I got 2 lowers from Tennessee Arms in 5.56. They arrived quick even with the them being slammed and the website saying that it could take 2 to 3 weeks fir shipping.
At first glance when recieved they were perfectly made and had some wierd discoloration where they had stamped the caliber and company logo. Took care of that with some old Colgate toothpaste. All holes were perfect and there was no burs anywhere on the lower.
I set it up on my vise abd started ensambly. Buffer tube went in with no problem just like the pistol grip and the trigger group and such. Nothing different from any other lower. And it matches fine with my upper receiver.
Took both to the range for the first time ,one in 300 Blackout and the other .223 Wylde. Put about 200 rounds through each lower and they perform almost without a hitch. Both lowers i had one of my trigger pins go back into the lower. Solved with some anti walking pins and after another 200 rounds no problem whatsoever.
They are pretty much new so i will probably do another review after i had them for a while and put some more lead downrange. As for right now I love how lightweight my rifles are and i can see myself getting a couple more for future builds.
Love this lower. I’ve got the AR10 version as well. Performs great and is very light.
Good service. Lower looks good parts kit fit fine build went great. Great price and lower .
I purchased a pink lower to make a build for my wife. She was very happy with color and how it matched up with her Pink ERGO grip. Went together well with zero issues.
Fast delivery to FFL and couldn’t be any more pleased. Color was consistent throughout and matched Magpul OD green perfectly. Really tight tolerances with parts kit (DMPS kit) and once the upper was attached (Hardened Arms) it was a really tight fit. Out of the box the lower had no burrs and was completley smooth. I had to do no alterations or shaving of the lower to make parts fit. I will definetly be a return customer. Great product and I love supporting local businesses.
Amazing lower for the price. Would not hesitate to buy again-fast shipping-LPK from ALG Defense fit perfectly. 5 statrs
All of my lowers from on out will be tnarmsco hybrid polymer lowers. I've had multiple polymer lowers from other companies that I've put through stress tests and they have almost all broken. Tnarmsco lower sustained more stress than some billet and forged aluminum lowers. These lowers are phenomenal. Finally someone has gotten it right! Do not have doubts when purchasing these lowers. They are all well manufactured and require little to no work to assemble for use with the upper of your choice. Bravo tnarmsco. Bravo.
Great sturdy product! Lightweight and very nice finish. Has handled perfectly being a polymer. Definitely recommend!
First impressions when I pick this up. It is very lightweight, and very strong and very stout construction. Everything that has threads has brass reinforcements which is a nice touch, I have not seen this on any other polymer lowers.
My only reservation of this product is that the quality of the finish isn't super great. There are a lot of rough edges and the finish is not as smooth as I expected. That being said, it's nothing you can't fix with a half hour of trimming.
These receivers fit and work great. The warranty is great peace of mind for SBR builds, and their customer service is great. I've been a gunsmith for almost 25 years, and right now all of my personal AR rifles are built on these lowers.
These lowers are great. Every piece fits like a glove. Lightweight construction and very durable. I love it and can't wait to do my next build. Great job Tennessee Arms!
This lower weighs all of 5.5 ounces without any extra parts in it. Cant wait to get this build complete and see what the whole thing weighs. Reddit.com/r/AR15 and u/tnarmsco, and everyone else that suggested this lower.....Thank you! Im definitely pleased with it. Plus, everyone who recommended it said that its damn near indestructible. I can see it too
Fit & finish is great! All parts went on perfectly and no clean up was required for fitting. If you're finicky a small file works well to clean the corners. The upper fits tightly with no need for an accus wedge. Color matches Magpul very well! If you are interested in the polymer lowers this is a must have! Feels quite solid. It takes a good amount of force to flex it. Not wimpy at all!
Great place to start a new build. This is the base for my no budget no deadline SPR.
Let me start by saying the lower functions fine and I understood there would be some diy involved before buying.
The lower does need some sanding here and there to fit, totally fine. My biggest problems were the pistol grip fitment and the sides that cover the trigger assembly are bowed in sightly.
Once installed, the milspec grip sticks out about 1/4 of an inch where the webbing of your hand would be. The same grip is flush on a normal receiver.
The bowing of the sides make the safety switch stick out from the receiver. Probably gonna make it hard to trade or sell someday.
Still functions great and I can deal with these issues. Awesome service and fast shipping to ffl.
When I got the box I thought it was empty, that's how light this lower is. After leaving the gun shop I threw my lower on the ground and ran it over with my Fullsized F 150 and expected it to shatter low and behold it retained shape and mags drop freely. Best lower for the price and color is close to the magpul od green. A shade lighter.
This is my first polymer lower build and all I can say is wow!! Every part fits great and there is no concern about anything being too loose. Overall I'm impressed!!
I really like my lower and its light and my parts kit fit great. There was a little flashing from the mold process and the magwell is cut small. Standard gi mags will not drop free. Now worries tho. Just gonna have to wear them in a little. All in all a great purchase for the price. I would definitely buy again. Maybe next time the fde will be in stock and if it isn't then hopefully I GET NOTIFIED. Again, I like my lower and may do business with TN Arms again for a 308 build.
Nicely made strong its nice good price on it FAST SHIPPING. one reson gave it a 4 is i not build it to test it yet but looks good and ty for nice lower
I've bought two of these lowers so far and I've been more than happy with them. At first I was hesitant about polymer lowers, but these have been phenomenal and more and more I'm taking my AR builds with these lowers out more than my AR builds with aluminum lowers because of the weight savings.
Phenomenal product.
The first thing I noticed about this receiver was how light it was, even once fitted with internal components. The sharpness of some of the molded letters and numbers on the magazine well is not as fine as I might have liked and there was a small burr on the rear inside of the trigger guard, but I expected minor flaws like this from a molded receiver. Overall the finish is good, the blend of material looks even, and there are no color flaws or major defects. The sidewalls of the trigger group section initially angled in slightly, which I also expected, but once the trigger group components were in place they assumed a square position like that of any metal receiver. The magazine well, trigger guard, and other key parts are molded correctly, and both metal and non-metal magazines load and unload without difficulty, even with an after-market ambidextrous magazine release. The serial number is in a readily visible location and marked in metal for permanence. The metal reinforcing collar for the buffer tube is smoothly machined and solidly fitted. All of the lower components fit properly, although the takedown pins were tight at first, especially the rear pin. After letting the rifle sit assembled for a few days with the pins in place I worked them in and out a few more times and they moved much more easily, but with none of the upper receiver wiggle that I have experienced with metal-on-metal upper and lower. Overall I’m impressed so far.
I am building my first AR-15 and this is my lower. Very solid lower, everything from my LPK fit perfectly!
Went together good. Like a previous reviewer, I had to remove the trigger to install the safety selector. But no big deal. Love the brass threaded inserts.
Great lower awesome fit but took some fitting to get it just right. Looks good but was scratched when I took it out of the box. Great product great price.
These lowers are fantastic. Their strength isn't an issue and coupled with the great customer service makes this an offer that's hard to refuse.
Fantastic product--will definitely be buying more for future builds. Price is unbeatable.
Good lower for the price no issues installing mil spec parts kit
I've built a couple of handfuls of ARs on aluminum and magnesium lowers and was eager to try the TN ARMS polymer. Watched all the YouTube vids that mostly focused on strength and indistructability. I was sold.
Ordered an FDE AR15 lower. Took about a week and a half due to backorders. No biggie. But as soon as I picked it up from the FFL I started to doubt the craftsmanship and quality control.
First thing I had to do was take an razor knife to it and clean up the mold edges, remove material left in the drilled passages and countersink some holes to remove enough material for the hardware to actually fit!!
Second thing I noticed was that the walls of the receiver at the trigger group pocket were not parallel. They sank inward slightly on both sides and made it difficult to install the trigger group. The trigger and hammer functions fine but the walls do not run parralel with the upper receiver.
Third. The rear takedown pin would not push into position. After trying two different uppers I realized that there was excess material in the "elbow" between the pocket and the buffer tube threads. One side looked like someone touched it with a grinder to remove some material. But the other side had a pronounced raised molding line that would contact the upper receiver not allowing the takedown pin hole to lower into position. The material is manipulate able enough that I took a razor and a file to it and " got it to work". But it is still very tight.
Last. Every other build I've done I've installed the trigger group then the safety lever. This lower would not allow me to install the safety once the trigger group was installed. I had to remove the trigger, install the safety, then wedge the trigger under the safety barrel until it dropped into place. Minimal force requires but annoying to say the least.
If this were my first build I would have been screwed. Just too many problems. I really felt like the product that I recieved was a "blem" or a really bad "second".
A great product I would buy 0ne again.
Thanks
Great part at a cheap price Free shipping also
Lower needed small amount of fitting to my Rock River upper but I like that got good tight fit so no need for tightening wedge like I use on my other AR . Other wise ever thing fit well, also like the molded in trigger guard that's like the magpul curved one. Didn't have to worry about breaking off the tabs when installing trigger guard.
very good product, ordered 15 so far, will deff order more
This is my second lower from Tennessee Arms co and I love it! The custom engraving they did is awesome to they really do some great work.
I purchased this to "use" my spare parts from prevuous builds. Price was excellent with free shipping to boot. Shipping was Ok, not super fast, but it could have been my ffl dragging their feet as well, so no points off there. Finish was good, mold lines were clean, my only complaint was the bolt catch spring hole was slightly too small, and was causing the bolt catch to not function. Quick pass w/ a drill bit and bolt catch functioning fine. Fit to multiple uppers very tight w/ the pivot pins requiring to be punched, however after some manipulation they are loosening and becoming more manageable. I haven't had this long enough to tell if it will stand the test of time, but seems sturdy enough n functions properly, so I will get to enjoy "testing" it out.
This lower has exceeded all expectations. It's strong, durable, and very well crafted. It's hard to imagine being able to find such a good product for this price. I will be using these lowers for all my builds from now on.
Colors matched magpul colors well. I did the pink and Fde Everything went together great. Will use these agian
I have ordered 3 so far and wouldn't hesitate to get another. Some people complain about the hole size for the take down pins and I can see that they are a little tight to start but.... It's easier to enlarge than shrink the hole and really, they loosen up no problem. I had no issues at all. My first one I got about 18 months ago and it's handled 50 Beowulf as well as 223 Rem. I like them a lot, lightweight and super strong.
Installed my lower parts and shot three mags the next day. No problems no hang ups no FTF or FTE good light weight alternative to the norm. looking forward to my next build with a TN arms lower
I had no problems with my receiver, it fit my upper fine .
Thanks steve
I had never given any thought to polymer lower receivers. Why would I compromise the time tested, proven reliability of an aluminum lower? No way polymer could ever be a material I'd want as part of my AR's receiver! Aluminum is just better & stronger. But Tennessee Arms changed my mind with their product. Not a lot of "used car salesman" talk. Just actions speak louder than words video proof, their product is no joke! From run it over with a truck to demos of mortaring with these lowers. After that I wasn't just intrigued I was sold. This product deserves to be bought and tried. It's earned a shot at being tried. Then I had the pleasure of dealing with Tennessee Arms. Great customer service! Helpful like you rarely see from so many so called customer service centers. I was truly being won over. But then I actually got my hands on a polymer hybrid LR308 & AR15 lower. Super light, with great looks and feel. By that evening I had them installed on my builds. And the next day out at the range. Proof was in the pudding. I was fully converted. I sing my praise to anyone asking about a good lower for a build. My next 3 builds I have planned will be with Tennessee Arms polymer hybrid lowers!!
*-We double approve this review (Tn Arms Staff)
Great product will buy another one if needed
This is my second one, first got with a private party rifle purchase and was so pleased with it I had to get another. This one looks just as good if not better and can't wait to finish this build. You simply cannot beat the durability and quality for price. This is the epitome of K.I.S.S. (keep. It. Simple. Stupid.) I will be buying more of these in the future and continue to recommend to others!
Short version:
Great price, and great quality. This thing is tough as nails. Did not have any problems with fit when installing standard controls into the lower from a CMMG "builders kit". For a carbine length buffer tube, its the best choice out there. You may have an issue if you are using a rifle length buffer setup, as mine did not reach the detent. I could have sent it back and had it fixed (for free I'm sure) because these guys have world class customer service. I decided not to.
Long version: The one issue I had was due to my choice of receiver exstension. Because this lower was for a lightweight 4.5 pound build, I am using am "Ace Ultralight" stock. This stock uses a rifle length tube in order to keep the length of pull long enough for adult sized men, because the "shoulder stock" portion is fitted onto the back of the tube itself. This style buttstock limits your length of pull to whatever the length of the buffer tube is. Rifle length buffer tubes have a "shoulder" directly behind the threads for strength, and to prevent it from being screwed in too far. On my receiver, the hole for the buffer detent was about 2-3mm away from the end of the receiver threads and the buffer tube threads. This obviously meant that the buffer retainer would not be held in by the buffer tube as usual.
If this had been a huge issue for me, I am 100% sure that I could have sent it back and it would have been resolved. These guys have a reputation for making it right at all costs. In my case, I am fine running without a detent. First of all, since I am using a rifle buffer, the buffer itself it too long to "spring out" of the tube when dissasembled. The hammer stops it from going anywhere and I can ease it out with my thumb during disassembly so there is no "smack". To get the buffer and spring out, I need to cock the hammer back and hold it down for the buffer to clear the hammer and leave the tube. Because the entire spring/buffer is kept in the receiver extention by the hammer (whether cocked or not), I am totally fine running it this way.
If I did care, there is a whole list of things I could do to resolve this.
1. SEND IT BACK. THESE GUYS BACK UP THEIR WORK 100% AND I AM CERTAIN THEY WOULD HAVE RESOLVED THIS IF I BROUGHT IT UP. EVEN IF I TRIED SOME DREMEL/REDNECK GUNSMITHING AND SCREWED IT UP, I AM CONFIDENT THEY STILL WOULD HAVE HELPED ME FIX IT (have seen this in the past with these guys and they demonstrate the standard other vendors should be held to for customer service)
2. Grind off the buffer tube "shoulder" behind the threads so it could thread in farther and reach the detent. (Not for me for fear of weakening the tube)
3. Belt sand the rear of the receiver down a little so the tube reaches. (Way to much work)
4. Drill a second hole in the receiver further back. (PITA)
5. Cut a section of another buffer tubes threads off, about 5 or 6 threads worth. Then thread that "cuff" into the receiver so it holds the detent in. Then thread my tube in behind it locking the "cuff" between the tube, the detent, and the threads. (Thought about this, but it would require alot of assembly and disassembly getting the length perfect so the tube still screwed in tightly. And might even require cutting the rifle tube threads a little short to accommodate the threaded piece and the ability for the buffer tube to be screwed in tightly)
6. Put the detent permanently on a screw instead if a spring. Thread it into the hole and get it to the right hight. Since the detent is totally passive during recoil, if it was at the right hight and you don't mind "unscrewing" it for disassembly this would work fine.
7. Buy a different lightweight stock that uses a carbine length buffer.
8. Buy the JP silent buffer spring system. This is a great system and eliminates the need for a detent as the spring sits flush in the tube.
Or 5 other things I came up with, but you get the idea.
To summarize, it's a great product and if you are using a standard carbine length buffer tube it will work 100%. I tested it with 4 other carbine buffer tubes and the retainer was held in with all of them. I decided this issue was not worth involving the company, but if I had involved them I know from experience that they stand by their product more that any other manufacturer I have delt with.
If you need a lightweight lower thats stronger then a typical aluminum receiver, BUY THIS THING NOW!!!!!
-Yeah...what he said! (Management of Tn Arms)
I recently bought on of these lowers and first of all the customer service was great and shipping was fast. Unfortunately though I was fairly disappointed in the finish of the receiver. It had a lot of mold lines and looked like the two halves were slightly off when they were put together. This is mainly cosmetic and all of the parts from the parts kit seemed to fit. In hindsight I may have been happier spending a little more for an aluminum lower.
I have had 2 of these for a year now when I received them they looked great during instillation of lower parts kit pin to hold bolt release cracked the lower, emailed the company that night about 8 or 9 o'clock so it would be there next morning and to my suprise I received an email back very shortly. I sent back lower receiver with parts kit they replaced cracked receiver , put in bolt release for me and shipped back very quickly, service was great.
As for function I have had no trouble at all great product, have 2 of them one is mine and one is my sons; he built the flat dark earth lover with magpul furniture it matches perfect
Great product!!!! Would recommend
First, shipping was LESS than 48 hours....to atlanta! Wow! Paid less than $40-shipped, again, very nice. Got the rifle green which as stated matches magpul od very well. Receiver is very solid indeed and instills more confidence than an aluminum one only because it seems very strong (if you havent seen the torture videos....watch them), and because the color is all the way thru you never have to worry about scratches. Assembling parts kit was easy enough compared to an aluminum lower. Fitment with the psa upper is very tight indeed....not loose in any way. Takedown and pivot pin holes are super tight as others have stated....maybe back it off just a hair tnarms. I will not be able to knucle punch the pins out....maybe lots of rounds will loosen it up. Also i installed a b.a.d.ass safety selector and it does not operate as smoothly (meaning its a bit tighter) as my aluminum lowers....i cant be stealthy switching it on and off because there is a noticeable "click" sound from the detent popping into place. I will continue to work these tight areas thru repetition and see if that helps. All other lower parts function no different really than in other lowers. I will make time soon to break it in on the range. It looks great, feels great and service was very good....i highly suggest one for yourself. Hope this helps you make an informed purchase decision.
I bought my second TA lower on Veterans day sale. I was disapointed. I bought the first one when TA was a fairly new company, and had to redrill the hole for the fire control detent. Also the takedown pin holes are very tight. The new one i bought has even tighter takedown holes, other issues solved. Its very frustrating. At least it was by far the cheapest option. The colors are nice though. And it does work. But still, if this is your first/only ar i would buy a metal one.
It is exactly what I expected. Time will tell once I finish the entire riffle.
I was told about this company from my brother who has ordered and built many AR's using this companies lower's. After going to my brother's house in TX and firing his AR-10, I came home and decided it was time for me to build an AR. I look forward to buying and building a few more AR"s with these lowers. Good job guys!!!
Your products are always High Quality
Product is sturdy, and very light weight. The only issues I have is the take down pin holes needed to be resized, as well as the hole for the buffer detent. The slot for the bolt catch is also too tight, but I don't have anything small enough to file it down. Hopefully it won't cause a malfunction.
The lower is very light and sturdy, however upon attempting to attach it to my upper I found that the take down pin would not connect because the fit was too tight. After some sanding and filing I was able to get the two pieces to fit together. I would rather have it be tight than loose but it would be nice to have less modification required. Overall, it's a great product at a great price
Can't say enough about the quality and fit of this lower. Worked great on my 300BLK mil spec upper, no slop and pins fit perfect. Plus it's nice to order from a veteran owned company in my own state. A mixup in shipping to my FFL was taken care of immediately and I even got a call from the VP of the company to make sure everything was straightened out. Will definitely buy again!
I purchased 4 different colors and attempted to assemble using a standard lower parts kit, it was clear that the takedown pins and detent holes had excess material and the detent holes were undersized on all the lowers. The detents would go in but never move and you cannot get them out, thereby allowing the takedown pins to allows come out. Additionally, the molding lines are everywhere and filing/sanding is required to ensure a proper fit of lower to upper, takedown pins, trigger guard, etc. Bottomline is these reinforced plastic lowers are only of value when aluminum lowers are more then 3X the price of these lowers.
After a bit of a rough first order due to a variety of circumstances, my 2nd order was top notch! I cannot say enough about how awesome the customer service that you receive with your order from tnarmsco is. The lower itself came in looking crisp and clean, nice color, and feels very rigid and up to the task. I'm sure I'll be building more ARs on this platform in the future.
I think these receivers will herald the same wave of change in the rifle world, that Glock caused in the manufacture of pistols. Time will tell. So far I've purchased 4 receivers. Nylon infused polymer is incredibly tough and light.
My stealth gray and flat dark earth receiver-builds matched perfectly with Magpul Moe stock and grip kits.
Light, strong, durable...if there is a major drawback I have not found it. Long term it looks like conventional forged aluminum and billet lowers are in serious trouble. I've purchased one of the new .308 lowers. If it proves out, I won't be the only one who notices, and the aluminum lower will probably go the way of the buggy whip.
The stripped lower polymer black I purchased is incredibly well designed. Installing added brass fitting for the buffer tubes ensures rigidity on the weak section of polymer lower. The threaded screw for the pistol grip is added touch. Assembled the lower with no problem mating with my Aeroprecision Upper Assembly. It is a little bit tight on the take down pins but a slight enlargement of the hole correct the issue. Buy this lower you will not regret it.
Excellent craftsmanship and prompt shipping. I can't wait to get started on my build.
Shipping was quick, product received exceeded my expectations, from online reviews, these are exceptionally strong. Ridiculously light I might add! Should do well for my pistol build. Can't wait to get it out and shoot it!
So far so good. Set one up on a 458 Socom upper no issue's at all 200 rounds down range and no signs of any malfunctions. At these price's might just have to start building light weight's .
I been using Aero & Anderson lowers to build on. I been want to build a AR as lite as possible & still have a reliable weapon. Well this is as lite as you can get. I built 3 rifles on N.F. lowers & a Plun Crazy & had breakage problems where the buffer tube goes. TN.Arms got that problem whipped. I was surprised at the mold lines being so small everything fit's like a glove. I will say dollar for dollar this is a super bargain. I guess to sum it up it does what it's suppose do a lot lighter,cheaper & you still have a dependable weapon & that's a bargain in today's world. I ordered a new Colt barrel & Seekins modular forearm ,Magpul MOE stock,I am going to see just how lite I can build 1. Thanks TN. Arms for making a dependable lite lower at a bargain of a price. I hope you sell several million !!!!!
Was able to snap together two of the pink ones in no time flat. Was a little hesitant to smack the magpul grip on there, but it went on with some persuasion. Everything else just clicked together like it should.
In general I am pleased with this receiver. For the money it's a great deal. Everything, except the issue I'll talk about next, fits well. I'll probably order another receiver in the future. The finish looks good. Especially so with a pmag, they look great together.
I would give it a 4 or 5 if the front takedown pin area was made right. The raised area that holds the detent for the front takedown pin extends too far forward so the pin won't fit all the way in. I had to use a knife to shave it down and it still doesn't go in all the way.
Once the detent and pin are installed, modifying is difficult to do. It might not be a bad idea to eyeball the clearance before you install it and trim the plastic back first.
** This issue has been resolved. Tyler wasn't the first to let us know about this issue, so the mold was pulled and altered to fix the issue. We welcome all reviews to help us fix issues like this one- John Roberts Office Manager TnArmsCo"
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