Hey guys, I'm hoping some of you can help me out here. My coworker just bought a brand new Spike's Tactical "Punisher" stripped lower receiver and this weekend he came over to use my tools and have me help him assemble it as it was his first time. Well, while we were installing the trigger guard pin, a piece of the mag release fence broke off!

We were using a Wheeler Bench Block to support the receiver while we were installing the trigger guard roll pin and so there was no force or any weird pressure on the mag release fence as the bench block has a cut out for it. Literally three hammer strikes on the roll pin starter punch and a piece just broke off! Here are some pictures:

The lower in the Wheeler Bench Block:


The other side:


Right where the arrow is you can see what looks like a seam in the metal where the fence meets the rest of the metal:


Should forged metal look like this? This almost looks like cast metal! In all my builds I have never in my entire life seen something like this happen.

How would forged metal essentially crumble when it had no force or pressure exerted on it?

Obviously he is contacting Spike's about a replacement lower but I wanted to get some opinions on this. I have previously sworn by the quality of Spike's Tactical to everyone I meet and have numerous parts from them (Barrels, lowers, uppers, BCGs, buffers, etc).

(edited to better express my question)
My concern is this: should I view this as a "you can't catch 100% of things in QC" and this is the 1% that made it through? or Should I be more worried? Can forged metal be this weak?

That's a weird break.  Something is not kosher with the lower

It might have been a flaw in the block of aluminum like a void or something before they forged the lower. Occasionally things like that make it through qc and everything because lighting and such hides it from the inspectors eyes.  I'm thoroughly confident Spikes will make it right.

Sample size 1 and you are concerned about all your Spikes parts?
Call Spikes I know they will make it right......  They have great CS.

Alternately, he could go this route:

I know I may be freaking out for no reason (the sky is falling!) but I never expected forged metal to do this. VERY strong possibility that I don't completely understand the forging process completely and yes this stuff can happen all the time if it is not caught in QC.


I am very confident that Spike's will make it right.

(I'll edit my first post to properly convey this)My concern is this: should I view this as a "you can't catch 100% of things in QC" and this is the 1% that made it through? or Should I be more worried?

I would say it is the 1% that might get through every once in a while, I would not be worried about it reflecting on the other parts, get a hold of them, and they will take care of it, then get back to building more., when I was in the service, every once in a while we would get a gun in that had weird things happen to it upon firing or cleaning up.

Stuff happens, fortunately less than more often.

The key benefit of forging is that it helps align the grain microstructure of the metal, and can help make it stronger than a similar piece of material.  It also allows for some specific geometry to be created in a way to help better manage stress.

That failure looks like it may have been the result of some inclusions in the metal before it was forged.  I'm not sure how the material is processed prior to forging, if it is a cast billet or extruded bar stock, etc.  My guess (complete guess with 0 data to support it) is that the initial blanks are cast to "near net shape" and the forging process finalizes the shape and gets the grain flow the way it is desired for maximum strength.   The line you see is some forging "flash" which is not uncommon, but usually taken care of during the finishing process.

Take a look at the second photo.  Notice how part of the broken area is shaded dark and the other part below it is bright aluminum.  This suggests to me that the dark part had already cracked prior to anodizing the upper.  It was cracked and weak when it left the factory, but had not broken completely.  It was obviously weakened.  Any additional pressure finished it off.

To me, this is a mfg defect.  Spikes should make it good when they see the pic.

FWIW:  I have a Spikes Tactical upper and am very happy with it.  I'm not knocking the company in any way.  This one just missed quality control inspection.  I'm sure a replacement one will be fine.

Let Spikes know and ask them to take care of it.

That's a forging defect.

At first I thought hydrogen embrittlement, even though it's not as common in Aluminum. I don't know what sort of processing occurs with the forging at Spike's and the only thing I can think of that would expose it to hydrogen is during an acid bath to clean it. I have no idea if they actually do this or not though. If it's not from hydrogen embrittlement, then it would have been an issue with the forging. In that case, if there was a void or anomaly, it would be impossible to detect visually on the surface, and a NDT of every forging would drive the costs unacceptably high.

I obviously don't have the whole story, but I highly doubt Spike's is to blame here. Whoever forged this lower could have just as easily sent it to any other manufacturer, and they wouldn't have caught it. Don't everybody all go throwing away spike's stuff.

FWIW, I own nothing made by Spike's tactical. Mainly because I turn into a little girl when I see a spider. I have to pretend they are dueling dicks whenever I look at the logo.

This can be fixed very easily

Do you own a band saw?

Did you contact Spikes forum here?

This.

You should of posted in their industry thread.
I'm sure they'll take care of you.

Krylon and gorilla glue will fix that.



Stuff happens man spikes will make it right

Defect in the raw forging. It's not cast. It would be nice if we could get receivers MPI'd, but they're non ferrous. So some voids are bound to slip through the cracks. It would still work fine as-is, but I'd contact spike's for a replacement.

Everyone knows that four cuts from a band saw is the only Spikes remedy.  And it must be done BEFORE you begin your communications with the company.

Thanks everyone for the comments! Essentially I was just so shocked that this even happened that I wanted to get a second opinion to see if something like this should be possible to happen with a forged receiver.



The only reason I did not post this in their industry thread is because this is not my receiver; it is my coworker's. He is contacting Spike's for a replacement. I just wanted more info on what/how this could happen.

now thats a blem

You can't catch internal flaws in a forging in final QC.  This is the less than .0001% that make it through.  Sandpaper & a magic marker will fix that if your buddy doesn't want to wait for uppers to be shipped around.

FIFY

Most people think it was a band saw but it was actually a reciprocating saw. Pretty clean work for a Sawzall actually.

Cardboard's Maintenance free. Till it rains out.

Nothing's perfect or exempt from failure. Posting in the industry section, regardless of who owns the lower, would have been the right thing to do.

ACTUALLY the right thing to do. Would be having your friend join the board. This way you can avoid any other issues your "friend" has.  Going through a 3rd party , communication gets confused, or misunderstood.

It does however help boost your post count

came here to post this

 

Just email Badazzer and I assure you it will be taken care of!!  Some damn fine CS and great fucking product!!  Weird shit happens all the time and that is in the forging process.

Smooth it out with sandpaper then Krylon the bit$%

First time I've ever seen something like this myself. I agree with everyone else and am confident that Spikes will get you squared away.

For sure, most assuredly a forging flaw I would give Spikes a call.
V

Void in the forging.
Pretty rare, but happens.

THIS.

(or aluminum black)