Lower Materials: Forged vs Billet

[DTK Supply]

ya, its just stuff i seen posted around. im no metallurgist by any means lol. but ok, so the billett lowers are still heat treated after milling? is that only the expensive ones? or common practice for all billet recievers?

All that I know of are said to be heat treated, but I don't work for any of the companies so I couldn't be like many folks and say YES or NO to anything. I'm just a dumb old boy repeating what I've been told by the manufacture and using a little logic.

 

[militaryrednek]

All that I know of are said to be heat treated, but I don't work for any of the companies so I couldn't be like many folks and say YES or NO to anything. I'm just a dumb old boy repeating what I've been told by the manufacture and using a little logic.

lol ya fo sho, im no "expert" by any means, but i do watch alot of "How Its Made" and i often stay at a Holiday Inn Express if that counts?

 

[DTK Supply]

lol ya fo sho, im no "expert" by any means, but i do watch alot of "How Its Made" and i often stay at a Holiday Inn Express if that counts?

Right there with ya.

 

[z.chance]

The AR lowers are treated before they are machined, that is what the "T" number stands for in the material callout... ie. 6061-t6 or 7075-t651. That number tells you the process that the material has been through, before it is sold to machine shops. T6 means it has been solution heat treated and artificially aged. T-651, means the same except it has also been strees relieved by stretching.

These parts do not require heat treating after being machined.

Im just going off of theory here, but I believe the forging companies are telling you that they heat treat them not because it makes them stronger, but because forging the aluminum induces internal stresses. They have to heat treat it to realign the crystalline structure of the aluminum to relieve the stresses.

 

[z.chance]

Also, I worked in an aerospace machine shop as a CNC machinist. The only aluminum parts we heat treated were aluminum sheet metal parts that were formed in "O" condition. These parts are completely annealed, and take a bend easily with almost no spring back.

We also made various parts for guns, and they were never sent to heat treating.

 

[steve2039]

if one of the first 100 are still available in 2 weeks, ill probably be getting one of those. they do look sweet and great price for a billett. even at full price they are a deal compared to other billetts out there.....hmmmmm decisions decisions....

They look absolutely awesome in person. First or second run, I will be getting my hands on one soon

 

[Woof]

I miss the logic in this argument. (I've heard it too) The companies that I know all heat treat the metal or have some other Uber special way of hardening the lower. I wonder if the person or company that started this produce forged lowers and want everyone to think the billet lowers are just milled out, painted black and sent to market.

Search for the prior thread. The OP was insistent that forged was stronger, but it really depends on the materials, how they have been handled, treated, and worked. Different alloys behave differently. A good materials scientist needs to understand the phase diagram, heat and working history of a metal to talk about strength. Without those details, it's just people talking out their arse. In any event, the lower isn't where forces are high enough to really induce damage. Lower damage is going to come from mishandling more than firing issues. - Ph.D. in Chemistry and materials.

 

[Cobalt 60]

They look absolutely awesome in person. First or second run, I will be getting my hands on one soon

I have mine built up and will post pics tonight. Not the final build, but just until Nate gets everything up and going for production of complete rifles.

 

[NWSharpshooter]

Milled receiver>>>

Both forged aluminum and billet aluminum lowers are milled.

 

[wildmantaz]

I am old school, I like the look of forged Lowers the best.

Everyone has their own preference, that is why they make different types.