I would, but there is no reason to, since apparently people like you will always try to second guess anything I say…
All I’m going to say on an open forum is that I do not foresee purchasing anything other than Colt manufactured carbines in the future due to some of my issues with other manufacturers.
Another caution against Roggio Arsenal. I picked up one around 4 years ago before I knew any better. (I did buy it from an individual pretty cheap, but that’s the only consolation). After I got it, I began reading online about Roggio’s QC issues. Sure enough, when I installed a LPK, my magazines would not lock in reliably. It seems the the mag release slot was out of spec just enough for the mag to not lock in right. I was able to fix the issue by a tiny bit of filing to the appropriate spot on the mag catch with a needle file. Now the magazines lock in reliably. It now lives in the closet as a spare & reminder to research BEFORE buying in the future.
i had an LRB with a tight magwell…
ended up getting a BCM complete blem lower. I think that’s about the sweetest deal in lowers going. under 300 bucks, and there’s really no reason to ever buy another one. done. drop your upper(s) of choice on it.
How about the fact that KAC lowers are ambi, have ambi QD sling attachments build in, have a match trigger, have an enhanced trigger guard, and come with an LMT SOPMOD stock from factory?
However, (IIRC) they do come with a CAR buffer instead of an H buffer.
(An AXTS lower would be acceptable as well.)
IMHO there is absolutely no reason to buy a non-ambi lower. (Besides maybe price, but still.)
Race to the bottom.
+1
Although there are a lot of reasons to prefer Colt, there are also a large number of other high-quality lowers out there.
IMHO, ‘which ones do I avoid’ is the correct question to ask, since the majority of lowers are fine quality.
Is RA Rainier Arms? I see them at Grant’s site and wonder what they’re like as far as lower receivers go. I do have their Raptor charging handle which is pretty solid piece of kit.
OP, this is something to consider as well. There are plenty of lowers out there that are too tight to freely drop PMAGs, I’ve heard of this problem sometimes within brands, for example one batch of BCM lowers will drop them just fine, and one batch won’t drop them. (Haven’t actually heard this about BCM, just an example.)
Trying out whatever you get before you buy it would be wise.
I have an Rguns lower that was out of spec in an obvious way. The hole for the mag release button was too small, so I had to take the mag release button to a bench grinder to make it smaller. It fits now, but it’s not pretty.
Recommend avoiding Rguns.
I’ve had good luck with Mega, Aero Precision, Noveske, Stag and S&W. Mega makes Rainer Arms lowers.
I recently got a CMMG lower that had a tight magwell and a bolt catch plunger hole that was too small. Long story short, the plunger is still stuck in there and it is now a paper weight. CMMG told me to pound sand when I called them about it too.
I have had great luck with the Stag stripped lowers I’ve bought, as well as the S&W MP lower.
Never had a single issue with my LRB. Everything from my LMT LPK fit perfectly and my pmags fit perfect. Then again this is from a newer run. I know a few others that have the same lowers with the same success.
That being said, if you want a guarantee go with a colt. If you want a good lower go with BCM, mega (Rainier), Noveske, Daniel defense, etc.
I think I took a chance with the LRB and won.
That’s my opinion.
So what has changed on lowers in the last three to five years?
No issues from my PSA stripped lower
These features are why im in the process of purchasing a SR-15 right now.
The “race to the bottom” argument is used to much anymore that it’s really nothing more than a logical fallacy. Any person using it should be looked upon with suspicion.
300 years ago, aluminum was so difficult to extract that it was considered more valuable than silver and gold - Napoleon was given a set of aluminum plates, and this was considered to be priceless. Nowadays, aluminum is cheap and used in seemingly everything. I’m sure you think this is an example of the “race to the bottom.”
A complete Colt lower costs $515 from G&R Tactical. Meanwhile, a complete LMT lower costs $330 from the same source. Is this yet another example of the “race to the bottom?”
Nice job taking my comment out of context.
I was referring to the people that will buy a POS out of spec lower to save ten bucks - as seen by the feeding frenzy surrounding blowout lowers from Delaware Machine, R Guns and others - which would have been blindingly obvious if you also read Stick’s post that I quoted.
Enjoy your suspicion.
Some companies have gotten better at making them. Some companies have changed sources. New companies have emerged. Would you take 3-5 year old advice on barrels or quad rails?
Being that most “blowout” lowers nowadays are made by Aero, LAR, or MEGA, this simply is not the case. You can get lowers made to the correct specs for about $80-90.
I am not saying I recommend them. I don’t have enough experience with them. However, I bought a few of their billet receivers a few years back (after the last election). The magwells were way too tight (for almost any mag). They admitted a problem when I contacted them, took them back, reworked and refinished them, and sent them back to me. They paid shipping both ways (or more properly, reimbursed me for shipping to them and paid the return to me). After their rework the magwells are just fine, and all have been built up and the parts kits (DD and/or G&R) all fit just fine and everything works well in them.
That was my experience with their billet circa mid 2009. I do not know how they are now and have seen no others in the wild.
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