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Posted: 9/22/2004 9:50:46 AM EDT
Was this company around for awhile? I have never heard of them, so im just kinda curious. I bought a pre-ban EA lower with Colt upper for $450 a few months ago  , old rifle but still shoots like a champ. I always thought it was an Eagle Arms, till I got slapped when I told someone that.
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| Depends on what your idea of "awhile" is. Yes, they were around for a time before 1994. As I recall, some of their lowers were cast by Ruger. I do not know for sure if they ever made forged lowers, but I'm sure someone will chime in with that info. Word has it that they are about to start up again, quite soon from what I've heard. |
Is this because it is cast, or because it is cast by Ruger? You should have been able to tell it was cast for all of the markings (sans serial number) are raised instead of impressions. As for cast by Ruger -- they are supposed to be the best in the business. Now if you got hosed buying a pre-ban Eagle Arms, but instead got a cast J-15 E. A.Co. with an EAxxxx serial number, www.ar15.com/content/legal/serialNumberList.html would have told you it was not an Eagle Arms. (Not trying to Monday morning QB.) You may have some legal remedy if the sale was recent, and the seller misrepresented the product. There is also still a market for pre-ban lowers in the states with non-expiring AWB's. Some may deride cast lowers, but unless you intend to use it as a club, how much less abuse one would take than a forged lower is largely academic to most AR shooters out there. (I've heard all the arguments re clearing jams by beating it on the ground, K-booms, etc. but the only cast receiver I've actually seen break was due to the carrier key repeatedly smacking against the receiver extension threaded area, and the idiot didn't investigate when it was pointed out to him before it broke.) My first AR was (is) built on an E.A.Co. lower and I have not been overly kind to it; My buddy has several from when they were available for $60 ea. and uses one in competition shooting and load development. Both have held-up without a problem. I have many (read as "all my other ARs") forged lowers, and I'd prefer $80 for a forged lower from Ameetech Arms any day, but I don't feel handicapped or under-gunned with my Essential Arms lower at all. If you got a decent deal on it as a functioning AR, pre-ban legal in all 50 states, no worries. Shoot it and have fun. Cheers, Otto |
I just had an issue witha M77 MII. It developed 'casting bubbles" in the reciever, but Ruger was very cool about it and replaced the whole rifle. That doesnt discourage me from Ruger at all, I was just alittle worried after seeing Ruger and Cast in the same sentence  . Im sure if there were any probs with the lower, they would have came up a longtime ago. Thanks for your help otto. 
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Essential Arms used to call themselves " the good old boys down in the swamp". I got my lower from them in the early 90's as best I can recall. I've used it every since and it is still holding up with no cracks. Since it is pre-ban I guess I should consider selling it to one of the AR people in the states that still have bans. 
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I thought of that, but for the same reason I didn't sell it when pre-ban prices were so high nation-wide, I can't bring myself to part with my "first AR." I bought it from an Army Col. who bought it from one of his troops in need of cash in the late 80's, and sold it to me for what he had in it in the mid-90's. As with many EA's, it has a mix of fire control parts and even sports an A1 upper, 11.5" 1-12 barrel with a 5.5" (perm) FH. It had a rattlely aluminum CAR stock I replaced with a modern plastic one (still have it in the trunk somewhere). I also completely disassembled it to get all of the colors to match, and it is what taught me how easy it is to build Ar's from parts. ("the black barbie doll for grown men"... it's true!) Very light and very handy, and looks very XM-177-ish. For a while it sported an A2 stock and 20" A2 upper (like my rifle, "Lucy," spelled "loose-e" from Marine Corps boot camp, but with more finsih left on it  ), but those have been moved to an Eagle Arms lower post-AWB.It is still the EA that is my handiest and therefore most useful night light longarm. Cheers, |
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E.A. has an ad on page 88 of the Oct. 25 SHOTGUN NEWS. They advertise as "Forged or Investment cast styles available" $67. Anyone know if they are actually selling forged units? Rumor has it that the E.A. receivers (some) were A1 with mag fence but sans reinforcements. Would be cool for an A1 build. |
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Ruger is one of the top investment casting businesses in the world. They are to the casting industry what Smith and Wesson is to forgings. I have an EA cast lower, awefully rough. I am going to see if EA can rebuild them with the same serial number. I ought to trade it for an LMT/PWA/DSA/Lauer lower in a ban state. |
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I too built my first CAR on a cast EA-Krotz Springs lower, in the spring of 1990-- I wish I had 10% of the money I've spent on the shells I've run through it, I could buy a new Bushmaster-- I've beaten the SNOT out of it-- it ain't pretty, but it goes BANG every time, and (usually) hits what it's pointed at, and isn't that what it's supposed to do?? If you want pretty, go get a MEGA-- but a preban EA will do the job---
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