LPKs - Are all created equal?

Mosquito_magnet

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Hey everyone,

I'm building my first AR, and currently I'm shopping of my LPK. I have done a lot of research, but one thing I haven't come across. With exception to the trigger (this forum's trigger review sticky was very helpful), are all lower parts kits created equal? Does the quality differ noticeably between brands?
 
Other than the hammer and trigger, it is hard to notice any differences between the springs and pins, they are such small parts manufacturers source them from where ever they can, for all we know they are probably made by the same factories.
 
As stated, most are the same. The high end kits should have better triggers. The biggest complaint's I have heard over the budget kits is sub par packaging and parts being missing or springs being kinked. I've personally never encountered a kit that was unusable and I think I've used about all of them.
 
If you are building an AR, I am assuming its not for cost savings but for specific characteristics - and again assuming one of those is going to be trigger weight and feel etc. If thats true, you aren't going to be using the crappy triggers that ship with most LPKs - in this case just buy the cheapest one you can find, it takes a lot of talent to screw up pins/roll pins and small springs etc.
 
If you are building an AR for yourself forever then it doesn't matter, if you plan on selling it later any part that is sub par crap whether warranted or not will be room for negotiation at your disadvantage
 
S and J had a bad batch of LPKs last year that had oversized pins. The corrected the problem for both my friend and I. I am not knocking them but I would like to point out that not all parts are created equal.
 
Seems to be a frigging cgn trend to buy the lowest cost crap there is and then state that it's as good as the highest most expensive stuff out there I.e. NEA vs KAC discussion
So tired of that mentality
 
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Seems to be a frigging cgn trend to buy the lowest cost crap there is and then state that it's as good as the highest most expensive stuff out there I.e. NEA vs KAC discussion
So tired of that mentality

When I bought my S&J Hardware LPK it wasn't any cheaper than my DD. Having said that, I too had issues with my S&J LPK.
 
Iv used a bunch of different lpk nea, Anderson, dd, and so on. I have never noticed a differance in quality or spec. I know it's much cooler to tell people you put in a 300$ lpk with a standard trigger but personally I would save on the lpk and spend on a nice trigger.
 
If you are building an AR for yourself forever then it doesn't matter, if you plan on selling it later any part that is sub par crap whether warranted or not will be room for negotiation at your disadvantage

S and J had a bad batch of LPKs last year that had oversized pins. The corrected the problem for both my friend and I. I am not knocking them but I would like to point out that not all parts are created equal.

if he's building it to sell off, should also point out he's gonna take a bath on the sale, cheap crap or not.

if pins and springs are all your using from the kit then what does the brand matter? they all come from the same place...
 
Yes we did. And corrected it asap.

I had the same issue and had a rapid first e-mail response but never heard back when I e-mailed multiple times to inquire about status of the pins as I had never received them. I gave up after a couple of months. Could it have been that there was a period when the e-mail was acting up on your end or perhaps I might have used "reply" and it went to the wrong e-mail box? Would like to know for next time so I don't make any mistakes. Thanks.
 
Yes we did. And corrected it asap.

After first blaming the 'cheap' Aero lower. ;)

I had the same issue and had a rapid first e-mail response but never heard back when I e-mailed multiple times to inquire about status of the pins as I had never received them. I gave up after a couple of months. Could it have been that there was a period when the e-mail was acting up on your end or perhaps I might have used "reply" and it went to the wrong e-mail box? Would like to know for next time so I don't make any mistakes. Thanks.

Similar to my experience, although not with pins. Very quick initial reply.........and then nothing. *shrugs*
 
After first blaming the 'cheap' Aero lower. ;)



Similar to my experience, although not with pins. Very quick initial reply.........and then nothing. *shrugs*

That was my "cheap" lower btw. But to answer the OP's question about LPK's, make sure you research which vendor you purchase one from. Have a look at their forums, read what users experiences with that vendor are and see how quickly a vendor responds to forum posts not just questions but concerns as well. Don't just look at their forums for posts regarding the LPK, this will give you a much better picture of how a business conducts themselves and how they're willing to resolve issues for their clients if they have issues.

Last thing you want is to get half way through assmebling your lower only to find out some part doesn't fit and then not get a response from the vendor your purchased the non fitting part from. It's frustrating as you have to wait to get the lower, wait for the LPK, and find out out that the part for the LPK doesn't fit and then wait another month and a half to two months for it to get resolved.
 
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