Apologies up front if this is a stupid question, but I'm a newbie so that explains it.

My lower receiver is about a dozen years old and was made by "Advanced Armaments" here in Texas. I just looked them up and judging from their website they no longer make these and seem to focus on suppressors. Are there any AR-experten out there who can shed some light on my equipment with regards to history or quality?

From my VERY limited expertise it seems to be of rather cheap materials and poor workmanship.

hmm...interesting question you have there...

Let me be the first to say, "I have no idea of how to help you."

Quoted: Apologies up front if this is a stupid question, but I'm a newbie so that explains it. My lower receiver is about a dozen years old and was made by "Advanced Armaments" here in Texas. I just looked them up and judging from their website they no longer make these and seem to focus on suppressors. Are there any AR-experten out there who can shed some light on my equipment with regards to history or quality? From my VERY limited expertise it seems to be of rather cheap materials and poor workmanship.

if you are used to "walnut and steel" an AR might feel "cheap" to you. you just dont know what to look for yet.

pics would be helpful. email them to me, and i will post them for you if you have trouble.

Up top under the INFORMATION button, (imagine that) is all I know about them.......

here: www.ar15.com/content/legal/serialNumberList.html

Mike

Send your AR to me immediately for evaluation.  If it is not of good quality, I will refund your postage and properly dispose of it for you.

I followed the link, seems they don't know much either. It IS marked "M15", and serial number (wont be posted anywhere) is apparently hand stamped and pretty crudely I might add since the numbers are there with different depths and the baseline is uneven.

I admit this is my first and only aloominum gun, I have one handgun with a polymer "stock" but I am DEFINITELY a walnut/steel guy for the rest of the collection with the single exception of my Norinco SKS. The AR's fit/finish is vastly superior to that Chinese unit, but the materials just seem cheaper in comparison (for the receivers, the barrel is SS and the handguard is beautiful, a 7-inch floating tube).

For example the finish (anodizing?) has been marred on top of the A2 carry handle, and the biggest mark was made by the handguard when the rear pin was pulled and they came into contact.  There are a number of small areas around the dust sheild (?) too where metal-to-metal contact has resulted in exposing the silver. So maybe it is a poor finish rather than cheap aluminum? I am used to a lot of aluminum-billet parts for my cars and this stuff just seems really soft is all.

Thanks for the feedback.

I found a picture and posted it. You can see the small marks around the dust cover and barely make out the larger on on the front of the magazine well caused by contact with the handguard.

http://www.edbert.net/images/2006/m15.jpg

Is that kind of thing just normal wear or a sign that the finish was crappy?

The marks are not unusual, and yours are not excessive.  I can't comment on the actual quality of your firearm, but I have seen M16a2 (yes, the real ones) that have had all of the andonizing (down to the bare aluminum) around the mag well from mag insertions/being banged around, etc.  I've seen bent front sights, cracked handguards, pistol grips that were soo lose that I could probably unscrew it with my finger (if it was tht long), etc.  Yours is in great shape for being a dozen or so years old.  That same gun in my posession would be rather banged up.