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Posted: 4/12/2005 1:10:34 PM EDT
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Can a regular AR-15 lower be milled or cut safely and succesfully to look similar to a to the California lower I see on all of the .50 call uppers? I like the look of the rifle below and I have an extra receiver, and would rather not spend $190 on a Cali receiver if I don't have to. Any opinions or expieriences are appreciated. Thanks - Brad 
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The SingleShot lower is milled from solid aluminum (meaning the magazine-well hasn't been milled out). I'm not an engineer, but I'm guessing that if you tried milling away too much metel from a standard lower, there might not be enough metal left to handle the stress (recoil) from firing a .50BMG; which in turn could cause metal fatigue/failure. You can use a standard lower (with the mag-well) as is; though you'll need to change the trigger assembly. But even if you could cut the metal around the mag-well without affecting safety, it might look pretty wierd (it wouldn't look like the one in the picture you've posted). By the way, the DPMS lower (in the picture) is loooooonnnnnnng on back-order. I ordered one back in October. Still waiting. Something to do with some war going on somewhere. |
| Be a pioneer and go for it. No one will ever know for sure if its never tried. Buy a couple of Stag stripped lowers and cut one the way you want it to look. All of the stress from recoil is transmitted to the pin areas, not the mag well. Check it after every round to see how it holds up for the first 100 rounds. After that just the normal look at it during cleaning. Stag receivers are cheap so you'll have less than $200 in them. If receiver #1 makes it sell or build #2. If it doesn't make it you have a backup. |
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Just watch where the serial numbers are located. My DPMS lower receiver had to have the serial number moved to a spot above the trigger on the left side because so much of it is whittled away. If somebody couldn't get a DPMS single shot lower, I'd say go with one of the partially milled receivers and rent the dies/taps and jig to complete the thing as much as neccesary to use with a 50BMG upper. Then mill away the parts of the lower receiver you don't like. |
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If you have the tools and skills to machine your own lower, I'd suggest buying a 0% forged lower receiver from DSA (http://www.dsarms.com/) for about $25 bucks. I've purchased two of them and their to mil-spec standards. There are other suppliers that sell 80% lowers, but I don't think any of them sell one with the mag-well uncut (that would be the easiest). If you're interested in milling your own receiver, I'd also suggest "http://www.cncgunsmithing.com/tooling.html". Nice guy, good advise and helpful links. |
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After thinking about this today, if you were to cut a regular receiver to the shape you wanted you could always have a piece of aluminum cut to press fit (say .0015" over the actual dimensions)into what's left of the old mag well, weld it up, and polish it up a bit. The alunimum block would add support to the structure of the receiver. Uglygun has a good point about the serial number but you could possibly stamp the number and mfg info into the bottom of the block. I'd check to make sure about the legality of removing and relocating a serial number first. If its a no-no blame this idea on Clean_Cut. |
Jeep29 - I hadn't even considered that ... great idea! |
Here's a place that sells just such a part: 80% forged lower - uncut magwell |
Awsome!! |
The trigger guard, takedown pin and detent holes would be needed as well. The same company sells a jig and all the tools needed to complete the lower. |
No, there are others, but their's have some form of fixed magazine in the well that's loaded from the top. For .50 use, the FAB-10 has been adapted successfully from what I've read. The DPMS is the only commercial unit I know of that has NO magazine well. |
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First of all, it is illegal to move, alter or obliterate a serial number on a firearm. You can't move it to another place on the firearm. Most AR lowers will present you with this problem as the serial number is right where you'd want to cut. Can't do it. Secondly, even if you could, you will end up spending more money machining an AR lower than you will just buying the one you want in the first place. |
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https://www.vbd.com/noc/shop/products_detail.asp?CategoryID=29&ProductID=303 Here is a 80% lower that can be built as you want and a serial number can be put were you want. I have done other 80% AR15 lowers and put my ser numbers were I want and it is totaly legal. This lower you can do a 45 deg. cut just like the DPMS lower after the needed holes are done.  I would like to see the law were you can not move the serial number. |
| From what I've read, building a lower receiver from an 80% receiver doesn't require any type of serial number - because you're not a gun manufacturer, just an individual making their own firearm. The catch is that you can't ever sell or even give away the completed weapon (or even just the completed receiver). Upon your untimely passing, it can be willed to your heirs. But as long as you're alive, it's yours to keep or destroy. |
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