6Al-4V Ti is some damn strong stuff and expensive to machine. However it would be heavier than an aluminum reciever with no tangible improvement in lifespan. I just cannot see any situation where the increase in strength would be usefull, because any event that would damage a regular lower, would result in other broken parts when using one made of Ti.
Or, a bulk buy of about 35 mil-spec Al lowers for about $100 a piece? (realistic rice in quantity). I’d take the 35 mil-spec lowers - provided I had any use for that many lowers.
Why? Improvement and all is great but I see more solutions to problems that don’t exist with the AR platform than anything I can think of off the top of my head.
Innovation and improvement is great where innovation and improvement are needed but whats wrong with a standard AR lower? I don’t understand why there is a market for billet uppers and lowers and crap like this TI lower. For $3500 I could SAS my ranger with a Dana 44 or build a a nice rifle with ALL the bells and whistles and then still have about a grand left over for ammo… thats a shit ton of ammo. And ittl do the same thing this TI lower does.
Aside from the Ti and everything, what is the word on their receivers? Any good. I am in the market for a new receiver. are they worth that price? Should I go with a blemmed Noveske?
My dad built three rifles using their lowers a couple of years ago. There were some out-of-spec issues on one lower, but the company was very communicative and replaced the problem receiver most rikki tik.
I’m a jeweler & I can tell you they are really trying to milk that profit margin. That thing is WAAAAAY over priced, that or they need to get a new supplier.
If you take a block of aluminum and that of titanium, you would be hard pressed to actually figure out which is heavier.
I would say the price is a little bit steep for titanium, but the material is expensive, but if you have worked with it before, it is tough, but cuts very similar to 7075 aluminum.
I think it’s neat, would be a very tough alternative to an aluminum component.
It’s very difficult to machine titanium, plus they definitely won’t be producing this in numbers outside of the single digits (at least I wouldn’t assume there is enough demand to, in fact I’m skeptical if there’s enough demand to provide one customer). People have made lowers from wood and old cutting boards, which goes to show lower strength isn’t very critical. A titanium RE (might need to be redesigned to prevent flex), castle nut, trigger/hammer/sear, or even a BCG would be interesting for experimental purposes.
Yea I have bought cylinder heads that were completely CNC machined.
That is 16 ports, 8 chambers, 16 valve spring pockets , 16 ss one piece valves & billet cnc machined valve spring keepers for less that that one dinky lower.
As been said before titanium is not needed totally unnecessary.
Hell I don’t remember titanium connecting rods going for that much.
Titanium is not hard to machine with good quality sharp tools, plenty of coolant and a stiff machine. Less stiff machines like a Bridgeport will often see some vibration and chatter but with any modern NC tool this would not be an issue.