This is why you do not use a no name lower

• Sep 30, 2013

• #1

S

sajidakh

Active Member

Dec 28, 2010

981

ESPECIALLY ON TAX STAMP BUILDS. The company name is Georgia Aerospace and Defense Manufacturing. This was the first lower I ever bought in January for $200 after the Sandy Hook mess. At the time it was the only lower I could find. I just wanted to get my paperwork in for my SBR ASAP. That was actually good thinking. Look at the exec. orders.

So thinking that since variants of the AR15 have been around since the 60s, the specs are everywhere, and they're apparently printing them now. There's no way a company could screw it up! Boy was I wrong. Saw some posts on the internet bashing their lowers as nothing fit right. And lord behold! Mine didn't either. Catastrophic fit. Luckily the ATF is helping me out and allowing me to change the serial # without losing my place in line.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Stick with the guys who have been doing it for a while!

 

• Sep 30, 2013

• #2

IMBLITZVT

Ultimate Member

Apr 20, 2009

3,799

Catonsville, MD

Oh its one of those advanced lowers using a cushion of air to help reduce recoil as the upper move rearward on the lower!

Yeah I never gone wrong buying quality. Yeah it costs more but is almost always worth it. Of course you had other things to consider.

 

• Sep 30, 2013

• #3

clandestine

AR-15 Savant

Oct 13, 2008

37,031

Elkton, MD

Sorry this happened to you.

Another moral to the story is to have a COMPLETE and functioning firearm BEFORE submitting a Form 1. Know the gun isn't junk or needs replacing before doing a Tax Stamp unless you can afford to throw away $200.00

 

• Sep 30, 2013

• #4

tc617

USN Sub Vet

Jan 12, 2012

2,287

Yuma, Arizona

Wow, that is really bad. The SBR Form-1 that I have in right now is based on an existing AR-15 carbine so it will be nothing but a barrel swap once approved.

When I recieve a stripped lower, one of the first things I do is slap an upper on it and check the fit. I have not run into this problem on any of the Spikes, LAI, Del-ton, and PSA lowers that I have bought over the last couple months.

 

• Sep 30, 2013

• #5

mike_in_md

Ultimate Member

Feb 13, 2008

2,282

Howard County

Did you replace the butt plate adapter to? It looks cracked.

 

• Sep 30, 2013

• #6

S

sajidakh

Active Member

Dec 28, 2010

981

mike_in_md said:

Did you replace the butt plate adapter to? It looks cracked.

Click to expand...

No that's just the picture. Cheap paint job. The other thing is because it's pretty much Oct 1. There is no remedy. Lost the receipt a long time ago so no refund and can't ask for a replacement because it's October. I let them know though. Still. I hate lessons that cost more than 10 dollars =).

 

• Sep 30, 2013

• #7

N

niftyvt

Ultimate Member

Aug 21, 2010

1,891

Virginia

clandestine said:

Sorry this happened to you.

Another moral to the story is to have a COMPLETE and functioning firearm BEFORE submitting a Form 1. Know the gun isn't junk or needs replacing before doing a Tax Stamp unless you can afford to throw away $200.00

Click to expand...

So making a pistol, shooting the crap out it to test it, and then SBRing it is the best process to follow?

 

• Sep 30, 2013

• #8

clandestine

AR-15 Savant

Oct 13, 2008

37,031

Elkton, MD

niftyvt said:

So making a pistol, shooting the crap out it to test it, and then SBRing it is the best process to follow?

Click to expand...

Yes, at a minimum.

 

• Sep 30, 2013

• #9

awptickes

Member

Jun 26, 2011

1,516

N. Of Perryville

clandestine said:

Sorry this happened to you.

Another moral to the story is to have a COMPLETE and functioning firearm BEFORE submitting a Form 1. Know the gun isn't junk or needs replacing before doing a Tax Stamp unless you can afford to throw away $200.00

Click to expand...

This x100.

 

• Sep 30, 2013

• #10

N

niftyvt

Ultimate Member

Aug 21, 2010

1,891

Virginia

clandestine said:

Yes, at a minimum.

Click to expand...

Thats my plan then.

So now I know to:
Pin the gas block - looking at a DD 11.5 hammer forged barrel that comes with a pinned low pro block from the factory.

Have a pro assemble the upper - thats easy and doesnt cost much.

Use a quality lower with quality parts – Spikes and PSA, are in my line up right now and Im using Damage Industries lower parts (kind of an unknown but I have confidence in them, fit in my PSA lower perfectly).

Test fire a lot and optimize the buffer weight (repeat when I get a can for it )

 

• Sep 30, 2013

• #11

F

F-Stop

Ultimate Member

Feb 16, 2009

2,491

Cecil County

Question. If there is no space between the carrier and buffer, is this just an aesthetic issue?

 

• Sep 30, 2013

• #12

smdub

Ultimate Member

MDS Supporter

Nov 14, 2012

4,659

MoCo

F-Stop said:

Question. If there is no space between the carrier and buffer, is this just an aesthetic issue?

Click to expand...

No. Recoil is tranferred though the buffer tube to the shoulder stock. W/ a gap, the two pivot/takedown pins (and the upper's 'ears' they go through) are under a lot of stress.

 

• Sep 30, 2013

• #13

TxAggie

Ultimate Member

Feb 25, 2012

4,734

Anne Arundel County, MD

smdub said:

No. Recoil is tranferred though the buffer tube to the shoulder stock. W/ a gap, the two pivot/takedown pins (and the upper's 'ears' they go through) are under a lot of stress.

Click to expand...

Just make this lower your .22lr conversion. You'll still get plenty of use out of it I would hope.

 

• Sep 30, 2013

• #14

bikerbankr

Active Member

Mar 1, 2010

393

Upperco, MD

Is that castle nut on backwards or is it just me?

 

• Sep 30, 2013

• #15

Kevp

Ultimate Member

Apr 17, 2008

1,874

This can happen with uppers as well. It's obviously not as serious given the current situation with lowers (SB281), but can potentially be more costly if purchasing a complete upper receiver. I was given a Troy Industries complete short barrel upper, and it is out of spec. It would not fit any of my registered lowers including a LMT that I know is dead-on spec. BTW- Troy's customer service is terrible...good thing they make nice sights.

 

• Sep 30, 2013

• #16

Kevp

Ultimate Member

Apr 17, 2008

1,874

bikerbankr said:

Is that castle nut on backwards or is it just me?

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You are very observant and correct.

 

• Sep 30, 2013

• #17

F

F-Stop

Ultimate Member

Feb 16, 2009

2,491

Cecil County

Thanks for the responses to my question. So, is there a spec for this fitment or is it to be flush and out of spec if not? Curious as I have a spikes lower that has a small gap. I built a lightweight DD upper for it and plan to use it a lot at the range as my go to rifle so, this has my interest. I built several over the last 6 mos given tomorrow so, I may just swap it out.

 

• Sep 30, 2013

• #18

DoubleTap007

Active Member

Mar 18, 2011

913

BelAir, MD

How do you know its the the upper creating the gap, i.e. out of spec ?

 

• Sep 30, 2013

• #19

F

F-Stop

Ultimate Member

Feb 16, 2009

2,491

Cecil County

DoubleTap007 said:

How do you know its the the upper creating the gap, i.e. out of spec ?

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If this is to me, I am referring to the lower. I would swap lowers. I checked with another stripped upper I have and its the same.

 

• Oct 1, 2013

• #20

clandestine

AR-15 Savant

Oct 13, 2008

37,031

Elkton, MD

F-Stop said:

Question. If there is no space between the carrier and buffer, is this just an aesthetic issue?

Click to expand...

No. In cases like this you can lose contact with the carrier and buffer with a gap like that. It will chew up the buffer face because instead of resting on the carrier it slams into the buffer detent. It can also cause the buffer retainer detent to snap off. In limited cases the lower itself can crack at the thin webbing in front of the detent.