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Posted: 12/27/2012 5:38:35 AM EDT
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New to the forum, I am looking to purchase a steel single shot lower for a bolt 50 upper. Does anyone make this, or have a source, or have one to sell?
Thank you Jim |
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There were some 80%ers that were made of materials other than aluminum. DPMS made some stainless lowers at one time. You are probably going to have a hard time finding either. About the closest you may get in the near future is one of the ones with the mag well left solid.
Good luck and welcome. 
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You don't need a steel lower for the .50 BMG. Thousands of them have been run on standard AR-15 lowers or the single shot aluminum lower that DPMS makes (or did make) and they have not suffered the slightest from the .50 BMG. The stainless steel lowers DPMS use to make were not single shot lowers and except for adding a pound of weight to the rifle they serve no purpose for anything. I know because I have one. Totally a worthless item. They are as well made as any lower out there but that extra pound of weight offers nothing except weight, which is not needed. It is not enough weight to matter on a .50 BMG because the breaks will do more to dampen the recoil than an extra pound in the lower and while the steel may be stronger, it is strength that is not needed for any reason.
Save your time and money and frustration from looking for something that may not exist and just go with an aluminum single shot lower. It will hold up just fine. Just ask any of the dozens of .50 BMG shooters that on the FCSA forum. If you are getting a .50 BMG you should be a member of the FCSA and then go to their bulletin boards and ask. They will tell you the same thing. Single shot is fine, steel is not needed. |
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Thank you for the answers.
It is not so much what I need as what I want. Most of my builds are based on my ideas of what I think would be a good build. I understand what you wrote, I agree with your point of view, the fun for me is finding that steel or stainless steel receiver. If you own a stainless steel receiver that means at least in the past you thought it was a good idea. So I will pursue my pointless search for a steel singleshot receiver, if I can't find one then I will machine one, cause that is what I want. Thank you Jim |
| Last company to make any steel ones that I saw was Essential Arms when they first came back into the lower receiver buisness few years ago. They were steel but they only did one small run of them. Might check with them and see if they have any unfinished blanks if you are thinking of machining one. |
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Quoted:
Thank you for the answers. It is not so much what I need as what I want. Most of my builds are based on my ideas of what I think would be a good build. I understand what you wrote, I agree with your point of view, the fun for me is finding that steel or stainless steel receiver. If you own a stainless steel receiver that means at least in the past you thought it was a good idea. So I will pursue my pointless search for a steel singleshot receiver, if I can't find one then I will machine one, cause that is what I want. Thank you Jim It shouldn't be too hard to make a single shot lower out of steel since the mag well, mag catch, and bolt catch aren't needed. Post up some pictures if you decide to go this route. |
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