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How’s the quality on Anderson lowers?

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December 01, 2019, 12:32 PM
Oz_Shadow
How’s the quality on Anderson lowers?
Worth $50? One of the few I can get locally with no transfer fees - at least in that price range.
December 01, 2019, 12:54 PM
rexles
I have built several and no problems. I have some with trigger guard and others without. Both are GTG. I always thread a tap into the grip screw hole just to make sure the grip screw that comes with what ever LPK I install doesn't bottom out.


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December 01, 2019, 03:55 PM
bigwagon
They are GTG but I wouldn't pay much more than $50. I've bought a few at my local Fleet Farm for under 50 out the door.
December 01, 2019, 04:30 PM
radioman
GTG. My own observation is people complaining about them had lowers that were really old which makes me wonder if the newer ones are better. Again this is my observation while searching for reviews on them, and not based on any real knowledge.

That said, I got one recently and I’m happy with it.


----------------------
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December 01, 2019, 04:34 PM
jljones
I have bought a couple in the last bit and they seem to be ok. I gave a little less than $50 each, all though $50 seems to be the going rate.




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December 01, 2019, 04:53 PM
Sigmund
They're $29.99 today only:

https://www.classicfirearms.com/anderson-ar-lower/

I just bought two from them for $32.99, also a good price.
December 01, 2019, 05:03 PM
jaybirdaccountant
quote:
Originally posted by Sigmund:
They're $29.99 today only:

https://www.classicfirearms.com/anderson-ar-lower/

I just bought two from them for $32.99, also a good price.


My cart shows $29.99 for the lower and $24.02 shipping. Plus tax of course!

I built probably 8 or ten rifles on Anderson lowers over he last several years and haven't ran into any problems.
December 01, 2019, 05:26 PM
Sigmund
quote:
Originally posted by jaybirdaccountant:
quote:
Originally posted by Sigmund:
They're $29.99 today only:

https://www.classicfirearms.com/anderson-ar-lower/

I just bought two from them for $32.99, also a good price.


My cart shows $29.99 for the lower and $24.02 shipping. Plus tax of course!

I built probably 8 or ten rifles on Anderson lowers over he last several years and haven't ran into any problems.


Yeah, that's a little steep. I paid $21.05 shipping for two, plus $4.61 tax. Had I noticed the shipping at ordering I probably would have gotten three.
December 01, 2019, 09:40 PM
David Lee
I got my mitts in for a short while machining them at Anderson. I cant say they are the best, better than other brands but what I can say is this, the way which the castings/forgings are fixtured to a tomb stone, in a Mazak horizontal makes for a repeat machining process for dummys. It is a air fixture loaded with 3 per load, extreme precision locators and air operated clamping. What it makes for is you cant miss. Every damn one is the same. Simple and boring. Buy with confidence.
December 02, 2019, 12:21 AM
radioman
quote:
Originally posted by David Lee:
I got my mitts in for a short while machining them at Anderson. I cant say they are the best, better than other brands but what I can say is this, the way which the castings/forgings are fixtured to a tomb stone, in a Mazak horizontal makes for a repeat machining process for dummys. It is a air fixture loaded with 3 per load, extreme precision locators and air operated clamping. What it makes for is you cant miss. Every damn one is the same. Simple and boring. Buy with confidence.


Sums it up pretty well. Word.


----------------------
Let's Go Brandon!
December 02, 2019, 07:44 AM
Bigboreshooter
quote:
I have some with trigger guard and others without.

I have one of each. They both have been perfect.



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December 02, 2019, 06:03 PM
gw3971
They run good. A little rough on the finish but I haven't had any issues.
December 02, 2019, 08:16 PM
patw
I have bought a few over the years and quality can be hit or miss. I have had a couple I had to return to my ffl dealer as one did not have the pistol grip hole threaded. Another, the bolt catch area was not cut right and I had to sand the area down in order for the bolt catch to fit in it. As it turned out on that same lower, the pistol grip screw hole was not threaded all the way. My ffl dealer was very helpful and swapped out the lowers without question. Inspect which ever one you get before purchasing. It is a common issue with Anderson lowers. Some will not allow you to install some pistol grip screws, as some are longer than others. I have one now that I had to use a shorter screw as the standard length would thread out of the top of the lower. Other makes are not much more and if it is something you plan on keeping, I would get another better brand name. I got a Spikes not long ago for less than $80.00.
December 03, 2019, 01:27 AM
darkest2000
They drill the selector detent hole all the way through instead of leaving a counterbore, this sometimes make the selector very stiff since this allows over travel of the selector detent.
December 11, 2019, 01:46 PM
Oz_Shadow
I have bought other brands and had them shipped to a FFL. The issue is most FFLs here are $25 or more to do the transfer.

Field & Stream used to carry Palmetto State lowers before they went gun control crazy. Haven't been back.

Shop prices tend to be around $70-80 for a lower.

Cabelas has Anderson for $50. I'll probably hold off and grab a couple when PSA has giveaway pricing and just pay the FFL fee.
December 11, 2019, 08:42 PM
kimberkid
Life's too short to build guns with ugly logos ... I don't know what it is about them, I just can't bring myself to buy one ... at least not when there are so many other lowers out there for just a few dollars more, that have IMHO cooler logo's.

I guess I'd throw $50 at it if I was just needing a receiver to build as absolutely cheap as possiable i.e. use up some of my used and take-off parts, then walk it around and see what I could get for it.

No, probably not even then, they may be fine but no. I don't know what it is about them, I just dont like'um.


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... if you don't you'll find an excuse.

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December 12, 2019, 11:43 PM
Todd Huffman
I've got 7 built on Anderson lowers, and never had a problem with any of them. Some have built in trigger guards, some and the standard open ears, but all work just fine.




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December 14, 2019, 11:49 AM
ARman
I have as of right now 5 built on an Anderson Manufacturing lower receiver, that's including my SBR. If I didn't think they were gtg, I wouldn't have built my SBR on one.

All have been what they should be with no problems. Everything went together with no problems.

I don't really care about what the roll mark is, or how it looks. But I myself don't think that it looks bad at all.

I also like that I'm supporting a somewhat local company, they are about 70 miles away from me.

ARman
February 03, 2023, 09:01 AM
Rick Lee
I bought a batch of three Andersons lowers a few mos. ago and finally got around to building one up yesterday. All appeared to be fine until I went to try it out on some of my upper. Would not fit at all. The rear pin holes/lugs won't line up by almost 1/8". I'm sure this lower is out of spec. I got them from a home-based FFL and he will let me know about the warranty process. But what do I do with the other two? Tear the packages open and see how close they line up with a few of my uppers before deciding to build one up? They're not consecutive serial numbers, but they're close, so likely from the same lot or batch. If Andersons replaces the bad one for me, I'm assuming that will cost me another transfer fee, since it'd be a different serial number.
February 03, 2023, 09:31 AM
92fstech
quote:
I'm assuming that will cost me another transfer fee, since it'd be a different serial number.


That would suck...my local place charges more for a transfer fee than I used to pay for an Anderson lower a few years back.

I've had 5 or 6 of them. Most have been just fine. Can't tell them apart from the FN or Colt lowers on our Milsurp M16s at work. A couple had some extra flashing that needed cleaned up with a needle file in the bolt catch channel...a 2 minute fix.

I had one that had a similar issue to yours, but not as severe...the rear pin hole was off by just a hair. I filed it a tiny bit and was able to get the pin seated, but it was very snug. I will say there was no play in that upper to lower fit! Not the ideal solution, but it beat dealing with the RMA process on a $33 lower. That rifle is gone now, but it's leaving had nothing to do with that issue.

A buddy had one that the magwell was out of spec...couldn't seat the mag all the way. He "fixed" his with a file, too.

They're not something I'd use on a high-end build, and I definitely wouldn't pay the ~$100 lots of places are asking these days. Back in the day, though for $33 apiece, I think I came out ahead by rolling the dice on the ones I bought. I still own two of them, have been completely happy with both, and have never encountered any situation in which a more expensive brand would have served me better.