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- Alfred Mendoza
- March 20, 2024
Left-handed shooters often struggle to find parts for left-hand builds. Lefties are often encouraged to learn to shoot right-handed, but if you are building an AR-15 to accommodate left-handed shooting, you will be looking for a left-handed upper with the ejection port on the left side and the slide release on the right.
There are a few options available but they are getting to be scarce. Here’s our review of 3 left-handed AR-15 uppers available.
- Super durable
- Provides accurate shooting
- Very Customizable
- Highly recommended by many rifle enthusiasts
- Amazing shooting accuracy
- Very customizable
- Easy to install
- Quite solid and compact
- Durable
- Best for hunting
- Maximizes accuracy
- Complete customizable upper
Table of Contents
5 Best Left-Handed AR-15 Uppers
1. Stag 15 Tactical Upper Receiver
SA tactical left-handed upper receiver is chambered in 223 Remington and 5.56 NATO rounds. It has a fully fluted 16-inch barrel, which can dissipate heat quickly and allows easier cleaning maintenance. This A3 upper receiver assembly fires faster with an assembled 3Gun, offers the best fitment among most 5.56 NATO calibers, and comes with a black finish.
Upper receivers as this are usually constructed from stainless steel material, making them exceptionally durable. This particular left-handed upper comes with a rifle gas system with a low gas block. The barrel is covered by a Stag-made M-LOK handguard coated in Type 3 hard coat anodized finish to protect it from rust buildup and corrosion. Its 1:7 barrel twist rate can deliver maximum shooting accuracy.
PROS
- Super durable
- Provides accurate shooting
- Very Customizable
- Highly recommended by many rifle enthusiasts
CONS
- A bit pricey
2. Stag AR-15 Upper Receiver 5.56mm
If you want to build your own AR rifle from the ground up, this left-handed upper receiver is a good choice. It’s a well-defined A3 upper receiver assembly model designed for 223 Remington and 5.56 NATO cartridges. It comes with a preinstalled forward assist and a dust cover, ensuring your gun’s reliability and accuracy.
It’s a mil-spec left-handed stripped receiver that lacks barrel, handguard, gas system, and rail. Hence, it’s highly customizable. This left-handed stag upper receiver is compatible with .250-inches diameter pivot and takedown pins. It’s covered in Type 3 hard coat anodizing, which helps resist moisture, rusting, and abrasion.
PROS
- Amazing shooting accuracy
- Very customizable
- Easy to install
- Quite solid and compact
CONS
- Lacking many accessories
3. Stag Arms AR-15 Stag 15L Varminter Complete Upper Receiver
If you want an AR-15 rifle solely intended for your hunting missions, this stag complete A3 upper receiver assembly is your best choice. It is chambered in 5.56 NATO and will also accept 223 REM. It’s constructed from 410 stainless steel, making it quite sturdy and resistant to rust and corrosion.
Stag AR-15 Varminter complete upper receiver comes with a charging handle, a bolt carrier group, a free-floating handguard, and a rifle gas system. It’s fitted with a match-grade 24-inch bull barrel to help you get high bullet velocity.
PROS
- Durable
- Best for hunting
- Maximizes accuracy
- Complete customizable upper
CONS
- Limited supply
- Very long
Key Factors to Consider
Pricing
High-quality left-handed upper receivers generally have hefty price tags, and it’s one main concern for those who have budget constraints. There are several ways to learn how to build a cheap AR-15. But more than the price, it is best to examine the overall quality of your upper since it is pivotal to your gun’s accuracy and reliability. You can do a little bit of research to get the best right-handed and left-handed uppers at an affordable price that’s good enough for your preferences.
If you’re looking for economical mags, check out our review on these Taurus G2C Extended Magazines
Barrel & Gas System
The barrel is the central part of your AR-15 upper that has a direct impact on the performance, twist rate, and accuracy of your AR-15 rifle. Your barrel has to be at least 16 inches long to make your AR-15 rifle work just as well as it should.
Barrel length can significantly affect your AR-15. Too much length means too much gas flows into the receiver, causing excessive recoil, abrasion, and wear. Too little means less air is flowing into the left or right-handed receiver causing stove-pipes, failures to eject and feed, and jamming.
Depending on your needs and preferences, you can choose pistol, carbine, mid, and rifle gas systems. Many gun users prefer carbine length and mid-length. Most 16-inch barreled AR-15 has a carbine length.
Material
Gun manufacturers mostly prefer aluminum, steel, and polymer materials for left-handed upper receivers as they can withstand all kinds of abuses. These materials make your upper receiver and AR-15 rifles highly durable and long-lasting.
An AR-15 upper includes a stock (folding or fixed) that can resist damage from weather, cleaning oils, or solvents. Left or right-handed uppers become more durable when coated with anti-rust and anti-corrosion materials like a hard coat and anodized finish or Cerakote. Use a cleaning kit for proper maintenance.
Design
When purchasing an AR upper, always examine where the ejector port is pointing to make sure that it’s safe for you. For lefties, the ejector point should be on the left side.
A high-quality complete upper comes with every component of an upper receiver, whereas a stripped upper doesn’t. A stripped upper receiver is easy to install and highly customizable. You can go with #1, #2, or #4 on our list if you want to design your own AR-15 rifle from scratch and add any accessories of your choice. But if a complete one appeals to you, then go with #3.
For better grip control, check out our review on the best AR grips for precision shooting here.
Handguard
An AR-15 handguard allows shooters a firm grip on their firearm and facilitates proper stance and positioning for shooting. It protects the palms of the shooters from the high temperature of AR barrels. It allows you to mount scopes, sights, slings, lights, lasers, bipods, and so on.
Drop-in handguards are easier to install than free-floating. However, the former provides more heat resistance than the latter. It’s best to go with a free-floating device as this gives more mounting options and augments your firearms’ accuracy.
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Durability
Receivers are guaranteed compact and heavy-duty due to their excellent materials and composition. Their durability is further intensified when they are coated with protective finishes.
Furthermore, those made from 7075-T6 aluminum are considered the hardest and most durable. With proper use and maintenance, your receivers and firearms can last for long periods of time and suffer only minimal damage or degradation.
Bolt Carrier Group (BCG)
BCG is used to make the rifle functional. It consists of a firing pin, bolt, cam pin, extractor, and gas key. It determines whether your gun is functioning reliably and smoothly.
This is responsible for loading your firearm, making sure that rounds are fired correctly and spent shells are ejected properly from the chamber. You can buy a preassembled BCG or its individual parts and put them together yourself.
Manufacturing Type
An AR-15 upper can be billet, forged, or cast. The first one requires multiple steps and the best operations, so it takes longer to machine than forged. It has thicker walls to minimize flexing. Hence, it’s a rigid platform. It’s easier to assemble, more customizable, and more refined than forged.
Forged is the most economical chassis due to less machining needed. It’s heavy but extremely compact and durable. Meanwhile, the cast isn’t your best bet. It’s a compromise of the two and doesn’t have the strength and durability to resist abuse.
FAQs
The main benefit of using a left-handed upper for your AR-15 is safety of operation, especially when firing multiple rounds. Another thing is comfort.
And the #1 Left-handed AR-15 Upper is...
The best left-handed AR-15 upper based on our review is the Stag Arms-Stag 15 Tactical Upper Receiver. It’s a top-of-the-line upper that offers the best fit for most 5.56 calibers.
This upper is a practical investment for most AR 15 left-handed shooters as it can deliver maximum shooting accuracy, ensures rapid heat dissipation to protect your hands from burns, and allows uncomplicated assembly and maintenance.
Looking for some solid AR stocks, here’s our Magpul SL and SLK comparison.
Our #1 Recommendation
Stag 15 Tactical Upper Receiver
- Superior shooting accuracy
- Extremely durable
- Very customizable
- Great for any use
Bear Creek Arsenal deserves a look.
Learning a lot about AR’s. I’m a 70 year old relic, who’s been around firearms for over 60 of those years. This is a great resource to get info on all the different options.