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Thread: Steel receivers?

  1. #1
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    Steel receivers?

    I'm looking for just basic, run of the mill, steel (not stainless or aluminum) upper and lower receivers.

    Has nothing to do with adding weight for reduced recoil or anything else. Its for a custom build and steel is the best bet for initial testing/proofing.

    I'm making initial prototypes and steel is much easier to work with, and is much cheaper, also its much easier to fix mistakes.

    Ideal would be AR-15 upper and lower receivers, however; AR-10 type receivers will suffice if available. Would prefer finished products, however 80% forgings will do as well, as I do not have a multi-axis CNC mill capable of complex radius's to make my own, just a standard manual vertical mill.

    Or even just receivers made of any material other than 7075. That are not absurdly expensive.

    Any info in the right direction is appreciated.
    Last edited by Reagans Rascals; 12-18-11 at 10:54.
    When you can't make them see the light, make them feel the heat.. - Ronald Reagan

    smoke and drink and screw..that's what I was born to do.. - Steel Panther

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    I have never heard of such a thing in the realm of AR-15s etc. This platform was initially designed to be made out of aluminum. I doubt you will find any forged or billet steel upper or lower for an AR.

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    Quote Originally Posted by An Undocumented Worker View Post
    I have never heard of such a thing in the realm of AR-15s etc. This platform was initially designed to be made out of aluminum. I doubt you will find any forged or billet steel upper or lower for an AR.
    really? I would have thought someone, somewhere, would offer them as just a really low cost alternative.

    Maybe from just an off-brand, not well known start-up company that just got into the game.

    that kinda blows
    When you can't make them see the light, make them feel the heat.. - Ronald Reagan

    smoke and drink and screw..that's what I was born to do.. - Steel Panther

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    http://ferret50.com/ferret50_conversion.html

    they offer a steel single shot lower, although a standard mag fed lower would be much more desirable
    When you can't make them see the light, make them feel the heat.. - Ronald Reagan

    smoke and drink and screw..that's what I was born to do.. - Steel Panther

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    Someone ran a steel lower years back. Machining costs make no sense for no gain in performance.
    "You people have too much time on your hands." - scottryan

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    Quote Originally Posted by markm View Post
    Someone ran a steel lower years back. Machining costs make no sense for no gain in performance.
    I agree completely, however, my intention is to simply use them only to create/test/proof my initial design. Once all of the bugs are worked out, I would model it and have the production runs made in 7075T6...

    Its easier to work with steel in the home workshop with just standard shop tools (welder, vertical mill, lathe, so on and so forth) than it is to try and successfully modify a heat treated aluminum...

    its going to cost too much in initial production to try and have custom parts machined in 7075, just to have the design crap out and have to be altered, requiring additional machined replacements... each time costing X amount of dollars.... where as... with steel I can just weld, grind and mill until I'm back to where I started

    I guess my best bet would be paying to have a set machined out of untreated 4150 from one of the standard AR15 CAD files floating around
    Last edited by Reagans Rascals; 12-18-11 at 11:35.
    When you can't make them see the light, make them feel the heat.. - Ronald Reagan

    smoke and drink and screw..that's what I was born to do.. - Steel Panther

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    DPMS made a stainless lower years ago. I don't remember if they made an upper in the same material, though.

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    If I recall correctly, there are some transferable M16 lowers out there that were made out of stainless steel. So it has been done. I don't know of any commercially available steel receivers though.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Reagans Rascals View Post
    I agree completely, however, my intention is to simply use them only to create/test/proof my initial design. Once all of the bugs are worked out, I would model it and have the production runs made in 7075T6...

    Its easier to work with steel in the home workshop with just standard shop tools (welder, vertical mill, lathe, so on and so forth) than it is to try and successfully modify a heat treated aluminum...

    its going to cost too much in initial production to try and have custom parts machined in 7075, just to have the design crap out and have to be altered, requiring additional machined replacements... each time costing X amount of dollars.... where as... with steel I can just weld, grind and mill until I'm back to where I started

    I guess my best bet would be paying to have a set machined out of untreated 4150 from one of the standard AR15 CAD files floating around
    agreed for welding steel is much easier, but aluminum is quite a bit easier to machine. Granted it's heat treated, but it will still be quite a bit softer than steel.
    I take it the welding thing is a major part of your plan? Perhaps you could fab up a crude version of your idea from steel stock... If you're going to have something fabbed anyway why not give the machinist your cad models and prints to work with rather than having them build a standard receiver first?

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    Quote Originally Posted by skyugo View Post
    agreed for welding steel is much easier, but aluminum is quite a bit easier to machine. Granted it's heat treated, but it will still be quite a bit softer than steel.
    I take it the welding thing is a major part of your plan? Perhaps you could fab up a crude version of your idea from steel stock... If you're going to have something fabbed anyway why not give the machinist your cad models and prints to work with rather than having them build a standard receiver first?
    I kinda want to keep it under wraps until it is completed and working properly... just to be honest.

    Not to mention, its going to be a lot of trial and error of what works and what does not, and that being said, its just easier starting with a standard lower and then just cutting and welding as needed... If I had access to a great computer and Solidworks with flow analysis I'd try to knock out as much as I could with that... but the seat of the pants style I'm stuck with right now lends itself easier to steel and just welding and milling.

    The main issue is 7075 Aluminum is not structurally sound once welded. It welds fine, however it can't be relied upon due to a very high probability of corrosion stress cracking do to altering the molecular structure of the treated material surrounding the weld.... not to mention the zinc components affects on the weld itself.

    That being said, I am unsure as to the amount of forces imparted on the receivers during firing, so I really don't want to take the chance of this thing coming apart because I messed up with the stress predictions.... I know there is relatively no force subjected upon the lower, but the upper on the other hand.... I can see that going bad fast...

    http://de.lincolnelectric.com/knowle...le.asp?PID=994

    7075 receivers would be fine if I could get them before they are heat treated and coated....
    Last edited by Reagans Rascals; 12-18-11 at 13:07.
    When you can't make them see the light, make them feel the heat.. - Ronald Reagan

    smoke and drink and screw..that's what I was born to do.. - Steel Panther

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