AR lower opinion

[m1garand30064]

Hello all,

After the election I ordered a bushmaster lower receiver with a six position collapsable stock in case a new AWB comes into affect. I currently have a colt lower and 4 upper receivers, so another lower would fit nicely in my collection. The gun shop called and told me the bushmaster is still on order, but they have some rock river lowers that just came in with the same features I ordered on the bushmaster.

I dont have any experience with Rock River. Would you guys say their quality is up to snuff? How do they compare with a colt or a bushmaster? Thanks for the advice!!

 

[SFC Carpentier jr]

Re: AR lower opinion

Rock River makes some good stuff. I have several of there lowers and uppers. I have two of there heavy barrel uppers with Wylde chambers and they shoot GREAT. A good choice.

 

[jojunior]

Re: AR lower opinion

RRA lower is nice. The quality could be better than BM!

Here is my choice -

Colt
RRA
BM

 

[USMC 308]

Re: AR lower opinion

RRA has a commercial buffer tube....not a Mil-Spec. Not really a problem unless you are going to change stocks.

LMT, Colt and others use a Mil-spec buffer tube.

 

[shane45]

Re: AR lower opinion

Out of all my AR's to include colt armalite Bushy, my RR's have been the nicest in fit and finish.

 

[cyberpuppy42]

Re: AR lower opinion

KD lowers are nice

 

[TNT]

Re: AR lower opinion

Rock River is great. Their complete rifles are fantastic. Grab an NM A2 and go try to outshoot it - I've not come close.

 

[jojunior]

Re: AR lower opinion

I've seen most of them and LMT lower is the best of all IMO

 

[Aubrey]

Re: AR lower opinion

The commercial receiver extension has been mentioned above, and IIRC they Loctite them on, so beware of that. Also, their two-stage triggers are not known for longevity. I know of no other significant issues with RRA.

I have Colt and Noveske, and they are good-to-go but difficult to obtain. If you can find LMT or Greg Sullivan's Defensive Edge they should be good as well.

 

[Bacarrat]

Re: AR lower opinion

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jojunior</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I've seen most of them and LMT lower is the best of all IMO

</div></div>

Lowers are lowers for the most part. As long as you don't buy the crap, Hesse/Vulcan lowers or the Bushmaster Carbon lowers you are good to go. LMT is off or on. Some have nice finishes and some look purple, same for their uppers. For best fit and finish I would go with Mega.

 

[BOLTRIPPER]

Re: AR lower opinion

the brain trust is over at AR15dotcom....

 

[Downzero]

Re: AR lower opinion

A lower is a lower. Too bad Nobody didn't see this.

 

[jojunior]

Re: AR lower opinion

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Downzero</div><div class="ubbcode-body">A lower is a lower. Too bad Nobody didn't see this. </div></div>

<span style="font-weight: bold">Not true at all.</span>

This is not a beauty contest and I am not talking about how "pretty", "black" or "purple" it looks. I am referring to the QUALITY of anodizating on lowers.

Have you tried to install LPK to various lowers? After numbers of punching, pressings and you can tell right the way how strong, good or weak the coatings are.

The lower can get chipped (or brittle) easily with weak anodization. IMO, because I have worked on LMT, Colt, STAG, and RRA lowers, coatings on LMT and COLT are tough as hell, RRA is in the middle and STAG is the weakest.

This is one of the factors to determine and of couse, mil-spec or not mil-sepc is another factor also.......

 

[Joeyhotfizzle]

Re: AR lower opinion

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: jojunior</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Downzero</div><div class="ubbcode-body">A lower is a lower. Too bad Nobody didn't see this. </div></div>

<span style="font-weight: bold">Not true at all.</span>

This is not a beauty contest and I am not talking about how "pretty", "black" or "purple" it looks. I am referring to the QUALITY of anodizating on lowers.

Have you tried to install LPK to various lowers? After numbers of punching, pressings and you can tell right the way how strong, good or weak the coatings are.

The lower can get chipped (or brittle) easily with weak anodization. IMO, because I have worked on LMT, Colt, STAG, and RRA lowers, coatings on LMT and COLT are tough as hell, RRA is in the middle and STAG is the weakest.

This is one of the factors to determine and of couse, mil-spec or not mil-sepc is another factor also....... </div></div>

I think he's saying all lowers serves the same purpose and it would not affect accuracy no matter which one you use. I dont know why a lot of people sweat this stuff

Buy the coolest looking one

OP, check this out: http://www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=3&f=12&t=318113

 

[m1garand30064]

Re: AR lower opinion

Thank you all for your responses! I just want to make sure that I am not buying crap. It is the same price as a bushy lower so I will probably go ahead and get it. It is a little concerning that they locktight on the stock and you cannot put another milspec stock on it, but I guess I can deal with it. The internal components are milspec otherwise correct?

Thanks again!

 

[Powder_Burns]

Re: AR lower opinion

Well considering that the lower receiver is the part that is considered a firearm, and is the part you register, and if you build a SBR or anything along those lines, you wouldn't want a POS lower that breaks on you or is out of spec/has dimensional issues. It does matter very much. Fit and finish are pretty important in my book too.

Those billet lowers may be considered overkill but they are very well built. See LaRue and POF. For a regular forged lower, see LMT, Mega, RRA, etc. A bargain lower will get you by but you have slightly better chances of getting a bum lower. See DPMS, Stag, YHM, CMMG, Double Star, Anvil Arms, etc. Most of these lowers are forged and then sent out for finishing to various companies, so if you do your homework you will find that one forge can make lowers for a multitude of different companies, who just pay to get their logo stamped on and anodized.

My suggestion, for anyone shopping for lower receivers:

On a completed lower (assuming a standard LPK and a 6-pos stock or A2) don't spend more than $350. The exception would be like a LMT lower with a sopmod stock or a commercial equivalent, you would expect to spend up to $600 (though I would not).

For a stripped lower, don't spend more than $125. The exception would be billet lowers, they will simply cost more...$250 neighborhood.

Buying a Hartford Horsey lower is gonna cost you more, simply because you have a pony stamped on the magwell. (Colt)

The biggest and most crucial facet of purchasing a lower:

Bring mags with you and make damn sure they feed and drop free!
Mags that bind in the magwell = no fun. Having to reprofile magazines so they will drop free = no fun either. Get a lower with properly spec'd dimensions the first time and save yourself the grief.

 

[z71rat]

Re: AR lower opinion

I have owned numberous AR's over the years. Factory assembled, or parts guns that I have put together. All that I will say is this... for MY money, I follow the ABC's.

Armalite, Bushmaster, Colt, DPMS... Etc.

And yes... in that order!!

DK

 

[Powder_Burns]

Re: AR lower opinion

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Bernard Wolff</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Thank you all for your responses! I just want to make sure that I am not buying crap. It is the same price as a bushy lower so I will probably go ahead and get it. It is a little concerning that they locktight on the stock and you cannot put another milspec stock on it, but I guess I can deal with it. The internal components are milspec otherwise correct?

Thanks again! </div></div>

Also, you can ditch the commercial tube and put a mil-spec one on instead. The loc-tite will break free with a little applied heat..you don't have to go crazy and turn the whole thing bright red with heat, just enough for it to melt a bit. The commercial stock will wobble like hell on a mil-spec tube however, so unless you are planning on replacing the whole stock assembly just live with it.

 

[RD3]

Re: AR lower opinion

Look at the Sun Devil lowers. I'm currently building one with a Sun Devil matched upper and lower, and I think the quality and finish is great. If I hadn't been able to get the Sun Devil I was looking at the Megas or Red River Tactical. I had heard great things about all of those.

 

[sr15match]

Re: AR lower opinion

I have had good luck with LRB also. They are still available and without a wait. I think on GB there was a couple at $99 and some at $129 recently. Fit and finish is great and all my mags drop free without issue.

 

[rich56]

Re: AR lower opinion GO RRA

Excellent fit finish and trigger an my match lower. Trigger was better than the Bushmaster equivalent that I shot

 

[LoneWolfUSMC]

Re: AR lower opinion GO RRA

My work carbine is on a RRA receiver (old non-crosshair rollmark) and I have no complaints.

My SBR is on a new RRA lower and it also works as it was designed.

Just about any quality lower will work fine. Even a DPMS will run with a Colt if you build the lower out with high end parts.

 

[m1garand30064]

Re: AR lower opinion GO RRA

Well gentlemen I got the lower. I actually got two, one that was a completed lower with a stock, and the other being just the frame. They both look to be excellent quality, and I did the mag test as you all suggested. The guy at the gunshop told me that I could make it into a pistol style AR because it did not have a stock on it, but it would be illegal to do that to the one with a stock. Gotta love the government!!

The frame is going to a friend as a wedding present, so I guess he will have that option and not me. Oh well! Thanks again for all your help!