Is there an accepted service life for lowers?

[STAGE 2]

When talking about the beretta 92 or the 1911 or any other pistol theres a generally agreed upon service life for the frame. Do AR lowers have the same service life or can you swap uppers indefinately?

[donking]

I've not seen it stated. Some folks talk about replacing the LPK springs/components after they wear out or start causing function problems, but I haven't seen the life time specified. The action spring would probably be the first lower part to need replacing. The AR lower doesn't have the rails like on the 92 or 1911 frame, so it seems like it would go a very very long time. Here is a maintenance thread, but the focus is on the upper parts.

http://m4carbine.net/showthread.php?t=61505

[NorCalK9.com]

Ak's on the other hand will outlive all of us.

[xxINKxx]

Pistol lowers generally take more abuse then say AR lowers, more moving parts and the chamber where the ammo goes boom is all next to eachother. And pistols, the slide is constantly running back and forth on top of the frame adding more wear.

ARs, the stress is all being taken in the upper, and bolt. That's why even those cheapy plastic plum crazy lowers work fine. Not very many moving parts in the lower, just a couple pins holding the trigger assembly and that doesn't really put wear on the lower either. If you have a good spec lower and quality parts kit that fits correct that doesn't have slop then it should last you pretty much a lifetime of shooting ide imagine if taken care of.

[CK_32]

Life?

[bwiese]

I believe US .mil is still running mid-1960s M16 receivers - with A2 uppers and stocks. Prob sprayed on a bit of Sanderson DFL (dry film lube) on any scrapes/dings on the receiver.

I do not recall seeing any service life round count/time expiry in the TMs.

Your lowers will last just fine unless you have some crap ammo/out-of-battery discharge that KaBooms.

[popeye4]

AR lowers are just parts cases. As long as you don't damage them, they should last indefinitely. There just isn't anything to wear out.

The frame of a 1911 absorbs a lot of force every time the weapon is fired (it does, after all, stop the rearward motion of the slide/barrel combination). The AR lower absorbs little, if any, force when the rifle is fired.

[STAGE 2]

So what I'm hearing is that as long as the car frame is rust free I can swap engines till I die.

[HK Dave]

That is correct sir.

And if you used it to that extent with that much ammo... i'm sure the say.... $20,000 ammo and barrels bill would be paltry to a $100 lower replacement.

[CSACANNONEER]

AR lowers are just parts cases. As long as you don't damage them, they should last indefinitely. There just isn't anything to wear out.

The frame of a 1911 absorbs a lot of force every time the weapon is fired (it does, after all, stop the rearward motion of the slide/barrel combination). The AR lower absorbs little, if any, force when the rifle is fired.

This! An AR lower doesn't take much abuse so, it should last somewhere between a long time and forever.

[themailman]

Ak's on the other hand will outlive all of us.

Its funny to read ignorant comments like this over and over and over again. Wait, no its not.


Anyways, my issue M4 has a nearly worn-to-the-finish Colt Lower, has to be at least 10 years old. My M16A2 in boot camp was also a Colt lower with almost no finish as well, and this was in early 08. I assume lowers are pretty much recycled and put into another weapon whenever needed.

[762.DEFENSE]

Any AR Lower will outlast you, unless you use it everyday, treat it like garbage and throw it around constantly...even then I'm sure it'd still function just fine. :P

[Bhobbs]

AR receivers don't take much abuse. The bolt and barrel extension take most of the punishment. That's why they were able to make the receivers out of aluminum. I can see how the upper has a service life due to sliding friction from the BCG but the lower has only a few minor moving parts that don't put much stress on anything.

[superhondaz50]

Forever, the Airforce re-uses them over and over and over, they just re-barrel them, throw in new springs and such and put them back into service with a new model branded into the receiver (GUU-5/P) etc.

http://retroblackrifle.com/

Check out the link, click military carbines, then click US Airforce carbines, and you'll see...