I am thinking about buying a stripped Carbon Fiber lower for $80.00  Are they pretty much identical (dimensions, compatability) to "standard" metal lowers except for the material they are made of?

I sure would appreciate some "pros and cons" of building a just for fun "plinker" with Carbon Fiber!

Thanks -

Scott

Everybody I know says to stay away from them, especially if it's a Hesse. for $20 more youcan get an Olympic lower, shipped.

Thanks wombraider...I will see if it is a Hesse or not. If you have time, could you tell me the reasons your friends say to stay away from them?  

I did a little more research, and came across the Professional Ordnance site. ( www.c-15.com/faq_ff.html )

Their FAQ section answered some questions, but I do not know if the lower I am thinking of buying is "exactly" the same as the Pro - Ordnance model.

I will have to find out if all Carbon Fiber lowers are "identical" to what Professional Ordnance is selling.

I think I am going to take your advice though!

Thanks again - and if anyone else would like to put in their thoughts...I would appreciate it!

Thanks wombraider...I will see if it is a Hesse or not. If you have time, could you tell me the reasons your friends say to stay away from them?  

I did a little more research, and came across the Professional Ordnance site. ( www.c-15.com/faq_ff.html )

Their FAQ section answered some questions, but I do not know if the lower I am thinking of buying is "exactly" the same as the Pro - Ordnance model.

I will have to find out if all Carbon Fiber lowers are "identical" to what Professional Ordnance is selling.

I think I am going to take your advice though!

Thanks again - and if anyone else would like to put in their thoughts...I would appreciate it!

:)

Well, this may be a little off-topic, but I have done a bunch of prototyping, and the material I have been using is Corian.

That's right, the stuff you have on your kitchen countertops.

It mills very easily, easy to glue odd parts together, files, sands and easy to form with hand tools and a belt sander.

This makes me think that carbon fibers would be just peachy.

I'll bet this starts a controversy.

Oinkle Tom

Good luck with your toys

I've built two Hesse Kevlar/polymer lowers and
they went together as easily as Rock River and
Bushmaster lowers: no problems.Have only a few
hundred rounds thru them,so can't advise on
long term durability right now, but so far so good.
Actually though these parts are marked Hesse,
I doubt they are made by Hesse themselves.Two
reasons-1)It's very expensive to set-up for
just one part like this and 2)It's quality
is much better than anything Hesse ever built!
They are about 4.5 ounces lighter than Alu.
Regards, Chuck Hunt

Thanks seahunt -and- OinkleTom! :)

OinkleTom: It is nice to hear about your experimentation / prototypes...what are you building? I am sure that you could start some controversy!


seahunt: I am glad to hear that have had good experiences with Carbon. What kind (brand)of upper did you use?

For the record - I think I am going to purchase a metal, and carbon lower for the heck of it - and see how it goes.

I do have a new question though - is it illegal to build a "pistol" kit with a postban receiver?

Black Gun Fun:

My prototyping is strictly for fun.  I have used Corian to make a "lower" that does not have the threaded rear portion for the recoil spring housing.  It has a lug that will accommodate a variety of "uppers".  The way things work out, there are almost no stresses between the upper and lower.  All the stresses remain in the upper assembly.

Corian is cheap, you can glue difficult-to-machine parts together, AR- type fire control parts are cheap and easy to find.  Mag well is very easy to fabricate.

If you have a machine shop, give it a spin.  Not too much to loose.

Oinkle Tom

I built a FAR-15 on the Hesse lower. It was the easiest one to work with I have ever used. It was my 6th lower to build. It has been flawless in operation and has held up well. This is the closest thing I have to a trunk gun and it is not babied at all. The whole rifle weighs in at 5 lbs. with the Holosight on it.

Bob