AR15 Lower Receivers Forged vs Billet
Vložit
- čas přidán 20. 07. 2024
- In this episode we tackle a question we get a lot in our monthly QA series but don't often cover. Well, due to the continued interest we decided to make an episode dedicated to the topic, AR15 Lower Receivers Forged vs Billet. We go over the pros and cons, the differences and some background to help you decide which is best for you. Thanks for watching!
Thanks for watching!
To learn more etc. the direct links are on our website article: www.gunsandtactics.com/the-br...
Send your questions to theqa@gunsandtactics.com
Be sure to check out our website for more. www.gunsandtactics.com
Social Links:
- Instagram: bit.ly/3oelbin
- Facebook: bit.ly/2T9lP2c
- Twitter: bit.ly/34bAMXE
- Patreon: / gunsandtactics
- Note for CZcams: The portions of this video featuring the firing of a firearm were conducted at a specified range facility in a controlled, safe environment under the direction of instructors or range safety officers. Any assembly or disassembly is for the purposes of showing safe and proper repair or maintenance. ALL OF OUR CONTENT IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH YOUR AD CERTIFICATION POLICY.
- The views and opinions expressed in this video are solely those of the original authors and contributors. These views and opinions do not necessarily represent those of Guns & Tactics, the administrative staff, and/or any/all contributors to this site.
- Affiliate Disclaimer: Guns and Tactics is reader/viewer supported. This post may contain affiliate links and we may earn a small commission when you click on the links at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases.
The military uses forged and as an Armorer I never saw one fail because of how it was shaped.
I use forged
The military also only uses Cold Hammer Forged barrels in everything including tanks, artillery, 50BMGs and so on. So I only use FN made CHF barrels. People worry about the lower and upper but use SS, 4150 and 4140 barrels, yah I know I don't understand why.
@@BulletSpoung This is where we pretend that there isn't much better stuff on the market than milspec lol. Depending on the alloy SS barrels are not only more rigid but have superior wear resistance and accuracy. Anyways CHF is a process, it doesn't tell you anything about the alloy composition of the steel itself. FN's high vanadium chrome moly barrels are highly wear resistant because of vanadium carbides and what vanadium does to shrink steel grain structure and thus improve toughness, Noveske uses the same alloy in their CHF barrels, their manufacturing tolerances are just better.
El Sid chrome lining is a coating and it can wear over time, thus opens up grouping... how the hell does chrome lining prevent wear? Chrome lining just aids in cleaning and extraction.
MrDigger686 just because it’s military grade doesn’t mean “highest quality”. Do you know what Mil-spec means? Best quality for the lowest price. Meaning there’s a set standard. Military buys whole sell and can’t afford to buy the best.
@El Sid no one cares btw
Thank you for the video, sir. I'm just getting started in doing my own builds and I really appreciate being able to understand what I am getting into in choosing between the two. I've read most all of the comments that followed and I'm old enough to separate the opinions of know-it-alls to the findings of those who choose what works best for them. You have been a great help!
Glad i found this. I keep hearing wrong info. Both are CNC'd they are either from a slab of metal (billet) or from a piece of metal that is forged. Both are completed in a million dollar CNC machine. No one makes ar receivers with a 1950's style mill.
I have the Aero Precision lower shown in the video. I bought it originally based on the Aesthetics and price point ($60) the salesman never showed me any of the nice features it had that you talked about. I only found out about it once I researched on my own. I loved how easy it was to assemble with a parts kits, mind you it was my first time ever building an AR and I managed to put it together in about 20 mins without the use of a vise or any specialized tools. All I needed was a hammer, punch, and an Allen key. I’d really recommend that lower if it’s your first time building an AR.
Castle wrench?
That is pretty much any lower.
You should always do your own research. Just because somebody works at a gun store, doesn't necessarily mean that they know shit about guns. I've talked to some real dipshits standing behind a gun counter.
@@rogergoodwin374 Don't need one if you use your teeth.
Good info and video but I will just stick with my Anderson forged and put the money I saved into a better Barrel and Bolt carrier group.
My AR builds are all based on Anderson lowers. The inexpensive recievers allow me to put more money into the custom work.
Nothing wrong with Anderson lowers.
Anderson forged lowers are awesome!! I'm another guy who bought an Anderson AM-15 lower. It wasn't cheap at the time I bought it, $150! I live in California, so yeah. The Anderson upper I bought separately online. The two pieces, upper and lower, fit together perfectly. There are no gaps and therefore no movement between the two pieces. I am delighted with Anderson's quality control. It's somewhat amazing that I bought the two halves from completely different sources (even different states) yet the two mate together perfectly as far as I can tell.
Good idea
@TheOtherWhiteBread0 Who posted the bad things people who paid $450 for a high end lower and are trying to justify their purchase?
Superb video. I truly appreciate this information. I just bought a Spikes Tactical lower(Calico Jack). Thank you.
I love my ST-15. They can handle a beating.
The Aero lowers are very nice. Great price point too. Pick up two at a time at shows for 125$ for the pair. I own 4 AR15 and 2 AR10 lowers from them.
Which lower is right for you? Areo precision. Its just better.
Picked up my first lower and upper today, I was going to go PSA but the wait times were bad, then I found out not only is Aero from my home state but my local shop carries it. Keeping my money in the community feels like the way to go (with the exception of my barrel, liking the 16" 1:8 Faxen Firearms Socom from what ive seen so far). So far pretty damn impressed with the build quality.
I run an M5 lower on one of my AR-10 (LR308/DPMS) builds and I absolutely love it! I've had it for a while and put it thru several classes and it's held up great.
I've never had problems with shipping from PSA. The longest I've had to wait was 6 days to receive my complete upper. Everything else has arrived in 5 days or less.
Thanks. This was very informative, and answered a lot of my questions.
Forged aluminum is shaped under pressure, I.E. squished repeatedly to increase the molecular strength. Billet is simply cast aluminum. They are both milled afterward. The milling options are identical, forged are not restricted in terms of options like flared mag wells. The difference is solely strength.
Forging does nothing for strenght. Heat treatment and composition is what determines strength.
@@StuninRub forging creates heat.
@@almightyt Forging does not create heat, the metal is heated up for forging, but it still needs to be heat treated afterwards since forging temperatures are not the target temperatures for heat treatment. Forging does absolutely nothing for the grain structure, that is determined solely by heat treatment.
In the instance with aluminum specifically, it has to be aged as well since that is where the strenght and hardening kicks in.
"Forging creates stronger parts" is just marketing bullshit. You can't compress atoms with earthly forces.
@@StuninRub What???
@@StuninRub Forging changes the grain directions, improves ductility, toughness, and increase fatigue resistance. It's not marketing bs, it's real material science.
All that diamond talk I’m gonna start calling you diamond Dave!
Sounds familiar :-)
Like a Judy chop!
Don't go ninjing nobody who don't need no ninjing
More like one diamond and one turd...billet turd and forged diamond...somehow the posers started thinking billet automatically means it should cost more because it after you machine and polish the turd it looks pretty
Black Friday Sale + Blem = $65 for a Gen 2 Aero Precision Forged Lower.
Wasnt even a scratch on it, the flared magwell is a plus and the retention screw at the rear are awesome for tying together a lower and upper.
AERO's are great ! Anderson also make a lower with a integrated trigger guard which is very nice.
Awesome and thanks for sharing your review. Very helpful information.
Thank you for uploading and publishing this CZcams segment on the typical varieties of lower (and upper) receiver and what each has to offer. Though I find this video informative and quite useful, I'd really like to buy the type of lower receiver that will mate best with its corresponding upper. My forged Anderson AM-15 mates perfectly with the Anderson upper I bought at another place and time. The Anderson was an advantageous price but without compromise in quality. HOWEVER the AR-10 lower I purchased, one you might call an enhanced forged lower, does not mate entirely well with its upper. The manufacturer of this lower and upper is GO BALLISTIC in Cleveland, Ohio. The model is a GB-10B. So price is not necessarily in proportion to quality and fit. While holding both halves together with the two pins, I can get maybe 0.5 millimeters of motion between the two halves if I twist. (This is not at all the case with the Anderson forged upper and lower - they allow no movement whatsoever.) These AR-10 parts were expensive, and obviously I got somewhat overcharged. If I took the two halves to a machinist, could he possibly remedy the situation so the upper and lower would mate with a nice, tight fit? Thanks again for this video.
A good machinist could install a set screw to add tension between the two to improve fit.
Another great video. One of the best channels for AR info I have seen.
Thanks, sincerely appreciate it
Who else sells the Hybrid Forged Receiver other than the one you showed in this video? Thank you! When it's all said and done price dictates what people will buy. Great video! 💯💯🙂🙂👍👍🇺🇲🇺🇲
Things to consider
1) Starting point - forged vs. billet. Both have the same material properties after heat treatment, eg. T6. That is elongation, stress rupture, tensile, etc. are the same for forged vs. billet. Unless the forging is done iso-thermally, it will be prone to varying grain size and direction throughout the part. This is due to two factors, work (movement of material) of the forging process and heat transfer (die leaching heat out of the material at different rates). Billet will give you a more stable and uniform grain structure. (grains are the same size and direction). This is why billet is a preferred for parts requiring stability and predictable grain size for life and load calculations. So for all those out there believing forged is superior to billet, well your just wrong.
2) Quality of manufacturing. Yes there are manufacturers out there that that do machine to tighter tolerances and may use better approaches for achieving better surface finish, especially in interface points or wear points. This is irrelevant to whether the starting point is forged or billet and is only a function of the workmanship of the manufacture. Bottom line, if it looks and feels like shit, it probably is.
3) Forged or billet parts can either be post machined or as forged/(extruded or rolled) and this is dependent on the manufacturers preference for starting and end points. Eg. What they need to control for cosmetics and surface finish. Typically near net forged parts are used to save on input material cost and machining time.
4) The real question is where do manufacturers add or remove material to add strength/functionality or reduce weight.
Pws/bootleg makes the best of both worlds with their ambi forged receivers. The aero m4e1 are really nice though. Have one laying around I plan to use soon.
Just looked up those PWS lowers. Nice, but more than twice the cost of the Aero M4E1.
Saw this on Aero Precision's site: M16A4 forged Clone Lower Receiver features custom engraving on the AR-15 Gen 2 Lower Receiver + is the perfect base for a M16A4 "clone" build. The lower do not have engraving on the right side of the magwell. Left side of magwell = Markings include: *Property of U.S.A.*, *MOD M16A4*, *CAL. 5.56MM*; *Safe/Semi/Burst* safety selector markings.
Retired 24 year ARSOF combat vet. Aero won me over 5 years ago.
Excellent information!
In some of my builds, I use a forged lower, with a Vltor upper. The Vltor is a little thicker, and still cheaper than a billet
Great video and information.
This was helpful. I'm going to get that Aero M4E1 lower. Until now I thought it was billet. Come to find out its (enhanced) forged. Because I have a Aero forged upper. So that'll be good together.
The correct terms are "cast" or "milled". Forging involves hammering the metal into shape. A billet is a "raw" metal form that is forged into shape. It irks me to listen to him say it the way he does, it signifies the guy has no experience in the processes of metallurgy.
@@Biden_is_demented Exactly!! People who don’t understand metallurgy bug me.
I found a lower for around 40 bucks I’m new to building my own I know there some laws with 16 in barrels but what’s the one with least paper work or if anybody can help me with the steps ..
Thanks for the insight
Thanks for watching
Holy shit on the weight loss, nice job!
Thanks, I appreciate it -Dave
@@GunsandTactics I'm new here, awesome job! Bless you sir
@@GunsandTactics Hello Dave, Can I purchase that exact AERO Precision lower from you?
@@joewearsadroolbib7347 No, we are a news and media outlet focused on the Firearms industry we do not sell guns
Aero was my first build. super nice features on the M4E1
I'm also watching one of the ones you say build M4E1 but I can't find the upper receiver of the same brand for don t have to mush a movement
Excellent video as always 👍
Thanks for watching -Dave
Good info! Thanks
@jimallison good idea ! besides ascend armory is SOLD OUT of ALL LOWERS./ UPPERS forever ?? sure seems like it.
My $30 forged Anderson is getting a BCM BCG & barrel and a Lantac E-CT1 trigger.
Isn't it like that the billet lower is machined from a large block of forged aluminum and forged lower is forged to a shape reassembling the final part but eventually machined in details?
great video thanks bro.
Thanks for watching!
Thank you sir
Cheap Matrix and Noreen lowers are some of the best,you dont need high priced names stamped on your lower.
I have three Anderson lowers built into finished guns. I paid $47 for each one, and they all work perfectly.
Nothing wrong with a poverty pony
4 @ $30 each. Work great, no problems!
Good content very informational
Thanks, glad you liked it
I don't see any extra controls on a billet lower. Still has mag release, bolt catch, and safety cutout. Aero still has the best features for the price. They have the most practical upgrades that make building easier.
I am a metallurgist. There are large differences between forged and billet...which you will not notice unless you are shooting from inside a furnace at 400F+ or for some reason need to use it to hold up a tank.
I need it to hold up a TANK ? Which one should I get ? Thank you, SIR.
Do guns not reach 400f internally with consistent fire?
The M4E1 Aero lower has the hex pin for the bolt catch. So instead of having to hammer out the bolt catch pin, u can just screw it out which is nice
Their M4E1 is on my list because of that too. I doubt it, but looking around to see if they put out an 80% from the same forging
I really like the billet receiver, I saw one the other day on an AR. Maybe on my next build.
Yeah the only advantage of billet is that it can be milled into very decorative shapes.
Billet is too heavy imo. Unless I am getting extra features I will go forged every time. I do like my Pof 415 billet lower on my renegade + I get a lot of extras and they kept the upper forged for weight savings.
Nyquil07 Na a wise choice as billet is likely of lesser quality material, another reason they make them thicker and heavier...to mask the fact that it’s a p.o.s.
That Ascend is a serious piece of kit, unfortunate you can not find them anymore.
They are back on the market
Yeah actually they are back but being handled by legion precision. Fantastic quality. They took care of me when I had an issue with ascend armory promising something that never came to be. The new owners are fantastic
Is 6061 good for lowers
I'm interested in building my first AR
Thank you
2021: get what’s available.
So it's like stamped vs milled in ak?
I use forged receivers. So does our military. Companies buy them from the SAME 3 to 5 suppliers. They use the SAME CNC program to machine them. Forged receivers are all the SAME. Pick a Logo/price you like.
Billet receivers? Very artistic to my eye. SAME functional quality. If you want cool looks, and are willing to pay more, do that. It's your money.
I have made billet Connecting rods,from 4340 steel & 7068 aluminum, there strong but nothing beats forging , The forging matches the grain shape of the part which billet it cannot,it will have grain one way !
Long as it can shoot billets I'm happy
Thank you
So basically, other then price, strength and aesthetics there is no difference. The lowest priced is the strongest and the highest priced is the prettiest.
Got it.
Lol, that is until you put the upper and lower and one has a shitload of receiver rattle and the other will have absolutely none throughout the entire life of the gun. And Ascend, Novekse, Radian etc. all use billet receives from 7075 so no the lowest priced is not the strongest. You pay more for superior machining and tolerances.
Elliott Atwell I have 10 AR-15. 2 bushmasters, 1, rock river arms, 1, colt 6920, 1 stag arms piston, 1 ruger SR556 piston, 1 sig MCX and 3- palmetto state armory none have play between the uppers and lowers.
My rock river arms and colt 6920 were both duty weapon that have thousands of rounds through them. 🙄 forgot my LWRC. M6IC
@@concernedpatriot.2221 Lololololololololol, yes they do, I'll give you the LWRC and the MCX, but dear mother of god PSA has hilariously bad receiver rattle. It's lateral play you dolt, not vertical.
@@elliottatwell1155 You do know that means nothing right? the AR15's accuracy is entirely contained with in the upper, because all that is in the lower is the magizine and fire control, everything else is contained in it's own unit in the top half, meaning any play between the upper and lower only really effects how it "feels" for lack of better term and has no practical issue.
I was an armorer for a good half decade in the army, you know most M110s have audible rattle between their upper and lowers now and shocker, they still work just fine, some throw in those red rubber things to take up the slack, but in reality it means nothing, only things that really contribute to an AR type rifle's accurcy and effectiveness is barrel and the trunion attached to it, hand guard [free floating is prefered] and bolt carrier, everything else is really secondary.
Elliott Atwell and several other companies like Daniel defence and bcm use forged. Just because a certain company uses billet doesn’t equate to all billets are better than all forged.
the3 Ascend is $450 'blemished' on the last site I checked. Holy cats ya don't need to spend 450 on a receiver. Holy cats.
I heard a lot of companies are saying cast billet aluminum lowers n from what i read its just a cast aluminum lower
Remove the upper from the forged lower. It's confusing.
Agreed, but you mean billet.
Yeah you fukin clown !!
Thanks !
That billet is a bit misleading to someone new to AR building because it has an upper attached to it so it isnt just a "receiver" pictured.
For the budget minded folks "building" an AR for the first time, heres my 2 cents.
Id rather save with forged and put the extra money towards a quality barrel or bcg which will improve accuracy and/or the lifetime of the parts than the "rounded edges and cooler looks" of a billet receiver which wont do either. The money saved going with a forged receiver can be put towards upgrades which will make you smile at the target range in the end and as you stated, its actually stronger than the more expensive billet.
In the end, with a "build", you have to spend wisely "if on a budget" if you want something accurate enough to be happy with or you'll be ordering replacement parts soon enough costing more, lesson learned. As far as the third option receiver goes, im not so sure an integrated trigger guard is an "enhancement'. The other two receiver trigger guard areas are made purposefully for a reason. If you break or crack a integrated trigger guard, your not going to be happy with your "options" to fix it. With the other two, you order a replacement guard and your back in action.
If you hit a trigger guard hard enough to crack it, you are more likely to crack it at the ears. A closed lower is stronger.
Great video
Thanks!
Aren't forged a little lighter? I was told billet was a hair thicker to make up for the lack a strength.
what is the lenght size of lower rcver thank you
In general, forged pieces would seem superior due to the fact that the forging process imparts residual compressive stress in the material, making it more resistant to operating load based failures. However, if stress margins are so high that it would not matter, then pricing and sourcing may rule a decision over strength.
Have you mentioned 2024 aluminum? Do some manufacturers make them out of it. It's a high strength aircraft aluminum and it machines beautifully. 6061 is very gummy.
Most are 7075.
He says some receivers have closer tolerances? Better then Milspec? Straight Milspec is good enough for me. Improvements like flared mag wells and elimination of the roll pins are fine if you want to spend extra money to make the receiver easier to assemble.
Custom touches like special engravings etc are fine too.
Was Aero formed from Mega Arms? That aero lower looks an aweful lot like my Mega...
No, separate companies. While Aero makes nice stuff, Mega made some of the nicest forged lowers on the market.
Agreed, but a lot are only ascetics. Looks good, but how does the long term performance stack up..
Noreen’s forges have rounder and more defined cuts than that aero. The lines by the grip are better on that one but still Noreen has it beat by machining, tolerances and looks.
Facts !!
for those that want to argue. Ill be happy to give a tour of our shop and show you the difference in person why billet is a better choice ... blog.mrt-castings.co.uk/blog/the-difference-between-cast-forged-and-billet
Really jealous seeing that ascend armory receiver set. Really wanted one but now they and the company are gone
Not true. They are back on the market. Legion precision is making them along with ascend armory. They're having a sale right now
@@yafilthyanimal1746 oh really? Everytime I've looked it always brings a 404 or sold out. I'll have to check again
Forged: gang gang gang since potty train
Billet: gucci gun gucci gun gucci gun
The best lower is.... The one people can afford. They all work fine
What company makes that forged lower? Thanks in advance!
Aero precision makes the nicer forged one in the video. It's called the M4E1. They also make standard milspec style forged lowers.
I'm gonna ask you which one you'd like shows a really nice looking one next to the everyday one hmmm I wonder
Good vid
Thanks
Well damn i wish i would have seen your video befor purchasing my last three lowers?lol two of which were Anderson lowers and a PSA.They all work fine and all look about the same and all cost me 40.00 too 60,00 bucks.Im working on an AR15 in every caliber,collection! lolmy last two were .224Valkrie and a 7.62x39.Already have two .223/5.56 in different twists and working on more!!! lol :>) GOD BLESS AMERICA!
Mil-spec is Mil-spec. If the receiver meets the specs designs tolerances in every measurement and has a good durable finish and the features you want buy that one even if it's half what most other lowers are.
I wish it was that simple, the only you’ll get true mil spec is in the military supply. Yes there are some manufacturers that hold to the TDP, then there are a ton that do not even under the claim of “milspec.”
@@GunsandTactics as I said if its mil-spec. It is. If it isn't it isnt. I'd challenge someone to take the tolerance of even a cheap lower with a cmm and see if fits the required tolerances needed to meet the design spec. I doubt you'll find any critical dimension outside the tolerance window I could be wrong but I think I'm barking up the right tree with the critical dimension statement
I’ve measured a lot of lowers from manufactures claiming to be “Mil-Spec” and have found tolerances all over the place. The real problem is the print they are going off of and the quality control which with many cheaper options is far less.
I'm a chemistry graduate student not specializing in but very educated in metallurgy. For the purposes of this rifle, there is functionally no difference.
Except around $400.
@@phillhuddleston9445 more like $40 difference. Otherwise theyre functionally the same.
@@mikeandnatalya I can get a forged receiver for $35 to $40, you can not get billet receivers for $75 to $80.
@@phillhuddleston9445 I paid $95 for this one so its pretty darn close. Certainly not $400. imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/539x404q90/r/922/TVwgrN.jpg
@@mikeandnatalya buh puh
Stupid question: Has anyone ever put a PSA upper on like a higher end lower receiver?
Up until 10 years ago this subject was never an issue. Now all of a sudden we're concerned with what characters are on the lower and upper. This whole thing has been discussed ad nauseum on CZcams. I bought my first lower through my ffl in 1984 (SENDRA XM-15E2), out of Shotgun News. It worked perfect and it's probably older than most of the CZcams "experts".
I’m pretty old my kids say lol
Forged is the best and stronger than billet or cast. It's hammered into shape, compacting the metal at a molecular level, while being lighter and cheaper than billet, and is 7075T6 aluminum. I have never found the billets to be prettier, I like the classic M4/M16 look of a forged mil-spec, and removable trigger guard.
I love my M4E1
I use billet, it's all in the eyes of the beholder, and to each their own.
Is there any difference in the lower parts Kit?
that was a perfect video thanks!
Thank you for watching
Anyone know what happened to Ascend Armory?
They dissolved then their design was sold to a couple of companies that reproduced the receivers. NLA just announced they just acquired the design and are going into production
A forged piece under a microscope looks like gravel, a billet looks like sand. Every Top Fuel Drag Race 11,000HP engine uses billet blocks & heads and money is no object for these guys. So I'll go with billet, but honestly if they can make them in polymer it probably doesn't matter.
bob fleischer bet you didn’t know that “billet” only means that it’s final shape was made by cutting by a machine instead of forging did ya? Also, did you know that forged billet barstock exists? Top fuel heads are cast, which is much weaker than forging and then cryogenically frozen to try and make up some of the strength a forging would have...but still, weaker than a forging by a long shot. 🤯
Well then, did you know All racing engines use FORGED pistons, Connecting rods, and crankshafts? Why? Because of their increased strength.
Receivers are like engine blocks. The internals make the engine.
At the end of the day… “if it doesn’t fit, Accu-Wedge it!”
Aero Precision Gen 2's have a bolt underneath that pretty much acts better than an accu-wedge by tightening the lower to the upper....if you look at one of the forged Aero's on the vid you can see it near the buffer tube ring underneath.
I have a caste lower in my favorite AR-15 it has served me well through thousands and thousands of rounds
Why did we show the billet lower with an upper?
I thought I mentioned how billets lowers can be matched with an upper
Wait...that lower billit comes as one piece?...so tge bolt carrier group and other internal parts are perminatly inside?...Nuts!
Just watched the vid for Houlding Firearms. They make 7075 BILLET not forged recievers. Don't get dazzled by the old argument here. These rifles will likely outlast all of us.
I have the aero m4e1 forged billet style and it's the shit
is a forging a mold?
FORGED
Forged metal is heated up until it is malleable (not molten) and forced into the desired shape. This is the same process that blacksmiths and ironmongers originally used to create horseshoes, swords and armour. However, modern methods usually use high pressure stamping, rather than a hammer and anvil.
Billet is a form of material and doesn’t necessarily indicate the manufacturing process (or quality) of the final product. Billet metal is a solid length (often in a square or circle profile) of material that has been extruded into shape, either by continuous casting or hot rolling. Billet material is often used in machining.
@@complacentcitizen124 he shouldve included that explanation in his video.
Your statement is only somewhat accurate. Regardless of the material you choose, accuracy of the finished product has nothing to do with the material and how it’s produced. Both 6061 and 7075 are great materials for this application. Forged material as it pertains to the receiver would require a closed to die forging process. Die halves would have to be machined with the required features and would likely require the part (receiver) to be hit multiple times to achieve a near net shape. Once you have your forged receiver, now you have to hold it somehow because you really don’t have any true flat surfaces like you would if you where using plate. So now your going to have to build fixtures to help locate the forging so they can me machined.
Forging will give you a far stronger product because of the grain structure but going from billet 7075 will still give you 25-30% increase in tensile strength. There are pros and cons in using forged over billet.
Nice Shirt!
Thanks!
Noreen lowers are the best! Forged or billet. Tight tolerances flared magwell, etc. and they are $40. The machining has to do with the company’s integrity and not what they charge for the lower. If you believe it’s the machining you are paying for, well, they have to justify sone reason to charge you $200 for metal.
I have been looking at Noreen billet lowers recently. My 1st build was when obummer was 1st elected and parts were getting scarce. I ended up only being able to find a polymer lower. While it DOES work and shoot, I have never been thrilled with it and want to replace the thing. Nice to find your testimonial about Noreen parts.
Agreed. Better if they offered winter triggers on theirs though.
Pure fact
It's all the exterior design machining you're paying for. If it passes inspection it's within tolerance.
You are paying for the machining.. a 5 axis machine runs over 100k for a entry production model.... as a customer we pay for that... and if i were to machine a lower manually, i would have to charge 500$ or more for just a blank lower
So...you take a Anderson lower $50 vs Radian lower $360...both basically the same (mill spec)...but $310 difference?
Kevin Cain pretty much.
@@dakotaj5646 Damn..thats crazy!!
The tolerance are much different. Anderson is likely not going to be anywhere near the same tolerance level a higher end lower. Nothing on the commercial market is truly milspec except everyone throws that term around. I’ve had several Anderson or other budget lowers come through my shop with improperly sized holes or other issues. Quality control and adherence to tolerances costs time which costs money.
@@GunsandTactics A person cannot even tell the difference in tolerance between the 2.
@@tbugher62 Neither can the firearm.
You can always forge a billet receiver FYI
so many videos cover this, lets see the actual process in the machine shops...
On my list, not quite as easy to get access to shop floors but I would love to do this
Probably as easy as you promoting the two brands of receivers in the video ! @@GunsandTactics
7075-T6 forged all the way, with Type III Hard Anodizing. Creates the toughest lower and upper receivers. The fancy shmancy upper/lower Gucci Guns are a waste of $$$$$.
Much better ways to spend money on a build than choosing a 300$ upper over an 80-100$ upper
Polymer with kevlar is strong and lighter.