Here are a couple of pictures of my completed lower I made for using the Sten magazines.  I thought you guys might like to see this.

http://home.swbell.net/graphicx/gunstuff/9MM-side.jpg

http://home.swbell.net/graphicx/gunstuff/9MM-open.jpg
Then here is a comparison of my 223 lower to the 9mm lower.  I didn't cut all the way through in the grip area as you can see in the picture.  I figured that would make it nicer and I wouldn't have to worry about the gap.
http://home.swbell.net/graphicx/gunstuff/9mmx223.jpg

How much to do the lower?? Does it use the stock magazine release??

Looks good Stickerman.
Did you machine it on a Bridgeport, CNC Machine Center, or with basic hand tools? Regardless, you did a great job on it. Looks like the stock mag release is used, judging by how far back the mag sits in the mag well, and the feed ramp block in front of the chamber. Are you using a Colt ,or Olympic style upper? I work in a Machine shop, and have been toying with the idea of doing what you did. I already have an Olympic setup with the SOCOM block, and it just doesn't look as clean with all the crap sticking out of the magwell.


[beer]

Unless he has a manufacturer's FFL he could not make the lower for your.
I guess he could take the 0% lower, do the mag well and enough stuff to bring it to 80% so it would not be considered a firearm.

I would be interested in a 80% lower done that way.

I did all of the work on a mini mill and there is no way I could make one to sell.  Even if I made one that wasn't totally finished I would have to send it to the ATF to get their ruling on if it would be considered a firearm or not.

I left the magazine in the middle of the mag well so I could just machine a slot in the mags to use the stock mag release.  The upper is a dreaded ASA upper that I got for a good price.

I didn't have a mag block to go from so I found all of the pictures on the net that I could and drew it all up on my computer.  It took two tries to get the feedramp to work and I ended up making two ejectors also.  I've put about 500 rounds through it and the last 350 rounds through it I only had one FTE and one round that didn't chamber.  

Well, it is a shame you don't live closer....


CHARLES

Very nice!  Would you be willing to post the drawings for others' use?

Why not just cut the slot and use a std Colt pattern ejector, you could locate the holes from a mag block as reference? May look a little odd with 2 holes bored through side of lower to retain the ejector same as the block.

Man.  How do you do the cuts for the magwell?  and it looks like there's a mag block installed in the lower as well?  More details please! [:D]

it looks as if you made cuts for both STEN and UZI mags.  if so that would be kinda handy, just need to switch the feed ramp to the correct mag.  Also, DAMN! YOU!  you beat me to it.  i have my 0% forging clamped in my mini mill as we speak to mill it for STEN mags.  i was just waiting for some end mills and drill bits to come in.  Nice job, and thanks for some more ideas on the feed ramp and ejector

I probably won't give out any drawings in case I can find somebody to have the lowers manufactured through.

I could have used standard Colt style parts, but I had my mill and I made them for pennies compared to ordering the original style parts.  It wouldn't have been a big deal to cut the slot for the ejector and then bolt it in.  The only thing was that I didn't have a mag block here to go from and I didn't want to spend $150 to have one to go off of.

I made a pattern for the magwell and drilled 1/8" holes in each corner then just used an end mill to open it up.  I had to do half of the lower and then flip it over to do the other side.  I also put notches in the bottom of the magwell so I didn't have to bend the stops in on the Sten mags.  

The two main things you want to be sure of when doing this setup is to get the magazine the right height so the bolt will strip the round out of the mag.  Then you need to be sure the ejector is close to the bolt and attatched very tightly.  I used some button head screws and I couldn't torque them down tight enough and the ejector would move.  I switched back to the original socket head screws and it works just fine.

I don't think an UZI mag would fit very well, but it might be worth trying.  I don't have any to test it with.

Here is a picture of one of the magazines I modified. I used a .250 end mill to make the slot and cut it to .062" deep.

[img]http://home.swbell.net/graphicx/gunstuff/sten-mag.jpg[/img]

SWEET!!!!!!

(I'm posting a link of this thread on the Sten mag well thread so it doesn't get lost!)

Wow am I glad for the link off the Sten thread as I have been too busy to keep up with all the new topics...  

I have an ~60% lower that I bought off EBAY that I was planning to do something like this with.  The lower I bought has the fire control area finished plus the buffer hole and threads but it does not have the mag well or other holes done.  You can see the auction I won here with a few photos...

[url]http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=135&item=2196482964[/url]

I was just struggling with if I would want to do this with Sten mags or UZI mags.  

I am just curious if you had a couple spare forgings to ensure you got things right or did you manage to get this right the first try?  Either way, man is that a slick setup, thanks for sharing!

As far as the opening for the magazine goes I just used a 1/2" piece of aluminum and cut out a test opening for it.  The bad thing about the Sten magazines is that not all of them are the same size.  I found the biggest one I had and made the opening to fit.  Then you need to make a feedramp and ejector.  You could just get a mag block and take those two pieces off of it.  Then just cut the opening for them and drill holes from the side to hold them in place.

I made my feedramp from 1/2" x 1" steel and the ejector from steel angle 1" x 1".  

I haven't seen any UZI mags, but if they are a perfect rectangle shape then they would be easier to do than the Sten.  

That lower was only the second forging I had worked on.  I had made a 223 lower, but I never totally finished it.  I ended up starting on the 9mm one and that was enough of a project right there.

It looks like there is still a little bit of work to be done since the mag catch isn't even milled out on that lower.  I wonder if they have cut the grip area down too....  it's hard to tell from those pictures and it's not mentioned in the auction.

The more I look at it the more I hope you've got a mill to finish that lower.

Yes, I have the forging and yes I do have a pretty good sized mill to use to do the work.  This forging has the buffer hole and threading plus the trigger area done but everything else needs to be done.  I liked it just for the closed mag well as I considered either a single shot lower or something like you did and now that I see yours, I am even more tempted to do it that way.

I just have not had the time to set the mill up and start playing with it so I am collecting projects I guess...  Thanks Again!

Wow, it's been a month since the board had problems and I totally got away from messing with my AR.  Then it was off to doing other things.....  I built a 9mm Sig 228 clone from a Dlask frame and parts.  If the damn steel frame wasn't so hard it would have been a piece of cake compared to the AR lower.

That forging is definately the way to go on making your AR lower.  I'm sure it will be easier on a bigger mill too.  More clamping options on a bigger mill than on a mini-mill.

Maybe if I ever finish my 73 RS/LT Camaro I'll see what it would take to make a mag block for the Sten mags.  For now I will use what I've learned making the lower to make small things for the Camaro.  

I read somewhere that somebody was saying they would rather just buy a lower for $90 instead of building one.  The thing is that I learned to use a mill and now I can make other things.  I've already made three parts for the Camaro which would have cost quite a bit to have somebody else make.

Yup, doing it yourself teaches one.

I've been toying w/ getting a mill/laith combo....since someone else got one.....hee, hee, hee.

Time will tell..