Who actually manufactures the components?

[AJAX22]

I've been trying to do some research and haven't had a lot of luck.

Who makes riffled barrels in the USA on a large scale? Do we import rifled blanks?

Who actually machines ar15 barrels, who actually machines the fsb's and upper receivers?

Who makes lpk's?

Which forges are the most involved in lower/upper manufacture today?

Who pours/forges gun quality metal?

Who does heat treating for firearm Manufacturers?

Who does metal injection molding for firearm Manufacturers?

Any help/input/info that you have on The supply chain is appreciated

[incredablehefey]

barrels

[AJAX22]

I thought shaw just did high end small production runs?

Do they also do mass market production?

[ElvenSoul]

Talk to AeroPrecision and Green Mountain...both of them seem to make all their stuff here and with US Citizens Providing Labor.

[incredablehefey]

"You’ll find E. R. Shaw gun barrels all over the world - utilized by some of the biggest firearms manufacturers as well as individuals who want only the best."

you will never know all of the companies that out source to ER shaw, it is a secret!

[AJAX22]

How big an operation is we shaw? Do they do hammer forged barrels, or button riffled barrels?

[CHS]

AR15 OEM's

http://www.microbest.com/industries

http://www.toolcraftinc.com/carriers.htm

http://aopmfg.com/

http://www.lwschneider.com/

[CHS]

Then you also have people like Colt, LMT, and FN who actually make their own stuff. Last I heard, Colt is now making 100% of the parts for the M4 in-house. I believe LMT is at 100% as well, but am not positive.

Sabre Defence USED to make barrels themselves on a very large scale, including replacement M249, M240 and M2 barrels for the military. Many people believed that they were the OEM for BCM, as well. They had an M16 contract for the Navy(?), so I would assume they made most, if not all parts in-house for that. FN is doing M16's and they definitely have the facilities to make everything 100% in-house as well.

[AJAX22]

Were saber barrels hammer forged or button rifled?

Also anyone know the name of who makes the barrel forging machines?

[CHS]

Were saber barrels hammer forged or button rifled?

Good question. I don't know. I don't think they made hammer forged barrels.

Also anyone know the name of who makes the barrel forging machines?

Ruger uses machines from Germany, last I read and Ruger is actually one of, if not THE largest hammer-forged barrel manufacturer in the US. Problem is, I don't think they OEM their barrels at all.

Here's a good article on the process:

http://technology.calumet.purdue.edu/met/higley/Precision%20Shooting%20Magazine%20-%20November-%202005%20%28Vol_%2053%20-%20No_%207%29.htm

[dieselpower]

You can throw CMT on that list, and do a google of hammer forging to read the history of why we didn't start doing this till recently here in the US.

The truth is without knowing the output of all the companies you can not say who is doing what for whom.

All manufactures like to say they are 100% in-house, but thats NEVER true. While most 100% assemble, they do not have spring shops and Foundrys. It is cheaper to buy a screw from a company who makes screws, then make one at a firearms manufacture...

[AJAX22]

I'm having a devil of a time figuring out who actually makes:
F marked FSB's,
handguards,
pistol grips,
M4 stocks,
H buffers
carbine buffer spring
Lower parts.

[AJAX22]

Am I reading this right?

We buy our M4 buffers from the hungarian government?

http://www.alicorp.com/NSNWHITE/1005/1005015051036.HTM

[Merc1138]

Am I reading this right?

We buy our M4 buffers from the hungarian government?

http://www.alicorp.com/NSNWHITE/1005/1005015051036.HTM

The US government has never claimed to source everything from manufacturers within the US, nor does it make sense when *gasp* you can get things made cheaper overseas as long as it meets the required standards. M4 buffers are not an item of such importance that they can't be outsourced, and if Hungary is willing to sell to us... Those would also just be the individual parts, not the entire rifle. But that gets back to the problem of who is really making which components in a given rifle.

Even at the raw material level from the various American manufacturers, not everything comes from the US.

[CHS]

Am I reading this right?

We buy our M4 buffers from the hungarian government?

http://www.alicorp.com/NSNWHITE/1005/1005015051036.HTM

That looks specific to the Marine Corp and specific to replacement buffers.

That doesn't mean that Colt sells an M4 to the Marines with a Hungarian buffer.