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PSA stripped Lower

Bassbob

Bassbob

Emissary
Anyone used one before ? I ordered one a little while ago. It was $109, which I think is about twice as much as it should be. How do they compare to Anderson lowers, which are nowhere to be found right now. Just like almost every other lower you can think of that doesn't cost $300 or more.
 
Bassbob said:
Anyone used one before ? I ordered one a little while ago. It was $109, which I think is about twice as much as it should be. How do they compare to Anderson lowers, which are nowhere to be found right now. Just like almost every other lower you can think of that doesn't cost $300 or more.
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PSA AR's are pretty solid!

I'd say they are right there in terms of budget quality with Anderson.

Primary Arms has a lower made by 17Design that is in the same price range and is a step up in quality but it includes a screw under the handgrip that you can use to tighten up the upper if there is any slack between the two.

Either way you got a good lower.
 
10mmLife said:
PSA AR's are pretty solid!

I'd say they are right there in terms of budget quality with Anderson.

Primary Arms has a lower made by 17Design that is in the same price range and is a step up in quality but it includes a screw under the handgrip that you can use to tighten up the upper if there is any slack between the two.

Either way you got a good lower.
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I saw that but I didn't like that it apparently comes with a permanent trigger guard.
 
Bassbob said:
I saw that but I didn't like that it apparently comes with a permanent trigger guard.
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Billet lowers come with an integral trigger guard but they are usually oversized to allow for gloved use.

I have AR lowers & builds from a few different manufacture's including the 17Design lower.

Billet lowers usually have more design flair as these are completed on a CNC while mil-spec lowers are forged and more generic looking with the open trigger guard.

The forged lowers are made of a slight higher strength aluminum but are less ornate then Billet.

I use both types though I do prefer the Aero M4E1 billet lowers for design and finish.
 
If you're building just a lower you can get by with basic and tools but the upper will require some specialty tools like a reaction rod and an armour's wrench.

The Real Avid master armours kit is a great deal for every tool you need to complete a build.

If you look around online you can probably pickup the complete kit for $200.00
 
10mmLife said:
If you're building just a lower you can get by with basic and tools but the upper will require some specialty tools like a reaction rod and an armour's wrench.

The Real Avid master armours kit is a great deal for every tool you need to complete a build.

If you look around online you can probably pickup the complete kit for $200.00
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I'm going to buy a complete upper. What do you think of Bear Creek Arsenal ?
 
Bassbob said:
I'm going to buy a complete upper. What do you think of Bear Creek Arsenal ?
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I don't have any experience with them myself and I hear mixed reviews but I'm pretty sure they make the AR Stoner brand Midway USA sells.

Check out Diamondback Arms website for some complete upper options at a great price!

Diamondback makes nice reliable AR's that are better than most of the budget brands and I'm pretty sure they use a nitrided barrel as opposed to PSA's cheaper uppers which are phosphate coated.

Diamondback sells directly to the public from their website.

You can also pick up a toolless castle nut online if you want to avoid picking up an armours wrench. Primary Weapons Systems makes one and at least one other company does also.

www.opticsplanet.com

Primary Weapons Systems EBT Mod 2 End Plate and Castle Nut 4BTRLPB-1F Color: Black, Fabric/Material: 4140 Steel, 13% Off

Shop Primary Weapons Systems EBT Mod 2 End Plate and Castle Nut | 13% Off 4.9 Star Rating on 101 Reviews for Primary Weapons Systems EBT Mod 2 End Plate and Castle Nut...
www.opticsplanet.com www.opticsplanet.com
 
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If you do go full bore AR build fanatic invest in a decent bench top vise.

Avoid the Tipton vise setup for build as this is only good for cleaning your firearms and cannot support any stress or torque. The Tipton setup has its place but not for builds.

This is the Tipton setup I use for cleaning and maintenance.

20210327_190541.jpg
 
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Bassbob said:
Anyone used one before ? I ordered one a little while ago. It was $109, which I think is about twice as much as it should be. How do they compare to Anderson lowers, which are nowhere to be found right now. Just like almost every other lower you can think of that doesn't cost $300 or more.
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There are like 4 different manufacturer's that produce the forged lowers. They are then shipped to different companies for fine details. PSA makes great rifles. If you are looking at Bear Creek Arsenal in North Carolina, they too are a quality product. 17 Design is made in Oklahoma and make great Billet lowers. I would say that as long as its not made out of polymer, you should be good to go. The finish on different brands may be a little different, but not much.
 
Definitely not polymer. It's PSA's Stealth lower. And I'm assembling a pistol. I didn't have much luck with anything cheap, decent and in stock. I actually wanted an Anderson or an Aero lower and was going to wait until I could find a decent upper, but I got impetuous and I went ahead and ordered a Bear Creek Arsenal 10.5"/5.56 complete upper. Rock River lower build kit with the enhanced trigger. The reviews were pretty good on it. And I ordered a Brace/buffer kit from RIght To Bear. Oh and a ordered a couple Magpul MOE grips.

So we'll see how this first one goes.
 
Upper

Search results for: '934 ua556cm410 517pbur 10m3'

Bear Creek Arsenal manufactures the largest selection of affordable quality AR-15 and AR-10 Firearms, Uppers, Lowers, Barrels, Assemblies, and more!
www.bearcreekarsenal.com www.bearcreekarsenal.com

Lower


Lower kit

www.primaryarms.com

Rock River Arms AR-15 Lower Receiver Parts Kit - Single Stage Trigger

DetailsThe Rock River Arms lower parts kit comes with everything you need to finish your AR-15 lower receiver. Every component in this lower receiver kit is Mil-Spec so it will work in any lower receiver. Whether you are building a new AR-15 rifle or setting replacement parts aside for the...
www.primaryarms.com

Brace/buffer

www.righttobear.com

SB Tactical SB-MINI Pistol Stabilizing Brace + Pistol Buffer Tube Kit

This SB Tactical SB-MINI Pistol Stabilizing Brace comes with a complete Mil-Spec Pistol Buffer Tube Kit, which is the perfect diameter for a snug and reliable fit. This AR pistol kit is exactly what you need to complete your pistol build!
www.righttobear.com www.righttobear.com
 
Bassbob said:
Definitely not polymer. It's PSA's Stealth lower. And I'm assembling a pistol. I didn't have much luck with anything cheap, decent and in stock. I actually wanted an Anderson or an Aero lower and was going to wait until I could find a decent upper, but I got impetuous and I went ahead and ordered a Bear Creek Arsenal 10.5"/5.56 complete upper. Rock River lower build kit with the enhanced trigger. The reviews were pretty good on it. And I ordered a Brace/buffer kit from RIght To Bear. Oh and a ordered a couple Magpul MOE grips.

So we'll see how this first one goes.
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Sounds like you're off to a good start!

Keep us posted on the progress.
 
10mmLife said:
Sounds like you're off to a good start!

Keep us posted on the progress.
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The link to that upper is the wrong one. I got the 10.5".


I know it's far from tier 1 but as long as it runs I don't mind. I don't plan on showing it off or bragging about it. Just plan on shooting it. Can't ask for much more for 6 beans.
 
Bassbob said:
I'm going to buy a complete upper. What do you think of Bear Creek Arsenal ?
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I have three Bear Creek Arsenal uppers. I was initially hesitant to buy them because I had seen some negative reviews. I have never had a problem with any of them, and they appear to be very well-built. I'm sure there are better uppers out there, but the BCA stuff I've received offers exceptional value for the price. They also shipped fast with no shipping costs. I can't speak to their customer service or warranty, but that's only because I've never had a problem.
 
wmg1299 said:
I have three Bear Creek Arsenal uppers. I was initially hesitant to buy them because I had seen some negative reviews. I have never had a problem with any of them, and they appear to be very well-built. I'm sure there are better uppers out there, but the BCA stuff I've received offers exceptional value for the price. They also shipped fast with no shipping costs. I can't speak to their customer service or warranty, but that's only because I've never had a problem.
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I read a lot of those reviews and negative internet chatter last night. Of course AFTER I already ordered the upper. Most had to do with accuracy. There were many guys in those threads saying their's shot fine. Pew Pew Tactical had some issues with their BCA review rifle, but other than cosmetic issues none of them were with the upper.

My friend is a retired Jarhead and he has a BCA AR-15. He went with me the first time I took mine out. His ended up with serious feeding issues and was rendered essentially inoperable. After we got home and started cleaning them we discovered his extractor pin was broken in half. It was an easy fix, but it ruined the rest of his range day.

Anyway, as you say the price was right. I am under no illusions that I bought top notch gear. Truth be told I was initially going to buy a couple stripped lowers and just throw them in a safe, but then I started thinking about the future availability of parts and uppers, etc. and decided there's never been a better time than right now to teach myself how to put them together. Depending on the future of course, I'll either build at least one high end AR or at a minimum hopefully swap out some of the lower end stuff on this one later. Really I think the lower is fine and the lower parts kit is probably fine. I may put a one piece trigger assembly in it later if I dislike this one. I could swap out the BCG, but to me it makes more sense to just swap the entire assembled upper out for a Bravo Company that way I have the three most important parts ( Barrel, Trigger and BCG) covered. At any rate I seriously doubt this ends up the final configuration for this pistol. The one thing I ain't real crazy about on the BCA upper is the way the handguard comes to a point near the muzzle. It seems to me it will look a lot better with a longer flash hider or muzzle break or better yet a suppressor.
 
Get what makes you happy. The PSA in my opinion and research is a bit better than Anderson. Bear Creek ran into some issues awhile back and their products are hot and miss, just a chance you take, like with any company but more so with them. Most everyone I’ve talked to that runs PSA upper and lower has been fine. As you know, AR’s are like legos. You don’t like it swap it out.
 
BangBang said:
Get what makes you happy. The PSA in my opinion and research is a bit better than Anderson. Bear Creek ran into some issues awhile back and their products are hot and miss, just a chance you take, like with any company but more so with them. Most everyone I’ve talked to that runs PSA upper and lower has been fine. As you know, AR’s are like legos. You don’t like it swap it out.
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Agreed. If the Bear Creek upper isn’t up to par it will be quickly replaced. It will likely be replaced anyway by something near top tier. I couldn’t stimulate my budget enough for it right now though and having it sitting there without an upper while I wait seemed horrible. Like I told my wife, having extra parts and pieces laying around isn’t a terrible idea.
 
Bassbob said:
Agreed. If the Bear Creek upper isn’t up to par it will be quickly replaced. It will likely be replaced anyway by something near top tier. I couldn’t stimulate my budget enough for it right now though and having it sitting there without an upper while I wait seemed horrible. Like I told my wife, having extra parts and pieces laying around isn’t a terrible idea.
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I'm sure the Bear Creek will run fine.

A lot of the negative reputation on certain firearm brands comes from years past. Bear Creek has been around for quite a few years now so I'm sure they have gotten better at their craft or otherwise they would have been out of business a while ago.

@wmg1299 has even said he owns multiple Bear Creek AR's that run without issue.

I have a few budget and a few more expensive AR's and they all run just as reliable as the next one.
 
Bassbob thanks for this timely thread. I'm completing two AR-15 builds, and while one will be a full size, using a PSA upper that I already have (all Magpul MOE for upper and lower parts), I want to go with a pistol build on the second, and you've given me some parts to look at. I've got the lowers, lots of parts, one full upper, but have not purchased an upper or buffer tube, etc, for the pistol build.
 
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