Here's the deal. I'm about 2/3 of the way through my long range AR-15 build made from Seekins Precision billet upper & lower, after this build I still would like a compact AR-15 in my collection for possible 3 guns competition and would probably like a 6.5 creedmore AR at some point. Quite frankly the Democrats are scaring the crap out of me so I don't think it would be a bad idea to invest in a couple lowers to ensure I can fill my collection if/when they either make it difficult or impossible to build new AR's. I like billet upper/lower sets simply due to the precision in them as well as their fit and finish. However I'm thinking of going with some forged components to reduce my "investment".  I've heard a lot of good stuff from Aero Precisions receivers, are they the best bang for the buck? I'm into precision more than plinking so I want something that won't hold me back accuracy-wise.

Vltor mur

BCM is suppose to be one of the best, and supposedly have a tighter area where the barrel inserts to make a tighter fit.  Personally mine was no tighter then the other uppers I have gotten but I have read others say theirs were too tight.  Either way probably not the best bang for the buck but one of the best quality ones at around $120ish new or $80 for their blem ones.  

There really isn't that much difference in any of the uppers/lowers that are forged.  Billets have a lot of differences of course but it seems almost all the forged ones are practically identical.  The cheapest ones out there are the Andersons and can often be found for $40-50 for either an upper or lower.  I haven't ever heard anything bad about the uppers but their lowers have a few negative reviews.  Generally never anything that isn't easily fixed it's just small nit pick things that the user needs to finish up and is probably on 1 in 1000 if I had to guess.  But with that said, any of the bigger company name brands will serve you just fine such as Spikes, Del-Ton, DPMS, Aero,PSA etc.  If I had my choices I would probably pick the Aeros first and then Spikes second but wouldn't think twice about picking up any of the others.  Most of the time the main differences are going to be the outside finish.  There really isn't a whole lot of difference in the prices either with most being around the $60-70 price range.  I would just pick up a few Andersons for cheap or wait around on a good deal on one of the other top brands to go on sale somewhere for $60ish.  


It is very unlikely you will ever notice any accuracy difference in any of the uppers.  A tight fit is good of course, but I have never got one that was loose.

The VLTOR mur1a is the forged upper you seek.

Early versions were billet, but now they're all forged - which makes them stronger than machining away metal from a block (billet) of aluminum.

The VLTOR upper has extra material where needed to make it quite a bit more rigid than an M4 upper. I believe they worked with Crane on the project to create a better upper for medium-range/recon/mk12 5.56 platforms. (Someone please correct me if I'm wrong on the details - my brain is not 100%).

I've been very pleased with the Aero receivers I have been building with.

The Gen2 lowers are a bit better than the Gen1 and tend to fit their uppers better...and their rail systems are very well made too, love mine.

I think the Vltor MUR is the one you want.

MEGA.

To all the newer guys recommend the Vltor, no offense but I am pretty sure the main reason he didn't want to go with a Billet receiver was the price.  It isn't just because he wants a forged receiver.  So the Vltor doesn't really make sense when it costs just as much as the Billet offerings.  I am pretty sure the way he worded it that it's fairly clear he is looking at one of the standard mil-spec forged receivers like Spikes, BCM, Mega, Del-Ton etc.  And like I said in my first post - they are all very similar and it is hard to tell a difference in any of them.  Maybe just stay away from the Andersons since they get negative reviews from time to time but even they are good receivers.  Stick with one of the well known brands for $60 and forget about the $170 receivers out there that you won't ever be able to tell a difference in.  I also agree with the above poster that Mega is a great option and probably tied for Aero with my favorites.

For the price of one of the more expensive uppers or lowers you can generally get about 3 regular mil-spec ones that will outlast you and your grandkids lifetime.  It is very rare to ever have an issue with a receiver.

MEGA

MEGA

With over the three dozen or so AR's I've owned over the years, outside that a standard spec forged upper, the VLTOR and MEGA uppers are definitely some of the nicer ones out there. Keep in mind, I haven't built or bought anything new in the past two years besides one or two factory uppers but, if I were in your shoes, it would definitely be one of the two mentioned previously.

Topic Moved

MEGA. No question. They always fit, they always work, they always build and they are always beautiful.



I considered BCM for my most recent upper but this "extra tight" receiver nonsense scared me off. Read too many stories about people for whom extra tight meant extra blow torch. I prefer something that fits properly the first time.



Rogtac had MEGA uppers on sale for $80 with free shipping. BCM wants, what? $120 for theirs? Forget it.



I have plenty of Vltors as well, terrific uppers, but pricey. Not hard to find them on sale, though.



-Stooxie

While you're in panic mode (no judgement) get a slew of MEGA gator lowers as well. Another you-wont-find-better-for-the-money purchase. Should be $109 max each (from AIM with coupon code).



-Stooxie

I have been a big fan of Mega.  Their lowers have been phenominal.  Their uppers have been a little hard to find in stock lately, except for stripped or billet.

I'm trying an Aero Precision upper for my LW build.

It's very subjective  -there is no universal answer... some will say it doesn't matter as long as its in spec, which usually means buy from a reputable manufacturer. Others will say that a "trued" receiver face and a tight fit are necessary for accuracy. I don't think you will get a definitive answer or results, so just buy from a reputable manufacturer and contact them if you run into issues.

Come on guys.... will you stop with the MEGA already.......






shhhh don't tell anyone.... it is supposed to be a secret



there will be less for me........


Really I can't say enough about MEGA they get my vote as well

Mega and Aero Precision are my two favorites.  You can get Aero easier and cheaper right now

Yes, you are on the right track with Aero, and they are DEFINITELY the best bang for your buck.  I've never had one with an uneven face that had to be lapped, or with takedown holes that wouldn't line up with in-spec lowers... both of which are issues with both of the Anderson uppers I've tried.  Never again.  I have found complete Aero uppers with port doors and FAs for $65-70 on sale.  I have 4 of them, and all are excellent quality with excellent fit and finish.

Just realize I titled this thread with "upper" in the title instead of "lower", guess that would explain why a bunch of you were talking about forged uppers lol.  Anyway, I just picked up an Aero Precision AR 308 receiver and an AR15 receiver for decent prices. This along with my current Seekins precision matched set will get me to 3 AR's which should complete my collection for many years to come. At least I won't be as effected by the political climate over the next little bit.

+ MEGA

MEGAUL1 by FredMan, on Flickr

I lap all my aero's and I never got a single one that was perfectly perpendicular to the bore.  Every single one always had a high side.  If you don't lap them, how exactly to you "know" them to be straight?

I'll just say I have "more than 4" of them.