Anderson AR-15s

I just saw a ad for them yesterday on one of the outdoor channels. They are supposed to have made an AR that doesn't need any oil in the working parts & they are getting over double the life out of their RF85 treated barrels.
https://andersonmanufacturing.com/all-products/rf-85.html

I have built 4 Anderson lowers into complete ARs and I have been very happy with them. No problems or concerns at all.

I use their lowers exclusively in builds. Fit is always spot on. No complaints here

I have one and the only thing that I did was replace the trigger with a Rise drop-in. Shoots as well as I need it to. Not a match gun, but I didn't by it for that. Got a 300 BO upper too so I can sit in a blind and pop does.

Upper and lower castings are the same as everybody else. Anderson barrels are OK for a basic gun but don’t expect a target rifle to be born out of a cheap barrel. Lower parts kits are very serviceable, and I have had zero issues with the BCG I have bought. Essentially all of the parts are as good as anything else with the possible exception of the barrel. I havent shot many guns that I would say are in the same price point or are aimed at the same group of customers so I can’t compare Anderson guns to others. Also ARs are so easy to assemble that assuming good parts were used then you will have a reliable rifle and with any luck it will be accurate enough to satisfy your needs.

For a hobby gun they seem to be just fine. If you plan on using for defense pay close attention to QA when you get it. Get a couple hundred rounds through it to ensure it functions well. Like many of the lower cost ARs they don't have as extensive of QA and should probably undergo some testing to ensure that they operate as expected.

Anderson lowers are known as "poverty ponies" to AR snobs, but they're as good as any commodity lowers. My only complaint has to do with the aesthetics of their markings. Too deep and too crude. But functionally Andersons are just fine.

I've never had a problem with them, I have had or with other more expensive stuff.

Hrbie22 said:

I use their lowers exclusively in builds. Fit is always spot on. No complaints here

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Same here. My first three were, in order, Bushmaster(the only complete AR that I have ever purchased)/DPMS/DPMS but the 7 since those have been Anderson.

AlexanderA said:

Anderson lowers are known as "poverty ponies" to AR snobs, but they're as good as any commodity lowers. My only complaint has to do with the aesthetics of their markings. Too deep and too crude. But functionally Andersons are just fine.

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I like the poverty pony. It reminds me they’re a Kentucky company.

I’ve used Anderson stripper uppers and lowers as well but I don’t feel qualified to respond to the query about complete rifles. Would I buy one for what they normally go for? Sure, if I had a need. Would I replace a few springs n things right away? Yes.

I assembled 2 or 3 A2 type guns using Anderson lowers. These are my "extras" that I'm planning to sell if, for whatever reason, prices go through the roof. For my "keepers" I used DTI, S&W, etc., lowers. Purely for aesthetic reasons.

I dont have complete rifles but have used a couple of their lowers. They seem like any other lower. Tolerances were good. The only issue I had with a lower was a $140 spikes. The Anderson's I used were good to go. I would trust them for budget/entry level

I assembled my one AR, now sold, with an Anderson stripped lower. Everything with the exception of one item lined up perfectly with a PSA kit.

The one problem was the hole to accept the screw that held on the grip wasn't drilled deep enough. I had read this was an issue and put a few washers on the screw to take up the slack and that was that, no big deal.

I'm no AR guru, but the gun worked perfectly, so to me the Anderson was fine.

I bought two complete guns when Hillary was about to be our commander in chief just to sell someday.....I gave 300 each I think. Am-15 I think was the model. Just a standard flat top. It did have heat shielded handguards I noticed. Lol. So they weren't completely budget guns

I got one out this year and put a red dot on it and showed dad how to use it. Doubtful he would ever grab it over his old flite-king or M1 carbine though for SD. I put a couple hundred rounds through it with no issues.

I have never owned or shot a complete Anderson rifle so can't comment on their quality.

Like already stated there are only a handful of companies that actually make the raw receivers. It is in the the attention to detail when machining and finishing the receiver that makes the difference between an Anderson receiver and a high end receiver. Function wise the Anderson works just as well.

In fact the majority of my builds are stripped receivers from Anderson or Palmetto State Armory, which ever was cheaper and in stock at the time. Sometimes the finish on the Anderson lowers doesn't quite match another brand upper perfectly but that's okay, nothing that a good soak in CLP won't take care of.

I have an Anderson lower receiver on my PSA AR and I have no issues with it. Just basic mil spec but there's nothing wrong with that.

I've built several using Anderson lowers and parts. Last one was a PSA pencil barrel upper on an Anderson lower with factory parts kit. It was a very reliable clay pigeon buster out to ~150 yards with 55 fmj reloads. I would use Anderson parts without hesitation.

SC

Uhg.... Ok, they work..they work very well. Their forged uppers & lowers are made by the EXACT SAME Foundries that ALL THE OTHER MANUFACTURERS get theirs! Colt, Spikes, RRA, BCM, LMT... ALL OF THEM! Their MilSpec LPKs are made by the same machine shops that make them for all the others. As well as their BCGs!

I have a couple of Anderson lowers... a couple from Aero Precision...a Colt..a Bushmaster... a Juggernaut Tactical... they all work just fine.

The uppers I’m a big more particular about, tending to go exclusively with higher-end makers. (Personal preference)They, too work just fine no matter what lower they’re on.

You will be well served with the Anderson set up .

Stay safe.

@David Hoback, why all the yelling? I heard @12Bravo20 just fine.

Between my friends and I we've had probably half a dozen lowers that were out of spec.

My late friend Will Larson said he saw more out of spec Anderson lowers than any other brand. But he saw and worked on hundreds if not thousands of ARs a year.

That being said an in spec lower is an in spec lower. If your Anderson is in spec its going to work just as well as any other plain jane lower.

Personally ill spend a few, literally just a few, extra dollars and get a lower from a business with better QA/QC.

Between myself and my two son's we own a bakers dozen AR15's. Eight of them were built with Anderson lowers and LPK 's. Zero issues in thousands of rounds. We also own three of the budget flat top "optics ready" 1:8 barreled uppers. They shoot fine out to 300 yards and are very, very reliable. Especially since they are almost exclusively fed Russian steel case ammo.