Who Makes my AR15 Lower?

[C-pher]

No idea if it is accurate but I found it interesting….look below for Anvil Arms..

Who actually makes my AR-15 lower receiver?

Cavalry Arms
* Cavalry Arms

Continental Machine Tool
* Stag
* Rock River Arms
* High Standard
* Noveske
* Century (New)
* Global Tactical
* CLE
* S&W
* MGI
* Wilson Tactical
* Grenadier Precision
* Colt

Essential Arms
* Essential Arms

JVP
* Double Star
* LRB

LAR Manufacturing
* Anvil Arms
* LAR
* Bushmaster
* Ameetec
* DPMS
* CMMG
* Double Star
* Fulton Armory
* Gunsmoke Enterprises
* Spike's Tactical

Lewis Machine & Tool
* LMT
* Lauer
* DS Arms
* PWA
* Eagle
* Armalite
* Knights Armament
* Barrett

Mega Machine Shop
* Mega
* GSE
* Dalphon
* Gunsmoke Enterprises
* POF
* Alexander Arms

Olympic
* Olympic
* SGW
* Tromix
* Palmetto
* Dalphon
* Frankford
* Century (Old)

Sabre Defense
* Sabre Defense

Sun Devil
* Sun Devil forged billet receivers

Superior
* Superior Arms

 

[IPSC_DRL]

Interesting. I don't see JP listed.
Hey Rob, where does John get his made?

 

[one-eyed Jack]

The Sun Devil lowers are actually machined from aluminum bar stock, probably 6061. Jack.

 

[kenpoprofessor]

The Sun Devil lowers are actually machined from aluminum bar stock, probably 6061. Jack.

I was across the street from Sun Devil manufacturing Sunday before last. I was at another great name, AZEX, and they build some of the finest AKs in the country, mine included

Have a great gun carryin' Kenpo day

Clyde

 

[JoeT]

very interesting. . .is it believed that each manufacturer makes the lowers to the same spec?

for example is the Anvil lower (stripped) the same as the bushmaster lower (stripped) except for the logo?

 

[Skald]

very interesting. . .is it believed that each manufacturer makes the lowers to the same spec?

for example is the Anvil lower (stripped) the same as the bushmaster lower (stripped) except for the logo?

No.

Each company has its lowers to its own spec's (and if you noted Jon from AA even said that some of the lowers coming in may not meet his spec's even though they were shipped to him).

 

[MichaelJ]

Cool list but what does it mean to me? Is this good/bad?

 

[vellnueve]

Nothing, really. All those manufacturers put out a good product.

 

[glockguy17]

Sticky material?? It is Captain Sticky after all.....

 

[Hoppy]

this is a nice list. i just cut and copied it for my own files.

i have a brief question. Essential Arms was a manufacturer a while ago and then sold off their tooling and machines to an "undisclosed" big brand with a no competition contract.( so iv been told)

do we know who this was? EA is back now (supposedly the no competition contract ran out)

i was wondering if its one of those makers or is this all hokey BS

 

[flotter390]

ANVIL ARMS

No.

Each company has its lowers to its own spec's (and if you noted Jon from AA even said that some of the lowers coming in may not meet his spec's even though they were shipped to him).

NO!!!!

Then why are all the parts interchangeable.

WHAT MAKES HIS BETTER OR SPECIAL?

I would really like to know.

I took 4 different Make lowers and uppers to the pumpkin shoot and they all shoot the same when I changed the uppers on the lowers!!

The uppers made the difference not the lowers.

And I put about 100 rds thru each upper on the 4 different lowers, at least 1600 rounds on this trip alone.

The uppers make the difference not the lowers!!!

 

[Hoppy]

NO!!!!

Then why are all the parts interchangeable.

WHAT MAKES HIS BETTER OR SPECIAL?

I would really like to know.

I took 4 different Make lowers and uppers to the pumpkin shoot and they all shoot the same when I changed the uppers on the lowers!!

The uppers made the difference not the lowers.

And I put about 100 rds thru each upper on the 4 different lowers, at least 1600 rounds on this trip alone.

The uppers make the difference not the lowers!!!

dont confuse the parts commonality with same spec. some companies have small variations in design.

remember there was alot of talk about SW MP15 mag wells not fitting Pmags. thats was due to a slight variation in thier specifications

each company probably designs their own receiver in terms of dimensions as close to milspec as possible. but after that, quality of material use ( different alloys etc) and quality control vary. if a company says i want it in Alloy X and they receive it in Alloy Y, while the dimensions are the same, it is none the less a different spec part

when you see Dickie's brand clothing in a store, two pairs of pants or jackets may look the same, but if its got a Horse Shoe type logo its made to a different spec than if its got the [Dickies] type box logo. this is because they make a different spec product for places like walmart. this may be material denier, type of stitching or zipper brand, the same is true for AR receivers. while CMT may make Stag and RRA receivers, they very well may be made of different alloys, and from different CAD files.

am i rambling or does this make sense?

 

[PaulD]

So is there any consensus on who makes the best lower? By best I mean the nicest finish and least likely to have fit issues.

 

[curlymaple42]

I have experience with Bushy, Stag, and Alexander Arms lowers. Now Bushy and Stag are made by CMT, so should essentially be the same, but the Alexander Arms lower was the easiest most true to spec in terms of accepting the parts perfectly that I have ever built. Bar none. So, Mega Machine I think is way up there in terms of quality and tolerances being what they should to fit the parts properly. Now I did not have any problems with the others, but I sure have heard of people having to ream out holes for pins and such.

 

[Skald]

JVP makes the Charles Daly lowers (may want to update your list a bit)

 

[44 Blues]

Pick the one with the logo you like best (and maybe one with a finish that matches your upper) and be done with it. I think the selection of lowers does not need to be as complicated as many make it out to be. How many lowers have you heard of that "broke"? I've had several and not a bit of functional difference IMO.

 

[Skald]

Pick the one with the logo you like best (and maybe one with a finish that matches your upper) and be done with it. I think the selection of lowers does not need to be as complicated as many make it out to be. How many lowers have you heard of that "broke"? I've had several and not a bit of functional difference IMO.

Again, each mfg. has their own specs as to what constitutes 'acceptable'. Yes DPMS lowers are cheap, but I have seen them with misaligned holes, holes not drilled to proper dimensions etc.

Best 'bang for the buck', imho, as far as Lowers and LPK's go is the CMT/Stag.

 

[CTbuilder1]

That list is around on many forums and is not all that accurate. CMT does not make Colt's lowers. The sources of certain manufacturers can change or even be multiple so it would be hard to keep an up to date list.

 

[DukeInFlorida]

6061 does not meet the strength requirement for lowers. They would be made from 7075 billet, or from a forged 7075 blank.

The Sun Devil lowers are actually machined from aluminum bar stock, probably 6061. Jack.

 

[TomH]

Every buyer would have their own print for their lower. That is what the machine company should be following. A buyer can't just call up and say "I want AR lowers" and not have a print for it. Using another customer's print to make parts for a 2nd customer would be a big no-no, especially with government contract companies like Colt. That being said, the major dimensions on most any lower would be almost identical, since they are all just copies of the original spec of an M16 lower. Little differences may be added by a company to enhance something, etc.

 

[cadillacmike]

I like my Colt AR15-II Sporter II which is now a full HBAR thanks to a nice gentleman from PA. Looking forward to using it once i finish my "sentence out here in afghan. It's all Colt and all fits together perfectly.

Now i only need to find a pre-ban Springfield M1A and a WWII vintage M1Carbine from CMP or someone else.