View Full Version : New Frontier LW-15
Does anyone have any experience with the all polymer lower? I'm looking for people who have had experience or have friends who have had experience with it. Has anyone gone to 5000 rounds with it? I just want to make sure it will last a while.
7.62WildBill
05-17-12, 06:55
I have no experience with that lower. And from what I have learned here about quality equipment, I never will. Any benefits of a plastic lower are overshadowed by the materials inherent shortcomings in comparison to a mil-spec lower.
I have been hearing mixed comments throughout other threads about the parts and quality so I think until someone has proof to make me want to buy a ALL polymer lower then i will just get a aluminum. By proof I mean getting a ton of rounds through it because I'm just taking a shot in the dark that these things wont last near as long as a aluminum. Thanks!
huntswithweim
05-17-12, 09:44
I heard that is what the Navy Seals switched to save weight on their rifles. :sarcastic:
Really? Where did you see that?
huntswithweim
05-17-12, 10:03
I was being a smart ass. Sorry!
Stay away from the polymer lowers. There are selling like crazy right now, at least in this area. I have seen (held in hand) three new frontier lowers that broke/ cracked. One was in front of the grip right behind the mag well. The other two were behind the grip and in front of the receiver plate. It’s not worth saving 30 bucks. If you want to save money on a lower check out Spike’s or PSA or hit Grant up in a few days about the LMT lowers coming in on the 22nd. Those are a hell of deal at 330.00
lol.Yeah and the rangers use umbrellas on air assaults to look like marry popins. I thought you were being sarcastic but if you were serious I didn't want to make you go off trying to prove that you were right in a 2 page comment like some guys do on here. Thanks for the advice.
sinlessorrow
05-17-12, 13:00
someone on TOS had one and said it broke in multiple places.
funny people there still argue about how superior the lower is compared to a standard one.
if you look at the design its basically a rebranded plum crazy, exact same mold. the company does say they use a superior polymer blend that is better than anything on the market today that they created themselves.
the only people I see praising it are the ones that say.....I have 250 rounds through the lower and its amazing!!! much better than aluminum ones
we got one just to try it and see how much different it is from the Plum crazy lowers.. hey for $65 complete....
does appear to be the same molds with better material..
to date it's been just fine with a 300 BLK upper we built...
actually has a very nice trigger pull.
life time warranty ( as long as the company is around)
would I trust my life to it no.... but for a fun plinker it seems ok.
Its my first AR. should I get it for now and then just get an aluminum when and if it breaks?
sinlessorrow
05-17-12, 14:19
Its my first AR. should I get it for now and then just get an aluminum when and if it breaks?
to save $35.....just get a proper lower
He asked for someone who actually own one, not a bunch of speculations and jokes, sorry.
My first lower was the New Frontier polymer lower, I live a couple of miles from their store so $99 complete out the door was too good when EVERYONE in the country was out of lowers. I put my 6.8 SPC on this lower and fired a couple hundred rounds, not 5000 by any means. Still use it every trip to the range, along with my forged mil spec lower that cost me nearly $400 to put together myself.
I doubt this would be my choice if going to combat, but for the range or general shooting it would be a great choice. I just bought a digital scale that will measure more than my powder scale. My mil spec lower with Mako recoil reduction stock , ALG Defense trigger, Mako magazine grip and Spikes T2 buffer weighs 2.794 pounds.
My NF polymer lower with Spikes T2 buffer weighs 1.798 pounds, so a one pound weight difference. Figure 1.6 pounds with stock buffer.
The polymer lower has a nice trigger pull, about 5 pounds and pretty smooth for what you pay. My ALG Defense is abut 5.5 pounds.
The trigger guard is molded in, so someone shooting in cold weather might not be able to use heavy gloves, but I live in Las Vegas, 100 degrees yesterday.
For long term use I would get a cheap parts kit (Stag $13) and replace the buffer retainer and the two other detent and pivot pins.
The action spring is a cheap one, but less than $25 will buy you the best out there, the Springco Blue or the Tubbs.
And the buffer is stock carbine, once you fire the whole rifle you can determine if you need a T2 or T2 buffer. The Spikes Tactical uses powdered tungston instead of washers and is very quite, plus it has been perfect for my 16 and 17 inch uppers using carbine lenght gas systems. My lowers do not have that coil twing sound the others at the range have.
So on the whole I can recommend the NF polymer lower, you get a lot for the money. Not everyone can spend $1500-5000 for a AR15 rifle and another $100-3000 for scopes.
Fishface1911
05-17-12, 16:18
OP:
Been there done that. Yes I bought one and yes I was very disapointed with the New Frontier poly lower. Mine cracked around the grip up to the rear takedown pin.
They (New Frontier) also have the 7075 alum but I have not tryed one of those lowers.
Save yourself the headache and buy a real lower that not made of plastic.
JMHO.
It's funny you mention that you have one and that you are basically planning to replace almost everything it came with.
They (New Frontier) also have the 7075 alum but I have not tryed one of those lowers.
Those are made by Aero Precision I believe, so they should be as GTG as any out there.
AR 15s are made for modifications. Like a Mercedes no one has a stock one for long. Heck the other day I was in northern Kalifornia at a site and we were looking at the BIG Midway catalog, looking at the number of calibers available in AR/M4 and there were over 30 without going to the AR10 platform.
Hardly anyone uses totally stock components for very long. You can buy a $200 or $300 upper and still not have the best parts available in them. I was just putting out for a little bit more you can get the best buffer stuff since the buffer and action spring control the firing action a lot.
Most of the people on these forums have at least $500 or more into their lowers by the time they add the two stage triggers, better spring and buffer, better stock and tube, better pins etc.
Not everyone has the money for even a $200 cheapie lower. I can afford much more, but I have a lot of handguns that demand my attention. I am new to the black rifle and do love it's versatility.
I would agree with you if we were talking about a forged upper with plastic LPK. But even if you upgrade everything you are still left with a plastic receiver.
You can save more money and just as much weight by using an MOE handguard instead of a quad-rail.
It's nothing to cry over since $99 may not be a lot of money to blow to you and I and probably most of us here, but even to someone on the strictest of budgest we are only talking about around $100 more to build a proper lower.
This helped a lot. If you guys have any input on what lower would do the job just as a first AR. Nothing fancy though. Just want to shoot at the range.
Littlelebowski
05-17-12, 20:56
This helped a lot. If you guys have any input on what lower would do the job just as a first AR. Nothing fancy though. Just want to shoot at the range.
BCM blem from gandrtactical.com
You could always look for the PSA $49 lower sale they have once in awhile...
This helped a lot. If you guys have any input on what lower would do the job just as a first AR. Nothing fancy though. Just want to shoot at the range.
How about an LMT lower from G&R?
http://www.gandrtactical.com/cgi-bin/commerce.cgi?preadd=action&key=L7C2
Retiredbroke
05-17-12, 21:20
I took one as a partial trade, I was surprised that the trigger is not too bad. Put it in the safe and there goes the neighborhood, I could hear Colt's and Noveske's groaning from the next room:sarcastic:
AR 15s are made for modifications. Like a Mercedes no one has a stock one for long. Heck the other day I was in northern Kalifornia at a site and we were looking at the BIG Midway catalog, looking at the number of calibers available in AR/M4 and there were over 30 without going to the AR10 platform.
Hardly anyone uses totally stock components for very long. You can buy a $200 or $300 upper and still not have the best parts available in them. I was just putting out for a little bit more you can get the best buffer stuff since the buffer and action spring control the firing action a lot.
Most of the people on these forums have at least $500 or more into their lowers by the time they add the two stage triggers, better spring and buffer, better stock and tube, better pins etc.
Not everyone has the money for even a $200 cheapie lower. I can afford much more, but I have a lot of handguns that demand my attention. I am new to the black rifle and do love it's versatility.
:rolleyes: Read more. Post less. (Sorry, someone had to say it)
elchupanibre
06-02-12, 02:30
Don't mean to hijack the thread, but I just bought one, well, if it breaks after x amount of rounds-no big deal. But what do you do when it does break? advise FFL that receiver no longer exists?
BATF approved method for de-miling machinegun receivers- Cut in three pieces with a torch- once through the magwell, once through the barrel mount. Throw the pieces away
Don't mean to hijack the thread, but I just bought one, well, if it breaks after x amount of rounds-no big deal. But what do you do when it does break? advise FFL that receiver no longer exists?
Well it’s supposed to have a lifetime warranty so I would call the manufacture and get a new one.
elchupanibre
06-02-12, 19:39
Well it’s supposed to have a lifetime warranty so I would call the manufacture and get a new one.
For some reason i get a feeling this company is not going to stick around for too long... But who knows, it might be a quality receiver after all.
I get the same feeling. Maybe it’s a lifetime of the company warranty.
NFA still making and selling the polymers?
Dustin Cantrell
12-17-12, 18:12
NFA still making and selling the polymers?
They are.
For some reason i get a feeling this company is not going to stick around for too long... But who knows, it might be a quality receiver after all.
They've actually gotten bigger, and opened another location near Las Vegas Blvd.
Word to the wise... If you can break it over your knee it probably isn't warfighter approved
..I think until someone has proof to make me want to buy an ALL polymer lower then i will just get a aluminum. By proof I mean getting a ton of rounds through it because I'm just taking a shot in the dark that these things wont last near as long as a aluminum. Thanks!
You mean proof like this?
http://i37.tinypic.com/2hgycg5.jpg
Or this?
http://i804.photobucket.com/albums/yy324/recon013/DSCN0312.jpg
You'll want a composite upper to go with the lower
http://i49.tinypic.com/1r3qtt.jpg
You mean proof like this?
http://i37.tinypic.com/2hgycg5.jpg
Or this?
http://i804.photobucket.com/albums/yy324/recon013/DSCN0312.jpg
You'll want a composite upper to go with the lower
http://i49.tinypic.com/1r3qtt.jpg
While I would never buy one so I am certainly not arguing with you, the NFA LW lowers I have used were much stronger than the bushmaster ones. I still told the kid not to buy them but they had extra material on those areas where the bushmaster broke in your pic. Still, for a little more why not get a metal one. Thanks for the pics
Someday, someone will get the polymer receiver right. Probably the folks that figure out a steel or forged aluminum tub is required to reinforce the receiver extension area and trigger pin holes. The reason polymer framed handguns work is because they use steel inserts
I bought one before I knew better. M4C cured that quick and I went out and bought a Mega Arms forged lower. You may think it's good enough but when something happens do you just want good enough? If you don't have the money for a quality AR or part just keep saving. Delayed gratification.
Someday, someone will get the polymer receiver right. Probably the folks that figure out a steel or forged aluminum tub is required to reinforce the receiver extension area and trigger pin holes. The reason polymer framed handguns work is because they use steel inserts
I always wondered if molding a poly lower around an aluminum skeleton would work.
Dustin Cantrell
12-17-12, 20:09
I bought one before I knew better. M4C cured that quick and I went out and bought a Mega Arms forged lower. You may think it's good enough but when something happens do you just want good enough? If you don't have the money for a quality AR or part just keep saving. Delayed gratification.
How cheap would you like to sell the NFA lower?
How cheap would you like to sell the NFA lower?
I'm using it as a 22lr to help teach friends how to shoot.
Dustin Cantrell
12-17-12, 20:25
I'm using it as a 22lr to help teach friends how to shoot.
That's how I'm using mine, as well. Fills that role nicely.
They've actually gotten bigger, and opened another location near Las Vegas Blvd.
Where? It's kind of a PITA for me to go up to Centennial. BTW, I'm not getting their polymer lower, but they have an aluminum one also for a decent price.
Where? It's kind of a PITA for me to go up to Centennial. BTW, I'm not getting their polymer lower, but they have an aluminum one also for a decent price.
Battlefield: Vegas on Industrial. They opened it with Lock N Load.
I'm not a fan of poly lowers, I was just making the point that they aren't a fly by night operation.
I am waiting on a stamp for a factory SBR they did for me with one of their forged lowers though.
Someday, someone will get the polymer receiver right.
It already happened. They were called Cavalry Arms.
I still prefer good old fashioned aluminum, but I would not worry about a Cav Arms plastic lower failing on me.
The CavArms lower may have been durable, but limited by it's integral fixed stock
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