Advice please - Maccabee or ATRS receiver for a simple solid NR 5.56mm?

D

Dueodde

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Gentlemen,

Doubtless some well trod ground here, but I am quite new to these outstanding Canadian-made receiver sets offered by ATRS and Maccabee, that allow the familiar C7/C8/M4 5.56mm experience in a non-restricted package. Obviously I am getting one of these, ASAP.

I'm not looking to build anything elaborate or overly technical - just mimicking a C7 milspec look & feel, with rock solid reliability, durability, and if possible, a good warranty and parts support should that ever become needed.

So: your advice please - should I base this future non-restricted 18.75" or 20" barrel'd 5.56mm rifle of mine on the Maccabee receivers (which seem currently available in store), or should I go for the ATRS receivers (which require a wait to the next production run I think).

Both seem like outstanding Canadian companies worthy of our patronage - which receiver set would you recommend?

Thanks very much for any advice

Dueodde
 
I definitely prefer the ATRS, and I do think it is a higher quality product. However, having said that, there is nothing wrong with the MacDef. (flame suit on) Yes, they had issues with both quality and delivery at the start, and many don't like the "bolt" at the front end, etc, etc, etc. I have personally assembled 2 MacDef's without encountering any of the issues that others had with them. Both went together well, and shot well, using decent quality parts. I've also assembled 2 ATRS Modern Sporters, and they also both went together well, and shot well with quality parts.

As stated, I definitely prefer the ATRS, but ATRS also has not been able to catch up to a point where there are receiver sets on the shelf, MacDef has. No doubt this stems from some of the issues they had, and the bad publicity that came with the issues. The MacDef are just not as popular (or as high of quality in my opinion) but they are a decent option. If a NR AR-style rifle is something that you want, without the wait, I wouldn't hesitate to pick up a MacDef,
 
I put together 2 Maccabees and they both work very well. Assuming the Libs don’t ban them first, I will probably get an ATRS at one point too. Probably comes down to if you want to wait or not. Mac is available right now, ATRS is not.
 
Watch the EE for ATRS receivers if you don't want to wait.
Not all sellers are douchebags trying to double their "investment".

ATRS (experienced shop) still not being able to catch up to demand while MacDef (new inexperienced shop) has caught up should tell you which is the more popular and probably better product.
 
cr5 said:
Watch the EE for ATRS receivers if you don't want to wait.
Not all sellers are douchebags trying to double their "investment".

ATRS (experienced shop) still not being able to catch up to demand while MacDef (new inexperienced shop) has caught up should tell you which is the more popular and probably better product.
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Lol that's pretty odd logic. MDI has had at least a year extra to catch up to demand. I bet you a year and a half from now ATRS will have caught up. There's typically a big influx of interest in a new product, and then it tapers off.



Now that MDI has ironed out the issues they were having with the early serial number receivers, they're a great option. They are not lacking in quality, and having handled both the MDI and ATRS, I don't think the ATRS is significantly better quality. I actually like the upper/lower interface on the SLR; they lock together very solid with zero play, something that the standard pin system of an AR-15 lacks. The requirement of a hex key to disassemble is a bit of an inconvenience, but who goes out without some kind of range bag or basic tool kit with them...?

The cost of additional uppers for the SLR might be a deterrent though... $650 for just an upper is ridiculous, IMO. I think they're less for the MS?
 
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ATRS for the better design, but you will either have to wait, or probably pay a markup on the EE. you can probably pick up a maccabee now, its not as well thought out a design in my opinion, but atleast you could build it and enjoy it and when an ATRS comes available buy one and swap the pars over, sell the maccabee receiver and recoup most of the money and then continue on
 
SLR uppers are $550 each at CSC, saw them in their display cabinet when I went to the range this past weekend. Their website lists them at $650, which seems to be a typo.

Given the choice between an on-the-shelf SLR and paying the massive premiums for a MS on the EE, my money would go towards the SLR.
 
NeonGreen said:
ATRS for the better design, but you will either have to wait, or probably pay a markup on the EE. you can probably pick up a maccabee now, its not as well thought out a design in my opinion, but atleast you could build it and enjoy it and when an ATRS comes available buy one and swap the pars over, sell the maccabee receiver and recoup most of the money and then continue on
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Why is that, out of curiosity?
 
I have an ATRS and I made a fairly detailed post of my experience assembling it, and the quirks that I noticed. Since then, I had issues with the slick upper, ATRS replaced it promptly. Opted to swap for a forward assist upper. Much nicer. The one piece that still bothers me is the relocation of the charging cutout, inside the upper. I notice it every time I manually lock the bolt to the rear. It’s annoying, but the rifle functions.
 
Scotty454 said:
Why is that, out of curiosity?
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the way the upper and lower fit together is the biggest, if you have to take the gun apart having to get an Allen key as opposed to drifting out the pin like an ar is not as ideal. plus the trigger fits into the ATRS like a normal ar, the maccabee goes into a separate housing that then drops into the receiver and not all triggers will fit. third is the brass deflector on the maccabee, it sucks, its not big enough, which is fine if you are shooting right side dominant but if you shoot offhand or you are left handed you will likely be catching brass in the face unless you scoot your head way back on the stock.

that being said the maccabees work as intended, they aren't junk, just not as ideal of a design.
 
NeonGreen said:
the way the upper and lower fit together is the biggest, if you have to take the gun apart having to get an Allen key as opposed to drifting out the pin like an ar is not as ideal. plus the trigger fits into the ATRS like a normal ar, the maccabee goes into a separate housing that then drops into the receiver and not all triggers will fit. third is the brass deflector on the maccabee, it sucks, its not big enough, which is fine if you are shooting right side dominant but if you shoot offhand or you are left handed you will likely be catching brass in the face unless you scoot your head way back on the stock.

that being said the maccabees work as intended, they aren't junk, just not as ideal of a design.
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Never really thought about it from a lefty's perspective. That's fair enough. The brass deflector works fine for me as a right handed shooter.

The trigger situation... I'll give you that one too. I found it to be a minor inconvenience, but I put a Geissele trigger in mine. People with the pre-assembled trigger packs were having trouble (Mods required, or they outright wouldn't fit). Makes the trigger easier to remove as a unit, but whether or not that has any value to people I'm not really sure?

But as for the upper/lower interface, I think you're wrong there. The way the two interface is an excellent design, far more solid than the standard AR-15 design. To me, the fact that you need a hex key to separate them is made up for by how well they fit together. If I was in a combat scenario where my life could depend on being able to break down my rifle without any tools, I'd have a different opinion. But I'm not, and it doesn't, and I'm pretty confident that 99.9% of people that own these rifles are in the same situation as me. Include a 3/16" hex key in your range bag, problem solved. With all the AR specific cleaning/scraping tools and wrenches around, having a simple hex key with you doesn't seem like a big deal.
 
Scotty454 said:
Never really thought about it from a lefty's perspective. That's fair enough. The brass deflector works fine for me as a right handed shooter.

The trigger situation... I'll give you that one too. I found it to be a minor inconvenience, but I put a Geissele trigger in mine. People with the pre-assembled trigger packs were having trouble (Mods required, or they outright wouldn't fit). Makes the trigger easier to remove as a unit, but whether or not that has any value to people I'm not really sure?

But as for the upper/lower interface, I think you're wrong there. The way the two interface is an excellent design, far more solid than the standard AR-15 design. To me, the fact that you need a hex key to separate them is made up for by how well they fit together. If I was in a combat scenario where my life could depend on being able to break down my rifle without any tools, I'd have a different opinion. But I'm not, and it doesn't, and I'm pretty confident that 99.9% of people that own these rifles are in the same situation as me. Include a 3/16" hex key in your range bag, problem solved. With all the AR specific cleaning/scraping tools and wrenches around, having a simple hex key with you doesn't seem like a big deal.
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i think the upper to lower fitment is a matter of preference, i think there is accuracy potential to be gained from the tighter fit of the SLR, although i will say this, i have never seen actual evidence that upper and lower wobble have any affect on accuracy, i know ill rustle some feathers with that but again, ive never seen evidence of it. that being said the Alberta tactical upper and lower fit is rick solid, ive handled several of them and they were nice and tight, if there is some degree of in-perceivable wiggle in the alberta tactical, and for the sake of argument, zero wiggle in the maccabee, i think any impact on accuracy it might have would be beyond the scope of 99% of shooters ability to ring accuracy out of their rifles

at the end of the day im glad these rifles are on the market and NR (for now), i think in time the maccabee will peter out as more companies come out with designs more similar to the ATRS using a take down method more similar to the ar which is what most gun owners want, but that does not mean in any way that the maccabee is a bad design, it was the first of its type, it broke the ground that showed us the possibilities, and they work. but given the choice id rather have a take down system similar to a regular AR, and as many trigger options as possible. the brass deflector is an easy fix maccabee could address whenever they want in the future
 
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