Mini-Review: Raven Concealment Systems TopStop AR Upper Receiver Cover

The TopStop AR Upper Receiver Cover by Raven Concealment Systems is a product accessory that has been around for several months now.

It is a simple, yet novel idea that will be very useful for many of today’s firearms owners with AR-15’s in their collections.

What is the TopStop?

It is simply a piece of polymer that is formed to fit over the bottom part of the upper receiver on an AR-15. All you do is simply slip onto the upper receiver, and the receiver pin channels snap into the cut outs of the TopStop.

So what does it do? The TopStop covers the exposed bottom and rear channels of the upper receiver to keep dirt and debris out when the upper is separated from the lower.

But the TopStop also helps to retain the bolt carrier group and charging handle in the upper receiver. So there’s a far less likelihood that the BCG will fall out while transporting an unpaired upper receiver.

This is a great accessory to have if you’re one of the many AR-15 owners that has multiple upper receivers that are often not paired with a lower receiver. Or you might be the type of person that carries an AR-15 in a ‘discreet’ case that requires the upper and lower to be separated when stored in the carrying case.

As mentioned earlier, the TopStop is polymer. But the TopStop is also solvent and chemical resistant. So it should stand up to the harshest of gun solvents and oils.

The Raven Concealment Systems TopStop is fairly inexpensive ($10 at the time this article was written) and I am sure many AR-15 owners will find a use for at least one TopStop.

You can purchase a TopStop AR Upper Receiver Cover directly from Raven Concealment Systems by visiting their web portal at http://www.rcsgear.com.

Note: I submitted a suggestion to Raven Concealment via social media that they should make a ‘BottomStop’, or some version of the TopStop for lower receivers. Lower receivers can be extremely vulnerable when separated from the upper receiver, and in my opinion, even more so than an upper receiver. The lower houses the trigger group, which can be very susceptible to malfunctions if any debris gets in the trigger group. But also, if a trigger were accidentally or negligently pulled on an AR-15 lower receiver with no upper attached, the lower receiver can be damaged by the hammer striking the receiver. An ideal ‘BottomStop’-type product would cover the top of the lower receiver, to protect the trigger group, but also prevent the hammer from striking the receiver if the trigger were to be pulled (with the safety off).