80% Lowers

You don't need a CNC to mill these. You find the center line, and work from it, cutting everything to dimension and depth. Any mill, including the cheap mill/drills, will do it, though if you have access to a knee mill, you're better off, as you can hog out more metal with them in one pass.
 
hardly anyone has access to CNC; it is much more expensive and finnicky to learn than manual machining.
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Almost every major metropolitan area in the country now has some sort of "maker" workshop club or business. Joining is $50-$100 a month.

http://themanufactory.us/floor-plan/
If you have one of those in your area, and I'd guess the majority of the US population has one within an hour, an 80% and much more can be completed pretty easily.
 
...but will they allow you to complete firearms? (ATF 2015-1 was quite clear about a business allowing its facilities to be used for the purpose, without a license and bound book being involved)

TCB
 
Almost every major metropolitan area in the country now has some sort of "maker" workshop club or business. Joining is $50-$100 a month.

http://themanufactory.us/floor-plan/
If you have one of those in your area, and I'd guess the majority of the US population has one within an hour, an 80% and much more can be completed pretty easily.
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"Major Metropolitan Area" is viewed very differently, depending upon what part of the country you are in.
For people in certain parts of the midwest, or along a coast, there are generally more options. But much of the country still doesn't have reasonable access to any kind of 'maker workshop'. In some parts of the country, a "Major Metropolitan Area" might be a city of 15,000 people, that's still 2-3 hours away.

Even when I lived in a metropolitan area with a population of 1.3 million people, the closest workshop/hackerspace was 6 hours away (Las Vegas, NV -- and it's still the closest to SLC). ...And there was a 14 month wait for machine time on even the manual mills and lathes.

Where I am now, the closest facility is still Las Vegas. Except, now, it's a 9 hour drive. ...Or 9.5 hours to Denver, CO. ...Or 10 hours to Portland, OR.

And most of them didn't allow work on, or manufacture of firearms or firearm parts, before 2015-1. Now that 2015-1 is out there, I don't know of a single workshop/hackerspace that'll even let you in the door if there's any suspicion of firearms or parts being made or modified.
 
I made an Ares Armor jigless poly 80%. http://www.slickguns.com/product/ares-armor-80-polymer-lower-1000-shipping-50
I Still have 2 of them not machined. Mine has the different color plastic so one can see where to dremel out. Got them when complete AR lowers were still over $100. The 80% were only $50. I had gave some out for Xmas gifts too. Now with Anderson's going for $40. No not worth it. I do however find it fun to build something and enjoy the process. I had just posted mine here.. LINK

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=568829
 
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I own a machine shop and several people have brought these things in. I always get a laugh out of it. I even had one guy ask me if he could "just use one of my mills for an hour". To be honest I dont know how any of the manufacturers make lowers as cheep as they do. 80% or finished. I bought an Anderson when they were $59 and felt it was a great bargain.
Mill time is $100 an hour
Anodizing is a $75 min charge from my vendor.
7075 aluminum billet $15
Thats all before you go through the FFL issues, insurance etc....
I go to my local LGS and he will sell me as many lowers as I want. the serial number and NICS check is fine with me.
 
I use my $300 harbor freight drill press and a $50 x,y vise and make lowers super easy, each one I do gets better then the last one
usually takes couple hourse

all have worked with no issues, and never made a mistake yet that rendered it useless

you dont need a milling machine, just free time

I even powdercoat my lowers too for the finish color

once I make a few more the tools and jig will have paid for itself
 
If you're looking to save money, cheapest is to buy a serialized gun. If you are looking to get into a fun project and want the satisfaction of partly building your own gun, then an 80% lower might be an option. If you are looking to own a gun that the government does not know you have, then buy used from a private seller in your state (my state has great websites that help private buyers and sellers connect) or go to a gun show.
Most people who buy 80% lowers and build their own thinking that they just pulled one over on the government have been fooled. There are about ten legal ways to acquire a firearm cheaper and easier that the government can never track.
 
I'd guess the majority of the US population has one within an hour
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I'm going to stand by my statement and "majority" is pretty conservative. I'd bet a brick of Federal 22lr it is close to 75% than 25%. Sure there are lots of geographic locations that are much further away, but they hold far less than a majority of the population. There are a lot more popping up also. Many Universities are starting to support them and allow student clubs to participate in with them.

I missed 2015-1. I just read it and you are correct. Doesn't leave much leeway for such things. I'd like to see how that worked out in court though. Seems like quite a stretch to include a non-profit association or society as "in the business of manufacturing firearms."
 
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