Opinion / Feedback on AR15 Lower Brands

[musculus]

Bill Winchester in COLO SPRINGS does superb work on AR triggers. For about 35 bucks, and about 5 day turn-around, you end up with a great match quality trigger.

http://www.triggerwork.net/lever.html

his tweaked factory trigger unit on my Smith AR-22 (.22LR AR clone fun gun) is BETTER than the RRA match trigger in my RR M4 clone and the trigger in my Bushmaster DCM match gun. (honestly, I should switch them out but too lazy).

[rcnixon]

I have two LAR lowers and two "blemished" uppers. The lowers are multi-caliber and are just fine as far as fit and finish goes. LAR also makes lowers for other manufacturers as well. The blem uppers have one, almost imperceptible finish chips each, on the order of a millimeter or less.

The DPMS lower kits do have HORRIBLE triggers. On mine, the stock trigger and hammer engagement faces are a the wrong angle and the early trigger pull actually pulls the hammer back. What's up with that? I'm poor so a good two-stage trigger is out of the question right now but I will look into the Bill Winchester suggestion. $35 and shipping I can handle!

Russ

[Darreld Walton]

and took a look at the PSA lowers. When I got back home, I stumbled on one for $79.95, the same as they're being offered for from PSA's website. Can't get hurt for eighty bucks these days, right? It went together as slick as any other lower I've used, is a good bit tighter fit with the several uppers I have on hand than some other lowers, good finish, and works great so far.
For "budget" builds, I'm not so sure how a guy could go wrong with the PSA lowers, if you'll allow me to qualify that statement until I get a 'few' thousand rounds downrange with 'em.

[gonna]

I"ve had 2 RRA lowers, both with the RR 2 stage trigger pts, all worked just fine.

[jeep]

Most lowers are good being made by 5 companys for all all brands. Hesse-eagle is junk. All the rest the same just use milspec inners. Name stamping does not make them better,but milspec inner's are important.

[ThePlinker]

Out of those two, I would go with PSA. Depending on your use of this rifle...if you choose to go the RRA route, make sure you swap out the trigger for something mil-spec (ACTUALLY mil-spec). I have had terrible luck with RRA triggers (single and two stage). I have also seen others brake during classes/qualifications. You probably won't have to worry about this if this rifle will just be a range gun/plinker. If this will be a hard-use/abused gun, get a true mil-spec trigger.

[ThePlinker]

gonna, what has your round count been on these triggers, out of curiosity?

[Grenadier]

Lower brands? Having both DPMS and Palmetto Armory upper and lower components on various AR rifles, I've found the quality to be high. In comparison to my M16A2 (AR15) military parts clone rifle made from genuine FN and COLT parts, there is no noticeable difference. Just bought my third PSA upper being a "pencil barrel" 16-inch middy lightweight. That one will be dropped into the pile with the other SHTF stuff.

[BlitzKrieg]

Rock River is a solid maker. Don't confuse it having a "Government Contract" with supplying the military with rifles. DEA for instance can put out a request for bids for M4 carbines and take the lowest bidder and that is a govt. contract to suit their needs. That does not mean a milspec M4 carbine being sold to DEA as is sold to the US military. So if RR had a govt contract, understand what that really means.

Of the weapons that flood the market and this includes stripped lower receivers, you just don't see
many of certain brands in that great menu... and its for a reason. They are high end and very well made and are superior. So asking for what is "Best" is a hard question to answer.

If you want two answers: in the normal use category, you will be well served by Rock River products for quality. in the hard use category, Lewis Machine & Tool (LMT) is your milspec solution option.

If price is the driving issue and many just go cheap immediately, you get what you pay for. That always comes with unintended problems like reliability and trustworthiness.

When you pick up your AR, only you can answer the question of " IS THIS A PILE OF CRAP" ? You know and got to live with it. I do not and won't.

[BlitzKrieg]

Cincinnati SWAT Team Selects SIG SAUER® SIG516® CQB Rifles
Delaware State Patrol SORT Chooses SIG516 Rifles
Philadelphia SWAT Team Selects SIG SAUER® SIG556® Rifles

Don't jump on contracts to justify what is best , its only who won the low bid. See above.

I can give you examples of govt contracts for Ruger pistols but it don't mean they were replacing the M9 Beretta with them. Just wanted a cheap pistol to out fit Iraqi Special Forces when we were ramping up their SF Brigade in 2004. Never went to US troops.

Back to AR weapons: there are tiers of quality . Buy the tier that suits your mission needs.
For most of you who will never shoot them hard and long , DPMS might do you fine. You run 10K through a AR per year, you will be wanting a Colt, LMT, H&K, price range AR platform. The middle of road makers of weapons that do long service but are not budget line in quality are probably the best bet and examples like Rock River, Bravo Company, Stag, S&W give solid choices.

Okay all that said, it may be that you got to buy what you can find and with a AWB pending if Obama is re elected. same scenario as Nov of 2008 but this time its no false scare. Buy an AR now if you want one and buy best you can find / afford.

If nothing else, find the best stripped lower, buy it and salt it away . Build it later with best parts you can find. When these are banned , you are good to go still as you own the receiver which means you own the gun. I would rather own a lowly Olympic or Double Star or other bottom feeder AR than no AR at all.

Just do something if you don't have an AR.