Any of you AR15 folks familiar with a AR 15 made by American Tactical and if so what are your thoughts.

If you are simply trying to get a budget rifle meeting a price point, I'd recommend a PSA or S&W Sport II before an ATI.

If you are looking at this brand for their lightweight polymer, I would caution against a polymer lower using traditional dimensions. The design of the lower on an AR15 was intended with aluminum as the material. It is common for polymer ARs that keep the traditional geometry to fail like this image.



A design like the KE Arms KP15 is more suitable to use polymer for a light weight build.

Never heard of them. But there are hundreds if not thousands out there

Eh. Not a fan specifically because of the poly parts and other low end parts. Pay a bit more for a palmetto or a little more than that for one of my grab bags

Fully agree. Mine functioned fine but barrel was crazy inaccurate. Go with a palmetto state pa15 if budget is a concern

I knew you guys could set me straight. Thanks much.

gibberish said:

---

A design like the KE Arms KP15 is more suitable to use polymer for a light weight build.

---

Or you can go to the originator of that design, GWACS armory. I have one of their lowers and love it for a super simple build that's nearly indestructible.

https://www.gwacsarmory.com/cav-15-mkii-ar15-polymer-stripped-lower-receiver-fde-ar-15/

TheEyeGuy said:

---

Eh. Not a fan specifically because of the poly parts and other low end parts. Pay a bit more for a palmetto or a little more than that for one of my grab bags

---

"Pay a bit more for a palmetto"

Now those are some words I never thought I'd hear

That's a completely different lower than what ATI uses. Oddly, those old Cav Arms design are well thought of. The what would stoner do build using one was pretty cool.

TheEyeGuy said:

---

Eh. Not a fan specifically because of the poly parts and other low end parts. Pay a bit more for a palmetto or a little more than that for one of my grab bags

---

Have you seen one blow up in person?

I have a dedicated .22 AR on an ATI 5.56 lower that I picked up for ~$200 with no issues. I was one of New Frontier Armory's first polymer lower distributors in TX. IIRC, we sold ~100 New Frontier polymer lowers and never heard any issues from customers after NFA sent out their revised hardware. I've run one lower, from the first 100 they made, really hard with no issues.

TheEyeGuy said:

---

That's a completely different lower than what ATI uses. Oddly, those old Cav Arms design are well thought of. The what would stoner do build using one was pretty cool.

---

Right, I was just responding to the KE Armory suggestion.

However, if you do want one of the KE Armory lowers, now might be the time judging by their pleads for money to help defend their suit from GWACS.

txyaloo said:

---

TheEyeGuy said:

---

Eh. Not a fan specifically because of the poly parts and other low end parts. Pay a bit more for a palmetto or a little more than that for one of my grab bags

---

Have you seen one blow up in person?

I have a dedicated .22 AR on an ATI 5.56 lower that I picked up for ~$200 with no issues. I was one of New Frontier Armory's first polymer lower distributors in TX. IIRC, we sold ~100 New Frontier polymer lowers and never heard any issues from customers after NFA sent out their revised hardware. I've run one lower, from the first 100 they made, really hard with no issues.

---

Thought I wrote a response to this. Guess texags ate it.

So, my problem isn't with safety (though I have seen broken ATI lowers... generally from mortaring incorrectly which can happen on a forged lower but less likely) but durability and low quality parts. The barrels tend to be bear creek and the receivers are out of spec more often than anyone else that I've seen. You can sometimes find the gun for $400 (historically) and when a PSA can be done for about $100 more without too much digging around, it's hard for me to not recommend PSA. Plus, you'll get much better resale out of the PSA.

On durability, the lower isn't really the issue but the ATI Omnis have poly uppers. Those seem to wear out much faster than they should. The lowers just have more issues being out of spec than nearly anyone else. That said, doing a 22LR AR build out of their lower is a great idea. Full AR compatibility and tolerance is much less of an issue.

In regards to New Frontier, I have had a few of theirs come through. In fact, I built an AR for TheBlondeWonder on their lower about a year before the sandy hook incident. Back then, they were called Plum Crazy. Not the greatest AR but it was serviceable and light for her. During the Sandy Hook stupidity, I sold that gun for about $1500...

If I were going to do a poly gun, the Cav Arms design is the only one that I'd really look at today. Even doing a build, how much difference is there between a cheap poly lower and an Anderson?

Appreciate the details. Like you, I don't think I'd go with a full ATI gun for a rifle caliber, but it does work well for a dedicated .22 and at $200 a decade ago was a pretty decent deal.

I haven't noticed any durability issues with the NFA poly lowers. IIRC, wholesale on a complete lower with stock, buffer/tube, grip, and trigger group was ~$45 gun. At the time, Anderson lowers were ~$20 each wholesale. It's one reason I have a stack of Andersons sitting on Form 2s as SBRs.

My understanding from talking to the guys at NFA when they released their lowers is it's a different polymer material than the Plum Crazy. I haven't had any issues. They make a decent light weight gun, and the stock trigger was pretty decent, but they may have changed the mold and polymer in the last 10 years. I haven't bought any since probably 2014.