Polymer 80 Lowers

[Tidewater_Kid]

Anyone have experience with the Polymer 80 80% lowers. Midway keeps putting them on sale and it seems very tempting. I did machining work many years ago and have the tools.

Are they durable?

TK

 

[marine6680]

Unless it has some steel reinforcing, its probably not durable.

Most break where the receiver is thinnest, where the rear portion sweeps up where the buffer tube attaches.

The AR design does not lend itself to polymer well, not without reinforcement.

It definitely can't tolerate any kind of abuse, a drop or tumble would result in a break. I know someone who has done so.

 

[Tidewater_Kid]

The G150 Phonenix v2.0 (the ones Midway stocks) say they are re-enforced at that area. Youtube videos look promising, but I certainly see your point. Might be worth $50 they next time they put them on sale and try one.

Thanks for the feedback.

TK

 

[rickyrick]

I tossed around the idea of doing an 80% lower... Really seems kinda fun, but with the current price of finished lowers, I couldn't bring myself to do it

 

[FrankenMauser]

I haven't messed with the Polymer80 brand product, but I have finished two other polymer "80%" lowers.

My current view:
Not worth the trouble.


It was fun.
I'm glad I did it (for the experience).
They worked.
But they also had flaws from the injection molding process, that caused some problems.
I won't do it again.

$40-75 aluminum lowers and a $20 transfer fee are much more appealing.

Both of those former "80%" lowers are now paper weights. About the only real use they get is checking that magazines still drop free after I tweak or modify a magazine; and one of the lowers seems to repeatedly end up being used as a form/mold for a magazine well that I have attempted to build about 8 times (for a completely unrelated project).

 

[Tidewater_Kid]

FrankenMauser,

That's exactly why I wanted to try it. To see If I could do a quality job. I figured if they are no good I could always just buy a lower and move the parts over.

This is for a range gun only project. I still think I will try it and see how it goes. I haven't done any machining in years and at least the polymer is forgiving.

 

[FrankenMauser]

One thing I forgot to add...
Now that about two years have passed, I actually consider the polymer "80%" lowers that I finished to be higher quality than the TAC-15 'hybrid' lowers I have. The TAC-15s just weren't well designed, and continually irritate me for one reason or another.

 

[marine6680]

I think it's Kevlar reinforced, no metal inserts.