What to Know to Choose the Right Components for Your Rifle

Whether you’re customizing your current AR-15 with newer parts, or looking to build a new rifle with some quality components, there are plenty of things you can upgrade from triggers and charging handles to the receiver itself. However it is common that after purchasing an AR rifle, many people immediately look to throw on optics and other attachments such as muzzle devices, and they often overlook upgrading the firearm itself with a better receiver. That being said, the decision for a new receiver often comes down to billet vs. forged receivers.

While the differences between each manufacturing process may seem minute, our team at Next Level Armament believes it’s important to know which one will provide the most utility for your rifle and use case, so we’re going to break it down.

What are Forged AR-15 Receivers?

Forged AR-15 receivers, like our NLX556 Series of receivers, are made by super-heating blocks of high-grade aluminum and then placing the aluminum into a casting die to be shaped with an auto-hammer or hydraulic press. After forging the rough shape, the receivers are passed through a CNC and given a more defined shape as well as their more precise details. 

Benefits and Limitations of Forged Receivers

• Forging is a cheaper process, in-turn forged receivers are often cheaper

• Due to the pressure exerted while casting, forged receivers tend to have tighter grain structures which are more impact-resistance than other manufacturing methods

• The forging process can lead to slight differences in how the lower and upper receivers fit together and may not feel as snug as billet receivers

• Lighter than our billet receivers

What Are Billet Receivers?

Billet AR-15 receivers, like the ones found in the Ascend Phoenix Set, are made by machining whole blocks of aluminum with a CNC machine. This forgoes the traditional forging process creating a more precise final product.

Benefits and Limitations of Billet Receivers

• Machining from block to receiver tends to be a more expensive and time-consuming process which reflects on the price making them more expensive than forged receivers

• As they do not undergo the process of die-casting, they often-times have a lower durability when compared to forged receivers

• Billet receivers tend to fit much tighter together than their forged counterparts because of the degree of precision the process of machining allows 

• As they’re cut from whole blocks of aluminum billet receivers also tend to be slightly heavier than their forged counterparts

Directly Comparing Forged vs. Billet Receivers

 

Differences	NLX556 Forged Receiver Pair	Ascend Phoenix Billet Receiver Set
Price	$250.00 (If Upper and Lower are purchased together)	$525.00
Fit	Fits together well and snug with room for slight differences	Fits together near-perfectly with little room for deviation
Durability	More Durable and Impact-Resistant	Slightly Less Durable and Impact Resistant with Heavy-Use
Weight	~1.75 lbs	~2 lbs
Best Uses	Home Defense, Hunting, General Civilian Target Shooting	Sport-Shooting, target shooting

 

What Receivers Should You Buy?

The choice ultimately comes down to your personal preferences, and what you want to spend.

Billet Receivers: Billet receivers tend to offer a tighter fitment meaning a more consistent shot and that nice premium snug feel when firing. Billet receivers may need to be replaced early than forged receivers in heavy use-cases

Forged Receivers: Forged receivers tend to offer more longevity in both general and heavy use cases and are more affordable. The only drawback is that there may be slight deviations in consistency when firing.

Where to Buy Your AR-15 Receiver

When it comes to purchasing an AR-15 receiver, whether you are buying billet or forged, you want quality, and Next Level Armament offers that. With our great selection for both billet and forged receivers, you can ensure that you are getting great quality products for a great price. You also can find receivers for left-handed shooters at Next Level Armament.

Ordering on our website is easy and hassle-free with a great support team ready to answer any questions you may have.

Billet vs. Forged Receivers Conclusion 

Both forging and CNC-machining create similar finished products in terms of quality and use. Forged receivers are better for heavier use cases as they offer greater durability and their cheaper price may be more accessible to beginners, or people who are just looking for a more affordable (but reliable) range rifle or home defense setup. On the other hand, billet receivers tend to offer a more consistent shot and a tighter feel better for more experienced hunters and sport-shooters. 

Whichever you decide to purchase Next Level Arms has a great selection of receivers of both manufacturing styles. Next Level Arms also has a plethora of other great accessories for building or customizing your AR-10 or AR-15.

Be sure to check out the rest of our selection and follow us on Instagram!