I had saved enough money to order an upper for my AR, Project Vera, by Thanksgiving, but, like a dummy, I hesitated ordering.

Then, a maniac coward killed 26 people in school in Connecticut, and the AR world went crazy.

Two days after the incident, I ordered  what I considered to be the perfect upper, and the website said it would only be 1 to 2 weeks for it to ship. This was confirmed by an email from the president of the company.

Sadly, that was 2 months ago, and they tell me they have no idea when it will be shipped.

I can’t say that I blame that gun shop. After all, they are as much a victim of the panic as I am. They are a small shop, and I’m sure they can’t put much pressure on their suppliers.

So, I decided to look for another upper. Finding one that was in stock was difficult, until I found a thread on AR15.com where the latest news of uppers in stock is posted by members. So I stalked it out for a couple of days until I found something I liked.

This is from Palmetto Stated Armory in Columbia, SC. Granted, it isn’t everything I wanted. It has no bolt carrier group or charging handle, so I will need to buy them separately (First World problem), and I’m not a big fan of the M4 front sight, but I can change that, too.

Here’s what we do get, though:

• Upper: Forged 7075-T6 upper receiver, with M4 Feed ramps and T-marks.
• Barrel: 5.56 NATO, 16″ chrome moly vanadium, 1 in 7″ twist rate, with chrome lined chamber, made by FN. Heat and pressure treated, then metal particle inspected, then phosphate coated.
• F-Marked Front sight post
• A2 Flash Hider
• Sling Loop
• Standard Hand Guards w/ heat shields

Best of all, they say it will be here in 3 weeks, which, coincidentally, is my birthday.

Now, to find a bolt carrier group and charging handle . . . .