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Posted: 4/25/2017 8:37:12 PM EDT
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I have been out of ARs for a few years but my daughter is old enough now for one. A lgs has Anderson lowers in stock but I don't know much about them. I did a quick Google search and found some problems with them but everything was a few years old. Are they good to go or should I stay clear.
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I just built a AR pistol using my first Anderson lower. I had trouble getting the bolt stop spring and plunger in its hole far enough to get the
roll pin in through the bolt stop. I finally looked in the plunger hole and found it had some kind of gunk in it. My guess is tiny aluminum shavings and cutting fluid maybe? Cleaned out hole and everything went together perfectly. I would use another Anderson lower again no problem, just gonna check all holes and cuts before assembly of any brand AR lower I build. Should have been doing this anyways. lesson learned! |
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There have been a couple threads about the buffer retainer hole drilled out of spec. This was causing the buffer to hit the retainer itself and not stay up against the back of the bolt carrier. |
| We've sold somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 Anderson stripped lowers (Anderson alone) in the last two years and have had three that came back for different reasons. Two of them were operator error and one had a tight magwell. I think they're great lowers for the price, especially for what you're looking to do. I'd take the time to inspect the receiver and then procede with confidence. |
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7 Anderson lower's, zero problems. There were a few that had the buffer detent hole drilled too far back, so definitely check it out (on Andersons, should have about 2 threads between detent hole and FCG rear pocket).
They're GTG and I see no reason to spend more. I'll continue to use them with no reservations. |
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I just built a AR pistol using my first Anderson lower. I had trouble getting the bolt stop spring and plunger in its hole far enough to get the roll pin in through the bolt stop. I finally looked in the plunger hole and found it had some kind of gunk in it. My guess is tiny aluminum shavings and cutting fluid maybe? Cleaned out hole and everything went together perfectly. I would use another Anderson lower again no problem, just gonna check all holes and cuts before assembly of any brand AR lower I build. Should have been doing this anyways. lesson learned! I'll still use Anderson or PSA lowers for builds, in my area those are the only over the counter options for $50 stripped lowers. After that it's $100 for name brand stripped lowers like Spike's. |
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I have only used Anderson's and Aero's for my builds.
Function wise, the Anderson's are GTG and I have never had any issues or out of spec stuff. A couple of mine had the short threaded grip hole,but it's never been an issue for me as I use Magpul grips, and the screws that come with them tighten up before you run out of threads. Aero's have a nicer, smoother finish, and no flowing mullet hair horsey for a roll mark,that's about the only difference,besides price. I get Anderson's for about $60-$70 here locally, and Aero's for $90-$100. |
Wife has a build on one its fine. All and i mean all manufacturers have put out a lower with something out of spec before! Hell i had a colt lower with the buffer retainer pin hole too far back and the pin was beating the outer edge of the buffer up. As far as i can tell material, finish and cnc machining is the same as everyone else. Anderson is just selling product at a good price and not gouging us!!!
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Problem I had with one Anderson was the magazine setting too high and catching the bolt. Fixed it by putting the parts on another Anderson, problem solved.
Also check any lower for flashing in the holes, found flashing in the holes for the bolt catch pin once on one of my first Andersons but not on the next 4 I bought. |
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Yup. I have one with that issue. I didn't catch it until the carrier banged up the buffer. Quoted:
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There have been a couple threads about the buffer retainer hole drilled out of spec. This was causing the buffer to hit the retainer itself and not stay up against the back of the bolt carrier. |
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Of my eight ARs, all built by me, four are Andersons. I have had no issues with any of them and trust them fully. I have also build about 15 ARs for people using Anderson lowers with no issues. To tell you the truth, the only problems I've had in recent memory were with installing Fostech triggers in S&W receivers. Anyway, Steve Matthews wrote an article for Shotgun News a few years ago comparing AR lowers:
"For a forged mil-spec aluminum receiver I don’t think one can do better than the extremely economically priced Anderson Mfg. receiver. You can pay two to four times the cost of an Anderson receiver if you choose, but you will not get a receiver that is two to four times better than the Anderson receiver. I have built rifles with $35 receivers (cosmetic defect Anderson receivers on sale) and I have built rifles with $150 receivers. If the name on the side was covered up, I could not tell which receiver I was using, since it worked as well as any other receiver" |
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here is my third anderson lower finished on a Pistol build im working on...
there fine. Attached File |
| I've purchased 2. The 1st was a complete pistol lower. The lower itself was perfectly fine, but the trigger that came with it was junk. It wouldn't reset. Converted that lower to a rifle build before selling it. Today I picked up my 2nd. I got a Don't tread on me lower for $60 shipped from Smoky Mountain. I've seen a couple styles and the one they have looks outstanding. The lower does have one small scuff at the rear and a few very small metal imperfections. Haven't built it out yet. |
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The only problem I ran into was not having the pistol grip tapped all the way through. Either get a shorter screw or spend a few bucks on a tap to finish it. In spite of that issue, the carbine I built using the Anderson lower has been flawless. I'll probably pick up a few more when I can find a deal on them. The ones I have were on sale for $40 each at a LGS. |
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I bought 2 Anderson lowers a few years ago for $50 each. When comparing them side by side with my Areo, Spike, and Mega, there is no contest. Anderson sucks big time. The machining is not as refine and they lack features such as a flared magwell. Also, the outter part of the magwell was not rounded off. The ano color also sucked. About the only thing good about them is the price. You all know what happens when you buy cheap.
From a functional point I am sure they work fine, but I can't deny the fact there is so many negative reviews on them. I ended up giving them away to a close friend during one of the panic buying. He built them up and they ran fine. I would suggest spending a few dollars more and get an Areo lower. |
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I bought 2 Anderson lowers a few years ago for $50 each. When comparing them side by side with my Areo, Spike, and Mega, there is no contest. Anderson sucks big time. I am sure they work fine....... there is so many negative reviews on them. What made them "suck big time"? That analysis is a little vague. Were they out of spec? Blemished? Poor machining? Negative reviews are, for the most part, regurgitated information. They have had issues, as have every other manufacturer. Rollmarks sell lowers, a forged lower is a forged lower. If it's in spec and properly machined, it's all branding past that. |
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What definitive comparisons did you find in your examination?? What set the others so far above? What made them "suck big time"? That analysis is a little vague. Were they out of spec? Blemished? Poor machining? Negative reviews are, for the most part, regurgitated information. They have had issues, as have every other manufacturer. Rollmarks sell lowers, a forged lower is a forged lower. If it's in spec and properly machined, it's all branding past that. You really have to hold them side by side to an Areo or a Spike to know what I am refering to. Touching and feeling them side by side with a quality machined lower will tell you a lot. Also, I am not one that cares about roll marks. I actually prefer not having any roll marks. |
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It wasn't that they were out of spec or that or the machining was poor. It was that the machining was not as refine (less labor time). You really have to hold them side by side to an Areo or a Spike to know what I am refering to. Touching and feeling them side by side with a quality machined lower will tell you a lot. Also, I am not one that cares about roll marks. I actually prefer not having any roll marks. I have Anderson, Spikes, Bushmaster, DTI, and Stag lowers. I see no difference other than finish coloration variances in the anodizing. Machining is on par across the board. To each their own. |
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Also, I am not one that cares about roll marks. I actually prefer not having any roll marks. Op- what it actually Comes down to us this - what do you WANT out of the rifle? Is it to be used? Then ya, they're fine. Boomboom isnt wrong that other brands spend more time on the machines finishing details... but it makes ZERO difference when it comes to functionality. |
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The early ones had a shItty finish and cosmetic blems.
I have a couple of the current ones and they're not bad. The finish looks the same on both, but one scratches easily. It also had the bolt catch ding the edge of the detent/spring bore causing it to bind while the lower was separated for transport in a range bag. Removed the catch and scraped out the burr...it's been fine since. Their parts kit gave me a 5lb trigger pull, which was unexpected. It has the typical mil spec creep, but I'll take it. My best looking forged lower out of four different brands (Colt, Anderson, Spike's) is an early four digit serial number Del-Ton. It was that lower in the shop during the Obama panic nobody wanted. Their loss. |
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