Oversimplified AR?

WestKentucky · Jul 12, 2020

I’m sitting here staring at a junk 80% lower (supposed to have already sent to gunny... sorry gunny, post office and my schedule don’t work out well)

if a person were willing to sacrifice last-round-hold-open then the lower becomes MUCH simpler to duplicate. A spring-lever mag catch rotating on a central pin would also be a simpler design which got me to wondering (danger will Robinson) if anybody has tried out lowers without those features. Seems a man could pretty easily duplicate the remaining features at home from a casting. Yes lowers are cheap. Yes lowers are usually (not right now) plentiful, but the DIY in me never stops, and a homegrown AR lower sounds fun.

theotherwaldo · Jul 12, 2020

I was considering similar points while designing a stamped steel AR-type receiver (stamped in halves like a Ruger Standard pistol).
The dies for these stampings could be created to hold magazines of different types or different recoil systems, or set up specifically for pistol use only.
Once the shell has been stamped out, reinforcing plates can be welded in the interior of the stampings before they are welded together and then the recoil tube mount can be added.

CarJunkieLS1 · Jul 13, 2020

theotherwaldo said:
I was considering similar points while designing a stamped steel AR-type receiver (stamped in halves like a Ruger Standard pistol).
The dies for these stampings could be created to hold magazines of different types or different recoil systems, or set up specifically for pistol use only.
Once the shell has been stamped out, reinforcing plates can be welded in the interior of the stampings before they are welded together and then the recoil tube mount can be added.

While I'm positive that type of tooling can be designed and made, I'm also positive that the tooling costs for said tooling would easily be $30,000 or higher. Especially when your talking about multiple dies made or for tooling to be swapped out for different mags. That could become a $100,000 venture very easily.

AlexanderA · Jul 13, 2020

"80%" lowers are already machined for both the bolt hold-open and the mag catch. There's no cost savings there, even at the manufacturing level, because the tooling has already been amortized.

jmorris · Jul 13, 2020

Even right now, you can buy one ready to go and finished for under $50.

https://www.primaryarms.com/anderson-manufacturing-ar-15-stripped-lower-receiver

Buy them outside of a “panic” and they are cheaper than some doorstops and bookends (no joke).

Lots of the 80% ones cost more than one ready to go. I am a DIY guy too but I just don’t see the point. Even if I had to do a little milling, threading, drilling a couple holes and spray paint it, I still know I didn’t “make it”, more than the 20%. Then again there are lots of AR “builds” that are really just AR “assembly”.

I made my 50 BMG because I didn’t see the point of paying $3500 on one. If I could have bought an 8620 receiver for it for $50, I would have saved myself the machine work.

CraigC · Jul 13, 2020

Local shop still has Anderson lowers for $60. Was gonna get a couple more next time I'm in there.

Bwana John · Jul 13, 2020

Oversimplified AR (15)

I think it's called a AR 18.

entropy · Jul 13, 2020

This:

Oversimplified AR?

WestKentucky

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theotherwaldo

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CarJunkieLS1

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AlexanderA

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jmorris

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CraigC

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Bwana John

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entropy

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