Key point: The URG-I is an excellent weapon that is essentially the same as its military counterpart.

In the sea of AR-15 competitors, few actually sell their weapons and accessories to the United States Military. The AR-15 platform’s commonality with the Pentagon’s M4 carbine means that technology developed for the armed services can quickly become available to the civilian world--and vice versa. The Geissele Super Duty Rifle, a high-end rifle in the world of AR-15s, is virtually a clone of the rifle the company makes for US Army Special Operations Command.

U.S. Special Operations Forces have access to a wide variety of weaponry, but typically their M16 and M4 rifles have not been too different from rifles used by line units. In 2018, Military Times revealed that Geissele and Daniel Defense, two high-end makers of AR-15-type rifles and accessories, were collaborating on upper receivers destined for U.S. Army Special Operations Command. The uppers, known as Upper Receiver Group-Improved (URG-I) were reportedly destined for U.S. Army Rangers and Special Forces.

The AR-15 pattern rifle, including the M-16A2, M4A1 carbine, and civilian AR-15 share almost all key parts. The lower receiver, part of the lower receiver group, is the part of the weapon considered a firearm and regulated at the state and federal levels. The upper receiver, including the barrel, bolt carrier group, upper receiver, and handguard, mates to the lower receiver with the help of two captured pins. The process is quick, typically taking a minute or less, including a function check.

This interchangeability between military and civilian firearms means that gun manufacturers like Geissele and Daniel Defense can easily make parts for military rifles. The URG-I includes an upper receiver and bolt carrier group built to military specification--not particularly exciting. It however also includes a Daniel Defense 14.5” government profile cold hammer-forged barrel fitted with a Surefire SF4P four-prong flash hider. The upper also includes a Geissele Airborne Charging Handle, Geissele Super Gas Block, and a Geissele Mk. 16 handguard.

The URG-I upper is designed to make Ranger or Green Beret’s rifle more accurate and smoother shooting. The Daniel Defense barrel should offer greater accuracy over a standard Army issue rifle barrel, likely minute of angle or better. The so-called “government profile” adds thickness to the barrel and is designed to keep the weapon shooting longer than M4 carbine barrels in extended firefights without overheating. The midlength gas system should reduce recoil over the carbine length gas system of the M4A1. According to the Navy’s Naval Surface Warfare Center--Crane, midlength gas systems are also more reliable and increase the service lifespan of the weapon. Geissele further states that the URG-I upper is optimized for the Army’s new 5.56-millimeter M855A1 Enhanced Performance Round.

The commonality between the M4A1 and AR-15 rifles means that Geissele currently offers for sale a civilian version of the URG-I upper. The company calls the civilian URG-I a “near clone” of the military version, but the only obvious difference between the two is that flash hider on the civilian upper is pinned and welded in place to comply with federal regulations mandating a minimum sixteen-inch barrel.

For those that want to buy a complete rifle, Geissele also offers the Super Duty URG-I rifle. The rifle version includes a URG-I upper lower receiver built by the company and fitted with a Geissele Super Select Fire X trigger (converted to semi-automatic), company Maritime Bolt Catch, and B5 Systems SOPMOD stock. The rifle lacks an optic or even backup optics, but the full-length Picatinny rail will accommodate any sort of weapon sight, from rifle scope to a red dot or prismatic sight.

The Super Duty URG-I rifle costs approximately $1,800 direct from Geissele. While expensive for an AR-15 pattern rifle, it has the benefit of an excellent trigger, accurate barrel, and quality parts made or handpicked by a company known for excellence. The modular nature of the platform also means that a patient AR-15 owner with a modestly priced rifle could gradually upgrade to a rifle just as good. There are many paths to a $1,800 rifle, and the Super Duty URG-I is just one.