Which brand for budget lowers?

[Wisco]

Lots of great suggestions!

To each their own, but I don’t do gimmicky guns. Plain Jane for me. Just black or FDE with minimal markings.

I ordered some Aero lowers for use, gifts, hoarding, and maybe resale during a panic.

Personally, I’m partial to BCM - quality, fellow Wisconsinites, but expensive. I have other lowers and guns - LMT, DD, Stag, Colt, but have never bargain shopped for multiple lowers until now.

 

[GunnyUSMC]

I’ve thought about doing one like this.

 

[Styx]

A few of the factors that will effect to price of a lower. One is name brand. This can be worth paying for or just a status symbol. Then there are the roll marks. Some people like to be different, and that’s ok. I have a friend that has started collecting lowers, just for the different markings. He said it’s cheaper then buying complete guns. Then there is the finish. I remember the first time I picked up a Black Rain AR. It was like black frosted glass. The finish was flawless. But I’m fine with a factor blem and extra money in my pocket.
Then there are the lowers with added features, like the Aero Gen2. And then there are billet lowers. This opens a whole new world. But in the end they all pretty much end up doing the same thing.
Just find the one that makes you happy, be it low or high end, and build it the way you want. And remember to have fun while you build it.

I tend to FIRMLY believe that Anderson lowers would be more popular, highly thought of, and more sort after if they were never sold at budget prices and if they had nicer roll marks. For example, if Spikes lowers were always $30 and Anderson had better roll marks and were always sold for $80, Anderson lowers would be considered the better bet/deal especially if they were on sale for say $40. People would then say to spend the extra to get the Anderson because in their minds, they're getting a deal. Spikes lowers would probably be seen has the "poverty" lowers.

The strip lower market is mainly based on status symbol (branding), superficialness (looks), snobbery (cost more so it must be better), and to a lesser extent (IMHO) features, e.g., trigger guard, flaired magwells, etc. When it's all said and done, they all preform the same core functions and basically do the same exact thing.

 

[boom boom]

IMHO, Styx has the right of it along with GunnyUSMC.

If I recall correctly, there is some thread on AR15.com that discusses the various manufacturing forging marks for the raw receivers which generally are not the name that is stamped on the receiver. The AR name on the lower specifies to the forging plant certain specifics and then the finish work is done by the AR lower quasi-manufacturer (I also suspect that some shops may farm this job out as well). Some folks apparently have enough time on their hands that they decipher this sort of stuff so if you want to find out, it is out there on the web somewhere. The great gun droughts in 2008 and later ones spurred by mass shootings, probably spurred a get it out the door mentality among manufacturers. I suspect that quality among manufacturers slipped a bit.

One thing that used to matter in manufacturing (not up on latest techniques though) is when companies decided to replace/refurbish their machine tooling. Some have greater manufacturing tolerances because of keeping their tools a bit longer than their competition. They can sell a bit cheaper but you might be more likely to get a unit with problems than from a competitor that replaces/refurbish their tools more readily.

For the record, I have used an Anderson lower for a build, worked fine and no problems, I have used an Aero Precision lower, once again no problems. I have a Bushmaster (pre Remington make), no problems. Bought a couple more receivers from Brownells during the last sale, bought what works for me. I suspect you would get more bang per buck worrying about the quality of the barrel and bolt than the lower receiver but not worried about whether that is true or not. Varminterror or some of the other folks that swim in the high end pool on makes might be able to comment on them.

Billet, AR-10, 80% finish, and polymer lowers have their own special niches--never used any of them so don't really care to know that much about them-but someone does and they are out there.

 

[Skylerbone]

Ah but that’s like telling someone a Glock and a M&P are virtually the same. Tenniter vs Melonite. 6061 vs 7075. Commercial vs milspec receiver extension.

One more bit to consider is availability of other build parts. If I want an FDE rail made by Aero with its proprietary nut, I can buy an Stripped Aero upper with the nut already included and installed. It will match an FDE Aero lower and trigger guard and LPK. That won’t matter to everyone but it will to others and that’s no knock on the quality of anyone else’s, only another point to consider for those preferring a single vendor source.

 

[GunnyUSMC]

Ah but that’s like telling someone a Glock and a M&P are virtually the same. Tenniter vs Melonite. 6061 vs 7075. Commercial vs milspec receiver extension.

One more bit to consider is availability of other build parts. If I want an FDE rail made by Aero with its proprietary nut, I can buy an Stripped Aero upper with the nut already included and installed. It will match an FDE Aero lower and trigger guard and LPK. That won’t matter to everyone but it will to others and that’s no knock on the quality of anyone else’s, only another point to consider for those preferring a single vendor source.

What’s wrong with FDE CAMO?

 

[Styx]

What’s wrong with FDE CAMO?
View attachment 802407

Yea I dig the 50 shades of FDE more so than one solid color.

 

[bearcreek]

One more bit to consider is availability of other build parts. If I want an FDE rail made by Aero with its proprietary nut, I can buy an Stripped Aero upper with the nut already included and installed. It will match an FDE Aero lower and trigger guard and LPK. That won’t matter to everyone but it will to others and that’s no knock on the quality of anyone else’s, only another point to consider for those preferring a single vendor source.

My rifles all get the Rustoleum/Krylon treatment so I don't care in the least about color matching. You're right though, some do.

 

[Dr.Rob]

I didn't invent the phrase "poverty pony" I heard it on Primary & Secondary modcast.

 

[Riomouse911]

I have a couple each of the Aero and Anderson lowers. So far I can’t tell the difference between them.

While my uppers may differ in brand and style, I use BCM stocks, pistol grip and charging handles on my AR 15’s...so to be totally honest if I close my eyes I can’t tell a difference between the Aero/Anderson and my Colt and Bushmaster lowers as well.

Stay safe!

 

[AlexanderA]

We've come a long way when we can quibble about things like roll marks. I remember in the early days of aftermarket (non-Colt) receivers, it was an open question whether you could even use a particular one to assemble a gun -- so many were out of spec. My first few builds were a struggle. Olympic Arms, one of the early makers, apparently machined their lowers out of billets of aluminum -- complete with all the telltale sharp edges. Whether the holes were in the right places was an open question. In assembling a gun, things had to be hand-fitted, even something as basic as the fit to the upper receiver. (This was as recently as the late 70's - early 80's.)

In contrast to that, lower receivers are now a commodity. No matter the brand, you can pretty well be assured that they will interface properly with the other parts.

When encountered today, those early Oly receivers are candidates for the trash bin. Unfortunately, some were converted to fully-automatic transferables. Then you can't really scrap a gun that in the worst case might be worth $12,000 - $15,000. This is probably the lowest category of transferable FA AR-15, but still.... Blame the Hughes Amendment for this situation.

 

[Elkins45]

Anderson is headquartered just a few miles from where I used to work, so I’m happy to support them whenever I can.

Regarding the "poverty pony" I'm pretty sure I know where it came from:



IMO the best lower is the GWACS polymer, but they are in such demand the mold wore out and they are having to retool. I bought one when they were on sale fro $89 and I wish I had bought a dozen.

 

[Mosin Bubba]

IMO the best lower is the GWACS polymer, but they are in such demand the mold wore out and they are having to retool. I bought one when they were on sale fro $89 and I wish I had bought a dozen.

View attachment 802596

I know people always trash them for being ugly, but the idea makes a ton of sense to me: you get your lower, stock, buffer tube, and grip all in one shot. It'd be fun to slap a 16" pencil barrel upper on one and go to town.

 

[Elkins45]

I know people always trash them for being ugly, but the idea makes a ton of sense to me: you get your lower, stock, buffer tube, and grip all in one shot. It'd be fun to slap a 16" pencil barrel upper on one and go to town.

That’s exactly what I did. I bought a PSA pencil barrel upper and added a key mod free float handguard. I haven’t weighed it but I would guess it comes in around six pounds. If I had to tote around a battle rifle all day it’s the one I would choose.

The InRange guys used a GWACS lower for their “What Would Stoner Do” rifle, and that caused a run on them.