80% Lowers & Builds

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>>32984449
Real men bend steel and hump pillows desu

What's the appeal of an 80% AR lower other than le ghost gun? It made sense for me to start from AK flats because the cost of the tools was less than buying complete receivers + shipping + transfer fees

>>32984286
>polymer.
dont

>>32984486
looks damn nice, and I guess its the project appeal to it.

Would of went with AK flat, but have no hydraulic press. I had seen a die that uses screws tightening to bend to shape, would most definitely prefer this to the AR if I could find it again.

>>32984515
Whys that?

>>32984486
Some states it's literally the only option

T. Connecticuck considering a lower 80 build as a project for funsies

>>32984286
>I've helped a friend in milling a number of rifles
that's not strictly legal.

I have a ak flat, but why the hell are all the ak parts kits like 400+ with a new barrel (uninstalled), let alone original barre when l can even find them for sale?? Is this a new thing, Why are ak parts kits so ridiculous right now? Will they go back down in a few months? I got looking around for kits and flats when i learned my buddy had all the tools to make an ak but never did because he messed up an ar build and is too scared now, but the price of parts kits when i can even find them is just stupid.

>>32986608
TLDR; why are ak parts kits hard to find, and so stupidly priced right now? will it get better?

>>32986625
Surplus dried up, I bought my last kits when they were nearing $300. People were bitching and moaning about kits being around $200 when I built my first one if that gives you any idea about how cheap they once were.

>>32986880
That seems like a bullshit reason, dont basically all american ak manufacturers build from parts kits? I thought that was the reason they were so shit, was because they were replacing good imported parts with badly made in house parts to satisfy 922r and generally cutting corners when re assembling them? If thats true, parts kits havent dried up they just stopped selling them, or do I have it wrong?

>>32986934
All surplus dries up and gets expensive. All I know about American AKs is that I don't own one and never intend to, but 922r compliance isn't what makes them shit.

>>32986995
Aks wouldnt dry up in the sense that there arent any more around like krags or some shit, they probably arent being imported, why, and will it get better?

>>32986625
it might if there's some unbanning of exports going on.

>>32987169
I meant imports there.

Also build your AR lower out of aluminum.

>>32987113
all the stockpiles that were being cut up and shipped to the US have been in high demand in middle eastern wars and are being sent there, add to that importing being trickier, massive increase in ak demand and guns in general $400 isn't out of line. they were under a hundred when no one liked slavshit and next to no one knew about building.

>>32987194
What faggotry.

Is anyone still posting ITT?

Is it possible/feasible to mill out an aluminum 80% lower with a handheld router?

notice me, senpais

>>32987194
well when will it get better, if ever? Paying 800 for a parts build ar that is put together like shit from a company or building one myself for 600 with actual QC and finish control are shit choices.

>>32987376
Thats literally the recommended gucci route, > Actual milling machine>Handheld router>drill press>power drill>hand drill and files

>>32984286
I've heard PSA has shit QA

is buying any of there stuff even worth it? I was thinking about doing a pistol build

>>32987415
What kind of specs should I look for in a router if I'm buying one specifically to finish lowers? I was always under the assumption that the drill press milling route was preferable to using a router

>>32987437
Using a drill press to mill will put sidways pressure on your bit, literally the opposite of what a drill press is deseigned to do. IE youll break bits and maybe break your drill press if your a fuckup. Routers are literally built for what your doing, routing out a channel, buy a cheapo POS from a pawnshop and get a few nice metal from home depot bits thatll go through aluminum. Put your lower in a bench clamp and your GTG. HAving a router with height settings (Depth setting actually) helps, but people literally do it with hand power drills so dont break the bank.

>>32987471
>buy a cheapo POS from a pawnshop and get a few nice metal from home depot bits thatll go through aluminum.
This was exactly the plan but I mean is there a bare minimum horsepower rating I should be looking for?

I know Harbor Freight isnt exactly high quality stuff but I was thinking about just buying a router there for $20-35 then keeping it around for woodworking projects (if it isnt broken by the end of the project)

>>32987508
Your literally using it once to go though aluminum, for like an hour max, just make sure it has depth settings to go deep and eoung and thats it. if its such a POS it breaks in that time, you can get a refund.

>>32987396
if all the wars wind up in the middle east and russia cools it's jets kits might start rolling in. pricing is tough, there's an economic principal called "sticky pricing" it's basically everyone (except consumers) looses if prices drop, there's also the issue of the popularity of the ak platform, if people will pay $700-$1200 for them, that's what they're worth. however trump's win is hammering firearm retailers, without panic no one is buying ludicrous amounts of guns, demand has dropped right off and supply is still up so prices should start to come down. i don't expect kits to get much cheaper though, when surp comes in fresh it's almost always significantly undervalued and that ship has sailed.

>>32986934
the all american ones are made of all american parts, they are bad because it requires a massive capital investment to make good cheap parts. they haven't done that yet.

>>32987376
sure that works, a wood router is too bulky to maneuver around the buffer castle though

>>32987570
>sure that works, a wood router is too bulky to maneuver around the buffer castle though
How do I maneuver this cut when I come to it? hand power drill? drill press? dremel (lol)?

>>32984553
http://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/2017/01/04/polymer-ar-lower-exploded/

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>>32987691
laminate router

>>32987471
>sidways pressure on your bit
it's the bearing load it wasn't designed for, dumbass. those

> bits

you're talking about are called end mills.

>>32987719
doesn't look like the lower caused that.

>>32987471
>>32987738
In the interest of discussion, I do own a drill press

I'm just curious as to whether or not I should buy an endmill or a laminate router to mill out the FCG on an 80%

>>32987738
Omg I used the wrong terminology on a tibetan basket weaving forum, go fuck yourself dude. the point is a drill press is usable but isnt suited to that work you raging autist.

>>32987771
you can get away with a dremel after drilling the majority of the pocket out, but it'll be much easier and cleaner to use a laminate router, you'll still need to buy an end mill for it.

Pawn shops are great places to go for tools, especially this time of year.

1. Loans given from Thanksgiving-Christmas will be expiring soon if they haven't been paid on
2. People who outright sold stuff at Christmas time - those items should have started appearing by now. Many places hold for about a month to verify not stolen, etc.

only thing is places jack prices up because they know everyone has tax checks back, but many of those haven't started rolling out yet so there is still a window to pick shit up

also yard sales, flea markets. I have a vintage industrial 1960's drill press I got a while back for $25. works great.

>>32987951
Is it worth buying tools at flea markets even if they're possibly stolen? Serious question

>>32988003
Nice! What tools did you use to mill out the FCG?

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>>32988031
I used a drill press. But it was under powered for milling so I only could milled a 1/4 inche at a time.

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>>32988003
>>32988031
>>32988369
Before it got milled

>>32987396
>tell me when the ME wars will cool off or I'll get very mad again

Do you even read what you type? AKs are mote expensive now, get over it