Brothers and Sisters, I know nothing about these guns. I'm an old guy with a small gun safe full of shotguns and lever guns that I've been collecting for my 11 year old son, I'm in California (I'm sorry too)

It seems every gun person I talk to tells me get him a lower in the safe...


I can get a complete New Frontier ploymer lower for 200.00 ..I'm also thinking about getting an anodized 80% lower from a local company (80percentarms) for 180.00 and making it 100% as soon as I get it.  I'm stuck on what to do. We don't shoot much but I'd like him to have a good gun. I'm asking what's best and not worried too much about how much its going to cost. I figure we can do this slow...

For now,these are my options...what do yo think?

I wish my dad had a safe full of old guns to hand down...I got nothing but bad habits and bitter memories. LOL...I digress!

If it were me in your shoes...I am in now way telling you what you should do....I would skip both options and get a stripped lower ($120-$150) a couple
of handy tools and a Lower Parts Kit and put it together with my son. What a cool project and a great way to spend time together. He may take more interest
in it if he helps put it together.

Anyone here can help you if you decide to go this route but feel free to email or IM me if you need anything st all. I would be happy to help in any way that I can.

What he said.  I wouldn't go 80% on my first AR unless you're like me and have a mill sitting in the shop.
I definitely wouldn't go polymer for my "only" AR.

Both are overpriced.
$110 max for an 80% then, either buy or rent a jig or rent CNC time.
$200 for a populated poly lower is too much.  That is a $70 stripped lower plus a LPK from them for $130.  Then you have DROS on top of that.

So, what the guys above say.  Buy a stripped lower, pay DROS, pickup a LPK and you're good to go.  $200 or so.

I'm sure the person who swears by nfa poly will chime in soon lol

Here is another option, a little less work to finish and no FLL required.
95% lower

when and where?

For a rifle that'll be handed down, I'd also say go with a 7075 forged aluminum upper and lower over a polymer lower or 80% (unless you'd rather build an 80%, etc and get the jig necessary to use in a drill press. I just finished my first AR-15 build this Monday that just passed, and can say it was super, super easy to correctly assemble it, where it passes a function check and also checked the headspace with a Colt II Field Gauge.

I used two blocks of wood to hold my upper receiver in a vise to torque down the barrel nut and flash hider. A 4-6" piece of hard brake-line just a tad smaller than the hole for the front pivot pin with a 1/4" hole drilled in it towards one end; used to install the front pivot pin's detent and detent spring, a jewelers hammer from Harbor Freight, only roll pin punch sizes needed for an AR-15, a couple allen wrenches, and a collapsible stock wrench. I also needed to use a 1/4" sanding roll drum and a dremel to slightly open up the inside of the Troy Industries .750 low-profile gas block I used on my M4 14.5" barrel due to the gas blocks tolerance was less than my barrels gas port journal having a parkerized coating.

I should of added that if I did the 80% lower I would take it back to the manufacter and rent their CNC to finish. I understand its more money but for me it would be worth it.

Would this completed lower be as good as any stripped lower I buy. I'm not to worried about the cost as mush as I am quality.

As you have already been told $200 is too much for the Polymer. Polymer has its place (for the right price) but if you are primarily concerned with quality and long term reliabliity and cost isn't a factor then why not try to find a nice Billet matched upper and lower set?

Hello Goldfish -

Saturday I finished my 80% lower from 80percentarns. I did it all in my garage with only a drill press. I'd be glad to give you any tips if you decide to make your own AR. This was the first 80% lower I did by hand. It was smooth sailing. Below are some pics from start to finish. I also used the 80percentarms jig. The biggest problem was the earful I got from my wife when I tracked into the house aluminum shavings into the carpet! Took a good part of Saturday to do it but it was not hard to do.

Basically I wanted to build an AR that I did not have to register, that was modestly priced, and reliable. I had all the parts for about a month now except the upper. The upper arrived Tuesady and now my newest baby is finished. Still waiting on optics to arrive but other that that she's pretty much ready for duty! Total cost was $1,527 for a good quality AR. I saw a lot of no name junk at the gun shows lately going for $2,000+ so the price was not too bad despite today's high parts prices.

The fit was perfect. There is no wobble or rattles anywhere. The CTR stock has a latch to take up slack so everything is rattle free. I know wobble is functionally fine on an AR but on my Noveske it always bothered me the amount of wobble between the upped and lower and the fact the stock also rattled. I don't like the idea of putting something foreign in the lower such as the wedge so I was very happy with the fit of the 80% lower.

Here is a list of the tools I used:

Drill press Craftsman 12"
80% Arms AR-15 jig
1/8" drill to drill pilot holes
3/8" drill for selector switch pin hole and to drill out material from pocket area
5/32" drill for trigger and hammer pin holes
7/16" drill to drill through lower for trigger slot
1/4" end mill bit
3/8" end mill bit
Quicke release c-clamps (2)

Gear purchased and cost:

ALG QMS trigger - algdefense $45 No creep, very crisp
80% lower black anodized - 80percentarms $171 and free shipping with coupon code rfr1837
CMMG Lower parts kit - riflegear $85
Spikes buffer tube kit - eBay $90
Magpul CTR stock $75 - OC gun show
Unk brand bipod foregrip - Bargained down to $25 at gun show
BCM Standard 16" Mid Length Upper Receiver Group w/ VTAC ALPHA 13" Handguard  bravocompanyusa $949
Magpul MBUS Gen 2 front & rear sights $87Amazon

In the trigger pocket area I drilled down just under 1.25" and used the drills to remove the bulk of material. Then I used the 3/8" end mill to clean it all up down to 1.25". For the rear shelf drilled to just under 0.63" then used 3/8" end mill down to 0.63" to clean it up. Drilled 7/16" hole through lower and then used the 1/4" end mill through the 7/16" hole to make the trigger slot. Was very easy with the guide plates included in the jig set. I had the drill press speed set to 880 RPM .

Finished product:



Jig:



80% Arms lower:



Making pilot holes:





Drilling out excess material:



Using jig template to mill out lower:



Milled out and completed lower:



Perfect fit:

BTW - If you have a CNC shop in the area that rents their machines to finish lowers that will cost between $50 and $70 in most places. Usually takes about 15 minutes. While I had access to a machine, I wanted to do one by hand to say "I" did it myself.  But it is cheaper and faster to do on a CNC machine and you don't risk making a mistake. But not all areas have CNC rentals so a jig sometimes is the only option.

I just notice OP is also in CA. There are a few CNC shops in CA that do lowers. Also having a legal non-registered AR may be a good idea in CA given the frenzy to ban anything semi-auto in CA by the majority controlled democrats.

I own a new frontier Armory lower on a pistol build and it is great but if I was only going to have one Ar I would go aluminum.I have 3 other ar's so one poly isnt going to hurt anything.

Yes, the plan is to take the 80% anodized lower to the same shop that built it here in So Cal. I will rent thier CNC machine and finish the lower..Its 50.00 to rent it.

I know to most of you this seems like a lot of money. 230.00 plus tax when I'm done. I'm not going to do the NFA polymer lower as suggested by most of you.

Lets forget about cost for now, please. I'm just concerned about quality. Once this is made, it will be a home built gun, legal in California and nobody will know I have it..

Thank you all for your replys.

PilotSmith,
I don't see anyway to PM you so I'm going to try an e-mail...If you would, please e-mail me at

[email protected]

Anyone have a link to 80% Arms ? They look really nice, anyone have further details on the lowers they make ?

http://www.80percentarms.com/pages/contact-us

Thanks.

I just got a TWS Arms (Tactical Weapons Solutions) complete lower for $317 shipped. It took a little less than 2 weeks from the time the check was cashed to arrive. The only problem is you have to pay by check, due to issues they are having with credit card companies.

Promo code rfr1837 will save you a little bit at their site. I've seen the FDE lower in person and it's a perfect color match to the Magpul FDE furniture. I want to build another one in FDE but I'm already over my gun budget for this year. Then again, if Obama doesn't care about a budget why should I?  I also want to do an AR Pistol. That may be my next project using their 80% lower. Here in CA about the only way to do a AR pistol is by using an 80% lower. So many more guns I want to build and so little time and money.

Couple more pics with optics:

I'd be cautious of ASA. I ordered back in very early Feb and was told 2-3 weeks. I Just canceled the other day due to it being another 4-6 weeks..... They have no clue what is going on with there supply and orders. I'd stick with TR or someone else with real inventory and a lower price tag. IMO.