A different type of material for receivers

**kirkland** · 05-19-24, 07:38

Since we've established that there's no real reason to use 7075 in an AR, wouldn't there be other materials that would be cheaper and perfectly adequate? Could the receivers be made out of brass? Or polymer? I know that polymer lowers already exist, but surely with the recent advances in polymer an upper could be made too.

Or possibly use wood to build the receivers? Wood receivers with a polymer buffer tube and barrel. Surely an AR built using those materials would stand up to real world use and be cheaper and lighter than the 7075 aluminum and steel that the TDP thumping Colt enthusiasts would have us believe are necessary to build a proper AR.

**Echo40** · 05-19-24, 08:09

Not gonna lie, a Brass Receiver sounds awesome, dunno if it would hold up well, but if nothing else it would look extremely handsome, at least.

But as long as we're just horsing around here, I vote for ZAMAK, the infamous yet ever popular choice for .22 Rimfire Rifles/Pistols, and Hi-Point.

**e z money** · 05-19-24, 08:52

Stainless steel would be cool. In Iraq we had a gold plated AK47 and a stainless steel AK47. I actually liked the stainless steel AK better than the gold one.

**DoubleW** · 05-19-24, 09:09

Originally Posted by kirkland

Since we've established that there's no real reason to use 7075 in an AR, wouldn't there be other materials that would be cheaper and perfectly adequate? Could the receivers be made out of brass? Or polymer? I know that polymer lowers already exist, but surely with the recent advances in polymer an upper could be made too.

Or possibly use wood to build the receivers? Wood receivers with a polymer buffer tube and barrel. Surely an AR built using those materials would stand up to real world use and be cheaper and lighter than the 7075 aluminum and steel that the TDP thumping Colt enthusiasts would have us believe are necessary to build a proper AR.

Thumping? You can’t just discard over 70 years of development and real world testing because you’re bored. Really hard to imagine anything lighter or better than 7075, but let me know when you figure it out.

**markm** · 05-19-24, 10:41

Originally Posted by DoubleW

Thumping? You can’t just discard over 70 years of development and real world testing because you’re bored. Really hard to imagine anything lighter or better than 7075, but let me know when you figure it out.

Balsa wood would be great for a super light wife carbine!!