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Apples to Oranges Comparison
I believe the polymer receiver world has a huge black cloud over it's head due to a few companies trying to make a quick buck during the scare. We have all seen the same 3 or 4 pictures of a certain companies lowers that have snapped below the buffer tube at the beaver tail after a few rounds have been fired or the buffer collar that houses the threads has cracked.I don't know if this is a material failure or it was a design failure, probably a little of both. Early in our design phase, we got one of those lowers (had a buffer retainer lodged deep into it) and yes, it did survive a whole combat load of 270-ish rounds, but when we were changing some parts on the barrel, using our feet as a vise, the beaver tail cracked under minimal torquing. We found that the use of a low shelf design wasn't going to work on our design, so we beefed up that area as much as we could without hindering the function of the lower. We also sent the lower off to see what material it was made of and decided not to go that route. Nylon 6-6 was for us. It had been proven as a good material for Rough Country Suspension as the main material for some of their bushings...so if it's good enough for outdoor/offroad automotive use, it was good enough for us. The brass inserts we use are for their resistance to corrosion, ease of machining, strength, and it ability to not react with anodized aluminum. We also designed the inserts with knurling so that when the hot nylon flows into the mold, it flows into the knurling. So, when the material cures, the inserts are locked in.
These improvements over the earlier designs have been proven in the field and will stand toe to toe with a aluminum lower for regular use. Will they stand up to the same pressures in a vise like an aluminum lower, no, but will aluminum bend and bounce back to shape like a Nylon or Polymer will .. no. Each material has it's pros and cons. But when you look at them though the guise using it as what it is, a rifle lower and not a baseball bat. Then yes, Nylon and some higher quality polymer lowers can take every bit of abuse as aluminum lowers can. I say it's an apples to oranges comparison because they both have good and bad qualities, but they are both fruit when you look at what you are actually using them for.
I believe the polymer receiver world has a huge black cloud over it's head due to a few companies trying to make a quick buck during the scare. We have all seen the same 3 or 4 pictures of a certain companies lowers that have snapped below the buffer tube at the beaver tail after a few rounds have been fired or the buffer collar that houses the threads has cracked.I don't know if this is a material failure or it was a design failure, probably a little of both. Early in our design phase, we got one of those lowers (had a buffer retainer lodged deep into it) and yes, it did survive a whole combat load of 270-ish rounds, but when we were changing some parts on the barrel, using our feet as a vise, the beaver tail cracked under minimal torquing. We found that the use of a low shelf design wasn't going to work on our design, so we beefed up that area as much as we could without hindering the function of the lower. We also sent the lower off to see what material it was made of and decided not to go that route. Nylon 6-6 was for us. It had been proven as a good material for Rough Country Suspension as the main material for some of their bushings...so if it's good enough for outdoor/offroad automotive use, it was good enough for us. The brass inserts we use are for their resistance to corrosion, ease of machining, strength, and it ability to not react with anodized aluminum. We also designed the inserts with knurling so that when the hot nylon flows into the mold, it flows into the knurling. So, when the material cures, the inserts are locked in.
These improvements over the earlier designs have been proven in the field and will stand toe to toe with a aluminum lower for regular use. Will they stand up to the same pressures in a vise like an aluminum lower, no, but will aluminum bend and bounce back to shape like a Nylon or Polymer will .. no. Each material has it's pros and cons. But when you look at them though the guise using it as what it is, a rifle lower and not a baseball bat. Then yes, Nylon and some higher quality polymer lowers can take every bit of abuse as aluminum lowers can. I say it's an apples to oranges comparison because they both have good and bad qualities, but they are both fruit when you look at what you are actually using them for.
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