Stainless ar-15

Status
Not open for further replies.
C

crazyjennyblack

Member
Joined
May 19, 2008
Messages
391
OK ladies and gentlemen, I need some help with my new obsession. I want a stainless AR-15. Stainless lower, stainless upper, stainless barrel. Bright shiny magazine (if possible). I want it with a 1911 grip, since I know they make these. I want to equip it with wood furniture, as I have seen this online as well.

I can find the barrels, furniture, and grips online. What I have not found is the missing links - the upper and lower receivers, as well as parts like the buffer tube ring thingie (technical term).

I'm looking to get this stuff when/if the scare settles down and things become available again. I AM aware that these things will be hard to find, that steel is heavier than aluminum, that steel is unnecessary, that it will make me stand out like a sore thumb, and that the EBR gods will attempt to smite me immediately because I am not conforming to the edict that all AR's must be black. Why, might you ask, do I want this? :rolleyes: Because I'm a girl, I like pretty stuff, and its my money to waste! :neener:

Seriously, anyone able to help me out?
 
Congrats, jenny! It's innovative thinking like yours that actually drives industry. I can't say that I've ever seen a stainless steel AR15. You've already mentioned why... There just isn't any need for one. I'm not gonna say it's impossible, but I bet it would be quite spendy. I do hope you find someone that can make you one, if for no other reason than Just Because.
 
You could go with polished aluminum parts. There was a pic of a polished aluminum AR with wood furniture floating around CalGuns forum, IIRC. An 80% lower would be easy to find in the raw. I don't know about finding an unfinished upper. Anodizing on aluminum is tougher than the base metal, and therefore can be quite a pain to remove. I didn't spend any time looking at the links above, but even plastic can be chromed now. I have heard great things about hard chrome and saw one XD pistol that was hard chromed to look like a real bi-tone (I have the bi-tone, which is actually stainless). It looked good from what I remember.

Some finishes require a polished base metal and others require a sand or bead blasted finish on the base metal. Have you contacted a metal finishing company or gun smith that does that sort of work? The car industry also deals with chrome and anodized parts, so you may find some leads there.
 
jenny, metaloy popped on one of those links I posted. I guess they do good work. I would assume you wind up sending them the parts you want chromed and some money. looks like they want 275 to coat a complete AR in whatever it is they call "tactikote" http://www.originalmetaloy.com/

I"m sure there are other places.
 
Aluminum is about 1/3 of the weight of an equivalent volume of steel. Keep that in mind.

Also, forget about polished bare aluminum. You'd be wasting money on polishing aluminum, it will get cloudy (aluminum oxide) and powdery over time. For aluminum to last, it needs to have a finish. A satin nickel plating would give a stainless appearance. Now that we're on the subject, have you thought about a two tone AR? Robar has their slick NP3 finish, which would work great on an upper receiver, both inside and out of it.
 
A stainless steel AR-15?

Why in the world would you want a 15 pound AR-15, before adding optics and other accessories??

It defies logic, and the design perimeters of the rifle in the first place.

rc
 
Sweet. I like it. Stainless is too much and chrome will look cheesey. Think Fat Elvis with an AR. But a stainless barrel and nickel satin upper / lower with nice wood and perhaps a discrete gun-jazzle of the receiver or around the trigger guard? Not talking Hello Kitty or rhinestones, but a few discrete Swarovski crystals. I like it. It has a Tarantino-esque quality to it. I liked the Turnbull Ar15 too. Not an EBR fan. I look forward to photos and to Sen Feistein explaining how it is an "uneccessary weapon of war".

Sent from my Kindle Fire using Tapatalk 2
 
I understand what you're saying, rcmodel, but the weight doesn't bother me. And, it wouldn't even approach 15 lbs. For example:

Assume a regular AR-15 weighs 8 lbs. An AR-15 receiver is around 7" long, 3" wide, and 1" thick. A block of steel of these dimensions weighs approximately 6 lbs. Even if you were to tape this block of solid steel to an already complete AR-15, the weight wouldn't be 15 pounds. So an appropriately milled out AR lower receiver made of steel would weigh a little bit more (maybe 2lbs?) than an aluminum receiver, but not nearly as heavy as one would think.

Also, consider that even thought the rifle would be heavier, the actual felt weight would be less than that of a Garand, for example, as the weight would be more toward the rear of the weapon.

Actually though, this whole thing is to be an "unnecessary weapon of decoration." :D
 
I've heard of SS lowers, but never seen one.

I like shiney guns, too, so I am following with interest.

This is as shiney an AR as I have so far, but I've plans to replace the HG with a ventilated SS one (I have the tube stock, just shopping around for machining):

_DSC9123.jpg

The upper is a FAILZERO, and it's more gold than Silver, but it's a good start.
 
there were some stainless guns made. (i've played with them) they were made for the US coast guard. i've no idea where you could find one.

if we weren't in the middle of a panic, you could probably get any of the small time billet receivers to do a custom stainless receiver for you. but that ain't happenin any time soon
 
Its funny to see this, but just the other day I was thinking why don't the make a steel receiver AR? I was pondering that perhaps there is some reason, like the tolerances of the weapon would create to much heat/galling as the action move. I was also thinking perhaps some reason because of rust. I am not an engineer, so I could only speculate. I think if you want a true stainless steel upper and lower receiver, then you would have to have it custom made.

I think it would look cool with the stainless and wood stock. If it were me I would skip the rhinestones and have it engraved with a punisher skull, and put a chrome plated 37mm M203 replica. :D

Also, consider that even thought the rifle would be heavier, the actual felt weight would be less than that of a Garand, for example, as the weight would be more toward the rear of the weapon.
Click to expand...

Wow! Definitely impressed!
[/QUOTE]
 
There's a big difference between matte hard chrome and pimp chrome.

A hard chromed AR15 would look pretty good IMO.
 
I have actually been wanting to do this exact thing for about a year now. Just because

Love that rifle spoogie
 
Man, spoogie, that receiver is getting toward the look I'm going for, although "pimp chrome" is more what I'm thinking...

Skip the rhinestones, please. That's only one step away from Hello Kitty. If I want something THAT glittery on a gun I would be obligated to gold plate it like Saddam Hussein! :neener:

I'm kinda thinking by the available offerings that getting an aluminum receiver with an appropriate silver-colored finish would be my best option.....

So.... I wonder where I could get pimp chrome? :D
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

A
  • Locked
AR-15 6.5 Stainless Steel Flash Hider
Replies
0
Views
502
AZHunter
A
S
  • Locked
im getting an ar-15, i think i want a rra but i want ur input
2
Replies
26
Views
1K
Kingcreek
K
H
  • Locked
All AR parts the same?
Replies
1
Views
340
Commissar Gribb
C
Asaph
  • Locked
AR-15 barrel question?
Replies
8
Views
2K
ocabj
O
D
  • Locked
AR-15 upper/lower question
Replies
5
Views
493
herrwalther
H
Back
Top