View Full Version : 100% cast polymer lower made at home?
I don't want to mention any names out of respect but I saw an ad in a certain gun magazine from a company which you can cast your own 100% polymer lower at home using there mold. Accepts either mil-spec or commercial lower parts. Comes in 8 different colors. NO finishing required or machining. What's your thoughts on polymer lowers? What's your thoughts on this idea in general. Is this something to put to the test? I think it would be sweet to pour your own magazines but a 100% lower?.
As of right now it's legal if you're making the lowers only for your personal use. I have zero faith in their ability to hold up over time, and given the cost there are numerous proper lowers from reputable mfgs that fit the bill.
It's a solution in search of a problem.
Polymer lowers are for the M&P15-22, that's where they belong. They have no business on anything else IMO, If yo uwant to se how well they hold up, research the Bushmaster "Carbon" AR, total garbage. There are a few companies still making these polymer lower AR's but that's because people keep buying them because they want to cheapest AR possible and don't really know any better.
To me it seems like a gimmick. More so pandering to the people who are snatching up 80% lowers and using a dremel tool to mill them to %100 and calling them good enough and think they're giving the govt the middle finger by making a "ghost" gun. If companies are still having problems with injection molded lowers breaking, something poured at home will definitely not last.
If you do one, might as well cast a bunch, and keep several complete lowers on you like spare mags. So when you break one, you simply perform a remedial tactical lower install drill, and get back in the fight.
I guess I don't see a problem with polymer lowers on range guns, especially if you can just cast a new one as they break. In fact, I'm sure many would love the concept. But these have no use outside of plinking.
Howdy,
$329 for the "Kit" to build 5 lowers?
Ouch!
I can buy 5 Anderson lowers for that price.
If I want a "ghost" gun I'll just buy a lower from someone selling them at a gun show.
Neat idea though for a "do-it-yourself" kind of guy.
Paul
I haven't tried myself but someone that belongs to another forum that I discussed this with said he has built a few lightweight setups with the ATI Omni lowers and swears that even after 1000rds it still runs flawless.
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Parachute Pants
02-01-16, 00:24
What about 3D-printed lowers? Are those a thing?
What about 3D-printed lowers? Are those a thing?
I use 3d printers at my work to show customers what there product will look like after we make extensive modifications. I'm optimistic but I don't see 3d printed gun parts having any real value, as far as a upper or lower or anything for that matter. I know the medical field is using 3d printers to make new hip replacements and knee replacements but I'm sure those printers are upwards of $1 million. And Lockheed Martin uses a sintering machine to make parts for the F-22 and F-35
I haven't tried myself but someone that belongs to another forum that I discussed this with said he has built a few lightweight setups with the ATI Omni lowers and swears that even after 1000rds it still runs flawless.
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On borrowed time....
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Parachute Pants
02-01-16, 08:51
I use 3d printers at my work to show customers what there product will look like after we make extensive modifications. I'm optimistic but I don't see 3d printed gun parts having any real value, as far as a upper or lower or anything for that matter. I know the medical field is using 3d printers to make new hip replacements and knee replacements but I'm sure those printers are upwards of $1 million. And Lockheed Martin uses a sintering machine to make parts for the F-22 and F-35
So they might be viable in a few years? 3D printing just seems like the holy grail for manufacturing a firearm without excessive skill. There's a store near me that offers 3D printing services, and I've been wondering what it would entail to print a lower and test it out.
If I remember correctly, the ATF frowns heavily upon printing a receiver. Look it up, because I may be wrong.
Edit: only if it can't be picked up by an imager/metal detector at an airport.
https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/3-d-printing-technology-firearms
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The ATF frowns on everything firearms related that they can not get a piece of. Printing a lower receiver is definitely on that list.
Parachute Pants
02-01-16, 14:57
If I remember correctly, the ATF frowns heavily upon printing a receiver. Look it up, because I may be wrong.
Edit: only if it can't be picked up by an imager/metal detector at an airport.
https://www.atf.gov/qa-category/3-d-printing-technology-firearms
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I kinda remember an issue with the original Glocks not having any metal in the frame (being completely polymer), and the ATF asking them to embed a metal plate with the serial number under the dust cover.
SilverBullet432
02-01-16, 16:26
I've always wanted to melt down aluminum cans and forge them into a lower :sarcastic:
Fuzzy-Reticle
02-01-16, 16:43
Polymer lowers are for the M&P15-22, that's where they belong. They have no business on anything else IMO, If yo uwant to se how well they hold up, research the Bushmaster "Carbon" AR, total garbage. There are a few companies still making these polymer lower AR's but that's because people keep buying them because they want to cheapest AR possible and don't really know any better.
This...
It's going to happen.
Look at the handgun world.
Some minor improvements need to be made...maybe in the composition or maybe beef up the critical areas, but it's coming.
And it will work. That is what scares the government.
I look for a change in the rules, maybe serial numbers for uppers. ATF is known for changing the rules in mid stream.
It is my understanding there is now an 80% handgun frame on the market.
screwedbygoogle
original username modified by google
I guess I don't understand why a 3D printed gun would scare the government, when a competent machinist can build a superior weapon right now in their garage.
Just like I didn't understand people's shock and concern when the guy open sourced the "first 3D printed gun". Any criminal can buy a REAL gun off the street every minute of every day. For way less than making the functional equivalent of a 3D printed liberator pistol.
What am I missing?
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militarymoron
02-03-16, 19:57
No interest in casting a polymer lower but I wouldn't mind having a mold to start casting lower-shaped food out of it, like chocolate or hard candy.
No interest in casting a polymer lower but I wouldn't mind having a mold to start casting lower-shaped food out of it, like chocolate or hard candy.
Actually not a half bad idea!
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Parachute Pants
02-04-16, 07:44
No interest in casting a polymer lower but I wouldn't mind having a mold to start casting lower-shaped food out of it, like chocolate or hard candy.
This. 100%.
How about casting your AR lower in chocolate?
If it cracks - eat it.
screwedbygoogle
original username modified by google
snowdog650
02-04-16, 12:14
Here's a fairly detailed review of the process from a member of CalGuns.
http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=1153913
I guess I don't understand why a 3D printed gun would scare the government, when a competent machinist can build a superior weapon right now in their garage.
Just like I didn't understand people's shock and concern when the guy open sourced the "first 3D printed gun". Any criminal can buy a REAL gun off the street every minute of every day. For way less than making the functional equivalent of a 3D printed liberator pistol.
What am I missing?
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Because manufacturing a firearm currently requires skill and equipment that a bored kid usually doesn't have. When 3d printing comes onto the scene, anyone can start printing and that means loss of control. There's still work to be done before we are at that point, but that is where we are going.
This is actually incredibly interesting for me. Does anyone know if you could build these in a banned state? My current state (WA) is headed that direction and it would be nice to have the accessibility to something like this. Plus, I don't think it would be out of the question to have a "pour party" if you will. I'm not opposed to cheap lowers on a plinking gun. I already have all of my guns built that would require any hard use.
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....
Plus, I don't think it would be out of the question to have a "pour party" if you will....
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We already have a pour party.
The day we jar a batch of homemade blackberry wine.
It takes a couple hours at least to filter and jar about 5 gallons.
But I do like the idea of pouring an AR.
It would be nice if we can add to the mix. Maybe my grandsons can add my ashes to their AR lower.
screwedbygoogle
original username modified by google
3d printing has already come a long way in terms of creativity and reliability. There are people who are actually printing and using 3d printed superchargers on their vehicles. I don't own a 3d printer, but a friend of mine tole me recently that they have a media material now that is similar to a cold weld material like JB weld.
http://totalruckus.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=87698
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So they might be viable in a few years? 3D printing just seems like the holy grail for manufacturing a firearm without excessive skill. There's a store near me that offers 3D printing services, and I've been wondering what it would entail to print a lower and test it out.
that is true, but most people and I mean probably 80% of people making stuff on 3d printers open sourced there objects. There are huge libraries anyone can join and buy the file to print. You are relying on the file to have been engineered by a trusted, knowledgeable and reliable source. Most 3d printer users are printing what is available online through these libraries which is trinket type stuff and models of ordinary objects. Ive seen only a few uses actually sit down and design from scratch something interesting. The whole idea on 3d printing is to do it yourself, if you have to out source the job to a 3rd party, you already have a paper trail with the original email with the file.
Because manufacturing a firearm currently requires skill and equipment that a bored kid usually doesn't have. When 3d printing comes onto the scene, anyone can start printing and that means loss of control. There's still work to be done before we are at that point, but that is where we are going.
So 3D printing doesn't require skill and equipment?
It's a different medium, for sure. But anything that would scare "the government" is going to have to be on a completely different scale.
Again, people can build REAL guns with an 80% lower and an old Bridgeport now.
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There's a thread on TOS how to mold and cast your own. Last several hundred rounds.
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