My gunsmith had a delightful pre-Thanksgiving surprise for me today: a (nearly) all-polymer AR-15 complete lower from New Frontier Armory. Just about everything in it is made of a tough polymer: in fact, only the buffer, tube and springs seem to be made of metal. Even the trigger and hammer, you ask? Yep, even the trigger and hammer . . .
Joe Grine and I are going to take it out for a test ride on Black (Rifle) Friday, and we’ll let you know if the 5.2-pound single stage trigger is as good as it seems. The lower locks up very tightly to my heavy-barrel midlength upper, and my P-Mags seat snugly and drop free on command.
This chunk of polymer will only weigh you down by 1.7 pounds, and better yet it will only lighten your wallet by $109 plus shipping and transfer fees. This is a half-pound (and a full-Benjamin) less than other complete lower receiver groups, and if it holds up it might be the starting point for a super-lightweight and super-cheap AR.
Stay tuned…