C3 Billet Lower - Stuck Buffer retaining pin

[Clarke123]

Shovelhead just went through a like / similar situation ...
Contact him with a PM and he may be able to give you his solution!

 

[mtdawg169]

Dont feel bad, C3 is known for having extremly TIGHT tolerances. I had to take a file to my magwell to get my Pmags to drop free.

That's not tight tolerances, it's just out of spec.

5 ODT members that we know of have had an issue with these lowers. That's not a coincidence, that's a pos lower. For the life of me, I can't figure out why people around here recommend them over and over.

To the OP, sorry for your trouble.

 

[tjkane1]

Maybe try heating the lower with a heat gun. It might expand enough to pull the pin out.

 

[NWSharpshooter]

That's not tight tolerances, it's just out of spec.5 ODT members that we know of have had an issue with these lowers. That's not a coincidence, that's a pos lower. For the life of me, I can't figure out why people around here recommend them over and over. To the OP, sorry for your trouble.

Agreed, C3 is junk. Glad to see them out of the AR game.

 

[BlackRifler42]

I have a C3 billet enhanced lower and had this problem. Although I think it had more to do with the LPK, the first LPK I used was a PSA and the buffer pin got stuck also. I got it out and used a CMMG and it fit just fine.

 

[mtdawg169]

I have a C3 billet enhanced lower and had this problem. Although I think it had more to do with the LPK, the first LPK I used was a PSA and the buffer pin got stuck also. I got it out and used a CMMG and it fit just fine.

You're the 6th person to report this issue here. The lpk is not the common factor, it's the lower. Stop and think about the odds of having 6 people on this forum (maybe more) who all received defective lowers. This wasn't a case of letting a single bad lower out the door, but more like a large run or multiple runs of out of spec lowers. That's just bad QC. Not everything billet is better and not everyone is cut out to be a manufacturer.

 

[BlackRifler42]

You're the 6th person to report this issue here. The lpk is not the common factor, it's the lower. Stop and think about the odds of having 6 people on this forum (maybe more) who all received defective lowers. This wasn't a case of letting a single bad lower out the door, but more like a large run or multiple runs of out of spec lowers. That's just bad QC. Not everything billet is better and not everyone is cut out to be a manufacturer.

Maybe so, everything else fit fine on my lower and it mates up to my VLTOR Upper just fine. For me it was as simple as getting a new pin from a different LPK and it fit perfect.

 

[mtdawg169]

Maybe so, everything else fit fine on my lower and it mates up to my VLTOR Upper just fine. For me it was as simple as getting a new pin from a different LPK and it fit perfect.

The Vltor uppers can be a tight fit on some lowers, so that's a good sign. I'm just amazed at the number of people having the same issue. It's not that I have an issue with C3. I had a recent bad experience with two Noveske chainsaw lowers. Very tight roll pins, tight magwells, etc. As a result I don't recommend them any longer. There are just too many good lowers on the market to waste time and money on a bad one.

 

[zracin]

I had a C3 lower with the same issue. I just left it as it was...no big deal as long as you remember it while disassembling

 

[blazedawg87]

It can be a difference in the tooling as well. As the tools dull they will produce parts with smaller holes. Its amazing the difference a couple of thousandths can make when fitting parts together.