I know stiller is well known for benchrest action now it seems they are making AR-15 lowers http://www.viperactions.com/ predator XT billet lower AR-15
Looks like its got a decent mag funnel from the pics
Those look pretty interesting. Thanks for the link.
Looks like they copied the Sundevil set screw.
I know stiller has a pretty good reputation I don’t think I would use one for serious use but they would probable make a good 3-gun lower or a precision long range rig. It would be interesting to see if they come out with a matching upper.
It is interesting mil spec receiver alloy is 7075-T6 and they use 7050-T7651 alloy maybe some one will chime in to explain the differences.
Predator XT AR Lower lower receiver for AR15 gun $369
Currently listed prices at http://www.lanworldinc.com/Lower.htm
Stag Stripped 5.56 Lower $125.00
Noveske 5.56 N4 Lower $245.00
Sabre Defence 5.56 Lower $155.00
Spikes Tactical Stripped 5.56 Lower $169.00
From LMT@ http://www.lewismachine.net/
LMT : Defender Lower with Collapsing Stock and Standard Trigger $330.00 each
I may be a bit less than stellar on the tech side of things but I can see the additional cost of an exotic alloy being that great in the grand scheme of things.
I also didnt like the extra machining steps for the magwell, but that is just an aestetic difference as I don’t have any evidence that it will or wont effect the structural integrity of the magwell.
All the lowers you listed are forged stiller is billet not to fair to compare prices with them.
POF billet gen3 lower $365.00
Tactical innovations billet lower $279.00
Larue billet lower $250.00
I own a LMT its great for a serious use along with other examples colt,noveske and others.
I am just saying it might make a good 3-gun lower or a precision long rang rig.
Game gun thats all .
I always thought a billet was a piece of metal forged into shape and then machined to final form.
Am I incorrect in this, and what is the process for making a forged receiver as opposed to a billet?
If read just about everything on the site, but guess I missed this one, at least…
I’m curious on this too. My current thought on it was that billet was completely machined from a large chunk of aluminum versus the forged ones are forged into shape and then finish cut and trimmed, but I’m not really sure of the differences.
A few old timers I know use the term billet to describe semi finished products, usually castings. The CNC generation uses the term to describe parts cut from solid bar stock. Stillers website has a photo showing the lower in various stages of completion
All it takes is money.
The Tactical/varmint stocks look pretty impressive too.
That’s what I thought.
Is billet stronger than forged?
Thats a good question I could be wrong but it seems that I remember reading some were that in the forging process that the surface of the receiver is very dense kinda like a hard candy shell. The cnc billet receiver the density is even through out the receiver. But with the flexibility you get with a cnc you can add extra material to critical parts of the receiver there for increasing the strength of the receiver.
I am just interested in how 7075-T6 compares to 7050-T7651 that I have no clue?
They’re pretty much identical. The difference is in the heat treating. If I remember correctly T651 is the “newer” spec but you’ll still see plenty of T6 material out there. In a relatively low stress part like a receiver it won’t make a difference.
I was under the assumption if it was “billet” it was machined from a solid piece of aluminum by a CNC machine?
Nowdays, this is correct.
machining, fit and finish I’ve ever seen on an AR lower. Completely flawless, not a complaint anywhere on it.
Maybe a bit too large for a carbine build for most, but perfect for a target/varmint build.
Here is a .204 Ruger build I finished recently for a customer. Stiller lower, Pac Nor threaded barrel w/Vortex (as per the customer’s request), RRA NM “tuned” 2 stage, Bushmaster Varmint handguard, Stag/CMT everything else.
Topped off with a Nikon Monarch 4-16X40. Half MOA @ 200 yards with less than 60rounds through it.
The set screw works great to take the last bit of movement out of the lower to upper fit.
odd that you would use a billet lower, but not upper, on a long, heavy-barreled gun…
billet is “stronger” in that it’s machined thicker in certain spots. i suspect forged aluminum of the same thickness would probably be even stronger, but for whatever reason Vltor is the only manufacturer i’m aware of that’s doing that.
they look tuff, but since i’m totally unfamiliar with that alloy i’d have to do some serious research before dropping that kind of d’oh on a lower.
Why is that odd? The majority of “long, heavy-barreled guns” use upper recievers made of the same exact material.
Talk to the 1911 guys about forged versus cast. I have heard of more forged frames having “issues” than the cast ones. That’s a debate for another thread.
If you read up on the alloy it is better, at least on paper, what that boils down to in practice I dont’ know. It is overbuilt and that’s what my customer wanted.
Not my particular cup o’ tea. I would prefer either a Larue or a POF. Just not a huge fan of the large “X” on the magwell. Looks like it makes a good rifle though.
It seems everyone these days are building their own version of the AR. I will probably cry the first time I hear about a Hi-Point AR, but I don’t doubt that it can/will happen at some point.
it’s not odd that you’d use a standard forged uppper with a long, heavy barrel- you’re absolutely right in that most long, heavy barrels are hung from standard forged uppers. my point was that if you were going to spend extra money for a billet receiver with a precision gun, the upper is where i’d put it. the lower doesn’t affect accuracy, but a stout billet upper does. so it seemed backwards to me.
I’m no metal expert, i only know what i know about gun metal from what i’ve picked up over the years. but steel and aluminum are two totally different metals, and all i can guess is that steel melts, forms, and cools better than aluminum. in the AR world, castings have been long since abandoned- cast receivers were the worst receivers ever made.