Is it good to buy the lowers that are the same brand as the upper/barrel assembly? Will it fit better or could I just go with something like RRA or STAG lowers and get some sort of kit?

Joel

Myself, I match/order the stripped combo using the same manufacture (lower and upper), then just order a kit minus stripped upper.
Note: if you order this way, you need to be tooled up since you will need to build the upper together yourself.

Now if you’re not tooled up, there is still hope for a couple of options.  The first is if you want to go RRA, then Chris at eagle firearms can hook you up,

Or if you can find a Double Star stripped lower receiver, then J&T kits are the mate to this lower (read J&T and Double Star firearms = husband and wife companies).

www.eaglefirearms.net
www.jtdistributing.com

www.star15.com


P.S. if anyone else knows of other combo ways to buy/build upper/lower matching manufactures combos, please let us know.  Granted that CM produces a great deal of the receivers (to the suppliers spec’s), it's the selling suppliers that usually have the receivers anodized, and here is where you get different sheens and colors.

Mega has lowers and uppers that match.

is it ok to mix and match lowers and a complete kit?

The rifle kits come already built on a upper, so yes any lower will fit the upper.

Again, there may be slight to major color and sheen differance between the two.
To give a better idea of this, some suppliers teflon coat the uppers and lowers, and some do not.  In regards to RRA lowers, they are not tefon coated and have a very flat/dull finish.