Billet vs. Forged?

[TriggerHappy]

Just curious what the pros and cons were to the billet lowers and uppers compared to the forged? Thinking about building a new toy, but not sure what to start with.

[Irving]

This has been covered a few times in other threads, but I think most of the good info was in a thread that was high jacked so I have no idea what to tell you to search under.

[MichiganMilitia]

I would also like to encourage you to use the search function.

If you want a simple answer, then here it is: forged is cheaper. If you want more information, please do a search.

cheers

[Irving]

I found some of the ones I was thinking of:

http://www.co-ar15.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18549&highlight=forged

http://www.co-ar15.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4694&highlight=forged

http://www.co-ar15.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15921&highlight=forged

[TriggerHappy]

Thanks, I had read quite a few threads but haven't seen anything on it. I will try the search function and see what I can find. Still firguring out the forum.

[TriggerHappy]

Used the search function, found a few threads that talked about it a little. From what i can understand Billets have a little tighter fit, cleaner lines and a couple built in features? Oh yea, and the price tag.. I guess I was just looking for a cut and dry example of the pros and cons. I dont know that I would want to spend extra $$ when I am already happy with the forged that I own now.

[Hoser]

In the end there is no huge difference.

There are lots of forged M-16 lowers with hundreds of thousands through them, and they still run just fine.

[spencerhenry]

i am no metals expert, but from what i understand, forged items are stronger than billet, and billet is better than cast. think of it like this, a billet is a block of metal that you remove metal from to form a shape. a forging is a piece of metal that has been rough shaped by massive amounts of pressure. the process of forging makes the metal denser in the thin areas. an axe head for example is shaped by beating hot metal with a hammer, and then the eye for the handle is done the same way, by beating a tool through the piece. while i know there is alot more to it than just that, that is the simplest way i know to describe it.
i race off-road, baja and short course. the big trucks with 900 hp that weigh up to 7000#, mostly use forged wheels because they are a little bit stronger than billet. also the high dollar aluminum engine blocks start with a forging. cast is the cheapest, and is avoided when possible.

[sniper7]

Billet is the new COOL.
forged have worked for 40 years.

billet is more expensive (think $200+ for a stripped lower)
forged you can find for $80+

in the end, you will have the cool factor if you get billet, but functional wise either one will work just fine.

[ChunkyMonkey]

In the end there is no huge difference.

There are lots of forged M-16 lowers with hundreds of thousands through them, and they still run just fine.

+1.. other than the cool factor

oops... just saw Sniper's post! +1 What these folks say!

[offgrid]

I've had both, sold the billet. No perceivable difference in performance. Like others have said, billet is cool. Spend the difference in money on ammo.

[yosemite]

one more choice die cast aluminum lowers, in the works now will have lots of detail, reasonable price, excellent fit available soon!

[vectorsc]

Forged works just fine. That being said, I do like the VLTOR MUR/VIS for a reason that is kinda out of the scope of the question. It is a billet upper, and they have chosen to set the tolerance for the barrel extension to minimum.

This means that it is very tight on installing the barrel, sometimes requiring application of heat and cold. I feel that a barrel extension that cannot move with regards to the upper increases accuracy.

[yosemite]

if you take a look at what the lower really does, it is not much, it does not contain the pressure of firing, has no reciprocating parts, other than the buttstock spring assy, if they can build them from plastic, any metal is good, it really becomes a matter of quality control, nobe of the methods are 100% sure, billet aluminum, forgings, investment castings, diecastings all have the potential for defects, voids, inclusions porosity, the only method that meets milspec is forging, mainly because they made a choice , and milspec is forged, if you are building a gun to use, choose a receiver built by a reputable company that stands behind their product, I myself am building from a die cast receiver

[lead_magnet]

It might be a little late but I have .02 to throw in here. For an AR receiver like the others said, I don't see there being enough difference to matter. I do want to point one thing out though.

When you think about other things that are made with strength in mind, the method is quite often forging. I.E. race car pistons and rods, bolts (the kind you screw in and out , hehe), alot of hand tools ect. I'd venture a guess that nearly all ar-15 bolt and bolt carriers are forged. That being said, I would think that forging would also be a better choice for mass producing an item concerning the time it would take to make a part.

I'm not an expert or anything, but there my 2 cents.

[yosemite]

AR style lower receivers diecast from aluminum alloy, as a 2 piece clamshell, are made to closer tolerance than forged or billtet greaterr detail and closer tolerance is cast into the receiver than can be approached thru forging, forging requitres heat , anvil and hammer to shape the metal, hopefully not folding oxides and impurities into the forging. Diecasting requites an intricately designed, meticulously built mold set with precisely machined mold details , built with conventional an CNC mills, lathes, suface grinders,plud sinker and wire Electrical Discharge machining, these expensive molds are mounted on diecasting machine which pressure rams special high strength molten aluminum alloys , ino the tool halves, many times per hour, producing highly detailed, close tolerance with uniform wall thickness ,with very little secondary machinig required for a finished product. in essence diecasting is like forging, but with molten alloy forced into die cavities where it takes the shape of the product, time after time with little chance of human error, if you have mor interest contact me, thanks