Question What’s the best lowers in your opinion.

[ar15robert]

Aero M4E1. Most bang for the buck. Everyone talking about Aero is complaining about uppers and other parts. If you walk into your gun store and they have Aero lowers, or any parts for that matter, buy them up. Sure customer service has gone to , but their lowers have always been great. Anything more you’re paying for a name.

I seen those aero lowers and they are nice.Could have paid 20 bucks more and had one.Now i think back and should have got atleast one of them.The built in trigger guard and beveled mag well are nice.

The standard ones caught my eye more though because im still old school when it comes to ARs. A2 and M4 style here wit honly 1 railed upper.Now this thread makes me want to pick up another lower soon.

 

[ronzkie21]

Any milspec lower is ok. Invest on better barrel, BCG, trigger, recoil spring, and optic.

 

[Striker777]

As stated by others, most lowers are essentially the same. When you start paying extra you're either doing it because you're getting some bells and whistles like ambidextrous controls, or you're just paying for the name that's roll marked on it. People still think that the word colt is something special that should command ridiculous prices

I was told by a a higher up at JD Machine Tech before they died that 80% of AR lowers are produced by about 4-5 companies and the names are just added to the customers who are purchasing them, forgings are produced in these companies and distributed.
Names mean , if you want your’e lower to say KAC or LMT pay the extra cash.

 

[Deleted member 16735]

I was told by a a higher up at JD Machine Tech before they died that 80% of AR lowers are produced by about 4-5 companies and the names are just added to the customers who are purchasing them, forgings are produced in these companies and distributed.
Names mean , if you want your’e lower to say KAC or LMT pay the extra cash.

Yeap just check the forge marks, now there definitely can be a difference in fit and QC, that's what you get with BCM or Sons of Liberty but if there's any part where it matters the least it's a lower.

: https://www.generalstaff.org/Firearms/Markings/AR15_Forge_Marks.htm

 

[Jimi Jah]

JD Machine are my best here. Very tight, no wobble. I used to pick them up from their SD factory. They had a cool cat there named Bullet.

They told me they made lowers for other outfits including Colt.

 

[ECHO 510]

Griffen armament

 

[KingRansom]

I was told by a a higher up at JD Machine Tech before they died that 80% of AR lowers are produced by about 4-5 companies and the names are just added to the customers who are purchasing them, forgings are produced in these companies and distributed.
Names mean , if you want your’e lower to say KAC or LMT pay the extra cash.

Same scenario goes for bolt carrier groups. Toolcraft makes a huge amount of the industry as bcgs and then they're just relabeled with somebody else's name on them. It's funny how somebody can spend $500 on let's say a complete ar-15, and then would gladly spend $1,500 on an absolutely identical piece for piece rifle just because it has somebody else's name on it and the perception is that it's a better quality firearm.

 

[treelogger]

Fulton Armory FAR 15 They do their own in house and they are the a U.S Government contractor.

I still have a problem with them. Due to their immoral actions during the OLL crisis, when they threatened Wes (of scooter and red hair fame) with a lawsuit for no logical reason. It seems I hold a grudge well ... this is now over 20 years ago.

 

[H. Bowman]

I still have a problem with them. Due to their immoral actions during the OLL crisis, when they threatened Wes (of scooter and red hair fame) with a lawsuit for no logical reason. It seems I hold a grudge well ... this is now over 20 years ago.

10% was great. I wonder how many folks here have any idea that back then you couldn't get an AR lower in California at all, and the time, costs, and risks many people put on the line to get us where we are today.

 

[jjavillonar]

I went with the Seekins NX15 with my build, and just FYI don't let any gunsmith tell you that Ambi lowers will not work with AR maglock until you try solving it yourself, I showed multiple gunsmiths my receiver in person and they said it won't work, one FFL even kept it 3 weeks emailing freedom fighter back and forth because that was one of the options but no luck. They could've just made a call instead of 3 weeks. I did build this with very minimal machining. Like my fingernails are thicker compared to how much I had to remove. Then I just filed it a little bit so I can eject the mag without releasing the bolt.

 

[Smittty]

Just trying to get some insight of who makes the best lowers in your opinion all I ever see people talk about online is like aero and I never see them in store.

Aero.

 

[Hooligan43x]

My BCM, DD, and G$ all have Aero M4E1 lowers.

 

[Smittty]

My BCM, DD, and G$ all have Aero M4E1 lowers.

I appreciate the Aero for it's extra attention like the screw pin for the bolt release and the tension screw, but more than anything I LOVE their complete uppers.

I didn't know about them until last fall when I held one at a shop and its barrel was dead nuts centered in the handguard. I have not seen this in person on any upper regardless of the price. So, I took the risk and ordered a new one, last fall, didn't know anything about them having troubles or taking long to deliver, and like the best luck in the world - I got my upper a week later.

This upper is so good, the barrel is dead nuts centered and turns to be my most accurate for this type of gun. The barrel is their hanson pencil profile in 223 wylde.

Their website shows almost everything out-of-stock but I certainly hope they survive because I really like their products.

The upper I got is in kodiak brown which is probably why it was in stock at the time but it looked cool to me so I ordered it. Then I needed a lower and all the kodiak brown lowers that I could find near me had the bold A on the side which I didn't like so I ended up finding their no logo lowers in-stock at riflegear which was a painful 3 hours away. I dreaded the drive 3hrs there and 3hrs back, and again 3hrs there and 3hrs back to pick it up. The dumbest waste of time but turns out I'm really happy this the rifle. If anyone finds a used, don't hesitate.

 

[PAGANSAINT71]

SOLGW makes some nice pieces.

 

[mossy]

There is no best lower IMO, They are all the same. Just get whatever you want, it will work with whatever upper you buy.

 

[Smittty]

There is no best lower IMO, They are all the same. Just get whatever you want, it will work with whatever upper you buy.

Searching for what's available, I'm not finding a many options now. Last fall there was a zillion, today not many.

 

[kalifornia.kompliant]

KAC SR-30 for investment and resale reasons

 

[Smittty]

KAC SR-30 for investment and resale reasons

Had to look that up, OUCH expensive!

The buyer for that is not the typical calguns marketplace guy.

The only thing in stock at turners is this one, and last fall there was so many options!

 

[BlackburnRa]

LMT lower gets a second vote from me. Running it on my featureless build.

Cheap and reliable = Aero if you can find it.

 

[CWINSD]

They're all the same really, just want to make sure QC is good and it's in spec. I've built using all kinds, never had any issues with Aero lowers. Personally like Noveske and LMT the most.