Anyone know anything about these quality price anything?  I am thinking about purchasing one of these and would like to know more...

They're decent pre-ban lowers...

Cast lowers with a very grey color. I had one (left it with my father after I moved out of NY).

Mine was pretty good; magwell was a little tight with some out-of-spec USGI mags, but worked just fine with in-spec ones, Thermolds, Orlites, etc.

Uppers fit just fine.

As it was cast, it wasn't exactily a perfect copy of an A1 or A2 receiver, but it worked well enough for me.

They should be a little less expensive than say an Oly or Bushmaster pre-ban lower receiver (provided the Oly is a forged one, and not one of their cheaper cast ones).

I've still got the XM177 clone I built on one in 1989, and have beaten the snot out of, and it has run fine. A bit primitive-looking by "modern" standards, but very workable.

They're back, you know: www.essentialarms.com/index.html

during the awb there were only pre-ban lowers available but now they are back in business.


made of cast which is somewhat fragile and shouldnt be handled too roughly. mine never had a problem but its possible. they are around the same price range as others.


essentialarms.com/

Their website says they have cast and forged lowers now.

Quoted: during the awb there were only pre-ban lowers available but now they are back in business. made of cast which is somewhat fragile and shouldnt be handled too roughly. mine never had a problem but its possible. they are around the same price range as others. essentialarms.com/

Uhoh I guess someone should have told me that, I've beat the piss out of my gun that built on an EA lower.

The receivers marked J-15-2 are not pre-ban but new production.  I think they're website says you can get them for soemthing like $64 each if you buy 10 or more.  I'v seen them retailing for $95-$125.  I just built up a retro A1 rifle using one.  They are quality receivers, just not the most beautiful.  They don't have any kind of a picture on the side.  They come in grey, but you can pay a few extra dollars to have them done in black at the factory.

I have a pre-ban EA-15 lower and it is a good quality piece.  If you are worried about breaking it, don't: the guy at EA said they can build a new one with the same serial number.

I have one. I used it for for an A nothing build. The only problem that I have is the area on the receiver between the buffer tube and the grip does not have an arch like most lowers have. Its only a functional issue if you use a grip like a Ergo or Fobus. Then you need to dremel the grip a little.

I am looking forward to the new forged lowers. They will also be avaliable in grey. The current ones are a very close color match for and old SP1 upper. The new ones will be done is Sandstrom 9

Give Vaughn at Essential arms a call. I told him we would like some Colt grey A1'ish lowers. Give him your opinions, it helps in product development.

Preban Essentials were marked J-15.  All of those were cast, most gray, a few black.

Postban Essentials are marked J-15-2.   Again, most gray, a few black.

Beginning in November, 2005 Vaughn was going to begin making forged, and drop cast.  He told me that there were no problems with his INVESTMENT cast lowers, but he was going to forged just due to customer requests.  He was going to discontinue cast, sell out what was left, and from then on all production would be forged.

Essential also makes very high quality aluminum CAR stock assemblies.

There were a number of companies around the country that used Essential lowers, such as early Bushmasters.  There were some companies that were making full auto lowers for law enforcement on Essential lowers.  

No complete rifles left the shop except for a few hundred he built for competition shooters.

In my experience, the EA lower I owned some years ago, all parts fit and functioned perfectly.  I have also seen and worked on many other people's AR's built on EA lowers.  NONE had a malfunction that was due to anything about the EA lower.  I have never seen, nor know of anyone who has seen a broken EA lower.

I have three EA lowers now, last of the cast ones.

Other than that, I don't know anything about Essential Arms.

Pictures:

(The gray has a smooth, satiny feel)

Quoted: Their website says they have cast and forged lowers now.

Yes it does and not a bad price on the forged one...


You guys want to see a good one... Check this out... www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?item=42930012

Its the cast lower to boot...

Here's an old J-15 with some fresh Norrell's OD and a new upper receiver.  This rifle is carried in the trunk of a patrol unit daily.



Here is a new J-15-2 with some fresh Norrell's.

I have two of the older EA lowers and i like them a lot.

I posted a picture of  a build i made out of one in the picture thread

www.ar15.com/forums/topic.html?b=3&f=118&t=262964&page=2

Hey bigdoodge, welcome and Good Luck with your 1st BLACK rifle.

Had 2 of the cast J-15s; no problems whatsoever.  I liked the gray finish.  One was a A2 safequeen for a future varminter project, the other was my A2 DCM shooter/ varmint rifle, used, not babied, but not abused either.  Traded/sold them as prebans to our NY brothers in exchange for post ban lowers.  Friend of mine has bought 2 EAs since the ban lifted and he is well satisfied with his builds also.  He met the owner in person and said he is a real nice fellow; took time to talk with him, and was very cordial.  I plan on buying a couple stripped lowers from them in the near future along with another co-worker, just in case the political climate gets squirrelly again.  No problems with Essential Arms in my book; cast recievers or otherwise.  Maybe by the time I buy, they will have forged recievers also, if they don't have them in stock already, but I won't hesitate on cast either.  
eta:   At the time I owned the J-15 cast lowers, at least 5 of my co-workers had bought EA J-15 cast lowers in that time frame also.  They were all well satisfied with their builds and they are still satisfied with them.  Tried to buy one of the lowers from one of them (it's serial number was consecutive to both of mine) and he was well satisfied with it and would not sell it to me.  If that tells you anything.    ymmv

eta; talked to one of the co-workers that had built some ARs from EA Sunday.  He has since helped at least 6 more guys build ARs from EA lowers after the ban lifted.  All happy with their new ARs.

I have one I used for a 20" Model 1 build and it fits tighter then the Bushmaster upper/lower on XM15-E2S. I am getting ready to do another build and would not hesitate to use another EA lower.

Thanks everyone that helps me out immensly.  

I bought one of the new cast steel ones. Its a very heavy lower.

I have one of the early ones j-15 marked and it has held up well over the years.I got it from bushmaster about 1988 or 89 iirc.built an m16a1 clone on it.