Pennsylvania Firearm Owners Association
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  1. #1
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    Default Another 80% Lower finished.

    These are the nicest I’ve seen. Had to switch from my supplier of the last 4 years because I lost trust in them. Led me to this one, and I’m glad now. These are much nicer than the AMT Billet Lowers I’ve been accustomed to.

    7075-T6 Aluminum (all I’ll use), not 6061. And these are “enhanced” Lowers. (like the Ares M5) Has a couple nice little assembly features which certainly aren’t necessary, but welcomed just the same. Threaded Bolt Catch Pin, threaded for nylon set screw to eliminate Upper/Lower rattle. Although it’s a very good fit to my M4 Forged Upper. No rattle anyway.

    Here it is after I finished machining & Armor Black Cerakoted, then baked in my home made curing oven. Came out superb. I sincerely love doing these! I feel so lucky to still be able to. Hard in me… and I’m slow going. But manage to the end. Quite gratifying.


    Absolutely beautiful Lowers.


    With the parts back in. Grabbed a billet machined Bolt Catch & Ambi Safety/Selector. Using Ti Pivot/TakeDown Pins & all the usual high-end components I do. Right down to the machined SS & Melonite treated Detents! Trigger is ALG. I do need a new Castle Nut. I’ve been using this one in 7075 awhile now, but it’s getting pretty marred up with the sharp teeth on the Armorers Tool. I’ll probably grab one in Titanium.
    Remember Biden the Pedophile! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSRqaO6DXcA

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Another 80% Lower finished.

    Was the magwell solid when you got it?
    FJB

  3. #3
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    Default Re: Another 80% Lower finished.

    Are you familiar with 80% Lowers? If not, they are all sold like the pic below. Both Billet & Forged Lowers. The Mag Well is always finished, which requires CNC to properly machine. The FCG pocket must be milled, then trigger & trigger/hammer holes, as well as the Safety/Selector hole must be drilled. I actually drill & ream to size for a very tight pin & Selector fit to begin.





    Remember Biden the Pedophile! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSRqaO6DXcA

  4. #4
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    Default Re: Another 80% Lower finished.

    Quote Originally Posted by DavidH View Post
    Are you familiar with 80% Lowers? If not, they are all sold like the pic below. Both Billet & Forged Lowers. The Mag Well is always finished, which requires CNC to properly machine. The FCG pocket must be milled, then trigger & trigger/hammer holes, as well as the Safety/Selector hole must be drilled. I actually drill & ream to size for a very tight pin & Selector fit to begin.





    Thats a lot of work, is it worth it or is it more of a hobby? Do you polish them, they look real rough stock.
    FJB

  5. #5
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    Default Re: Another 80% Lower finished.

    It*s not cost effective, if that*s what you mean. No, this isn*t something I recommend people just jump into on a whim. I*ve followed the 80% market with AR*s, AKs, 1911 & striker Pistol frames since it*s inception.. about 2010. I didn*t start doing them until 4-5 years ago, because things took that long for the lowers & frames to become the really high quality they are now. 8 years ago, many of them weren*t so good. Dimensions weren*t always very good, so parts didn*t fit well all the time. They were only using 6061 in the first years for Billets, etc.

    So, no.. not for just anyone. I*m a hobby gunsmith/builder & machinist. I*ve spent years acquiring many machining tools, bits, & such. I*m also a custom Knifemaker, and most knife makers like making/building their own things.

    I*m sorry, polish it? Which pics are you referring to? The 3 unfinished lower pictures aren*t mine. They are simply from Google, & one is in the Raw*no anodizing. Only the pics from the first post are mine. It*s just been finished, has dirt smudges, fingerprints dust from my work room all over it. But polish? No, I don*t polish my AR*s. Or any of my firearms for that matter. I clean them and slather *em with oil. If I haven*t shot them in awhile & the oil evaporates, I lube them up again. The AR*s that is. I run them wet. My carry pistol & my bench gun don*t get drenched in *erl.
    Remember Biden the Pedophile! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSRqaO6DXcA

  6. #6
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    Default Re: Another 80% Lower finished.

    Yours look better than mine. I wanted to look into a home cerakote kit. Right now mine are unfinished. My next one I'm going to not hit the sides of the jig until I'm all the way down, then make a long pass against the walls. I don't have an exotic kit, just a mill off amazon. I only use 7075 as well, don't want to mess with 6061. They run real well though.

    I have found that it's extremely educational to assemble everything from scratch, event he upper. It's extremely interesting to see how everything goes together, and the ingenuity that it must have taken to figure all this out in the first place.




  7. #7
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    Default Re: Another 80% Lower finished.

    Appreciate it. I*ve done more than a few now and over 4 years. My first weren*t nearly as nice. And they still aren*t as smooth as 100% Lowers from any manufacturer. The difference is theirs are machined on $50,000+++ 5-Axis CNC machines. LOL! The great thing is, as long as the parts fit with not too, too much slop & the holes are drilled square with minimal play, the Rifle does not care! Function will still be be flawless. Even the very first one I machined. With very rough machining marks. Uneven cuts here & there. And milled even a little deep, but not too deep. It still runs perfect! BTW.. I run the same inexpensive mill. Started life as an XD2* Just I*ve *Frankenstein*d* mine. Now has a 1hp variable speed, brushless motor with a homemade cog drive belt system, installed angular contact bearings on the R8 Spindle & bigger ACME lead screws with Delrin Axis feed nuts, added stiffeners to the back & base, making it one piece & filled the up-rite, base & spindle housing with Granite-Epoxy. This adds considerable weight and stiffness. Also did several other little items like better brass Gibs, longer 1/2* Z-axis handles. It now weighs around 325lbs and can cut like a much larger unit. This is the magic of DIY hobbying.

    I do the same as what you just said. I run the bulk of it to depth, then use my long length of cut end mills (1.5* LOC) on the full length of each side, equal amounts, until the Hammer & Trigger just fit, with no slop*maybe a thou or two of clearance. By the time I Cerakote and cure, the hammer/trigger fit with zero play.

    As for Cerakote, honestly, just grab one of the small, cheap gravity feed spray gun, just make sure it has a 0.8 nozzle. And again* the smaller ones. Something like this one. https://www.amazon.com/AB-Tools-Reso...s%2C82&sr=8-69 Or even an Airbrush. Also a cheap sand blast gun. Compressor, hoses & such. The Cerakote is like $38 each color on Amazon. I think the DIY kit is like $300 or something?? Honestly, I*ve read bad things about their spray gun. These cheapo guns spray better. Mine was like $25 & lays a clean coat of spray. Just need to clean it out really well, have the correct 0.8mm nozzle & Teflon tape all the fittings.


    If you are are interested in my setup or pointers, let me know. I*m no professional painter. But I research like no one and I know how to do things WELL, on the cheap for hobbyists.
    Last edited by DavidH; November 17th, 2022 at 11:30 PM.
    Remember Biden the Pedophile! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSRqaO6DXcA

  8. #8
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    Default Re: Another 80% Lower finished.

    What machine are you using to do the cutting?
    American by BIRTH, Infidel by CHOICE

  9. #9
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    Default Re: Another 80% Lower finished.

    This is one after I got a couple under my belt. But I was still using the first Jig I purchased.


    I wasn’t doing Cerakote back then either. Just used the Aluma-Black acid on them. Not quite as nice as now, but still ran great!
    Remember Biden the Pedophile! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSRqaO6DXcA

  10. #10
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    Default Re: Another 80% Lower finished.

    Quote Originally Posted by markshere2 View Post
    What machine are you using to do the cutting?
    I said. I bought an X2D mill years ago. But I*ve Fraken-milled it into a much heavier, stiffer & more powerful machine. Although the first Lowers I machined were when it was mostly stock. Did burn up the 350Watt motor quick though. In fairness, I was doing a lot with it though. Cutting steel even. So, probably not the fault of the Lowers alone anyway, LOL!
    Remember Biden the Pedophile! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uSRqaO6DXcA

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