The Differences In A Cast, Forged, And Billet Lower Receiver

"Cast, forged, billet" is a term you will see when shopping for receivers. Here are the details of the three and how they are different. We've also written down what's good and bad about each one.

Cast Receiver

Casting is the process of putting molten metal into a mold to make the shape you want. The molten aluminum is poured into the mold to "cast" the lower receiver for an AR-15 rifle. 

Pros of Cast Receiver

    • It costs the least to make, so it is the cheapest of the three choices.

    • When a metal like Aluminum A380 is used, casting is the best way to combine mechanical properties.

    • The A380 is also strong and resistant to heat in a way that makes it easy to operate.

Cons of Cast Receiver

    • A lot of people have said that the way receivers are cast isn't very good and doesn't pay enough attention to detail. There may be cracks or holes in the finished product, which could be dangerous when using the gun.

    • Nearly all casting has been replaced by more technologically advanced methods such as Billet and forging.

What Is a Billet Receiver?

Casting and billeting are kinds of the same thing. When you cast, you pour molten aluminum into a mold. Pros of Billet receiver

    • The Billet Receiver AR15 can be shaped better with CNC machines, which makes the finished product look better.

    • If 7075-T6 plate aluminum was used, the quality of the product would be much better than if other materials were used.

    • Because high-quality materials like 7075-T6 aluminum are used to make billet, durability worries are almost nonexistent.

Cons of Billet receiver

    • As more advanced machines are used in the process, the price of the final product goes up. In fact, it costs more than receivers that are forged or cast.

    • Even though billet gives manufacturers more creative freedom, it also adds a large cost.

    • There is no guarantee that some of the billet receivers will work with military standard parts. This makes it hard for it to work with most of the AR parts that make up most of the market.

Forged Receiver

Forging is the same as compressing, which is another way of saying that aluminum is hammered into the shape of a receiver. Finishing this receiver is also done with a CNC machine, just like the other two.

Pros of Forged receiver

    • Metallurgists agree that forged receivers are better than those that are cast or made from a billet.

    • Forged receivers are stronger because the "grain" of the material follows the shape of the part as it is shaped.

    • Most forged lower receivers are made to meet the most recent military requirements.

Cons of Forged receivers

    • Most of the time, they don't look as nice as billet receivers.

    • Some gun enthusiasts might not like that they don't add things like trigger guards or thread fittings.