Has anyone ever BROKEN an Aluminum AR-15 Reciever?

[Americus]

Hello,

Just wondering if anyone has ever managed to break an AR-15 Receiver. And I'm not talking a polymer receiver, or about the trigger guard ears, i'm talking about straight up breaking the lower to the point where it won't function anymore.

I could see a possible situation of this, a jam occurs and the shooter tries to mortar the rifle, resulting in a broken buffer tube attachment.

Anyone?

*edit*
yeah, spell check ****ed me over in the title box. please ignore that.

 

[BradMacc82]

After 10k+ rounds on one lower, and more than a few rough mortars during that time - No.

 

[richh@olg.com]

Broken M-16 Receiver

Once when I was in the Army someone had the barrel of an m-16 sticking out from the side of a jeep and it caught a tree and snapped the receiver.

 

[Vile Shadow]

What about that guy whose daughter was putting the bad handloads through his Bushy and kaboom'd it?

 

[BradMacc82]

What about that guy whose daughter was putting the bad handloads through his Bushy and kaboom'd it?

Upper receiver, not the lower though.

Lower receiver failures seem to be rare.

 

[ObsceneJesster]

Aluminum receivers do not fail due to normal use unlike some of the polymer lowers we've seen to date.

Aluminum lowers should only fail during a catastrophic failure or extreme stress exerted by another source.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

[kohburn]

Aluminum receivers do not fail due to normal use unlike some of the polymer lowers we've seen to date.

some of those "normal use" failures involved extreme testing of them such as driving over them with a car or using a 50bmg upper on it.

i've never met someone who broke a polymer lower by using it at the range.
not saying it never happens, considering the quality of some of the brands i would be surprised if it hadn't.

i have seen aluminum lowers break during assembly - usualy the trigger guard ears, sometimes the buffer tube mount breaking from over tightening the tube.

 

[yellowsled]

I have seen 2 polys damaged. One from dry firing it, the second appeared that the castle nut was overtightened.

I call BS, I think that polys can handle their fair share of abuse.

 

[kenpo333]

I've have and had several ar's from olympic arms to lwrs's and never had a problem with a lower. always kept them clean thought.

 

[browning guy]

Upper receiver, not the lower though.

Lower receiver failures seem to be rare.

Thank god!

 

[clandestine]

Lowers break when they are mortared (where the rear takedown pin is), or experience a kaboom (swells the magazine well sidewalls), or have severe carrier tilt or are grossly over gassed (breaks the most rearward top part of the lower receiver).

It doesn't happen often on properly manufactured lowers.

 

[rj1974]

At delmarva a few months ago .........

Upper , lower , mag and bolt carrier all shredded . Luckily the little girl shooting it walked away fine other then scared to death .

 

[ObsceneJesster]

That guy at Delmarva was using reloads that were extremely HOT.....I can't imagine what would have happened if that was a Carbon 15.

 

[rj1974]

That guy at Delmarva was using reloads that were extremely HOT.....I can't imagine what would have happened if that was a Carbon 15.

He didn't even know what the ammo he had was and the rifle was put together by a pawn shop . Not saying all pawn shops are bad but had you seen the whole upper ........... I wouldn't have got behind the trigger with good ammo .

 

[yellowsled]

Let me daughter shoot reloads.. Hell no! What was he thinking?

 

[Vile Shadow]

At delmarva a few months ago .........

Upper , lower , mag and bolt carrier all shredded . Luckily the little girl shooting it walked away fine other then scared to death .

Yeah, that was the one I meant.

Browning guy said he dismantled some of those reloads and was shocked by what he saw.

 

[sailskidrive]

I have two receivers broken while in the service. One snapped near the buffer two; the Airman later admitted seeing a crack but was afraid to report it. The crack opened up during a land mine crawl. The other one, a REALLY big guy supposedly fell on it backwards with his butt and bent/cracked the receiver near the tube.

They were both left over A2s...

 

[ObsceneJesster]

I have two receivers broken while in the service. One snapped near the buffer two; the Airman later admitted seeing a crack but was afraid to report it. The crack opened up during a land mine crawl. The other one, a REALLY big guy supposedly fell on it backwards with his butt and bent/cracked the receiver near the tube.

They were both left over A2s...

That would make sense. I believe the A2 lowers were constructed using the weaker 6061 aluminum rather than 7075 which is the aluminum used in most modern receivers.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

[JCB003]

I had a RRA 9mm lower split in half at the front of the magwell. I know another person who had the same thing happen. RRA replaced it free of charge. It happened sitting in my safe. I shot the rifle a few times, cleaned it and put it away - I would have noticed the crack if was present then. Next time I took it out it was cracked. My only thought was that the steel 9mm block expanded enough to crack the aluminum receiver, but I'm not sure. I didnt notice any temp fluctuations in my safe that might cause it, but that's the only thing I can think of.

I never checked to see if it had any effect on function. I imagine it still would have worked OK.

 

[Biggfoot44]

Ok , it's very rare , and other than KaBooms , is mainly rear takedown pins , trigger gaurd ears , and buffer tube thread area.

In the post Oct 1 2013 Maryland world , how much of the above can be rewelded , or otherwise repaired ?