground, and HPT/MPI with a deep “MP” marking and QC number matching the barrel with which it is paired. The extractor is made to MIL-spec from cold-drawn 4130 alloy, shot-peened for durability and features a 5-coil Sprinco XP-5 enhanced spring with a stupendously long service life of 25,000 rounds or more. Likewise, the S7 tool steel ejector is driven by Sprinco’s enhanced ejector spring. Lastly, the firing pin is machined from mil-spec 8740 alloy and shot-peened like the extractor for durability. The shining feature of this BCG is that every component in the assembly is plated in a durable hard-chrome finish that is a breeze to clean and maintains an exceptional base level of lubricity to keep your rifle running even in the absence of lubrication. Racking this bolt is a forged Mil-Spec charging handle.
Rounding out the upper receiver is a modular, free-floating ASAL rail with a continuous 1913 Picatinny top rail and 5 full-length sections of M-LOK® rail for all your attachment needs. The taper interface of these rails does an excellent job at keeping everything locked up and in-line for reliable zero retention with back-up iron sights and laser aiming devices. Each rifle comes with a set of 9 Magpul Type-2 rail covers for you to configure around your rail-mounted gear for improved traction and heat insulation over the bare aluminum and a 4140 steel QD sling mount from BCM that won’t wallow out over time like more inexpensive aluminum offerings.
The upper receiver group comes in a flat black Mil-Spec Type III Hard Coat Anodizing.
WARRANTY
As with all our firearms, every component is inspected and assembled by procedure before the complete firearm is test fired with live ammunition. It is our guarantee that they walk as well as they talk. So, should you encounter any issues arising from component selection or assembly error, we will fix it under the provisions of our FYS Limited Lifetime Guarantee. The upper receiver, barrel, and bolt head are all individually engraved with matching numbers noted on a certificate of authenticity that ships with your rifle for QC during the assembly process and down the line should you need work done on your rifle.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
(1) J.O.E.® Carbine Mk3 URG
(1) BCM® MCMR QD Sling Mount
(1) Certificate of Authenticity
Model as shown $599 MSRP: 16” J.O.E.® Mk3 URG ($599), A2 Flash Hider
REGULATION DISCLAIMER:
Upper receivers are not a controlled good. However, some state and local jurisdictions have additional regulations surrounding firearm parts. Check your local jurisdiction for any such additional regulations or limitations.
