[Grizzman]

I may be incorrect, but the word "fantastic" implies that this build should be something special. With the current cost of complete ARs, building with nearly top tier components makes a lot of sense.

I'm a big fan of Aero Precision. I've completed builds with three of their lowers (two 308s), three uppers (two 308s), and I've got two more 5.56 uppers sitting in a drawer for a rainy day.

Anderson seems to be on a quality level equal to Aero, but I've never used one before. They may be good, but not what I'd consider "fantastic" worthy.

If it's decided to use Aero or Anderson for this build, I have full confidence that there won't be any surprises due to the quality of product. It also may come down to simple pride of ownership. At the last gun show I attended, the vast majority of stripped lowers for sale were Andersons....most likely because they're inexpensive and easy to get, not because they're the best option available for a once in a lifetime build.

If the total build cost will end up in the $1,000-1,200 range (with good irons), an extra $60-80 to upgrade from an Aero to an LMT or similar makes a lot of sense to me. When the total cost is $500-650....not so much.


A bit of duct tape placed onto the lower receiver (in case of a minor oops), and the use of the correct tools should eliminate any change of damage to the receiver. So far all of mine have turned out flawless.