Polymer Lowers

[Quarterhorse]

Been wanting to do a 458 or 50 Beowulf build for a while now and have ran across some polymer lowers for inexpensive. I know you get what you pay for, but I also know a lot of price is driven by name association too. So this being said, has anybody had ANY experience with some of these polymer AR lowers?

Example:
Light weight complete polymer AR-15 Lower - $100 | Slickguns

I had read a guy did one of these on a Beowulf build and has held up for a while now too.

Anywho, thoughts? Opinions w/reasons?

 

[bharner]

They look interesting but I can't bring myself to try one. Maybe for a dedicated 22. I know the lower gets the least heat and stress but it still has me worried. I'd like to build a 6.8 for hunting but I'm a ground hunter so my gear tends to get pretty beat up.

Tapatalk ate my spelling and grammar.

 

[oneyeopn]

I have a New Frontier lower on my Homebuilt 223, built from the pieces leftover after customizing my Sport, I bought a barrel and BCG and the New Frontier lower with FCG installed, I replaced the takedown pins with the steel ones from my Sport, I installed the collapsible stock from my sport, it has a "composite trigger group" I replaced that with the trigger from my Sport although I had smoothed up the trigger and installed a spring upgrade. I never had any problems with the trigger or hammer, I just didnt like it being composite and it gave me an excuse to by a better trigger group for my Sport, went right in and works perfect. I have put well over a thousand rounds through it and have no complaints, Installed a Magpul Bad Lever on it and it works great, I have shot 10, 20 and 30 round mags through it with no failures of any kind. You do have to slap the bottom of the mag sometimes but you can tell when it doesnt seat fully. The only issue I had with it was I had to fit my Mako Magwell grip to it with a little dremel work. It does lighten up the weapon but there is no flex in it anywhere and it fits snugly to the upper so you dont have any play between the lower and the Sport upper receiver, someday I may replace it but I am not worried about it now, not even thinking about it. I have been extremely happy with how it has worked and that I havent had any problems. The composite trigger group shot well and I could still be using it but just for personal preference I got rid of it, but am saving it in case of emergencies. So there ya go, I wouldnt be afraid to use it, I bought mine from Joe Bob Outfitters.com and they are offering really good prices. without the stock but fully assembled it was under $80.

 

[JaPes]

There is a video published on YouTube where a reviewer put the same upper on a traditional AR15 lower and a polymer lower. He then cut the slow motion video to show the difference in how they behave under recoil. The polymer lower evidenced flexing, especially at the interface point between the buffer tube & polymer lower.

I've been searching YouTube for the past 1/2 hour, and just can't locate it. Grrr...

 

[Dragon88]

All polymer frames/lowers flex under recoil. Even highly respected and reliable guns such as Glo....well, I won't curse here on the forum. To be honest I don't have a solid opinion of polymer AR lowers. I want to dislike them just on principle, but have no facts I can quote to support the opinion. I personally wouldn't buy one considering good quality aluminum lowers can be had for $100 stripped. It's hard to imagine how they made a $100 complete lower without cutting every corner possible and using the cheapest of components.

I wouldn't buy one.

 

[Matthew Courtney]

Buying one is a hundred dollar gamble, but if it pays off you save a hundred bucks. I would flip a coin, unless I was doing a lightweight build.

 

[oneyeopn]

At the time I didnt have an excess of cash and really wanted to build the rifle. But now if I buy an aluminum lower I have quality parts to finish it with. I put another 200 rounds through the homebuilt w/plastic lower agian last night with no problems or issues. I am sighting in the eotech I put on it but was helping a friend sight in his 7mm rem mag also so I didnt get a heck of a lot of shooting time but at about 75 yards I was grouping on 6" targets. We were at his range and it is layed out weird.

 

[Quarterhorse]

As I search it seems the people with them like them. Lots of "out of principle" dislike of the idea.

 

[Dikinalaska]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90gSOiJ8iyU&sns=em

Not super definitive, but I thought it was pretty interesting

 

[oneyeopn]

That was very interesting and looks like a great prairie dog gun. LOL

 

[Dikinalaska]

Ya, only thing I thought of was, with a set-up like that I think I'd be wearing safety glasses. Hell even the flying grass/dirt would be enough for me to wear em.

 

[oneyeopn]

Without a doubt, But that tells me that you can take an AR lower and build a Tubbs style rifle out of almost anything. And in the case of the one we just looked at I to would add 3.5lbs into the stock.

 

[dannybot]

I handled a couple New Frontiers once, and just didn't care for the feel,or tne trigger action. Considering I got a CMMG complete lower for $210, I don't think I'd buy the poly one. I have no doubt that the poly lower would work, there hane been plastic guns for decades, even the Bushmaster Carbon15 has been around forever. I am just not impressed with the feel and trigger action of the New Frontier lower.

This is my opinion, not a fact, and you may try the poly gun and like it.