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Posted: 6/15/2014 6:05:54 AM EDT
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Tried search, as usual "no topics found"
Are there advantages to the billet upper vs forged? Looking to build an accurate 18" upper. Thanks. |
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If they are both 7075 aluminum, strength would be negligible.
No difference in accuracy. Billet can look nicer depending on taste, and how crazy the manufacturer went. I don't like mixing billet and forged, but you will spend more on billet and nearly the only reason is because it spends a lot more time in machining. |
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As long as It's 7075-T6 Aluminum stock you will be fine...of the two I would stick with the Billet, It generally
looks more appealing and is generally stiffer and more robust which can lead to better accuracy... While Billet is generally more expensive I believe it is worth the extra cost If your looking to build a nice quality upper/rifle... You may want to check out this: http://www.redbarnarmory.com/product-p/cmtupur1.htm Good Luck. |
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Quoted:
Tried search, as usual "no topics found" Are there advantages to the billet upper vs forged? Looking to build an accurate 18" upper. Thanks. Use this search in your browser, not on the forum, and you will find lots of info: site:ar15.com billet vs forged receiver There will be many opinions on this, some will be wrong. Bottom line, both are fine, but billet will cost you more. I use forged, unless I have a special need, like the 2AA Balios Lite billet set for a lightweight build. |
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Quoted:
Thanks everyone. I just assumed billet would be stronger/better, but I guess it's not really worth the extra cash. Billet is more rigid (as generally they are built beefier) and this can lead to less vibration/distortion...It is more just personal choice and aesthetics, overall the difference is not huge though. |
| Like so many things the actually quality might not be dependent on the process but rather the engineering involved. What I mean is generalizing can lead to problems. For instance a poor quality forging might not be as a good as a good quality casting. Same goes for billet versus forging. 7071 is general seen as superior but it is more brittle than 6061 so 7071 receivers crack if not designed properly. A billet receiver might have a bunch of inside sharp corners which leads to cracking where a forged receiver has rounded inside corners. The stress imparted to a forging often makes the metal stronger than a homogeneous billet where the stress is all in one direction. All that said shop wisely. |
| Billet is machined from a rolled or extruded bar. All the grain in the metal is going one direction. A forging has the grain going with the shape of the metal. A forging has the metal structure compressed (denser) as well. A forging is stronger, and you will find most parts that require strength are forged. I will stick with forged all the way. |
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