Which brand for budget lowers?

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Wisco

Wisco

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I just saw some stripped lowers on Brownells.

$42 for Aero
$35 for Anderson
$33 for ATI
$45 for Matrix

Then there’s premium lowers, stripped
LMT and Knights $150 and $210

I can’t imagine the cheap ones getting much cheaper, or the premium either for that matter.

If you wanted to buy the best you can for the least money, and also keeping resale in mind, what do you prefer?

If you were going to sell a lower later - do people prefer an Aero to an Anderson? Or whatever else...
 
Some people are funny.
So they’ll pay a lot more for a specific marking on a lower.

I’ve done a lot of reading, and the Andersons seem to be the best value right now. Just don’t pay full price. Catch a sale and a good price like that. But several if your FFL charges per transaction not lower and you’re golden.

If memory serves me ATI are poly and the general consensus (for now) is to wait and see how they’ll hold up in an AR. I’ve not read anything bad, but I’ve also not seen any long term abuse tests and most people are waiting and seeing.

That price on Aero seems good so if you like the looks better than the Anderson go with that as I’ve only seen good reviews on them.

I can’t comment on the higher end but will say PSA sometimes has great sales on stripped lowers and they’re a great value when you catch the right sale.
 
Honestly, just get the Aero. They are popular with builders because they make quality and fairly priced products. I've never know a single person who regretted Aero Precision receivers. They look good, fit well, are in spec, and have a few minor improvements over some of the other builders, such as a tension screw to reduce rattle, set screw to old the takedown detent. You can find them at retailers for great deals.

These sites often have great deals on them
www.righttobear.com
www.schuylerarmsco.com
 
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I’ve used Aero lowers for years, get them lately at gun shows for $60 OTD. Had a bad experience with an Anderson lower where the holes for the trigger/hammer pins were out of spec. Find it hard to take a chance again.
 
They are are basically the same and do the same thing... I have both Anderson, Aero, Spikes ... The only difference is the price and roll marks. Andersons get a bad rep because they're sold so chea, so are seen as a budget lower. Budget priced equals inferior to a lot of people.

Like I said, I have lowers from all 3 of the companies I mentioned above, and I don't see the difference. The only main reason I would choose a Spikes or Aero over an Anderson if the price was the same is because other people place a higher values on them. I typically buy whatever is on sale.
 
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PSA has a weekend sale going on..."Stealth" lowers $39.99 shipped.

M
 
I’m in the middle of my second build, first was an Anderson (I have 4 more stripped Anderson lowers still wrapped up) and this one an Aero. Honestly apart from a small mark and the roll mark the Anderson looks exactly like my RRA and was trouble free. So far the Aero has been the same and offers a slightly larger magwell taper to aid in finding the hole.

At $7 difference with these prices my cat says you’d have to be a tightwad to not spring for the Aero, but she can be pretentious. I admit she guilted me into a complete Aero Pistol upper last night. OpticsPlanet is offering 10% off so for $315 I reluctantly agreed.

If you’re looking at resale if prices jump, ask yourself if you’d rather have 5 for the price of 6 or 6 for the price of 5.


Kitty loves her some Aero.
87B76D0F-8F10-43AA-9A08-905783675BBE.jpeg

Went with the 7”, no FSB (all other lengths A2 style). Just need to find a sale on Toolcraft and an SBA3. And an RDS. And a few accessories. An...
9CD3A633-323B-41AD-B6CF-827CB33DD6B2.jpeg
 
Do folks still sell the 80% lowers at shows? That may be interesting. Anybody had one of those? What do they cost vs a budget stripped lower?
 
Not a big AR fan, but the solid one piece trigger guard on the Anderson is a plus. No assembly required, no parts to lose. All the assembly vids tell you to be careful not to break the trigger guard when putting it together, a solid one eliminates the danger.
 
Speedo66 said:
Not a big AR fan, but the solid one piece trigger guard on the Anderson is a plus. No assembly required, no parts to lose. All the assembly vids tell you to be careful not to break the trigger guard when putting it together, a solid one eliminates the danger.
Click to expand...
Using the right tools eliminates that too.
milemaker13 said:
Do folks still sell the 80% lowers at shows? That may be interesting. Anybody had one of those? What do they cost vs a budget stripped lower?
Click to expand...

Stupidly enough, 80% that are unfinished run about the same price as stripped lowers generally run... I see them for around $40-$50. Yes, folks still buy them to bypass having to deal with FFLs... I've even seen several ban state residents who buy them shipped to their homes to bypass their states Assult Weapons Ban. Then they'll buy kits from Palmetto State Armory...
 
Andersons are OK, except for the markings (IMO). I've used them for a couple of builds, but I prefer the S&W or Del-Ton markings.
 
Alright I just went through this with Brownells but before the Aero's went on sale. I bought one Aero, a few Anderson's and an ATI just for fun. The Aero was primarily for the set screw to tighten up my Grendel hunting rifle and it worked for that. The surprise was that the ATI seems to be a great lower. It's forged out of the same aluminum, just like all the others, not polymer like their Omni. It also appears to have threads (no setscrew included) to tighten it to an upper, just like an Aero. Fit it is just as good as the others. The only potential negative might be the finish. It looks good now but who knows how well it will stand up to abuse. For $33 I think it's a bargain. Buy a few and spread out the FFL transfer fee. If your FFL won't do that find another one.
 
ColoradoMinuteMan said:
Honestly, just get the Aero. They are popular with builders because they make quality and fairly priced products. I've never know a single person who regretted Aero Precision receivers. They look good, fit well, are in spec, and have a few minor improvements over some of the other builders, such as a tension screw to reduce rattle, set screw to old the takedown detent.
Click to expand...
A buddy of mine sent a couple of them back several times due to out of spec magazine wells. It was too tight to drop a PMAG, loaded or empty. Had to pull the mag out. They claimed to have opened up the mag well on the first one and when it still didn't work they sent another that was also too tight. Obviously others have had better luck with them but I wouldn't buy them personally.
 
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