Polymer AR vs every other modern gun?

Muleskinner · Aug 8, 2016

I do my lowers from 80%...As a learning tool I did my first one from poly so I could get a feel for it and then I moved on to aluminum... I built an inexpensive rifle after finishing it and have had no issues...but It's a back up for my back up...but it was a good learning experience I would recommend for anyone who wants to do 80s...get the polymer80 with the jig...$75 when I got mind...comes with the mill and drill bits.

TheBulge · Aug 8, 2016

ericoak said:
Nope the lower receivers are polymer.

Yes they have polymer parts, but calling them polymer receiver guns is not accurate.

The serialized receiver, the part that takes the brunt of the force, the part that's considered a firearm is metal.

SCAR Mk16:

RECEIVER
•Hard-anodized monolithic aluminum receiver

Galil ASE:
•Charging handle (reciprocating) moved to the left side of the milled steel receiver allowing for weak hand operation

Tavor:

The receiver is CNC machined using aerospace grade 7075-E6 hard-anodized aluminum

.

ericoak · Aug 8, 2016

TheBulge said:
Yes they have polymer parts, but calling them polymer receiver guns is not accurate.

The serialized receiver, the part that takes the brunt of the force, the part that's considered a firearm is metal.

SCAR Mk16:

RECEIVER
•Hard-anodized monolithic aluminum receiver

Galil ASE:
•Charging handle (reciprocating) moved to the left side of the milled steel receiver allowing for weak hand operation

Tavor:

The receiver is CNC machined using aerospace grade 7075-E6 hard-anodized aluminum

.

I was asking about lower receivers, and why people who would never recommend an aluminum upper with plastic lower feel differently about metal uppers with plastic lowers....

photoracer · Aug 8, 2016

I have lowers made from polymer and both magnesium and aluminum alloy. Original polymer receivers were significantly lighter than aluminum (on a percentage basis). But they lacked extra material at some critical points that came up in longevity tests (ATI-100 model as an example). Later polymer models got thicker in critical areas and added steel re-enforcement in some critical areas. Then they because almost exactly the same weight as a mil-spec aluminum alloy receiver (ATI-200 type). So the only benefit might be price, plus maybe longer trigger pin requirements. Magnesium alloy lower is about the same weight as an original polymer one (Mag Tech makes the only one I think). But it cost more than an alloy one I think so no benefit there. Weight is the only benefit. They make racing wheels out of both aluminum and magnesium alloys so the strength is not that far off material wise. I bought the magnesium and polymer ones in a quest to build the lightest AR-22 I could make. Once that project was over I tried a couple under regular ARs and while no longevity tests just for occasional use they don't appear to work any differently. I will say that from my experience the makers of other material lowers sometimes have out of spec machining that has to be fixed or tossed. I have yet to buy an aluminum alloy lower that failed to mount any parts properly. Just be aware of that.

LargemouthAss · Aug 8, 2016

I was interested in the Galil ACE until I found out the receiver is polymer. The original Galil had no polymer in it so this sounds to me like a pure cost cutting measure but I am not an expert.

ericoak · Aug 8, 2016

LargemouthAss said:
I was interested in the Galil ACE until I found out the receiver is polymer. The original Galil had no polymer in it so this sounds to me like a pure cost cutting measure but I am not an expert.

They say it is cost but would stamped sheet metal really cost that much more. These guns are already at the $2K mark.

TheBulge · Aug 8, 2016

LargemouthAss said:
I was interested in the Galil ACE until I found out the receiver is polymer.

This polymer Galil ACE "receiver" looks a lot like a pistol grip, cosmetic mag well and trigger guard to me...not much of a receiver.

Boom Boom · Aug 8, 2016

TheBulge said:
This polymer Galil ACE "receiver" looks a lot like a pistol grip, cosmetic mag well and trigger guard to me...not much of a receiver.

Agreed. That setup doesn't bother me. Different beast than a receiver housing itself made of polymer.

As others said, aluminum AR receivers are so inexpensive that polymer ones are pointless. All polymer does is introduce a bunch of additional risk with no clear benefit.

mac1_131 · Aug 8, 2016

j_h_smith said:
I have a stash of polymer lowers on hand, just in case. Doesn't everyone?

yes, they store well at the bottom of the bay.

I keep mine in an old crab pot.

LargemouthAss · Aug 8, 2016

TheBulge said:
This polymer Galil ACE "receiver" looks a lot like a pistol grip, cosmetic mag well and trigger guard to me...not much of a receiver.

I had not seen that. Admittedly I heard "polymer receiver" and started questioning why the heck they pulled that off on a Galil... Thanks for the info!

Polymer AR vs every other modern gun?

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