So ive been doing a lot of reading here and watching on youtube, and I'm wondering what ya'll recommend for doing your own aluminum 80% or 95% lowers. I cant see myself doing more than 5 with the jig, so buying a used one or renting one would be an option. I do like the look of the more custom billet ones (such as JT15) but i know its not necessary. Ill be using a good drill press, not a mill. Any input and recommendations from experience is really appreciated:)

http://www.80percentarms.com/collections/lower-jigs

And anyone seen this? If it comes with all the jigs needed, seems like it would be a good deal

For billet lowers I like Quentin Laser:
 


For forged lowers and drill fixtures I like Colfax Tactical:

Both are excellent, slight advantage to the Colfax, good people...

Excellent products, highly recommended, they used verified blueprints/3D models and then programmed it to their
5 axis CNC machining center, prices are very fair with many options available. Very nice people to work with.

Just got 2 delivered  yesterday from Tactical Machining and already finished one 6 months ago. Nice forging and good quality 80% machining.

TM

Colfax looks like a good company with a lot of prase. Inexpensive jig too, but don't most jigs come with three top plates?

what metal are the quentin billets made from?

Aluminum.  Who cares what alloy, makes little to no difference.

The Colfax jig is good if you are using the DRO on a vertical milling machine and not using the top plates at all. The advantages are that the tops of the side plates are roughly even with the top surface of the 80% lower and the pin that goes through the pivot pin hole is perfect for indicating to use as your x-axis reference. Gives you the same reference point used in the mechanical drawing. Personally, I think their top plate is useless for an 80% lower that does not already have the rear shelf of the FCG pocket milled out. Having the drill holes for the trigger pin, hammer pin, and safety selector holes on only one side of the jig sucks too.

One thing that Colfax has that is outstanding is a document on their website that steps you through completing an 80% lower using DRO only. It's could use a revision for sure but it is a great starting point.

If you are going the drill press route, which I haven't done and seems pretty dicey to me, I would go with a different jig--one that has a top plate with a full cutout for the rear shelf of the FCG pocket so you can use it on any 80% lower. I suggest getting a jig that has drill holes on both side plates too. Hardened steel inserts in the drill holes would be great but the only jigs I have seen with those just have drill holes on one side.

Quintin uses 6061-T651 Aluminum Alloy.

Good info and advice, thank you!

I really like my TR-Enabling lower. They are on sale for $79 at the moment and do offer a jig as well.
http://shop.lower80.com/

I also have one of their jigs.

Pros:
* Drill holes on both sides
* Top plates have full cutouts for all pockets and for trigger cutout
* Great jig for the price

Cons:
* The tops of the side plates are above the top of the 80% lower. This is an issue if you are going DRO only because your end mills need to be longer.
* Also an issue if you are going the DRO only route, notice that the pins that go in the pivot pin hole are built in to the side plates. They do not extend past the pivot pin holes to the middle so you cannot indicate of them to establish your x-axis zero.

Since I go DRO only and have a Colfax jig also, I use the Colfax jig for the milling operations and the TR Enabling jig for drilling.

Edited to add:
Link to thread showing my completed build

Tactical Machining is having a sale right now.

AR lowers are $69 ($79 anodized)

http://www.tacticalmachining.com/80-products/80-percent-christmas-sale-ar15-80.html