Plum Crazy Lowers? Are the worth it or not?

H

HandCannon32x

Moderator
I got my upper reciever built but dont have the lower yet. I have heard some stuff about the plum crazy lower but not all that much.

Since they are made out of plastic, Are they worth it? How do they last? Are they reliable?
 
They are made out of high density fiberglass.

I haven't used one, but I don't plan to. I don't think they will hold up to the recoil of a rifle caliber round in the long run.
 
I think I'd look toward a forged 7075 lower.I might try Aero for my next one.YHM's have been fine by me.Both are moderately priced.
 
If I had the money, I'd look for a traditional lower.

If money was tight, I would consider a PCF lower.

The reviews seem to be positive overall, but there are some drawbacks.

Customer service is either glowing, or difficult to reach. The FCG in some required a little shaving to smooth out drag on the BCG. Some mags, like PMAGS, seem to not fall free.

On the flip side, there are some reviews where the lower/upper fit was very tight, which in my book is OK. It does come with a lifetime warranty and those who returned it reported prompt service with good results. The FCG, made of composite as well, is reported by most to be much better feeling than GI.

Do your homework and make the call that's right for your use.
 
I bought a pc because I could not beat the price. 1200 to 1500 rounds and many AQT's later, I keep it because it works. The rifle has the best out of the box trigger I have used in a stock ar. The rifle is extremely light and handy. The lower reciever in an ar is a low stress part, I have no worries about the lower failing. If you own a polymer pistol then a polymer lower reciever should be no problem
 
There is a lot of stress on an AR lower at it's thinnest part, where the bolt is slammed back into the buffer tube.

vulcan.jpg
 
RT is dead on, Palmetto State Armoury is the least expensive lower with solid quality :)

Ridge Runner 5 also hit the nail onna head...plastic just doesn't cut it...not for centerfire rifle rounds.
You can get away with it for pistol-caliber carbines...9mm/.40S&W/etc...but rifle cartridges have much higher pressures.
 
I had one and it worked fine with 5.56 upper, but had to change out the plastic trigger to get it to work on a .22 dedicated upper. Not sure I would buy another plum crazy myself. I would rather build a metal one myself.

SABRE Upper 5.56

DSC04624.jpg


.22 Dedicated Upper

DSC04577.jpg
 
I just bought one of the New Frontier Armory polymer lowers to use on a coyote rifle build. To be honest, I was impressed with what I got. The trigger breaks very cleanly right around the 4.5lb range as advertised. The rest of the stuff should be here this week, so I'll do a report when I get it together and try it out. The lower fit very well with my Armalite upper, no need for a wedge at all. Mags worked nicely. What more could you ask for for $99? If it falls apart I'll still have all the parts I need to build a metal lower.
 
They are NOT polymer or fiberglass but carbon fiber. I don't know the difference between CF and high density fiber glass but I can see that CF machines like metal. As for the strength-some people can break anything.
I have several PC lowers on the shelf but only have two which are in use. One was assembled with a milspec LPK and is topped with a S&W 5.45x39 upper. It has around 300-500 rounds through it and works well. The other, a factory assembly w/synthetic fire control, was sold to a "bullet hoser" and has been shot quite a lot w/o any issues that I'm aware of.
The PC lowers tend to be tight in the takedown pin area and I've found some uppers which won't fit or are very snug requiring a good whack on top to seat on the lower but no wiggle for sure.
I have concerns for the longterm functionality of the synthetic fire control but that's a low $$ fix to switch out the hammer/sear for metal at some point.
 
A quick little research turns up that a break like the one shown above may have been caused by trying to get the buffer tube off.
 
Ridge Runner, can you share the make of that lower and the circumstances around that break?
Click to expand...

The one I posted above was a Hesse brand plastic lower. The photo is several years old. I don't remember the particulars, but it was posted on AR15.com a while back.
 
GGG, thanks for that link. The videos didn't work on the iPhone, so Ill have to look at the torture test later.

Ridge Runner, thanks for checking back. I've heard lost of bad stuff about Hesse, Vulcan, and Blackthorne, but have never seen any of them first hand.

There is also a couple YouTube videos with PCF testimonials out there, including 1 shot by a 3 gun competitor in 1200 frames/second slow motion. You can see some flex in the buffer tube, but without a comparison video with a metal lower, not sure how much credence to give it.

The LGS has then for $119, and the owner just outfitted a pink furniture model with a DTI upper, also in matching pink handguards. I should check back with him for a range report.
 
I'd buy a plum crazy without hesitation but certainly not for $119. That's outrageous!

If you want quality for lower cost get a Palmetto State Armory or Spike's Tactical.
 
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