SilencerCo SCO-15

The venerable AR-15 platform has come a long ways since its inception in the mid-1950’s. While the first few decades worth of growth within the platform were driven by military necessity through the M-16, the massive sales boom following the sunset of the “assault weapons” ban in 2004 saw a huge influx of R&D dollars. While there are innumerable variations of the AR-15 now, I’d argue that only a handful of these iterative advancements have been truly transformative. One such improvement would be ambidextrous controls, as found in the SilencerCo SCO-15 receiver set.

While Magpul’s BAD lever aimed to bring about the Ambidextrous Revolution in 2012 (despite being beat to market by a knock-off company), it wasn’t until 2014 that San Tan Tactical released the first ambi lower receiver. In the decade that followed, a number of companies have thrown their hats into the ring, including today’s specimen. The SilencerCo SCO-15 ambi lower receiver and matching upper receiver.

SilencerCo SCO-15

Tech Specs, SilencerCo SCO-15 Lower

  • Integral Ambidextrous Anti-Rotation QD Sling Cops at Rear of Receiver
  • Proprietary Ambidextrous Bolt Catch / Release (Included)
  • Enlarged Integral Trigger Guard
  • Flared Magazine Well
  • Designed for use with standard mil-spec lower parts kit and buffer assembly
  • 45- to 90-degree fire selector window for short-throw fire selectors
  • Rear tensioner bolt hole (bolt not included)
  • Machined in-house by SilencerCo out of 7075 Billet Aluminum

Where To Buy

SilencerCo SCO-15 Lower

Tech Specs, SilencerCo SCO-15 Upper

  • Precision machined from billet 7075 aluminum and finished in type III hardcoat anodize.
  • Features a mil-spec 1913 picatinny rail and M4 feed ramps.
  • Compatible with mil-spec forward assists and dust covers (not included in purchase).

Where To Buy

SilencerCo SCO-15 Upper Receiver

So, the SilencerCo SCO-15 lower is clearly more of a feature-heavy item than the upper. There’s really very little to say about the upper, other than it’s in spec and has functioned just fine. Oh also, there’s some color variation between the upper and lower. Really, it’s more of a light gloss than color. It’s noticeable during unboxing and when the items are brand new, much less so once they’ve been outside. I’ve heard this about type III anodizing before, but here’s the official statement.

“SilencerCo uppers are finished with Type 3 hardcoat anodize, this process forms an extremely hard, abrasion resistant finish. While this finish provides superior results, it can cause some variance in the finish color. SilencerCo can’t guarantee that a SCO-15 Lower will be an exact match with a SilencerCo upper.

So lets take a look at the lower, the beating heart of this operation.

SilencerCo SCO-15

The trigger guard is enlarged, a given considering how often the Utah-based SilencerCo’s customers (and employees) take these guns into high altitude (and high latitude). Plenty of room for gloved trigger fingers.

The magazine well of the SilencerCo SCO-15 is flared, a near-standard among billet receivers.

QD sling attachment points (cup style) are found on both sides of the lower, toward the rear of the receiver (naturally).

The safety markings are set up for you to be able to use either a 45-degree short throw safety lever or a standard mil-spec 90 degree throw lever. A nice little engraved “window” spans the gap between 46 degrees and 89 degrees of throw. While the lower can accept an ambi safety lever just fine, I didn’t have one to add.

The mag release button is the one item that can be ambidextrous, but isn’t. Standard mil-spec button and location, works as well as it ever has.

The bolt stop/release lever, however, is ambidextrous. Near the magazine release button on the right hand side of the receiver is a small lever that when raised engages the bolt stop. When you hit the lever downward, the bolt drops. This performs the same function as Magpul’s BAD lever, but gets your trigger finger a little further away from the magazine well.

It’s worth taking just a moment longer on the ambi bolt stop/release. This is really the key feature people are going to buy (or not) the SilencerCo SCO-15.

First, let’s cover why there’s a perceived need for a right side bolt stop/release. First, for the true ambidextrous (or simply left handed) shooter, this isn’t really the solution. The way the SCO-15 is designed does provide a big benefit to right-handed shooters over the mil-spec design. Keeping your firing hand on the grip and allowing you to lock and release the bolt with your index finger (while racking the bolt with your left hand) is far faster than taking your right hand off the pistol grip and racking the bolt with it while locking the bolt back with your left hand.

SilencerCo SCO-15

For comparison’s sake, I vastly prefer the SCO-15 to the San Tan Tactical’s design, with STT opting for a button instead of an up/down lever. My experience is that when you’re shooting under stress (and/or wearing gloves), putting two similar sized buttons next to each other with vastly different purposes is a mistake.

Hands On

After assembling the SilencerCo SCO-15 receivers with a lower build kit, a V Seven Weapon Systems Enlightened handguard, the amazing Trident barrel from X2 Dev Group and an AAC 762SDN-6 suppressor mount, I lived at the range for a few days. Barrel testing, optics testing and some fun CQB drills meant I had opportunity to test out every aspect of the SilencerCo SCO-15.

It took me a little bit to get used to the exact location of the SCO-15’s release lever, mostly due to my primary rifle having a Magpul BAD lever for the past eight years. A couple dry fire/malfunctions drill sessions cleared that up easily. The SilcencerCo SCO-15 is a vast improvement in functional speed over the mil-spec design and a more reliable version than the various push-button ambi bolt releases on the market.

SilencerCo SCO-15

The SCO-15 lower receiver did absolutely everything you would expect it to. Flared magwell? Easy reloads. Ambi bolt stop/release? Faster manipulation of controls, hands down. Receivers are not complex parts, and neither is this improved design.

Bottom Line

The SilencerCo SCO-15 is definitely an upgrade over the stock mil-spec AR-15 lower receiver, and I’d argue it’s an improvement over push button style ambi lowers as well. Is it worth the price? That’s for you to decide. The SilencerCo SCO-15 ambi lower receiver runs $269, while the upper runs $219. Both go on sale pretty often. Check em out!

Check out more articles from Jens “Rex Nanorum” Hammer or visit him on Instagram @Rexnanorum.

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9 COMMENTS

  1. to get the same look
    and the same functionality
    – except for ambi bolt catch –
    and do it on the cheap:
    dig around on the bca website
    until you find the rear charging upper
    in the caliber you want
    that has their billet upper receiver
    then go to joe bob outfitters
    and get the spartan stripped lower
    this setup looks and performs almost the same
    for less than half the cost
    ive done several rifle pistol and pdw builds this way in 5.56 300 blk 7.62×39 and 350 legend
    they all turned out great with good accuracy
    and ran like a top for about $500
    for the base rifle before optics sights etc

  2. Sound Awake:
    My Mini14 will shoot rings around any AR.
    It’s not that I want it to it’s just that I aim at the AR and one bullet goes here, another one there, by the time the magazine is empty its circles the AR pretty well.

    • dullyfooly…I’ve owned Mini14s, 30s, built Match M1As. etc. and if the mini were more accurate than the AR platform I would use them…they are not. As for your wishful thinking the safety on a mini has its shortcomings.

      For the Silencer Receivers they are very nice except for the price. And for the price I would be embarrassed to say the receivers did not come with the tensioning screw even though those act as a pivot point like the rubber thingy, I use a shim that occupies the upper’s sear relief.

      For tolerances the tightest were Les Baer who no longer offers matched AR receivers. As for receivers that will get the job done on a budget an Aero M4E1 threaded stripped upper on an Anderson stripped lower works fine. Anderson also makes a decent closed trigger lower. As always check seller return polices because you do not take stuff out of the box and start slapping things together without scrutinizing.

  3. Dummy W, reread my joke about the Mini14 shooting rings around an AR then STFU and GFY.
    See I can do it too, name calling is a highly intellectual thing , uh huh , uh huh.

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