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Mr. Anderson

Strictly seeking knowledge.

I keep hearing that Anderson Manufacturing makes "a boatload" of AR parts for other big name brand AR companies, but I'm struggling to find much information on it. Their website is pretty vague outside they have "outmanufactured every other company the last two years in a row". It seems kind of sketchy that a company whose AR's are going for around $350 are selling their parts to high end companies, and if those companies ARE using AM parts, why don't Anderson AR's cost more, or those higher end companies cost less? It seems like if those higher end ARs were made with AM parts, one of the two would change.

Just a little confusing is all.
 
Anderson sells a ton of lowers to the general public. they probably do sell more lowers. people buy them to build. they are decent priced and used to be dirt cheap on price but not now. They do not sell lowers or parts to higher end AR companies, or least i doubt they do. Maybe they do to companies in their price range. Andersons are not bad AR's for the money.
 
Only a handful of brands make all their stuff "in-house".

A mid-high level manufacturer in my general area makes their own ARs and associated components, as well for other brands.

In talking with the owner you'd be surprised who they make stuff for, but I can't tell.

And there's only a few makers of forgings that others may get them CNC to a final components.

Barrels are another things since that's usually another farmed-out component, with few brands having the Equipment to make their own.

There's always a "price-point" that brands have to consider & shoot for, and their business model.

BTW - I've never had an issue with an Anderson lower and/or upper receiver, but have mostly used Anderson lowers for many top-notch builds.

My .02
 
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Only a handful of brands make all their stuff "in-house".

A mid-high level manufacturer in my general area makes their own ARs and associated components, as well for other brands.

In talking with the owner you'd be surprised who they make stuff for, but I can't tell.

And there's only a few makers of forgings that others may get them CNC to a final components.

Barrels are another things since that's usually another farmed-out component, with few brands having the Equipment to make their own.

There's always a "price-point" that brands have to consider & shoot for, and thir business model.

BTW - I've never had an issue with an Anderson lower and/or upper receiver, but have mostly used Anderson lowers for many top-noth builds.

My .02
There’s a local company—APF—that makes their own, as well as makes rails/handguards for some big name companies.

Super nice guys, too.
 
My first AR, an Adams Arms Witch Doctor, came with an Anderson lower. And I've built a few more on Anderson lowers. For the most part a lower is a lower. Unless you want matched receivers or you want some of the features Aero Precision does with their lowers I don't think it makes much difference. PSA makes good lowers too. I have 2.

As for Anderson Manufacturing uppers, I seriously doubt they are making their own barrels. A handful of companies make their own barrels but the vast majority use Roscoe, BA, FN or one of the other barrel makers. I think BCM now makes their own barrels. Giesele. BCA if you can believe it. They ( BCA) also make their own BCGs in house. No idea who makes them for Anderson but they're most likely farmed out. Toolcraft I'd guess. Anderson LPKs are mil spec and as good as any other straight mil spec stuff I'd reckon. I almost always use someone else's though. SOLGW, BCM, Aero, Geisele are all better choices in my opinion. The rest is junk furniture most people end up ditching pretty quick anyway for some Magpul, BCM, B5, etc.
 
Only a handful of brands make all their stuff "in-house".

A mid-high level manufacturer in my general area makes their own ARs and associated components, as well for other brands.

In talking with the owner you'd be surprised who they make stuff for, but I can't tell.

And there's only a few makers of forgings that others may get them CNC to a final components.

Barrels are another things since that's usually another farmed-out component, with few brands having the Equipment to make their own.

There's always a "price-point" that brands have to consider & shoot for, and their business model.

BTW - I've never had an issue with an Anderson lower and/or upper receiver, but have mostly used Anderson lowers for many top-notch builds.

My .02
If you tell me, you'd have to kill me, right? haha
 
I built several rifles on AA lowers.

Honestly? Unless you want bells & whistles, a lower is a lower is a lower, and AA makes solid, in spec ones for a great price (I bought several for $39.99 a pop from a local dealer; probably still have one or two in the stash).
Were they stripped lowers or complete? Just curious. That's one hell of a deal either way.
 
My first AR, an Adams Arms Witch Doctor, came with an Anderson lower. And I've built a few more on Anderson lowers. For the most part a lower is a lower. Unless you want matched receivers or you want some of the features Aero Precision does with their lowers I don't think it makes much difference. PSA makes good lowers too. I have 2.

As for Anderson Manufacturing uppers, I seriously doubt they are making their own barrels. A handful of companies make their own barrels but the vast majority use Roscoe, BA, FN or one of the other barrel makers. I think BCM now makes their own barrels. Giesele. BCA if you can believe it. They ( BCA) also make their own BCGs in house. No idea who makes them for Anderson but they're most likely farmed out. Toolcraft I'd guess. Anderson LPKs are mil spec and as good as any other straight mil spec stuff I'd reckon. I almost always use someone else's though. SOLGW, BCM, Aero, Geisele are all better choices in my opinion. The rest is junk furniture most people end up ditching pretty quick anyway for some Magpul, BCM, B5, etc.
I'm glad to hear so many good things across the board from all of you guys. Thank y'all. Will keep you posted. Over the summer I'm gonna do a build and I'll do a write up in the "Guns" forum. Much love.
 
Of course you did.
I’m a little irked actually. To buy a c158 bolt is very nearly the same price as a whole new BCG. My efforts to get the busted up roll pin plus the tip of a 1/16 punch, which are lodged tight and flush inside the ejector pin channel, have proved fruitless. They would have to be drilled out. And since they’re flush and there is no other damage and the ejector works fine I’ll just have to live with it.

Other observations. The knock off of the Avid Master Block they sell on Amazon is seriously deficient in the ejector removal dept. The plastic piece simply is garbage. I’ll end up with the Brownells tool soon.

Also, there’s realistically no reason to remove the ejector unless it fails. This would have been the third one I’ve put a Sprinco spring in, but unlike the other two this roll pin decided it didn’t want to leave it’s hole.

It’s ridiculous that a bolt costs $70 and a whole new BCG costs $100 ( ish ).
 
They have good prices on parts too. And good shipping. I just bought a bolt carrier group from them.
Yeah, just to test it out, I configured a lower parts kit and then individually priced the parts on other sites, they're averaging anywhere from 2-20 dollars cheaper per part which I thought was pretty cool.
 
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