Making a believer

[Rapier]

Down a few threads you will see the $340 AR story.

Everyone including me had a question in the back of their mind about the New Frontier polymer lower for an AR. Well on Saturday morning I got my answer. I was mowing grass on the farm, using the throttle lever, which I normally do not use. I hat two holes which threw the AR out of the rack on the right rear fender. The rear wheel missed the rifle as it hit the ground but the 6 ft Bush Hog did not miss.

Starting at the top, the scope tube was bent, upper receiver was fractured, forend shattered, gas tube wrapped around barrel, gas block spun up, barrel bent in 3 directions, quick connect for suppressor destroyed, butt stock ripped out of the lower, stock key bent, rear take down pin sheared, buffer plunger and spring gone, pin plunger and spring gone, mag ripped from lower.

The bolt and carrier survived.

On Sunday after flushing and washing everything with mineral spirits, I went to the gun show we were having in town. I bought a pin, two plungers and two springs. Plus a new upper. I straightened out the stock key installed the rear pin, springs and plungers, screwed the stock back on the lower and locked it up with the wrench and ring nut. Put the new upper on the lower with old buffer, spring, carrier and bolt, stuck the old magazine in and the gun functioned like nothing had happened. The new upper is tight and the lower does not even have a change to the trigger pull. That is one tough lower.

Here is what it looked like Saturday and looks like today. The pictures tell the story.

In three years as an armorer in the 101st I never saw an M-16 this beat up, not even close. That lower was not hurt!
Ed