What's the word on PWA Lowers?  Forged?  Any good? Where is the cheapest place to pick up a vortex flash hider?

I had a PWA lower (it was very close to current Bushy specs) the lower was nice and seemed to have a mil-spec finish.

The Vortex's are best bought direct from SE that way you know it isn't the older (not G4-G6 FH)

If you buy from others you may end up with old stock (the olders inferior FH's) they had some problems back before they got beefed up and hardened.

PWA lowers were superb.  Excellent machining on nice forgings, deep black color, everyone's parts fit perfectly except the rear lug of Olympic Arms upper receivers.  That's because the Oly uppers takedown pin lug is wider than Mil-Spec.  I have built over 12 guns on PWA lowers and am completely satisfied.

You'll have to forgive my ignorance, who is SE?  Thanks.

Did you actually fit an Olympic upper to a PWA lower?  I have such a combination coming together.  I would appreciate any tips.  Thanks

MR2

Wow!  This thread reaches back a ways.  

In answer to your question...yes.  I did fit an older Olympic upper to a PWA lower.  I had to decide which part would be the sacrificial part.  I decided not to do any machine work on a perfectly good pre-ban (PWA) lower so I narrowed the rear lug of the relatively cheap Oly upper to fit the lower.  This required taking about 0.010" off of each side of the Oly rear lug, or abour 0.020" total.  I did it in my 2-axis slide vise equipped drill press using a 0.250 end mill bit, but if you are lacking machine tools it could be done by carefully removing the required material with a good, sharp file or a Dremel tool.  Just do the old "cut & fit" routine until the lug fits down into the lower.  The walls of the receiver are a little "springy" so having a slightly tight fit a OK for minimizing the traditional upper/lower slop.

The Oly pin to pin distance was perfect.  After closing the pivot pin, the lower dropped right into place and the takedown pin slid right in.

I have an old OLyarms lower and have new problems. The newer uppers are getting tighter and tighter. The last one I got is so tight I have to pound the pushpins in with a blunt object like the plastic end of a screwdriver.

And even then a good tight compression of upper/lower is needed to get the pin to start.

Is there a solution to that?

If your upper is brand new, you might work with your supplier to exchange it for one that might fit your Oly lower without modification.  Sometimes "bad" manufacturing tolerances can work in your favor to get properly mating receivers.

If you're stuck with the parts you've got, then first determine why the upper and lower do not fit properly.  Examine everything carefully as you close the upper into the lower.  Where is the interference??  Is it upper takedown lug-to-lower walls?  Is the lug too wide?  Does the radius between the top edge of the lower up into the extension tube ring not match the upper?  How is the hole spacing for the pivot pin and takedown pin?  etc. etc.

Once you figure out what's not matching, you need to decide which parts you want to remove material from to achieve an acceptable fit.  IMHO NEVER, NEVER remove material from a good lower receiver.  In most cases milling, grinding, filing, reaming the upper to fit a lower will be invisible once the weapon is closed.  

Once you get the fit you want, you can do nothing to the areas where you exposed the bare aluminum, get the parts re-anodized to cover your machine work, use one of the many gun coating finishes available, get a professional gun refinisher like Arizona Response Systems to refinish your receivers, or use that Birchwood-Casey Aluminum Black junk to darken the exposed aluminum.

Many times the failure of upper and lowers to fit properly is just a minor pin-to-pin spacing problem that can be easily corrected by using a very fine 1/4" diameter round file to CAREFULLY elongated the hole{s} on the upper receiver lugs.  If you're REALLY SLOW and CAREFUL remove material the fit will be perfect and totally invisible.

Good Luck!

"Many times the failure of upper and lowers to fit properly is just a minor pin-to-pin spacing problem that can be easily corrected by using a very fine 1/4" diameter round file to CAREFULLY elongated the hole{s} on the upper receiver lugs. If you're REALLY SLOW and CAREFUL remove material the fit will be perfect and totally invisible." [b]And interestingly enough I actually have a 1/4in round file in the other room- coiincidence?[/b]

Thanks for the info, I actually had a problem with the upper that needs rectifying so I will strip it next week and I have a Colt ramped upper comming and maybe the fit on that will be better. who knows.  I hope it is, if not I might mod the Garrison upper. (I know one thing, this time while I have it apart I'm going to M4 ramp my barrel extension.) Last time I was too excited to get it together after 3 months waiting for BM to get the "custom" barrel made. Not too custom (fluted 16in DISSY HBAR) but I guess not in high demand.

Thanks for the ideas.