A billet is a term for a solid block of metal with no features at all, almost as raw as metal can get. It's a simple matter of convenience to provide end mills that are the same diameter as this bit. I personally had wanted to build one for years but was slightly intimidated and just never got around to it. Ghost Gunner is a general purpose CNC mill that gives you the ability to finish a growing library of mil-spec 80 percent lowers to completion. Mine runs around $300.00. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. The R&B Tactical Tooling 80% Lower Receiver Cutting Tool Kit was created, designed and manufactured by us. 1/4" AlumaCut 3 Flute Extended Reach Carbide End Mill for 80% Lower 5-Pack I2. Most companies compromise the quality of the end mill and drill bits with low … Please consider supporting me on my Patreon page. The good news is the AR-15 upper receiver and all the other parts are completely uncontrolled as if it was a receiver blank. You can get it or learn more about it HERE. Many of our platforms include the option for an anodized receiver or a raw aluminum receiver. There are plenty of resources out there to help you check your local laws and we are not lawyers here so you’re on your own with that. Essentially you would use your mill and rudimentary fixturing like C Clamps, vises and 3-2-1 blocks to orient your part and mill the features. Tactical Machining does offer a router jig kit that allows our standard 80 lower jig to be completed with a router and a drill press. On an AR you will need the following tooling: The tooling for a 1911 frame isn’t anywhere near as standardized as the AR lower, what we recommend is below. Right now, the most popular way is to use a router jig and a drill press. Milling aluminum, such as with finishing an 80% lower receiver, is possible with the use of a router end mill cutting tool. Now that I have knocked one out I plan on doing many more, and I think many of you will really enjoy it too. Enjoy FAST SHIPPING and SAVE at 80-lower.com today! Cerakote is the trendy coating right now and can be applied at home or before your lower is machined. We are The Masters of the Black Arts of Tooling ™. By far the most common way is to complete the 80 lower with a jig. If you’re interested in custom laser engraving 80% lowers we have a number of selector markings to choose from and in some cases can add pre done artwork to your lower. An 80% lower is a receiver blank that is machined as far as you can without legally becoming a frame or receiver and would then require to be transferred to an FFL. End mills appropriate to your jig kit for milling the fire control group. Please note states have their own set of laws regarding these and it is your responsibility to ensure you are not breaking any laws by constructing your firearm. It requires less machining because it has been shaped into a receiver blank, and has the advantage of the metal grains following the shape of the part. We were the first manufacturer to offer custom engraved 80 lowers and have since expanded our laser engraving operations. Unlike most metal machining operations, cutting and drilling an 80% lower receiver doesn't require much experience or knowledge of tooling. ShopFox M1036 Features ~$400 Motor: 0.2 HP, 2A, 110 Volt, single-phase It will not adhere great and will rub off easily like type 2 anodizing but it is cheap and you can always repaint it. Spray paint from your local hardware store works pretty well believe it or not. Jigs allow you to transform an 80 percent lower receiver, viewed by the ATF as an unregulated hunk of metal, into a fully functional AR15 receiver! 1/4" X 3/4" Cut X 4" Long 3 Flute Extended Reach Carbide EndMill AR Lower Jig I2. Chapter 2 The First Setup With forgings (as well as castings and weldments) that require final precision machining, the big problem is where to start. It also typically isn’t as affordable as the AR lower tooling. Pictured and linked below is the current version which is the Easy Jig Gen 3 Multi-Platform – AR-15, AR-9 and .308 80% Lower Jig, which as you can see handles multiple platforms. 80% Arms and other 80% lowers using only a drill press and a few common tools. Our 80% build kits include an upper receiver that we manufacture and also include our handguard. You might be interested in our 80% Lower Guide. With that said, the billet lower receiver does have the advantage of having all sides machined in the milling machine and in some cases allows you to add features like an extremely flared magwell or an ambidextrous bolt catch. For AR lowers the main methods are below. Pictured and linked below is the current version which is the Easy Jig Gen 3 Multi-Platform – AR-15, AR-9 and .308 80% Lower Jig, which as you can see handles multiple platforms. I’m not an expert, nor do I claim to be. milling a 80% lower with fairly common tools, first vid of two parts showing the build of a AR15. If you want to simplify your purchase, check out our 80% Build kits. We recommend a 5/16” end mill for our jigs. The jig includes plates for the different steps of machining out the lower, as well as a … 5/32 Drill bit or Similar for the hammer and trigger hole, 1/4 Drill bit or similar for removing the material from the trigger pocket before milling, 3/8 Drill bit or similar for the safety selector. Table of contents What is an 80% Lower and is it legal? Let alone the prize of building out your custom firearm in the end. The one exception to the cost is I would recommend purchasing or borrowing a good 80% lower jig. Some of you may not have heard of an 80% lower and if so, no biggie we’ll explain it real quick. An 80 lower leaves just enough to allow the home builder to use a drill press, router jig, or jig kit to complete at home. Cosmetics aside, there isn't a huge difference between billet aluminum and forged aluminum other than price and freedom of design. Route out the trigger slot using the routing pocket as a guide. An 80% lower is a receiver blank that is machined as far as you can without legally becoming a frame or receiver and would then require to be transferred to an FFL. It isn’t easy to hardcoat anodize at home and is best purchased that way or by bringing your completed firearm to a local anodizer. Once you’ve tried it out and decide it’s something you’d like to continue to do then you can spring for a good quality jig. Our jig normally retails for about half of some of our competitors jigs. This jig can used on both FORGED and BILLET AR-15 80% lower receivers using the new indexing technique which utilizes the buffer tube mount to center the receiver (not the sides). Most handheld routers operate at 2,000 to 30,000 RPM. It is the priciest to complete and the priciest to get the tools to complete but the color options are unlimited, and the performance is close to anodizing. JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. Most you can use any drill you choose that meets the length of cut requirements. 5/16" AlumaCut 3 Flute Extended Carbide End Mill 1/4" Shank for 80% Lower 5D I4. If you are unsure about fit, please call 80 Percent Arms. Spare End Mill and Drill Bits. Load the 1/4" end-mill and set the final milling depth as before in Step 15. For our 308 Lowers we have two options, a billet aluminum 7075 option and a Cerro 7075 forging like our AR-15 platform. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser. An 80% Lower Receiver is, for the purposes of this post, an otherwise complete AR-15 or AR-308 lower receiver which still requires some machining for it to have the potential of being operational. The TM Recon and TM Government 1911 frames are made from investment castings. It isn’t 100% complete. The lower is 80% of the way there, but requires some finishing to make it an actual firearm. With that said, Stealth Arms produces a set of tooling for manufacturing a 1911 frame without using a mill. Consumable tools are what is used in the machines to complete the lower or receiver. If you are like me you may have known about 80% lowers for a while and just haven’t taken the leap into trying one out. The 10/22 platform is made from 6061 aluminum made in the USA. Please feel free to ask your questions in the comment links below and I’d be happy to help where I can. Currently all 80% AR 15 receiver options from Tactical Machining are CNC machined from 7075-T651 Aluminum Cerro forgings. The market has been trending towards purchasing 80 lowers that have already been anodized black. It is an extremely durable coating and has extreme hardness and great wear resistance. This eliminates the need for a … One of the challenges of the past was finding a way to coat your 80 lower once you were finished milling the 80 lower. I would consider it middle of the pack for a coating option. As it is not completed it is not considered a firearm and can be shipped directly to your door (No FFL or paperwork). Custom Laser Engraving 80% Lowers is all the rage nowadays. This is because it is a more difficult product and can require more specialized tooling. We specialize in stripped and 80% lower receivers for complete custom builds. A billet lower receiver normally is purchased because of it's cosmetic appeal. It is worth mentioning again this is my first time doing this. In the nine videos below I run you through the entire process as I build my first lower. There are many router jig companies out there that produce jigs that are designed to be used with a router jig and are very expensive. Tactical Machining is the best source for 80 percent lowers, build kits & accessories. Better than bare aluminum not quite as good as hard coat or Cerakote. If you're milling with an end mill too short, you will not be able to reach the required depth, the same goes for drill bits, they must reach. Every receiver we manufacture meets our precise quality control standards. I've seen a few video where guys complete these with only a drill press. A lower parts kit will not even fit in an 80% Lower until it has been machined into a complete firearm. – A drill press is a pedestal style drill that is mounted to a stand. But that really doesn't mean all that much except to your wallet. We have continuously expanded the option to add laser engraving to our products. A lower parts kit will not even fit in an 80% Lower until it has been machined into a complete firearm. Some examples of consumable tooling are Drills, End Mills, Keyway Cutters, Ball End Mills, Counter Sinks, etc. AR Lower Receiver Step-by-Step Chapter 2 9 Begin by clamping the forging to your milling machine table using the passenger side clamping pad. Reasons Our 80% Lower Tool Kits are the best We’ve been building tools right here in the U.S. for over 40 years. Most often of the AR type, though not exclusively. More elaborate artwork can be done as well but it is a case by case basis. We recommend machining at 25,000 RPM and adjusting as … We manufacture our own stripped upper receiver from both billet aluminum for our 308 ar lowers and an aluminum receiver blank or forging for our AR-15 line. That means you can get your Saturdays back. Again, it really is a draw, there is no clear winner here. Many companies offer complete uppers which are ready to bolt on to your lower, or partially complete uppers that are in need of just a bolt carrier and a charging handle. RJ556U Universal Jig for Milspec 80% AR-15 Lower Receivers • RJ556U Instructions PDF: Click Here .308 WarrHogg Lower Receiver • WarrHogg instructions (PDF): Click Here . Not only do we sell world-class 80% lower receivers for you to make a precision rifle, we are home to the world’s first router-based jig to complete milling your lower. Center line of take-down pin hole Left side face Zero Z axis this face Trigger slot 5/16 end mill (R.156) Fire control pocket 1.250 .010 7/16 end mill (R.219) This bit is also most commonly provided as the pilot hole bit for the FCC, which is why most jigs and 80% lower kits come with 3/8" end mill bits. The number one way is to use router jig designed to be used with a drill and a router to complete 80% lowers. Our AR-10 lowers are both offered as forged lowers and billet lowers depending on what your price range is. Be warned, if you order an anodized 80 lower it will ruin the anodized finish where the milling is performed, and you may want to coat it with something to prevent corrosion. Drill trigger, hammer, and selector holes first, then mill the fire control pocket and trigger slot. Now that you have made the wise decision to purchase the new Juggernaut Tactical AR-15 80% Lower Receiver, you will need to finish the machining procedure. The 80% AR-15 Lower Receiver started it all, this was the first commercially available receiver on the market and had a determination from the ATF saying it was not a firearm. There are plenty of optional tools that'll make machining even easier: 1. It’s a paperweight that looks a whole lot like a functional receiver. “Unfinished receivers”, also called “80 percent receivers” or “blanks”, are partially completed receivers with no serial numbers. 19. Many 1911s are made from Korean castings and then machined in the USA by the Korean company’s USA division. Specifically designed for their 80% lowers but compatible with any mil-spec lower, the Optimus Defense AR-15 Lower Drill Jig is capable of completing a lower to mil-spec tolerances. M1 Machining is the industry standard in high quality AR10 & AR15 lower receivers. AR-15 80% Lower. 80% Lowers is a premier retailer and YOUR source for 80 percent lowers, 80% lower jigs, build kits and more. This tool kit is the industry’s first that is specially designed and manufactured to optimize the machining of personal built lower receivers. The receiver or frame is the part of the firearm that can be controlled by the Gun Control Act of 1968, the same act that ensures your right to manufacture firearms at home. 17.99. There are several real coating options both commercially available and available for the home gunsmith. Best Prices on 80% lowers and fast shipping! PF-Series™ 80% Pistol Frames That said I believe there is value in watching them (if you want to do one) as I run you through each step of the process and share some of my lessons learned along the way. After that I like to bake the lower to about 150-200 degrees and then paint it. Most portable style drill … Even complete uppers are not controlled. Note: The Trigger Slot Top Plate routing pocket is design for a 1/4" end-mill with a 3/8" shank. Simple enough, some people don’t coat their 80 lowers and may elect to leave the raw aluminum finish or even polish it. Some forgings are designed for companies and include those features like the flared magwell as well. Essentially this means the only way to complete an 80% lower is to buy your own equipment (jig, drill press, drill bits, or CNC machine, etc.) To get a clean, precise cut on your 80 lower with a handheld router and end mill bit, you'll need to mill your 80 lower using the highest allowable cutting speed. After our parts have been cnc machined they are then taken to laser engraving if necessary and finally sent off to be coated. I can now tell you that this is not the case. In order to ensure your drill bits hit the right spot, you'd have to count the turns on your bridgeport handles or rely on your digital read out. 80% has brought to market no compromise 80% lowers in both AR15 and AR10 patterns. I cover it in the video, but I utilized an Easy Jig Gen 2. We plan on adding complete uppers in 2020 and just recently started offering AR-15 handguards in late 2019. At this point, you will remove the drilling template from the top of the … Unlike some of our competitors, our investment castings are made in the USA and then CNC Machined in-house in the USA. Manufacturing 80% Lowers Since 2009 With that said, we will cover the tooling you need as well. PF940V1.5 80% Pistol Frame • PF940V1.5 80% Polymer Pistol Frame Instructions (PDF): Click Here . Place the jig assembly on its side (Side Plate screw heads UP), and use the 3/8″ Drill Bit to drill the … In order to actually utilize it you must finish milling it out with a drill press and/or router. 1/4" 3 Flute, 3/4" LOC, 4" OAL "ZrN" Coated Carbide End Mill, For 80% AR15/AR10/.308 Lower Receiver Jigs, Compatible with Easy Jig, Modulus Arms $ 29.99 Compatible High Performance 5D Tactical Pro Jig "ZrN" End Mill and "TiN"Drill Bit Combo My 80% Lower Project About the Video Series Below Introduction and Inventory Setting Up the 80% Lower Jig Configuring the Router for the milling process of the 80% Lower Pilot Hole on the 80% Lower Explained Drilling out the 80% Lower … If I were to pick a coating for the home gunsmith this would be the first choice. 80% Lowers new to you? I’m relatively handy in the garage, but certainly not a machinist or even close so the idea of milling out a receiver seemed like I would likely be throwing money away on a failed effort. Make sure you prep the lower and remove all oils and grease. It is highly recommended that you use a milling machine for the 1911 frame project. I'd like to know if one of the smaller milling machines like the ShopFox or Harbor freight milling machines would be adequate for the job? 80% Lower: Optional Tools. For those who prefer traditional machining, we also offer drill press jigs. A forging on the other hand is a piece of billet that has been pounded into shape by a die on a forging press. This is absolutely legal and you do not have to register the weapon, at least from a Federal point of view. There are many jig options for each platform, which we will cover below. Then indicate the forging true to the x axis. and finish it in your own home. We lead the way by including a flared magwell, using high quality aluminum products and cnc machined the lower receiver on our milling machine. If you don’t have milling experience, it very well may be a good option. An 80% lower is just what it sounds like. Other manufacturers offer a billet lower receiver that may suit your needs, we only offer billet aluminum options in the TM-22 and AR-10 platforms. Now, you can purchase a lower that has been anodized black and then complete the milling on it. With simple tools and point and click software, the machine automatically finds and aligns to your 80% lower to get to work. Our prices can't be beat. I cover it in the video, but I utilized an Easy Jig Gen 2. TLDR; an 80% lower receiver is an unfinished lower that is nominally sold as a “paperweight” or other novelty and not a firearm. Compact routers have been to this point, the popular choice for enthusiasts who wish to finish 80% lower receivers at home in conjunction with a router based lower receiver jig. When selecting drill bits and end mills for your kit, be sure that they will work for milling and drilling the product you have. No prior CNC knowledge or experience is required to manufacture from design files. Our jig was originally designed to be used with a milling machine and a drill press. Some would spray paint their lowers, leave them unfinished and others would bring their lowers to an anodizer and wait on premises for them to be anodized black. With the right required tools picked out, your project should run smoothly. Drill Press. Seems a bit crude. Each platform requires different tools to complete. Some jigs, like the 5D Tactical jig have extremely specialized end mills used in their system and require you to use their end mill. 56.00. Forgings offer significant cost savings and no real drawback. We haven’t used it here at Tactical Machining but have had some customers say it is doable and takes a while. What is a billet or what are billet lowers? Other jigs use very generic tooling, I recommend sticking with what the manufacturer of the jig kit recommends or finding a very similar replacement. The cost is relatively cheap (you can get lowers around 50USD) and you can easily knock it out in an afternoon. Consumable tooling is fairly well thought out for the AR platform and is pretty universal. You can acquire your own parts or parts kit and then add it to the build kits to create your own rifle. 80% Lower Jig | Finish Your 80% Lower at Home | 5D Tactical We’re going to cover many of the considerations you should consider when doing these projects. Likewise for those of you who are well seasoned at this process please feel free to share some of your expert tips with the community below as well. It fits nearly all billet and forged AR-15 lower receivers with only a few exceptions. Dimension shown in ( ) are for reference. With that said, our jig is an affordable option but is not the best option for a router. If you’re buying a finished AR lower, you’re technically buying a firearm in the eyes of the ATF. Use your jigs and tools on our selection of 80% lowers or complete 80% receiver sets! You can get it or learn more about it, Configuring the Router for the milling process of the 80% Lower, Final 80% Lower Mill Prep and Shop Vac talking points, 80% Lower Mill review and Trigger Pocket Setup, Drilling out the final Holes on the 80% Lower, Evaluating a Location’s Risk; CSC Approach, What Koalafying Taught Me about Leadership, It’s a Seedy Situation: Heirloom vs. Hybrids. There are a few basic ways that the home enthusiast can complete an 80 lower receiver. This is just the core components, an upper, lower and handguard. that once you Keep in mind start drilling, milling, or altering your 80% lower it Please read all of the directions from start to finish before starting any work on your lower. This is great news for the home gunsmith as it opens up your options on what you can purchase. The most difficult is no Jig, many people complete the lowers this way, but it is truly difficult to do unless you are a skilled machinist. 18. This isn't to be confused with a rifle kit which includes every part to build an AR Platform firearm. Mill The Fire Control Pocket. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. An 80% Lower is essentially a partially milled lower receiver for a firearm. Move the cutter around the pocket in a clockwise direction (conventional milling direction). You don't want to stop your 80% lower project half-way through cutting the fire control cavity, because your end mill bit broke. One of the most modified parts is the lower receiver and there is a whole sub-market of 80% lower receivers, ready for you to finish. Type 2 Anodizing can be performed at home, color options are close to unlimited but isn’t as wear resistant or as tough as hard coat. Mil spec Hard Coat Anodizing is a great option and will match any of the ARs already in your collection and many of the parts purchased from other companies. This really does make it a straight forward and simple job. I have an 80% lower and need to complete it. Notice the solid area where the trigger would go, making it a paperweight, not a firearm. These offer many different devices and offerings to allow the user to use minimal tools with minimal experience necessary. 34.00.