GuitarmanNick
Ultimate Member
To begin, I was given this Polymer80 #G150 Phoenix v 2.0 lower as a gift and cannot complain about the price. Having done other AR-15s, I was confident this would be a walk in the park.
I did buy a small X,Y vise which was my first mistake. I used a drill press for milling, which was my second mistake.
The jig was weaker than I anticipated and allowed too much flex in the small vise so my trigger pocket was tapered with the bottom being too narrow. During the milling process, the chuck came loose from vibration and milled an extra hole through the bottom of the trigger pocket.
Not being one to admit defeat, I pulled out my Dremel, files and sandpaper and spent more time opening the bottom of the trigger pocket until the dimensions were correct and I could fit the parts.
Once I had the lower assembled and functioning properly, I grabbed an upper and could not get the take down pin to go in without force, then it would have to be driven out with a punch! Measurements indicated that the take down pin hole was too far to the rear by 1/32".
Being a little OCD about my firearms, this was unacceptable so I initiated a request for a replacement.
Polymer80.com's customer service is excellent. They asked me to send some pictures of the problem and confirmed my diagnosis. They then told me to cut the defective lower in two pieces and send a picture. After doing so, they sent me a replacement lower, jig, and bit set.
Saturday, I milled it by placing it in the 80%Arms jig that I have used on other ARs, grabbed the router and was done in less than an hour. This time my trigger pocket looks great and required no additional work. As with the first Polymer80 lower, a couple of pre-drilled holes needed to be chased before parts would move freely, but it went together like any other.
I was pleased that when I attached an upper, the pins went in without force and can be removed without tools. After passing function checks, I made sure to thank Polymer80.com for their excellent customer service and decided a post here would be appropriate.
I went to their website earlier and noticed that they have a new version for the AR-15 and the jig appears to be more robust and less likely to flex.
If you decide Polymer is the way you wish to go with an AR, Polymer80.com seems to be improving their product with each version and have proven to stand behind what they sell. As always, good customer service is a company's most valuable asset.
Like most, I am quick to complain. With that in mind, it is also good to tell others when you are treated well.
I did buy a small X,Y vise which was my first mistake. I used a drill press for milling, which was my second mistake.
The jig was weaker than I anticipated and allowed too much flex in the small vise so my trigger pocket was tapered with the bottom being too narrow. During the milling process, the chuck came loose from vibration and milled an extra hole through the bottom of the trigger pocket.
Not being one to admit defeat, I pulled out my Dremel, files and sandpaper and spent more time opening the bottom of the trigger pocket until the dimensions were correct and I could fit the parts.
Once I had the lower assembled and functioning properly, I grabbed an upper and could not get the take down pin to go in without force, then it would have to be driven out with a punch! Measurements indicated that the take down pin hole was too far to the rear by 1/32".
Being a little OCD about my firearms, this was unacceptable so I initiated a request for a replacement.
Polymer80.com's customer service is excellent. They asked me to send some pictures of the problem and confirmed my diagnosis. They then told me to cut the defective lower in two pieces and send a picture. After doing so, they sent me a replacement lower, jig, and bit set.
Saturday, I milled it by placing it in the 80%Arms jig that I have used on other ARs, grabbed the router and was done in less than an hour. This time my trigger pocket looks great and required no additional work. As with the first Polymer80 lower, a couple of pre-drilled holes needed to be chased before parts would move freely, but it went together like any other.
I was pleased that when I attached an upper, the pins went in without force and can be removed without tools. After passing function checks, I made sure to thank Polymer80.com for their excellent customer service and decided a post here would be appropriate.
I went to their website earlier and noticed that they have a new version for the AR-15 and the jig appears to be more robust and less likely to flex.
If you decide Polymer is the way you wish to go with an AR, Polymer80.com seems to be improving their product with each version and have proven to stand behind what they sell. As always, good customer service is a company's most valuable asset.
Like most, I am quick to complain. With that in mind, it is also good to tell others when you are treated well.